Mystic, Conn. (October 30, 2013) — Mystic Seaport will celebrate the 72nd anniversary of the arrival of the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan to Mystic, CT, by offering free admission to all visitors on Saturday, November 9.
The Museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors can explore the 19th-century village, walk through historic exhibits, and of course go on board the Morgan, There will be special interpretative talks and demonstrations throughout the day.
The Morgan is the last wooden whaleship from the age of sail and is the oldest American commercial vessel still afloat. After an 80-year whaling career and 10 years as an exhibit near New Bedford, the Morgan was at risk of being broken up when she was offered to the Marine Historical Association (now Mystic Seaport). She was towed up the Mystic River to arrive at her current home on November 8, 1941. The acquisition of the ship significantly raised the stature of the Museum and helped put the town of Mystic on the map of tourist destinations in New England.
Charles W. Morgan Day is held in conjunction with Mystic Restaurant Week, in which select local restaurants, including the Museum’s Latitude 41° Restaurant & Tavern, offer special one-price $13 lunch and $20.13 dinner menus. The week runs from Monday, November 4 to Sunday, November 10. For a complete list of participating restaurants, serving hours, and menus, please visit www.mysticchamber.org.
About Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, the Museum is home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the Charles W. Morgan, America’s oldest commercial ship and the last wooden whaleship in the world. The museum is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $24 for adults and $15 for children ages 6-17. Museum members and children 5 and under are admitted free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.
Richard King details the history, biology, and culture of the cormorant in his latest book.
In his new book, The Devil’s Cormorant: A Natural History (U.P. New England, 2013), Richard J. King, senior lecturer at Williams-Mystic–The Maritime Studies Program of Williams College and Mystic Seaport, looks at this misunderstood and too often maligned bird. Long a symbol of gluttony, greed, bad luck, and evil, the cormorant has led a troubled existence in human history, myth, and literature.
A mixture of lyrical nature writing and salty adventure stories, The Devil’s Cormorant is an exploration of our literary, historical, cultural, scientific, artistic, political, and often comical relationship with the seabird. The book takes the reader to Antarctica, Bering Island, Peru, Japan, Cape Town, Inishmore Island off Ireland, the Columbia River, the Mississippi Delta, Lake Ontario, and the Mystic River in Connecticut.
Cormorants are one of the only animals that can swim hundreds of feet below the surface, fly thousands of feet high, and migrate for thousands of miles. They live next to nearly every major water body on our planet—fresh or salt, river or ocean, urban or desolate, tropical or frigid. They have been prized as a source of mineral wealth in Peru, hunted to extinction in the Arctic, trained by the Japanese to catch fish, demonized by Milton in Paradise Lost, and reviled, despised, and exterminated by sport and commercial fishermen from Israel to Indianapolis, Toronto to Tierra del Fuego. In The Devil’s Cormorant, King takes us back in time and around the world to show us the history, nature, ecology, and economy of the world’s most misunderstood waterfowl.
About the Author
Richard J. King
Richard King’s research focuses on the connections between sea voyage narratives and natural history. In addition to The Devil’s Cormorant, he is also author of the interdisciplinary book Lobster (Reaktion/U. Chicago Press, 2011) and is the Series Editor for a forthcoming collection of books about America’s relationship with the sea published by the University Press of New England. King has written numerous popular and scholarly articles, reviews, and interviews in periodicals such as Natural History, Scottish Literary Review, Hemingway Review, Leviathan, and Cruising World. He writes a quarterly column titled “Animals in Sea History” for Sea History magazine. Rich has been sailing on tall ships for more than 15 years, traveling throughout the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as both a teacher and a sailor.
King incorporates creative writing, and the visual and dramatic arts into the Literature of the Sea course at Williams-Mystic. He is a professional illustrator himself, creating ink and watercolor drawings for many of his articles. He has illustrated two children’s books on maritime topics. King also edits the Searchable Sea Literature website which is designed and researched by Williams-Mystic students. He regularly hosts summer research students and encourages undergraduates in any major to contact him about literature of the sea.
While Mystic Seaport shipwrights have been restoring the Charles W. Morgan andorganizations from around the country have been building her new whaleboats, Museum shipsmiths have been busy forging rowlocks for the whaleboats. The boats, along with their new oarlocks, will equip the ship when she goes back to sea for her 38th Voyage in the summer of 2014.
Watch as shipsmiths Michael Saari and Bill Scheer forge the locks at the Museum’s James Driggs Shipsmith Shop. When they are finished, they will have made approximately 70 rowlocks for the entire fleet.
Mystic, Conn. (October 17, 2013) – The 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan took an important step on her journey back to sea today when Mystic Seaport staff members stepped the first of the ship’s three masts.
The Morgan was de-rigged and had her masts and spars removed at the outset of the ongoing five-year, multimillion dollar restoration at the Museum’s shipyard. Re-installing the masts, known as “stepping” in nautical terminology, is an important occasion during a ship’s construction.
“Stepping a mast is one of those milestones that marks both a new stage in the ship’s construction—or in this case, restoration—and the observance of a maritime tradition,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport at a brief ceremony held alongside the ship. “It is tradition to place a coin under the base of a mast to provide good luck.”
To mark significant events in the Morgan’s history, the Museum selected three coins for placement:
• 1841 U.S. Silver Dollar – Representing the original launch of the Morgan.
• 1941 U.S. Silver Half-Dollar – Signifying the ship’s arrival at Mystic Seaport.
• 2013 U.S. Silver Eagle – Symbolizing the current restoration.
Today, the most-forward mast, the foremast, was stepped. The other two masts, the main and mizzen, will be installed at a later date. The 1941 Half-Dollar was designated to be placed under the foremast. The 1841 Silver Dollar and the 2013 Silver Eagle will be placed under the mainmast and mizzen mast respectively.
The task of physically placing the 1941 coin was carried out by nine-year-old Dylan Conforti from Charlestown, MA. Conforti, the grandson of former Mystic Seaport chairman Bill Cook, is a fourth grader at the Learning Project in Boston.
“We are always looking to involve young people in what we do here and in the spirit of encouraging the next generation of stewards for this great ship, we asked Dylan to give us a hand,” said White.
The coins replace three coins that were removed when the previous masts were taken out in 2008. They were a 1908 Barber Silver Half Dollar, an Eisenhower Silver Dollar dating from 1971-1977 (corrosion made it impossible to read the specific year), and a 1997 U.S. Silver Dollar. Each coin signifies a mast replacement during the Morgan’s career.
About the 38th Voyage
The Charles W. Morgan’s 38th Voyage will begin in late May 2014, when the ship will go back to sea to visit historic ports of New England to celebrate the importance of America’s maritime heritage. After a period of refitting and sea trials based in New London, the ship will sail to Newport, Vineyard Haven, New Bedford, and Boston. She will also venture onto the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and participate in the centennial celebration of the Cape Cod Canal. The voyage will be a commemoration of the role of the sea in the history of America and an appreciation of our changing relationship with the natural world.
About Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, the Museum is home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the Charles W. Morgan, America’s oldest commercial ship and the last wooden whaleship in the world. The museum is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $24 for adults and $15 for children ages 6-17. Museum members and children 5 and under are admitted free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.
Mystic Seaport Shipyard staff stepping the MORGAN’s foremast on October 17.
The 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan took an important step on her journey back to sea today when Mystic Seaport staff members stepped the first of the ship’s three masts.
The Morgan was de-rigged and had her masts and spars removed at the outset of the ongoing five-year, multimillion dollar restoration at the Museum’s shipyard. Re-installing the masts, known as “stepping” in nautical terminology, is an important occasion during a ship’s construction.
“Stepping a mast is one of those milestones that marks both a new stage in the ship’s construction—or in this case, restoration—and the observance of a maritime tradition,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport at a brief ceremony held alongside the ship. “It is tradition to place a coin under the base of a mast to provide good luck.”
To mark significant events in the Morgan’s history, the Museum selected three coins for placement:
1841 U.S. Silver Dollar – Representing the original launch of the Morgan.
1941 U.S. Silver Half-Dollar – Signifying the ship’s arrival at Mystic Seaport.
2013 U.S. Silver Eagle – Symbolizing the current restoration.
Nine-year-old Dylan Conforti from Charlestown, MA placed a 1941 U.S. Silver Half-Dollar under the MORGAN’s foremast.
Today, the most-forward mast, the foremast, was stepped. The other two masts, the main and mizzen, will be installed in November. The 1941 Half-Dollar was designated to be placed under the foremast. The 1841 Silver Dollar and the 2013 Silver Eagle will be placed under the mainmast and mizzen mast respectively.
The 1941 coin was placed by nine-year-old Dylan Conforti from Charlestown, MA. Conforti, the grandson of former Mystic Seaport chairman Bill Cook, is a fourth grader at the Learning Project in Boston.
“We are always looking to involve young people in what we do here and in the spirit of encouraging the next generation of stewards for this great ship, we asked Dylan to give us a hand,” said White.
The coins replace three coins that were removed when the previous masts were taken out in 2008. They were a 1908 Barber Silver Half Dollar, an Eisenhower Silver Dollar dating from 1971-1977 (corrosion made it impossible to read the specific year), and a 1997 U.S. Silver Dollar. Each coin signifies a mast replacement during the Morgan’s career.
The 38th Voyage
The Charles W. Morgan’s 38th Voyage will begin in late May 2014, when the ship will go back to sea to visit historic ports of New England to celebrate the importance of America’s maritime heritage. After a period of refitting and sea trials based in New London, the ship will sail to Newport, Vineyard Haven, New Bedford, and Boston. She will also venture onto the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and participate in the centennial celebration of the Cape Cod Canal. The voyage will be a commemoration of the role of the sea in the history of America and an appreciation of our changing relationship with the natural world.
Natural History writer Todd McLeish, who has just published his third book, “Narwhals: Arctic Whales in a Melting World,” will kick off the 2013-2014 Adventure Series on October 17.
For more than 65 years Mystic Seaport has hosted the Adventure Series, providing attendees a unique opportunity to meet each “adventurer” firsthand and experience a wide range of challenges—both on the sea and land all over the world. The 2013-2014 Adventure Series, “In the Wake of the Whale and Other Environmental Issues,” features topics ranging from the elusive narwhal in the Arctic, to rowing across the Atlantic, the rebirth of South Georgia, and the Charles W. Morgan’s upcoming 38th Voyage.
Todd McLeish kicks off the series Thursday, October 17, with his multimedia presentation “Arctic Whales in a Melting World.” The Rhode Island-based author, who has been writing about wildlife and environmental issues for more than 20 years, will recount his adventures studying the elusive narwhal, the northernmost whale on the planet—the whale with the spiral tusk. McLeish will discuss the work of narwhal researchers who are seeking to solve the mysteries of the animal’s migrations and the purpose of its tusk; the importance of narwhals in Inuit culture and how the warming planet is affecting the species; and the many other unique animals living in the narwhal’s frozen world, from walruses and polar bears to bowhead and beluga whales. Copies of McLeish’s new book Narwhals will be available for purchase and signing.
Upcoming presentations include:
Mark Roye and Nancy Krill: “Polar Bears to Penguins”
November 21
Roye and Krill dreamed of sailing to more challenging destinations than the tropics–they wanted to follow the routes of the early Yankee maritime fur traders, sealers, and whalers, particularly those venturing around Cape Horn to the Pacific Northwest. Roye’s passion for story-telling and maritime history, combined with Krill’s fine photography, chronicles voyages aboard their 44′ ketch Tamara from Hudson Strait to Alaska, by way of Newfoundland, the Azores, Cape Verde, Brazil, Argentina, the Falklands, Cape Horn, Antarctica, Chile, and the Galapagos. The couple was awarded the 2011 Cruising Club of America’s Charles H. Vilas Prize and the 2012 Royal Cruising Club Trophy.
Katie Spotz: “Alone Across the Atlantic in a Rowboat”
December 19
At age 24, Katie Spotz has a long list of accomplishments, but her most remarkable feat was a row across the Atlantic Ocean in 2010 which lasted 70 days, setting a world record from Africa to South America for the youngest solo ocean rower. Throughout her row, Spotz wasn’t just seeking to make history, she was also raising money for the Blue Planet Network, a nonprofit funding safe drinking water projects for the billion people around the world in need. As interest grew of Spotz’s efforts, donations came flooding in and the total, to date, is more than $150,000.
Rachael Miller: “What’s Down There”
January 16
Founder and Executive Director of Rozalia Project, Rachael Miller, will visit Mystic Seaport to present an eye-opening talk about what’s lurking in the urban and coastal waters of Long Island Sound, Narragansett Bay, and the Gulf of Maine. Miller will discuss the problem of marine debris in our waters and describe her trash-hunting adventures that include getting attacked by a lobster, freeing an octopus, and making some unusual finds while picking up more than 500,000 pieces of ocean trash together with 10,500 participants all over the United States.
Thies Matzen: “South Georgia in the Wake of the Whale”
February 20
South Georgia is an island of superlatives: a glaciated Himalaya protruding from a storm-torn ocean, a Serengeti in Antarctic climes. Its coasts, in summer, hold the highest density of birds and mammals on this planet. It is one of the ultimate meeting points of bird and sea life on earth. Blue Water medalists Thies Matzen and Kicki Ericson stayed on South Georgia for 26 months – through two winters – living aboard their iconic 30′ wooden sailboat Wanderer III. Industrial whaling, the fateful interaction between our planet’s most intelligent and its largest inhabitant, started in South Georgia. Half a century later, its whaling stations are succumbing to the forces of nature. The island is now taking the lead in changing its legacy from exploitation to rehabilitation.
Joe Roman: “Raising Whales: How Cetaceans are Helping Restore the Oceans”
March 20
Joe Roman is an author and conservation biologist who has tracked whales from the Bay of Fundy to the sushi bars of Japan. He will discuss his examination of the history and future of whales in the modern ocean, using DNA technology and the collection of fecal plumes. Before the age of industrial whaling, cetaceans exerted significant influences on marine ecosystems, not only as consumers of fish, but also by pumping nutrients to the surface, increasing ocean productivity. After death, whale falls bring massive pulses of nutrients to the deep sea, sequester carbon, and provide habitat and food for many deep sea creatures. Whales are now recovering after centuries of commercial harvest. Roman will discuss these restoration efforts and how great whales can help maintain the health and resilience of the oceans.
Dana Hewson with the Charles W. Morgan Captain: “Readiness for the Morgan’s 38th Voyage”
April 17
Dana Hewson, Vice President for Watercraft Preservation and Programs at Mystic Seaport, will team up with the to-be-announced captain of the Charles W. Morgan when she sails on her 38th Voyage to historic ports of New England in May 2014. They will describe how the 19th-century wooden whaleship, built to hunt whales, was prepared for a 21st-century voyage of discovery and education. The program marks a special send-off to the Morgan before she leaves in mid-May 2014 to fulfill her new ambassador role.
Mystic, Conn. (October 10, 2013) – As part of her five-year, multi-million dollar restoration, the1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan is taking an important step in her journey back to sea on Thursday, October 17, when the staff at the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard atMystic Seaport will begin the process of stepping the masts. The moment will be marked by a brief ceremony at 10 a.m. in the Shipyard to present the coins that will be placed under the masts.
The ship was de-rigged and had its masts and spars removed at the outset of the restoration in 2008. Re-installing the masts, known as “stepping” in nautical terminology, is an important occasion during a ship’s construction. Maritime tradition holds that a coin should be placed under the base of a mast for good luck. To mark significant events in the Morgan’s history, three coins have been selected for placement:
1841 U.S. Silver Dollar – Representing the original launch of the Morgan.
1941 U.S. Silver Half-Dollar – Signifying the ship’s arrival at Mystic Seaport.
2013 U.S. Silver Dollar – Symbolizing the current restoration.
“Each coin represents a milestone in the Morgan’s important story. The ship has survived arctic ice, fire, hurricanes, and more on her 37 voyages spanning the globe. We hope these coins will continue to protect her as she embarks on what may be the most important mission of her career: carrying a cargo of knowledge to celebrate America’s maritime heritage,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport.
The coins will replace the three coins that were removed when the previous masts were taken out in 2008. They were a 1908 Barber Silver Half Dollar, an Eisenhower Silver Dollar dating from 1971-1977 (corrosion made it impossible to read the specific year), and a 1997 U.S. Silver Dollar. Each coin signifies a mast replacement during the Morgan’s career.
Stepping the masts is an extensive process that will take place on two separate days: the foremast will be stepped on October 17 and the main and mizzen masts are scheduled to be stepped on October 31. The ceremony will take place prior to the stepping of the foremast and will give the public an opportunity to see the coins before they are taken below, and to witness an historic event as the first mast gets lifted into position.
About the 38th Voyage
The Charles W. Morgan’s 38th Voyage will begin in late May 2014, when the ship will go back to sea to visit historic ports of New England to celebrate the importance of America’s maritime heritage. After a period of refitting and sea trials based in New London, the ship will sail to Newport, Vineyard Haven, New Bedford, and Boston. She will also venture onto the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and participate in the centennial celebration of the Cape Cod Canal. The voyage will be a commemoration of the role of the sea in the history of America and an appreciation of our changing relationship with the natural world.
About Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, the Museum is home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the Charles W. Morgan, America’s oldest commercial ship and the last wooden whaleship in the world. The museum is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $24 for adults and $15 for children ages 6-17. Museum members and children 5 and under are admitted free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.
Tom Whidden, Gary Jobson, Mystic Seaport Chairman Barclay Collins, and Mystic Seaport President Steve White present Gary Jobson with the America and the Sea Award at The Pierre hotel in New York City, November 5, 2013.
Mystic Seaport honored world-class sailor Gary Jobson with the Museum’s America and the Sea Award on November 5, 2013. Presented annually by Mystic Seaport, the award recognizes an individual or organization whose contribution to the history, arts, business, or sciences of the sea best exemplify the American character. Jobson received the prestigious award at a black tie gala held in his honor at The Pierre in New York City.
The America and the Sea Award honors and celebrates those who embrace the scholarship, exploration, adventure, aesthetics, competition, and freedom the sea inspires. Distinguished past recipients include founder of WoodenBoat publications Jon Wilson (2012), former Secretary of the Navy John Lehman (2011), oceanographer and deep sea explorer Sylvia Earle (2010), maritime collector and yachtsman William I. Koch (2009), president and CEO of Crowley Maritime Corporation, Thomas B. Crowley Jr. (2008), Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian David McCullough (2007), and famed yacht designer Olin Stephens (2006).
Jobson has spent much of his life sailing the world’s oceans. He is a decorated sailor, television sailing commentator, Emmy winner, sailing lecturer, sailing coach, and author. A great friend and supporter of Mystic Seaport, he has collaborated on producing documentaries on sailing and sailors with the Museum’s Film and Video Archives, including Unfurling the World: The Voyages of Irving and Electa Johnson. The documentary shares the adventures of the famous sailing couple who completed seven round-the-world voyages between 1933 and 1958 and later in life traveled throughout the inland waterways of Europe. Jobson, in partnership with Mystic Seaport, hosted the Mystic, CT, premier of the film in April, 2012.
Jobson’s talent, enthusiasm, and dedication to the art of sailing have inspired expert and novice sailors around the world. A champion sailor, he was awarded his first trophy, the Powell Trophy, in 1966 and won the America’s Cup with Ted Turner in 1977. In 1999 he won the Nathanael G. Herreshoff Trophy, U.S. Sailing’s most prestigious award. He has also won the infamous Fastnet Race and many of the world’s ocean races.
“Few people have had such an extraordinary impact on the sport of sailing as has Gary Jobson,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport. “His contribution goes far beyond the awards and accolades on the race course: Gary is a gifted teacher and storyteller whose generosity and commitment has been an inspiration for many people inside and outside of the sailing community.”
Over the past 35 years Jobson has given more than 2,000 lectures around the world. From 2010-2012 he served as President of U.S. Sailing and he is currently the Vice President of the International Sailing Federation. In 2003, he was inducted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame and in 2011 into the National Sailing Hall of Fame. He was elected President of the National Sailing Hall of Fame in January, 2013.
A prolific author, Jobson has written 18 books on sailing–newest publications include Gary Jobson: An American Sailing Story (Nomad Press, 2011) and Nantucket: A Sailing Community (Nomad Press, 2012)–and he is also Editor-at-Large of Sailing World and Cruising World magazines. He has been ESPN’s sailing commentator since 1985 and most recently covered the 34th America’s Cup for NBC.
As a lymphoma survivor, Jobson has a strong affiliation with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. He has been the National Chairman of The Leukemia Cup Regatta program since 1994 and actively works to raise funds and awareness for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. To date, these events have raised more than $44 million. In 2012 the University of Maryland Medical School established the Gary Jobson Professorship in Medical Oncology.
A resident of Annapolis, MD, Jobson and his wife, Janice, have three grown daughters and two grandsons.
Annual Event Expanded with Harvest-Themed Activities
Mystic, Conn. (October 3, 2013) — Mystic Seaport celebrates fall and the harvest season with its annual Chowder Days on Columbus Day weekend, October 12-14, 2013. The public is invited to participate in a range of family-friendly activities and partake in an à la carte menu featuring a variety of chowders, grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and sausage, clam and apple fritters, and other seasonal delights prepared by Mystic’s Coastal Gourmet.
New for 2013 are horse-drawn hayrides, scarecrow building, gourd decorating, face painting, and games on the village green, including bean bag and ring tossing, croquet, and tumbling towers (a supersized version of the popular table game Jenga).
Live music will be provided all three days. The scheduled performers are:
October 12 – Pierce & Taylor from 1-5 p.m.
October 13 – 100 Watt Suns from 1-5 p.m.
October 14 – Andy & Bethany from 12-4 p.m.
Visitors will have seven chowders and bisques to choose from: New England Clam Chowder, Rhode Island Clam Chowder, Bahamian Conch Chowder, Spicy Crab & Sweet Corn Chowder, Southwestern Chicken Chowder, Lobster Bisque, and vegetarian Butternut Squash Bisque.
In addition to the food and activities of Chowder Days, visitors can enjoy the Museum’s exhibits and demonstrations, including going onboard the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan, renting a rowboat or sailboat at the boathouse, or going for a cruise on the steamboat Sabino.
Mystic Seaport will be open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. The cost of food is not included in Museum admission. Additional fees required for Sabino cruises and hayrides. For menus and other information, visit mysticseaport.org/chowderdays.
About Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, the Museum is home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the Charles W. Morgan, America’s oldest commercial ship and the last wooden whaleship in the world. The Museum is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $24 for adults and $15 for children ages 6-17. Museum members and children 5 and under are admitted free.
“Few people have had such an extraordinary impact on the sport of sailing as has Gary Jobson,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport. “His contribution goes far beyond the awards and accolades on the race course: Gary is a gifted teacher and storyteller whose generosity and commitment has been an inspiration for many people inside and outside of the sailing community.”
