Category: Charles W. Morgan News

It is our pleasure to announce the 10 finalists for the Charles W. Morgan Stowaway contest. After reviewing a large number of creative and enthusiastic video entries, which included submissions from 24 states and Guam, the Stowaway search has been narrowed down to the following applicants:

Links to the finalists’ video applications are featured on the Museum’s Facebook page.

Now, show us who you think would be the ideal Stowaway during the Morgan‘s 38th Voyage by supporting your favorite applicant with “likes” and shares via social media. While there will be only one Stowaway and Mystic Seaport will ultimately make the selection, public opinion will be a factor in our decision. We encourage you to weigh in by April 10. Mystic Seaport will then select the Stowaway, and the journey of a lifetime will begin when the 1841 whaleship leaves New London, Connecticut, this June.

Congratulations to the finalists and thank you to all who applied!

The Stowaway’s Journey

The Stowaway will live aboard the Charles W. Morgan with the ship’s captain and crew during the vessel’s 38th Voyage in the summer of 2014. During the voyage the Morgan will stop at historic ports of call throughout New England, including Newport, R.I.; Vineyard Haven, New Bedford, and Boston, Mass. The Morgan will also team up with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to observe whales in their natural environment.

The Stowaway will be immersed in all aspects of the voyage. This individual 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, and will watch, inquire, learn, participate, and use their creative energy to share this once-in-a-lifetime experience through blogging, videos, social media, and activities in the port cities.

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Alexandria Seaport Foundation (ASF) christened their whaleboat for the Charles W. Morgan in a ceremony on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, March 12. Built by ASF apprentices and volunteers, the whaleboat is one of 10 that will equip the 1841 whaleship when she embarks on her commemorative 38th Voyage this summer.

Rev. Pierce Klemmt from the Christ Church in Alexandria performed the christening with the help of U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (VA) and Charles W. Morgan historian Matthew Stackpole from Mystic Seaport. The evening before the event, City of Alexandria Council member John Chapman read a proclamation honoring ASF and its whaleboat as a symbol of the American spirit, maritime history, and our seafaring ancestors.

ASF was a natural fit to join the Morgan whaleboat project. Since 1993, the organization’s primary focus has been to use traditional boat building to help disadvantaged youth improve their lives. ASF’s signature Boat Building Apprenticeship Program is a nationally recognized program which helps at-risk youth between the ages of 18-22 acquire the job and social skills necessary to secure a successful career path.  ASF has improved the lives of hundreds of youth through this program, serving an average of 40 young men and women annually. Along with career and woodworking skills, apprentices improve their academic competencies through project-based learning and in the context of traditional wooden boat building.

The ASF whaleboat is scheduled to be delivered to Mystic Seaport in May, just in time to accompany the Morgan when she leaves for her historic journey on May 17.

Where do you get new sails for a 172-year-old whaleship? East Boothbay, Maine, that’s where. Mystic Seaport turned to sailmaker Nathaniel S. Wilson to make the 19 new sails the Charles W. Morgan will need for her 38th Voyage this summer. Wilson, an expert on traditional sails, actually made the first set of demonstration sails for the ship back in 1973! Museum photographer Andy Price visited Wilson’s shop to see how the project is coming along and took the photographs below.

MYSTIC – Mystic Seaport is pleased to announce that the Chief Mate, Second Mate, and Third Mate have been hired for the 38th Voyage of the Charles W. Morgan. The 1841 whaleship will embark on her commemorative voyage May 17.

Sam Sikkema will serve as Chief Mate. A sailor of small boats since he was 5 years old, Sikkema has been professionally sailing on square-riggers for the past 10 years. He just signed off from the Norwegian ship Sørlandet on a sail training cruise that took the vessel to Southern Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean. He has also sailed on the Niagara, Bounty, and Picton Castle.

Sikkema’s interest in maritime preservation is in trying to experience what it was like to sail the ships back in the day. “With a lot of ships we are only guessing because they are replicas or whatnot, but here with the Morgan we actually have the original form, and the original type, and it’s well documented so we can actually take it out and see what it can do,” he said. “That’s going to be very fascinating.”

Before arriving for work at Mystic Seaport, Sikkema will spend the winter aboard Picton Castle in the Pacific Ocean. He is a native of South Haven, Michigan, (home of the Michigan Maritime Museum) and presently makes his home in Leander, Texas, when he is not at sea.

Sean Bercaw will be sailing as Second Mate. Bercaw has a long history with the Morgan and Mystic Seaport, dating back 30 years to his time on the Museum’s Special Demonstration Squad. Since then, he has sailed several times aboard Elissa, and worked for Sea Education Association (SEA) for many years as master of the Corwith Cramer, Westward, and Robert C. Seamans. He additionally has worked as mate, engineer, and master aboard a host of other vessels. Bercaw has also spent considerable time in whaleboats as part of the Demonstration Squad, racing in New Bedford and working with other rowing organizations. He holds a 1,600-ton Ocean Master license and has advanced wilderness medical training.

Roxanne “Rocky” Hadler will be sailing as Third Mate. Hadler starting sailing aboard Elissa and has gone on to work aboard Niagara, Kalmar Nyckel, Bounty, and the SEA vessels, among others. She has spent considerable time aboard traditional square-rigged vessels and holds a 500-ton Ocean Master license. Hadler will be sailing aboard Cramer with the spring 2014 Williams-Mystic class at the end of January.

The three crew members will be joining Kip Files, the Captain of the Charles W. Morgan‘s 38th Voyage. Files, who arrived at Mystic Seaport and began work last November, has been charged with hiring the ship’s crew and preparing and equipping her for the voyage. As the owner and captain of the 132-foot, three-masted schooner Victory Chimes out of Rockland, Maine he is no stranger to sailing large ships with no engine. He is also the primary captain of the 207-foot barque Elissa, owned and operated by the Galveston Historical Foundation and Texas Seaport Museum. Files holds a U.S. Coast Guard Master Ocean License for Inspected Passenger Vessels of up to 1,600 Gross Tons and he has been a master of traditional sailing vessels since 1978.

Sikkema will arrive for work at Mystic Seaport in April and Bercaw and Hadler will come aboard in May.

The Charles W. Morgan is ready for a new adventure. Are you?

We’re searching for the world’s greatest adventurer to “stow away” on the whaleship Charles W. Morgan during her 38th Voyage and to share their journey with the world. Is that person you?

[embedit snippet=”Stowaway”] 
While on her 38th Voyage during the summer of 2014 the Charles W. Morgan will stop at historic ports of call throughout New England, including visits to New London, Conn.; Newport, R.I.; Vineyard Haven, New Bedford, and Boston, Mass.; and venture out onto Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. At Stellwagen Bank the Morgan will team up with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to observe whales in their natural environment.

The Stowaway will be immersed in all aspects of the Charles W. Morgan’s voyage while living on board the ship with the captain and the crew. This individual 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.

“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.”

During the voyage the Stowaway will watch, inquire, learn, participate, and use their creative energy to share this once-in-a-lifetime experience through blogging, videos, social media, and activities in the port cities. Absolutely no sailing experience is necessary, but a sense of discovery is a must.

Compensation in the form of a stipend will be given to the Stowaway for their work.

How to Apply

The chosen Stowaway will need a high level of zest, grit, humor, and flexibility in approaching this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Curiosity and communication will be essential. Show us why you have what it takes to be our Stowaway in a 60-second video. Be creative, have fun, and make sure we see your face and hear your voice in the video. Don’t delay: the submission deadline is February 18, 2014. Visit www.mysticseaport.org/stowaway for complete contest details.

Good luck! We can’t wait to see why you would be the perfect Stowaway aboard the Morgan.

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.

Mystic Seaport is inviting the public to take part in an exciting, unprecedented public-history project. Beginning December 1, 2013, the Museum is accepting project proposals from talented, self-motivated adults from a range of disciplines and backgrounds to document and share their experiences during the Charles W. Morgan‘s commemorative 38th Voyage.

From mid-May to early August 2014, the Morgan will sail for the first time in more than 80 years. During her first 37 voyages (1841-1921), the 1841 whaleship ventured into all the world’s oceans in pursuit of whale oil and baleen, carrying multi-ethnic crews and coming into contact with many different cultures. For her 38th Voyage, the Morgan will sail to seven historic New England ports, engaging communities with their maritime heritage, raising awareness of the changing perceptions about whales, and furthering research about whales, whaling, and whaling peoples.

During the day-long passages between ports, Museum staff will examine the voyage to better understand the past experiences of those who sailed the Morgan and other whaleships like her. Mystic Seaport seeks additional public participants to become 38th Voyagers and sail aboard one voyage leg (one night plus the following day) of the ship’s historic journey. Voyagers will document and filter their experience aboard the 1841 vessel through their own perspectives and talents, producing finished products for Mystic Seaport to share online and through exhibits, publications, and public programs.

The Museum welcomes proposals from a range of individuals, including artists, scientists, writers, teachers, whaling descendants, explorers, and other adventurers. Volunteer participants will need a high level of zest, grit, humor, and flexibility in approaching this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Full project proposals must be submitted by email, fax, or mail by January 7, 2014 and top candidates will be contacted to schedule interviews in mid-January 2014. Finalists will be notified by early March 2014. For complete details and application instructions, visit www.mysticseaport.org/38thvoyagers.

The 38th Voyagers 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.

On November 14 Shipyard staff moved the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan back into the shiplift in preparation for the stepping of the vessel’s lower main and mizzen masts. The ship had to be moved to give the crane access to the middle and stern portions of the deck.

Staff members were able to get a head start on the stepping process late that afternoon and had installed the main mast by day’s end. The next morning, on November 15, Shipyard staff continued the stepping process and had the Morgan‘s mizzen mast in by 9:30 a.m.

The stepping process, which began October 17 with the installation of the Morgan‘s foremast, is a significant occasion during a ship’s construction. Tradition holds that a coin is set under the base of a mast to provide good luck. An 1841 silver dollar representing the original launch of the Morgan and a 2013 silver dollar symbolizing her current restoration were placed under the main and mizzen masts, respectively.

As the stepping of the lowers went fairly quickly, Shipyard staff had time to also set the main topmast on November 15. By the end of the day the Morgan, with all of her lowers and one of her upper masts in, was back to her current spot alongside the shiplift, bow in and facing land. The fore topmast is scheduled to be stepped in a few weeks and the other topmast and topgallants will go in next spring.

MYSTIC – Mystic Seaport appointed Richard “Kip” Files of Rockland, Maine, as the captain of the Charles W. Morgan for her 38th Voyage.

“This is an extraordinary undertaking and it will be exciting to take this ship back to sea to discover and share what it was like to operate a wooden whaleship as they did throughout the 19th century,” Files said.

As the owner and captain of the 132-foot, three-masted schooner Victory Chimes out of Rockland, Files is no stranger to sailing large ships with no engine. He is also the primary captain of the 207-foot barque Elissa, owned and operated by the Galveston Historical Foundation and Texas Seaport Museum. Files holds a U.S. Coast Guard Master Ocean License for Inspected Passenger Vessels of up to 1,600 Gross Tons and he has been a master of traditional sailing vessels since 1978.

Files also served on the boards of Tall Ships America (formerly the American Sail Training Association) and the Ocean Classroom Foundation.

“There are very few people in the world with the knowledge and experience of traditional square-rigged sailing necessary to do this job. Kip is one of those people and we are confident we have found the right person to lead the ship on her 38th Voyage,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport.

Files arrived at Mystic Seaport to start work on November 11. He is charged with hiring the Morgan’s crew and preparing and equipping her for the 38th Voyage. After a period of fitting out and sea trials based in New London, Conn. Files will sail her to Newport, Vineyard Haven, New Bedford, and Boston. The Morgan will also venture into the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 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.

“For someone who has made his living with traditional vessels this is quite an honor,” Files said. “The 38th Voyage will be one of the most significant maritime events in my lifetime, and I feel privileged and humbled to be part of this historic voyage.”

As the 22nd captain of the National Historic Landmark and the last wooden whaling ship in the world, Files takes his responsibility for the well-being of the vessel and the safety of the crew very seriously.

“The most important goal is to achieve a safe voyage for the ship and all who sail on her,” Files said. “The Charles W. Morgan is an irreplaceable artifact of America’s maritime heritage and her well-being is paramount.”

At 113-feet long, the Morgan was launched in New Bedford, Mass. in 1841 and had a whaling career of 80 years and 37 voyages that spanned the far reaches of the globe. While her original cargo was whale oil and bone, now her cargo is knowledge. Commanding this American icon and presenting her to the American people as a living portal into an important chapter of our history is an honor, Files said.

Although he’s sailed in oceans across the globe for close to half a century, Files said he hasn’t yet experienced a favorite sail. However, the Morgan’s 38th Voyage is “going to be a quite the adventure,” he said.

While Mystic Seaport shipwrights have been restoring the Charles W. Morgan and organizations 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.

[embedit snippet=”Row Locks for the MORGAN”]

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 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.