Month: January 2014

Mystic, Conn. (January 31, 2014) – Mystic Seaport is pleased to announce the William P. Stephens Award has been presented to the distinguished yachtsman and author, John Rousmaniere.

“We are deeply honored to present this award to John Rousmaniere to recognize his life’s work. There are very few people with even a passing interest in boating or yachting who have not picked up a book he has written, “ said Mystic Seaport President Steve White. “His intuitive sense and passion for the subject matter makes sailing come alive on the page because he has lived that life.”

Established in 1988, and named after William P. Stephens, long known as the “Dean of American Yachtsmen” and “the grand old man of American yachting,” the award is given in recognition of a significant and enduring contribution to the history, preservation, progress, understanding, or appreciation of American yachting and boating.

Rousmaniere is an authority on maritime history, especially the history of yachting, and has written 15 books on this subject. His books include “The Golden Pastime: A New History of Yachting”; histories of the Bermuda Race, the America’s Cup, the New York Yacht Club, and other yacht clubs; biographies of the yacht America and the classic yawl Bolero; and two studies of marine photography focusing on the Rosenfeld Collection. He has written two books about storms, “After the Storm” and “Fastnet, Force 10”, the latter about the deadly 1979 race off England in which he sailed. Rousmaniere has served as yachting editor of “The Oxford Encyclopedia of Maritime History”.

He edited a book on yacht design titled “Desirable and Undesirable Characteristics of Offshore Yachts” and the Olin Stephens autobiography, “All This and Sailing, Too,” published by Mystic Seaport. Rousmaniere’s books on sailing safety and seamanship include “The Annapolis Book of Seamanship,” which just went into its fourth edition. He also contributes articles to Sea History, WoodenBoat, and other magazines.

Rousmaniere has served on the Yachting Committee at Mystic Seaport, and he is chiefly responsible for the Museum’s acquisition of the life’s work of famed photographer Carleton Mitchell. He also has served on the Selection Committees of the America’s Cup Hall of Fame and the National Sailing Hall of Fame. He is a member of the Cruising Club of America and the New York Yacht Club, where he chairs the Library Committee.

The award was presented in a ceremony at the New York Yacht Club in New York on Wednesday, January 29.

Previous recipients include Olin J. Stephens II, Elizabeth Meyer, Briggs Cunningham, John Gardner, Carleton Mitchell, and Harry Anderson Jr.

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/.

Video contest underway for a spot on a 19th-century whaling ship this summer

Mystic, Conn. (January 9, 2014) – Mystic Seaport is seeking applicants now through February 18 to become a stowaway aboard the Charles W. Morgan during her 38th Voyage in the summer of 2014. To apply and submit your video entry, visit mysticseaport.org/stowaway.

Following a $7.5 million, multi-year restoration, the Charles W. Morgan will embark on a voyage throughout New England for the first time in more than 80 years. The stowaway will sail aboard the Morgan, America’s oldest surviving merchant vessel, during her three-month voyage commemorating America’s maritime heritage.

“This is for someone with a sense of adventure,” said Susan Funk, executive vice president of Mystic Seaport. “The word stowaway brings to mind a romantic image. To take a chance. To not know what you’re getting into until you’re already in it, and to go to places you’ve never been before, or go to places you’ve been, but seeing them in a whole different perspective.”

While on the 38th Voyage from May to August, the Charles W. Morgan will stop at historic ports of call throughout New England, including visits to New London, Conn.; Newport, R.I.; and Vineyard Haven, New Bedford, and Boston, Mass., where she’ll dock next to the USS Constitution. She will also anchor off the coast of Provincetown, Mass. for day sails to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, where the Morgan will team up with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to observe whales in their natural environment.

The stowaway will watch, inquire, learn, participate, and use their creative energy to share the voyage experience with the general public through blogging, videos, social media, and activities in the port cities. The stowaway must be 21 years or older. Prior sailing experience is not required, but curiosity and enthusiasm are a must.

The stowaway will be immersed in all aspects of the Charles W. Morgan’s 38th Voyage while living on board the ship with the crew. The stowaway will learn and take on any jobs associated with living and working on a 19th-century vessel including handling the sails and lines, steering the ship, and scrubbing the decks. The stowaway will be a key player during events and exhibits at each port of call with an opportunity to explore and meet new and interesting people. The stowaway will receive compensation in the form of a stipend for their work.

“This is a unique opportunity, a moment in time that won’t come around again,” said Funk, who is also the president of the board of directors of the New England Museum Association. “This person will go into record as the stowaway on board this voyage. This is going to be the Morgan’s most documented voyage ever.”

The Stowaway program has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

 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/.

Event to Raise Funds for the 2014 Sea Music Festival

Mystic, Conn. (January 6, 2014) – Mystic Seaport will host its annual Chantey Blast and Pub Sing Saturday, January 11, from 1-5 p.m.  All are invited to join in the lively sing-along as the Mystic Seaport chantey staff and notable performers from across New England sing maritime ballads, chanteys, and songs of the sea.

Admission is free, but donations will be accepted to help support the Museum’s upcoming Sea Music Festival, one of the world’s premier sea music events. Fans of traditional sea music gather at Mystic Seaport each year to hear the best American and international performers of maritime music celebrate the musical traditions of the Golden Age of Sail. The 2014 festival will be hosted June 12-15.

“The Chantey Blast is a fun way for us to get people excited about the festival,” said Geoff Kaufman, a chantey singer at Mystic Seaport and one of the festival’s organizers. “It is open to anyone who has an interest in sea music, and all are invited to participate. We gather some great performers and just have a fun time making music.”

The event is co-sponsored by the New York Pinewoods Folk Music Club and will be held at the Mystic German Club’s Frohsinn Hall, located at 54 Greenmanville Avenue, across from the Museum’s main entrance. Beverages will be available for purchase by the club. All ages are welcome.

About Mystic Seaport

Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, it is the home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan, the oldest American commercial vessel still afloat. For more information, visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.