Category: News

Roann, the eastern-rig dragger belonging to Mystic Seaport, is making three trips away this summer.

The first is this Sunday, when the restored 60-foot eastern-rig dragger will join the 63rd annual Blessing of the Fleet in Stonington. Roann’s second owner, the late Chet Westcott, fished from Point Judith, Rhode Island, as did her last owner, Tom Williams, and his son. Williams also occasionally fished out of Stonington.

The event Sunday begins with a Fishermen’s Mass at 10:30 a.m. St. Mary Church in Stonington Borough. The Mass commemorates Stonington fleet members who have died at sea and includes prayers for the safety and success of fishermen.

At about 11:45 a.m., a parade will step off from the Town Dock, proceed through the borough and pass by St. Mary Church, where the Most Rev. Michael Cote, Bishop of Norwich, joins the procession back to the Town Dock. Bishop Cote will bless the boats in the fleet. After the blessing and laying of a wreath in memory of local fishermen who have died at sea, there will be food and live music at the Town Dock until 4 p.m.

On Wednesday, August 2, Roann leaves Mystic for Martha’s Vineyard to attend the third annual Meet the Fleet event on August 3, sponsored by the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust. Her first owner, Roy Campbell of Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts, fished Roann from Martha’s Vineyard, dragging local waters for flounder, cod, and haddock.

Roann is expected to be back at Mystic Seaport on Friday, August 4.

Then, Roann will attend the Woods Hole Science Stroll on August 12. She will leave Mystic Seaport on Friday, August 11 and return on that Sunday. She will be open to the public there from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday.

At noon on Monday, July 31, Mystic Seaport will again begin its marathon 24-hour reading of the classic novel Moby-Dick to commemorate author Herman Melville’s birthday on August 1.

The 32nd annual Moby-Dick Marathon is the longest-running marathon-read in the country! The reading takes place onboard the whaleship Charles W. Morgan, the last wooden whaleship left in the world. This two-day event celebrates Melville’s 198th birthday.

We thought it would be fun to dig into the archives and uncover some of the lesser known facts about Melville and one of the Great American Novels.

1. Moby-Dick was published in the U.S. in 1851, with a first printing of 2,915. Melville earned $1,259.45 from the book. A first-edition copy of the book today is valued at more than $60,000.

2. Actors who have played Captain Ahab: Patrick Stewart, William Hurt, Gregory Peck, John Barrymore, Danny Glover, Orson Welles, and Barry Bostwick. In the Danny Glover film, Ahab hunted a great white dinosaur. In the Barry Bostwick movie, he commanded a submarine.

3. Herman Melville started writing Moby-Dick in 1850 while living at the family’s New York City home. That summer, he moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts to a home called Arrowhead. Over that winter he worked in his study at Arrowhead, finishing Moby-Dick in the spring of 1851. The property is now owned by the Berkshire Historical Society and operated as a museum. You can follow the Melville Trail across Berkshire County to see the places Melville frequented and was inspired by.

4. A neighbor of Melville’s in the Berkshires was the author Nathaniel Hawthorne (The Scarlet Letter). They met in 1850 and after that meeting, Melville reportedly made extensive changes to his manuscript, even though it was nearly complete. When the book was published later that year, Moby-Dick included this dedication: “In token of my admiration for his genius, this book is inscribed to Nathaniel Hawthorne.”

5. The performer Moby’s real name is Richard Melville Hall. His parents said he was named after Moby-Dick author Herman Melville, who was allegedly a distant relative. The same novel is the inspiration for Moby’s stage name.

At Mystic Seaport, our Moby-Dick Marathon is a communal event that relies upon visitor participation to keep the words flowing and the pages turning through all 24 hours. Participants are invited to read a chapter or two (or more!), or just sit back to listen, simply allowing the beauty of the language to flow over you. Over the course of the marathon, other surprises await, including an actor portraying Herman Melville, the theatrical staging of certain chapters by the Mystic Seaport TaleMakers theatre troupe, and a live music performance. Advance registration is required to stay overnight due to limited capacity on the Charles W. Morgan. Participation in the “Moby-Dick” Marathon is free with museum admission or membership. Please call 860.572.5331 to register.

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Awards were given Saturday at the Antique & Classic Boat Rendezvous in multiple categories. Mystic Seaport would like to congratulate all of the winners and thank everyone who brought their boat to the event.

Runabouts

Special citation: Best representation of a 1950’s ski boat continually used, maintained, and loved by the same family for 48 years. 1959 Chris-Craft Old Timer, Richard Haupt

Chris Craft delivered this boat to Bogie Marine at Candlewood Lake, CT in 1959. As the second owner, the Haupt family purchased this boat in 1969 for daily use as a family ski boat and sunset cruises in the summer months at Twin Lakes, Salisbury, Ct. Since 1970, we slalom- and barefoot-water skied behind her very nice wake! She goes over 42 mph and still pulls skiers today. Each spring, the Haupt family (two generations now) maintained this boat with countless hours of caulking and painting the bottom, sanding and varnishing while learning about maintenance of the Chevrolet V8-283 engine. Restored in 2015 by Jim Murdock’s team at Vintage Restorations in Bristol, CT to preserve our family memories, good times and sweat equity while keeping an OLD TIMER going for another generation or two.

Best Restoration of an outboard powered runabout: 1956 15’ Century Pulomino Giddy-Up, Walter Shicko

This 1956 15’ Century Palomino was originally purchased by a Commander in the Navy from Bethesda, Maryland. He owned her and kept her in that area until 2008 when the current owners purchased her. New white oak battens were steamed and installed. All fittings were re-chromed. New upholstery was completed. The decks and hull were stained and twelve coats of varnish were applied. The 1957 electric start Johnson Golden Javelin outboard motor was rebuilt and repainted to factory specifications.

The boat was re-launched in 2015 in time for the Antique and Classic Boat Society’s show in Essex, CT. She was awarded Best in Show in the Preserved category. In the same year at the Antique Boat Show in Lake Champlain, VT, she received the Best in Show in the Outboard category.

Small Powerboats

Best Antique Powerboat <45 feet: Owner maintained vessel with incredible attention to detail with a significant amount of impressively maintained brass and beautiful bright work. 1924 William Hand – Nisca, Ted Crosby

NISCA is an Ojibwa word for “goose”. She is a 40′ 1924 Express Cruiser from the William Hand, Jr. Collection, built on the Connecticut River at the Portland Yacht Yard, and has remained afloat in Connecticut waters for most of her years,  apart from an excursion to Florida in 1987 by transport, and again on her own bottom in 1995. Her present owners purchased her in 1988 and the restoration began in the spring of 1989. NISCA was out of the water for five years and returned in 1994 with a new keel, stem, one hundred ribs, floor timbers, and engine mounts. NISCA originally had an open main saloon with a pipe frames and canvas top. Previous owners replaced this structure with an enclosed cabin, probably sometime in the 1930’s. Later in the late 40’s to early 50’s, the 1930’s cabin was replaced by a 1950’s-style house, which was not in character with her William Hand design. The present owners removed the 1950’s-style house and replaced it with what they believe her 1930’s cabin would have looked like. NISCA’s original power was a single 200 hp. Van Blerck gasoline engine. Today, NISCA has a top speed of 18.7 mph (16.4 knots). The boat weighs 17,000 pounds (7.6 L tons) and has a cruising rate of 500 miles when fully provisioned.

Best Classic Powerboat <45 feet: Owner maintained with special mention for excellent engineering to include modern safety and navigation equipment while preserving the original layout and maintaining the original spirit and feel.  1964 Rybovich – Sam V, Bob Melton.

SAM V is a custom built sport fisherman that was commissioned as FRISKY LADY for John Willis in 1964. Over the last 53 years, she has been continuously maintained in “Palm Beach” (like new) condition. Under the current owner, since 2000, the boat has cruised extensively on the East Coast and has won “Best in Show” at the Antique and Classic Show in St. Michael’s, MD, and at Vintage Weekend at Ocean Reef.

Large Power

Best Professional Restoration: Trade Wind, Marcy Jean Brenner

TRADE WIND was originally built in 1938 for a discerning owner who wanted an elegant floating home. She was built solidly of teak on steam-bent oak frames, and was the first pleasure boat to ever be tank-tested. She was used as a tender to the Bermuda racing fleet in 1938 and after World War II served as a research vessel for sonar and radar.

An extensive restoration was done by Rockport Marine in Maine, from 2008-2011.The restored TRADE WIND is well-appointed in paneled iroko, a tropical hardwood. She has a generous galley, three heads, a bathtub, and a main salon with a fireplace. The engine room is equipped with two restored Detroit 671 engines, a generator and a watermaker. Rockport Marine also built a new ketch rig for the boat with custom bronze hardware and sails by Nat Wilson.

She has been privately owned from 1975-present. She served as a committee boat for the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta in 2011 and 2012 and won several restoration prizes at the WoodenBoat Show in 2011 and 2012 and at the Salem Boat Show in 2013. She recently had all of her deck brightwork revarnished.

Best Owner Maintained Vessel: Corsair, Steve and Deborah Maresca

CORSAIR was maintained by her designer, Tom Rybovich, until 1990. She is an early example of composite wood construction. The boat is single-plank, epoxy-coated wood on sides, and double-planked, epoxy-coated and sheathed in fiberglass on the bottom. She still has her original planks, ribs, frames, and fasteners. She was owned for a period of time by Emil Rybovich and was kept at the Huckins Yard until 2001 when she was moved north by her present owner. Paint and portions of her interior were renewed by Ted Hood and Hinckley in Rhode Island. The owner does yearly varnish and teak maintenance and routine engine maintenance.

Small Sail

Best small sailing vessel: Varuna, Peter Dinkel. Owner Maintained to a high level while keeping the vessel practical and usable.

VARUNA has been cared for by the current owners since 2005 and is moored in Dering Harbor, Shelter Island, NY. VARUNA was formerly called MARIANN and sailed out of American Yacht Club in Rye, NY, and Nantucket under the past owner’s care from her launch in 1962, until 2005. VARUNA does annual cruises in southern New England waters, to Maine in 2012, and most importantly, numerous overnights with grandchildren. VARUNA has participated in a number of regattas including the New York Yacht Club Classic Regatta, Greenport Classic Regatta, Shelter Island Yacht Club races, and Off Soundings, winning numerous trophies.

Best Professionally Maintained Sail under 45’: Fidelio, Charles Townsend

Fully restored and repowered by present owner at Rockport Marine, FIDELIO was originally built for Castine, Maine yachtsman, Vale Marvin, and delivered to him in Castine following delivery to New York from Germany. She cruised and raced the waters of central Maine coast for years, spent a brief period in California, then returned to Rockport, where the current owner purchased her seven years ago.

She is the second yawl built from the original FINISTERRE plans by Sparkman & Stephens and is considered to be her identical twin. Her racing record over the last six years confirms that. Like FINISTERRE, FIDELIO has distinguished herself on race courses from Maine to Rhode Island, and is almost unbeatable in a moderate breeze. She won the first Maine Retired Sea Captains Regatta over 50 years ago in Castine and also won the 50th anniversary of that very special event four years ago.

Large Sail

Best in Show: Black Watch. Owner: Black Watch Alliance

BLACK WATCH is another example of the partnership of Sparkman & Stephens, designers, and Henry B. Nevins, builders, which flourished during the 1930’s. She was built in 1938 for the Rudolph Schaefer

family. During World War ll, the vessel was used by the US Navy in the Atlantic Patrol. After WW II, the vessel was donated to Tabor Academy where she served as Tabor Boy until 1954. Dr. George Brooks owned the vessel for 51 years and during that time made numerous visits to Mystic Seaport.

The 2006 restoration relied on the Sparkman & Stephens plans archived at Mystic Seaport. A great effort was made to keep the original concept/design and use traditional materials.

BLACK WATCH won first in class in the 2012 Newport Bermuda Race and has won numerous victories on the classic race circuit.

Special Citation for originality and special attention to the documentation of vessel history: Chautauqua, Joseph Zaraschi

CHAUTAUQUA was launched at the Willis Reid yard in Winthrop, MA in 1928. The name translates from the Seneca Indian word meaning “source of life” for the lake they lived along, and was chosen by the previous owner for the place where he and his family spent their summer. Designed by SS Crocker, design #106, she was built by Willis J. Reid Boat Builders of Winthrop, MA, in 1928 for Alfred Olds, a tobacco wholesale distributor and grower from Windsor, CT. With their son off to medical school, Mr. Olds commissioned the design to be easily sailed by him, his wife, and two children.

2017 marks this current caretaker’s 40th year sailing CHAUTAUQUA.

Rebuilds have occurred in the early ’60s and again during the winter of 2000-2001. The most recent rebuild followed Sam Crocker’s original drawings and photographs. Every effort was made to bring CHAUTAUQUA back to her original layout, both above and below deck. This detail has been followed to the upholstery seating “tuck and buttoned” design.

Special citation for commitment to classic yacht restoration: Ed Kane and Marty Wallace, owners of BOLERO

BOLERO was designed by Sparkman & Stevens to Cruising Club of America rules, and was, at the time of her launch in 1950, the largest-size yacht that could qualify for major ocean races.  Her original owner was John Nicholas Brown, then Vice Commodore of the NYYC.  Bolero’s racing career includes “First to Finish” in the Bermuda races of 1950, 1954 and 1956. In the 1956 race, she set an elapsed-time record of 64 hours, 17 minutes, which she held until for 18 years. She is framed in oak, with double planking of cedar and mahogany and cedar decks.  An extensive restoration was completed by Rockport Marine in 2010.

Judge Emeritus Award: Kid

Head Judge award: Courageous – A veritable time-capsule and incredible example of historical stewardship. Owners: Casey Fasciano and Thorpe Leeson

COURAGEOUS was built for Arthur Iselin, whose uncle was in syndicate for America’s Cup defense in the 1880’s. Arthur was involved in the Courageous 12 meter syndicate for the 1970 defense. She spent the last 60 years in Puget Sound with only 2 owners during that time. She returned to the east coast in April 2017.

Sparkman &Stephens award for excellence in yacht restoration: Mah Jong. Owner: Patrick C. Ilderton

MAH JONG was originally owned by Gilbert M. Grosvenor, Hovey Freeman, and Mike Merle-Smith. The maiden voyage was chronicled in a 48-page article in the December, 1958 issue of National Geographic. The vessel was sailed from Hong Kong, through the Suez Canal and through the Aegean Sea, stopping at Rhodes, Crete, Turkey and Greece. An extensive rebuild of MAH JONG was completed in June 2017 by Gannon & Benjamin in Vineyard Haven, with spars by Myles Therlow and sails by Ben Sperry. A redesign and rebuild was completed with new deck, dog house, trunk cabin, and all new interior. This was essentially Ross Gannon’s project but almost all of the employees contributed to the design and execution.

 

Mystic Seaport will hold its annual Antique & Classic Boat Parade on the Mystic River beginning at 11:45 a.m., Sunday, July 23. The boats should begin passing through the Mystic River bascule bridge in downtown Mystic at about noon.

The new start time is 30 minutes earlier than previously announced to accommodate the bridge opening schedules

The name and particulars of each boat will be announced at a public address station on the shore at Mystic River Park as it passes through the bascule bridge. The boats then make their way in a procession down river to the village of Noank.

The parade is the conclusion of the Museum’s Antique & Classic Boat Rendezvous  weekend, which showcases high-quality antique vessels, including cruisers, sailboats, and runabouts. Approximately 50 classic vessels will gather along the museum’s waterfront. Visitors are invited to see the displayed vessels Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. An awards competition will recognize excellence in restoration, authenticity, and workmanship.

To celebrate the 85th anniversary of the launching of the museum’s schooner Brilliant, the Rendezvous will highlight boats designed by the naval architecture firm Sparkman & Stephens. Brilliant was design #12, one of the earliest of co-founder Olin Stephen’s designs. She was launched in 1932 at the Henry B. Nevins, Inc. yard at City Island, N.Y. As one of the longest-running sail training programs in the country, she has carried more than 10,000 students on cruises throughout New England and beyond.

The dragonflies and honey bees were having a grand time in The Vietor Garden on Monday afternoon, flitting and buzzing among the daylilies, asters, and bee balm. They were so busy that they did not notice the gathering of a small group of people around the edges of the garden on this beautiful July day.

The dedication of the new Vietor Garden, given to Mystic Seaport in memory of Anna Glenn Butler and Alexander Orr Vietor by their family, under a cloudless sky, was the final piece in the Museum’s redevelopment of the north end of its grounds.

The ceremony began just after noon, and as the last of the Greenmanville Church’s 12 chimes on the hour died away, Museum President Steve White stood to speak.

“If you heard just now the church clock’s chimes, those have been a long time coming,” White said. “Thanks to the efforts of some volunteers and our staff those chimes have been restored. Those, and the dedication of this garden, are the final pieces to bring together this entire landscape. The Vietor Garden is the last piece to create a gorgeous place to be.”

The reworking of the north end into the McGraw Quadrangle was part of a longtime vision for Mystic Seaport, White noted. Anna and Alexander Vietor also had a vision for the Museum.

“Anna Glenn was an extraordinary philanthropist and we were so lucky that Mystic Seaport was a place she decided was deserving of support. Alexander spent 25 years as a trustee, and with the exception of one or two years, for 60 years we have had Vietors involved with our board. Alexander was very involved with the concept and construction of the G.W. Blunt Library in 1964, and Alexander and Anna were very involved with the creation of what has become our PILOTS program.”

In 1981, when Alexander passed away, he gifted his extensive logs and manuscripts collection to the Museum. Since then, Mystic Seaport has grown the collection from 10,000 volumes and 68,000 manuscripts to more than 75,000 volumes and 1 million manuscripts.

The garden was given by the Vietor children: David, Richard, Louise, Pauline, Alexander, and Martha. David Vietor spoke briefly at the dedication, expressing gratitude to Mystic Seaport for the opportunity to create the garden for the area, as horticulture was his mother’s passion. “She loved that gardens are continually renewing themselves, that cycle of life,” he said.

The garden was designed by Brian Kent of Kent + Frost Landscape Architecture of Mystic. Kent said the garden was planned to be sustainable, with plant combinations that replicate the natural landscape, showcasing Mrs. Vietor’s favorite colors, in a way that would be sustainable over the long term without the use of pesticides, fertilizers, and little weeding. He jokingly invited the guests to come back in a year, saying that a new garden is a lot like “a 13-year-old boy. Lots of arms and legs and a big head and it looks like nothing goes together.”

Julia Jankowski, garden supervisor for the Museum, said that while there are 18 varieties of plants in the garden, there are more than 1,000 actual plants. It took two days, a squad of 12 volunteers, plus staff to plant the garden in the spring.

Mrs. Vietor’s Garden Plant List:

Veronicastrum virginicum – Culver’s Root

Aster oblongifolius ‘Raydon’s Favorite’- Aromatic Aster

Erigeron pulchellus – Robin’s Plantain

Hemerocallis x ‘Ice Carnival’- Daylily

Meehania cordata – Meehan’s Mint

Salvia x sylvestris ‘May Night’- Sage

Sesleria autumnalis – Autumn Moor Grass

Symphyotrichum ericoides ‘Snow Flurry’- Heath Aster

Waldsteinia fragarioides – Appalachian Barren Strawberry

Quercus bicolorr – Swamp White Oak

Panicum virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’- Blue Switch Grass

Agastache foeniculum – Blue Giant Hyssop

Amsonia hubrichtii – Arkansas Blue Star

Baptisia australis – Blue False Indigo

Eryngium x ‘Big Blue’- Sea Holly

Liatrus spicata – Gayfeather

Monarda bradburiana – Eastern Bee Balm

Sporobolus heterolepis – Prairie Dropseed

The National Park Service announced today that Mystic Seaport is the recipient of a National Maritime Heritage Grant.

The Museum is one of 27 recipients in 13 states and the District of Columbia who will collectively receive $1,752,073 in grant awards. In partnership with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD), the National Park Service awarded grants for projects that teach about and preserve sites and objects related to our nation’s maritime history.

“Protecting our nation’s maritime history is an important part of the National Park Service’s mission to share America’s story,” said Acting National Park Service Director Michael T. Reynolds. “These grants will support efforts to conserve important parts of our maritime history and educate students of all ages.”

Mystic Seaport was awarded $49,959 to support development of “From Clippers to Containers: The Benjamin F. Packard and the History of U.S. Deepwater Cargo Transport,” a long-term exhibition that will deliver to a broad public audience important historic content about the changes in the maritime cargo trades from the mid-19th century to the present.

The centerpiece of this exhibit will be the recently reinstalled cabin from the Down-Easter Benjamin F. Packard which Mystic Seaport salvaged in 1939 before the ship was scuttled. The Packard ship’s cabin is a favorite with visitors because of the immersive experience: “beyond-the-ropes” access allows visitors to walk into the dining area, parlor, and captain’s stateroom, an ornate Gilded Age setting complete with velvet settees and burled wood panels. This unique artifact is an ideal vehicle to frame the history of American merchant vessels.

In addition to the compelling story of the Packard, the exhibition will focus on the evolution of American cargo handling and deep water trade using examples of various vessel types to illustrate the changes in society and technology that occurred over time. “From Clippers to Containers” will use interactive technology as well as ship models, period paintings, photos, and other artifacts to illustrate these stories.

The National Maritime Heritage Program Grant awards are made possible through a partnership between the two federal agencies, which both share a commitment to maritime heritage preservation and education. They are funded through recycling of vessels from the MARAD’s National Defense Reserve Fleet. The grant program supports a broad range of maritime education and preservation projects, without expending tax dollars, while ensuring that the vessels are dismantled in an environmentally sound manner.

For a complete list of the recipients and the award amounts please see the National Park Service press release.