The "Dal"

Digging through the newspapers for information, I come across weird things, that don't fit a larger story. One of them is the yacht "Dal," which once was in Harold Washington Park (then East End or Burnham Park) by the model yacht basin and then by the Museum of Science and Industry until about 1967. When it was in the park, it was visible to motorists on the Drive and was a constant mystery.

Every couple of years, the paper would explain what the heck the yacht in the park was. The Dal was large for the park but small for the ocean. It had sailed through a hurricane from Poland to the Century of Progress. Proud Polish Chicagoans bought it and asked for it to be displayed "permanently." The account of the voyage was a best seller in Polish. And of course Chicago forgot what the heck it was.

Poland is a bit grumpy that Chicago didn't take care of it. A Polish website describes its display in the park and at MSI as the "destruction of the symbol." The Polish website (in English): https://en.nmm.pl/news/new-life-of-the-yacht-dal

Some maps and photos: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/sailing-adventure-polish-hero-autobiography-translation-history-1.5449662

Here's a screen grab from the Suburban Economist 1941. It's a photo of it next to the model yacht basin inside its chain link fence. I can see why it puzzled motorists.