Historic Vessel to Open to the Public on Tuesday, June 17
NEWPORT, Rhode Island (June 15, 2014) — The historic whaleship Charles W. Morgan, America’s oldest commercial vessel and a National Historic Landmark, completed the first leg of her 38th Voyage when she sailed into Newport, Rhode Island, today.
This is the Morgan’s first sailing voyage since 1921.
The Morgan cast off from City Pier in New London, Conn., at 6:15 a.m. and was towed up Fishers Island Sound and through Watch Hill Passage. Once on Block Island Sound the ship dropped the tow and set all working sail to make her way to Newport. She arrived in the harbor and tied up at Fort Adams at 6 p.m.
“Seeing the ship with her sails set just as they were in the heyday of her whaling career was an incredible sight. It was truly seeing history come alive,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport.
Sunday was the first time the Morgan‘s 38th Voyagers were on board the ship. The Voyagers are individuals from around the world who applied to participate in one leg of the Voyage, and then communicate their experience based on their discipline or talent. Voyagers range from poets and scholars, to musicians and artists. There were nine Voyagers on this leg.
Matthew Ecklund, an artist and educator with Call of the Sea, a non-profit marine education organization based in Sausalito, Calif., spent his time on board sketching the crew at work as the basis for a series of quill and ink illustrations to be used in future exhibitions and programs.
“I hope to bring back the lessons that can only be learned by first-hand experience. The 38th Voyage is an exciting and inspiring event for so many people, and I want to be able to take the experience of the 19th-century sailor and use it to inform what we try to achieve in our education programs in California,” said Ecklund.
The 38th Voyager program is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
The Morgan will be open to the public at Fort Adams from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17. She is scheduled to continue her voyage with a transit to Vineyard Haven, Mass., on June 18.
Downloadable Media:
High resolution photos and broadcast-quality HD video of the ship’s activities on Sunday will be available for download and use by news media. Downloads can be accessed on the Mystic Seaport press page.
Links:
mysticseaport.org/38thvoyage
https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/connect/press/
https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/stowaway
https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/stories
Social Media:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mysticseaport
Twitter: @mysticseaport
About the NEH
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. www.neh.gov
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, 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 6-17. Museum members and children under 5 are admitted for free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/
