the mary a. whalenional historic maritime treasure even though few have ever heard of the tanker. that is, before she stood up to superstorm sandy. tied to the docks off brooklyn's red hook neighborhood, you'll find the forgotten mary a. whalen. engineless for the last eight years. >> looks pretty rough. there's no central heat and there's no flush toilets. >> carolina owns this ship and has a non-profit bedding that preserving the history is key to transforming the economy. and she wasn't going to let superstorm sandy get in the way. >> it is a symbol of preparedness and rel sisilient . >> so as the storm washed ashore, she spoke to her partner to board. sometimes they were crawling on the floor to make it they didn't fall overboard. >> it was scary at times. we go back inside and come out every half hour to check on to make sure we were secure. >> preparation kept whalen from becoming a similar ship which washed ashore on staten island. it quickly became a recovery effort. carolina used the equipment

. >> built in new york city, the mary a whalen once carried it through its ports. few have ever heard of the 613-ton tanker. that was before she stood up to superstorm sandy. tied to the docks off brooklyn's red hook neighborhood you will find mary a whalen, engineless and home for the last 18 years. >> it is rough. there is no central heat and no flush toilet. >> she owns the ship and is the head of a nonprofit bedding that -- betting that it is the key to transforming the waterfront economy. and she wasn't going to let superstorm sandy get in the way. >> she was a symbol of preparedness and resiliency. >> as they slammed new york city, she convinced her colleague to join her aboard. >> the boat was on top of the pier and toppled over. >> they wore these life vests the entire time they were on the mary whalen and sometimes crawling on the floor to make sure they didn't fall over board. >> it was scary at times. they said to go back at it and make sure we are secure. >> preparation kept the whalen from becoming the john bgodell that washed ashore on staten island.

of portside new york, a nonprofit betting that it's the key to transforming the waterfront economy, and she wasn't going to let superstorm sandy get in the way. >> the mary whalenmbol of preparedness and resiliency. >> so as the storm surge slammed new york see, she convinced her colleague peter to join her aboard. >> it was scary at times. we would go back inside and then go back out every half hour to make sure we were secure. >> what began as a mission to save history quickly became a recovery effort. care line used the six's six computers and other office equipment to start one of red hook's first command aid centers inside of an art gallery. >> we provided electricity, and recharging computers, access, set of free legal clinics, making space available for other things and a safe place. >> the portside command center stayed open for a mock, provides hundreds riff recovery information, all thanks to a forgotten ship and her determined leader. >> we almost lost. she survived. >> the white house has since honored portside, new york, for their recovery work. greg? >> go for them. this week on capitol hill, health and human services secretary kathleen sebelius t