Category: Press Releases

Historic 1941 Coin Placed at the Base

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, Conn. (October 10, 2013) – As part of her five-year, multi-million dollar restoration, the 1841 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 at Mystic 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 38^th 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/.

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.

Mystic, Conn. (September 30, 2013) — Mystic Seaport named Emily Schimelman of Middletown, CT the 2013 recipient of the Orion Award for Excellence in Experiential Education.

The Orion Award is bestowed by the Museum on educators who create meaningful and innovative learning experiences for their students by utilizing the collections, programs, and learning resources of Mystic Seaport. The Award recognizes teachers who infuse history, math, science, and literature with a maritime focus and are an inspiration to their students and their colleagues.

Schimelman is a fourth grade teacher at Hamden Hall Country Day School in Hamden, CT. She teaches reading, language arts, and specializes in social studies. With the help of Mystic Seaport staff, she created a year-long unit on American whaling, life at sea, and the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan. The hands-on, project-based unit focuses on artifacts, primary sources, artwork, music, acting, journal writing, and critical thinking to inspire lifelong learning through exploration.

She masterminded the creation of a Mystic Festival at the school, where students created 12 booths representing primary aspects of the whaling unit. Students collaborated in small groups where they researched their topic and created the content and activities for their station. Participants were given 15 minutes at each booth before they rotated to the next.

As the point person for a new partnership with Hamden Hall, Schimelman has fostered a constructive relationship of program development and evaluation for both institutions.

Schimelman is contributing to the creation of Mystic Seaport for Educators, an online learning community that will use historic artifacts in the Museum’s collections to build interactive learning tools for educators and students. Mystic Seaport for Educators is a key component of the Museum’s “Year of the Charles W. Morgan” in Connecticut, a series of learning tools and programs that utilize the ship and her 2014 38th Voyage to teach a range of subject material, including but not limited to history.

“We chose to honor Emily Schimelman with this Award because she understands that primary sources and hands-on research are more than just a fun experience—they create an opportunity for students to develop and apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are integral components of the new Common Core State Standards being implemented in schools today,” said Sarah Cahill, director of Education at Mystic Seaport.

The Orion Award for Excellence in Experiential Education was introduced in 2005 in honor of the Museum’s 75th Anniversary. Named for one of the most familiar constellations – the Hunter Orion, son of the sea god Poseidon – Orion has often marked the course for many seagoing vessels. Through the Orion Award, Mystic Seaport acknowledges the unique skills and abilities of teachers to link disciplines and communicate ideas with their students, helping their students navigate the course of life.

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, Conn. (September 27, 2013) — Mystic Seaport announced the election of J. Barclay Collins II as the new chairman of the Museum’s board of trustees. Collins was elected by the Museum’s membership at their annual meeting on September 27.

A longtime executive in the energy industry, Collins recently retired as the Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Hess Corporation. Prior to joining Hess, he was Vice President and General Counsel of City Investing Company and an attorney with Cravath, Swaine and Moore, the New York law firm. Collins is a passionate advocate for health care, education, and the arts. He serves as the chairman of the board of the United Hospital Fund of New York and is on the board of the New York Botanical Garden among other philanthropies. An avid sailor, he is a member of the New York Yacht Club and the Shelter Island Yacht Club.

Collins earned an A.B. from Harvard College and a J.D. from Columbia Law School. He has homes in New York, Connecticut, and Florida. He joined the board at Mystic Seaport in 2008.

“We are very excited to have Barclay assume leadership of the board,” President Steve White said. “He brings a level of professional expertise, institutional knowledge, and a passion for our mission that will help us succeed at developing new and exciting ways for the public to explore our collections and understand the importance of our shared maritime heritage.”

Collins succeeds Richard Vietor who served as chairman from 2007. White added his praise for the accomplishments of Vietor, noting his legacy.

“The Museum is truly grateful for Richard’s leadership during one of the most challenging periods in the history of the institution. He guided us deftly through a difficult economic environment to not only put Mystic Seaport on sound financial footing, but also to enable us to embark on some of the transformational initiatives critical to the future of Mystic Seaport, including the 38th Voyage of the Charles W. Morgan and the construction of a new state-of-the-art exhibition building to transform the north end of our grounds.”

During Vietor’s tenure, the Museum restructured its finances and operations to become a debt-free institution. Vietor oversaw the restoration and launch of the whaleship Charles W. Morgan, the development of a new strategic plan for the institution and its collections, the initial work for the new exhibition hall, and the creation and success of seven America and the Sea Award Galas.

The Museum also welcomed to the board four new trustees in 2013:

Grant Cambridge, of Pasadena, CA, is a Senior Vice President and a Portfolio Manager of Capital Group in Los Angeles. In addition to an M.B.A. from Harvard, Cambridge has an M.A. from Suffolk University and a B.A. from Bentley University.

Sheila McCurdy, of Middletown, RI, has an extensive background in sailing and is well-known in the U.S. racing and cruising communities. She is a graduate of Smith College and holds a M.M.A from the University of Rhode Island.

Cayre Michas, of New York City, NY, and Stonington, CT, has long been involved with non-profit and educational institutions and is a Trustee and Secretary for Learning Leaders, Inc. She received her A.B. from Brown University.

Waring Partridge of New Haven, CT, is a former senior executive in the telecommunications industry. He is presently the president of the Partridge Family Office. He received his B.A. from Yale University and his J.D. from Catholic University (U.S.).

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/.

Show to Feature Finest Works of Contemporary Marine Art in the Country

Mystic, Conn. (September 5, 2013) — The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport opens the 34th Annual International Marine Art Exhibition and Sale Sunday, September 15.

The International is the most comprehensive collection of contemporary marine art in the United States. Award-winning artists from around the world will present more than 100 examples of their most recent work. Represented in this show are exceptional paintings, sculpture, scrimshaw, and ship models. The show is a commemoration of America’s maritime heritage with both intricately researched historical scenes and contemporary images that document the relationship of man to the sea.

“The Annual International Marine Art Exhibition is such a unique event for both artists and art lovers,” said Jeanne Potter, Director of the Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport.  “Not only is the maritime art on view of such high quality representing the most talented marine artists from around the world working today, but it also gives the public, and especially collectors, the opportunity to view and purchase these works in such a beautiful gallery on the Mystic River.”

Participating artists include Patrick O’Brien, Yoko Gaydos, Geoff Hunt, Russ Kramer, Robert Lagasse, Victor Mays, and Kim Shaklee.

Five awards of excellence and nine prestigious named awards–including the Rudolph J. Schaefer Maritime Heritage Award, which recognizes the work that best documents our maritime heritage for future generations–will be awarded at a black-tie awards dinner and preview September 22 (dinner by invitation only).

The judges selecting these awards this year are Elizabeth Goddard, executive director of the Newport Art Museum and Stuart Parnes, director of Connecticut Humanities and the former director of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and Connecticut River Museum.

The show will open to the public at 10 a.m. Sunday, September 15, followed by an artists’ walk from 10:30 a.m. to 12 noon at the Gallery. The walk is an opportunity for the public to meet some of the participating artists and listen as they share how they created their works in the International and what inspires them to produce their art.

All works in the exhibition are available to view and purchase daily between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. The show can also be viewed on the Gallery website, mysticseaport.org/gallery. The exhibition runs through December 31, 2013.

About the Maritime Gallery

The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport is the nation’s foremost gallery specializing in contemporary marine art.  For over 30 years, the Maritime Gallery has been privileged to exhibit the works of leading maritime artists from across the globe and to support the scholarship, curation, and exhibition work of its parent organization, Mystic Seaport. For more information, please visit mysticseaport.org/gallery.

Half-Price Adult Admission; Children Free after 3 p.m. on September 12

Mystic, Conn. (September 4, 2013) — Mystic Seaport will offer half-price adult admission and admit all children 17-and-under for free on Thursday, September 12 as part of the inaugural Connecticut Schooner Festival. The special discount begins at 3 p.m.

The festival is a collaboration of Mystic Seaport and OpSail Connecticut to celebrate the region’s maritime heritage. The five-day event begins at Mystic Seaport on Wednesday, September 11 and moves to New London on Friday, September 13.

The stop at the Museum will highlight the educational programming offered by the participating schooners. In addition to the Museum’s 1932 schooner Brilliant and the National Historic Landmark L.A. Dunton, at least 10 boats are expected to tie up on the waterfront.

“The festival is a great opportunity to explore the variety of outstanding programs offered by the schooner community today, and to see a gathering of exceptional boats,” said Mystic Seaport President Steve White.

The New London portion of the festival will feature family fun and entertainment including ship visits, dockside music concerts, The Great New London Chowder Challenge, and other activities. As with schooner festivals elsewhere, the Connecticut event will feature a race on Fishers Island Sound on Saturday, September 14. Prime viewing can be had from New London’s Ocean Beach Park.

A complete schedule of activities is available at CTSchoonerFest.com.

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.

Mystic, Conn. (July 25, 2013) — The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) awarded Mystic Seaport $450,000 to support public programming related to the 38th Voyage of the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan.

The funds will be used for dockside and onboard activities and programming during the ship’s Voyage in 2014. In addition, the grant will help fund a new permanent exhibit on whaling at Mystic Seaport titled “In the Wake of the Whalers.”

“This grant will help us fully express the Morgan’s significance to maritime heritage and indeed American history,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport.

The ship’s 38th Voyage will begin in late May 2014, when the Morgan 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.

The award is an America’s Historic & Cultural Organizations Implementation Grant, which is used to support museum exhibits, library-based projects, interpretation of historic places, websites, and other formats that excite and inform “thoughtful reflection upon culture, identity and history,” according to the NEH.

Mystic Seaport was awarded a $40,000 planning grant in the same category for the Morgan in 2011.

The NEH also awarded $164,280 to support the 2014 NEH Summer Institute “The American Maritime People” at the Museum’s Frank C. Munson Institute. The grant will enable the Institute to bring 20 college and university faculty members to Mystic Seaport in the summer of 2014 to teach them about the cultural influence of the nation’s maritime past so they can share that knowledge with undergraduates across the country.

“It is very rewarding to receive our fourth NEH grant in the last nine years,” said Dr. Glenn Gordinier, Robert G. Albion Historian at Mystic Seaport and the Co-Director of the Frank C. Munson Institute of American Maritime Studies. “That kind of affirmation from such an esteemed body confirms the importance of our work and gives a great boost to everyone involved.”

The grants announced today are part of $33 million for 173 humanities projects in 38 states and the District of Columbia. Supported projects include the publication of the complete papers of the first Federal Congress, which met from 1789 to 1791, and an extensive digitization of American newspaper archives.

The NEH press release and a complete list of the grants can be found at 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, 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/.

Ship Floats for the First Time Since 2008

Mystic, Conn. (July 21, 2013) — After a nearly five-year restoration in the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport, the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan was launched into the waters of the Mystic River today. The ship, a National Historic Landmark and America’s oldest commercial vessel, was carefully lowered into the water in a public ceremony to float on her own bottom for the first time since 2008.

The ship was christened by Sarah Bullard, the great-great-great granddaughter of Charles Waln Morgan, one of the original owners of the ship and the man after which she was named. The bottle Bullard broke across the bow was filled with waters from the oceans over which the vessel sailed during her 80-year whaling career. Samples were gathered from the North and South Atlantic, the Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Water from New Bedford and Mystic were added to represent her original and current homeports.

“This launch is a milestone in the life of this great ship,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport. “Today she turns 172-years-old and we hope this restoration will help preserve her for another 172, so that future generations will be able to walk her decks and hear her tell the important story of our nation’s shared maritime heritage.”

He added, “This moment is a testament to the skill and knowledge of the shipwrights without whose hard work and dedication this day would not be possible.”

Present at the celebration were numerous dignitaries: Gov. Dannel P. Malloy (D-Conn.) took the occasion to announce a $500,000 contribution by the State of Connecticut to the ship’s restoration. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) read the text of a U.S. Senate Resolution passed last week commemorating the Morgan’s launch and bestowing upon her the honor of “Ambassador to the Whales.” The resolution supports the plan of Mystic Seaport to “reinterpret the Charles W. Morgan as a vessel of scientific and educational exploration whose cargo is knowledge and whose mission is to promote awareness of the maritime heritage of the United States and the conservation of the species the Morgan hunted.”

Describing the ship as “an ambassador from a crucial moment in American history,” Filmmaker Ric Burns said in his keynote address, “This one ship has embodied, made possible, made real and brought alive the experience of whaling as no other single artifact on the planet.”

The restoration of the ship began when she was hauled out of the water in November 2008. The focus of the project was to address the hull below the waterline, the majority of which dated to the ship’s original construction. The final phase that begins now will involve rigging, restoring her interior, and installing temporary systems necessary to take her back to sea for a ceremonial 38th Voyage in late May 2014 (the ship completed 37 voyages during her whaling career).

The 38th Voyage will take the Morgan to historic ports of New England. After a period of fitting out 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 in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and she will participate in the centennial celebration of the opening 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.

The Morgan will continue to be open to visitors at Mystic Seaport while the restoration continues.

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. It 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/.

Measure Recognizes National Importance of Historic Whaleship’s Launch

Mystic, Conn. (July 18, 2013) — Today the United States Senate passed a resolution celebrating the July 21, 2013 launch of the Charles W. Morgan, the second oldest vessel in the United States and the world’s last remaining wooden whaling vessel. Connecticut Senators Richard Blumenthal and Christopher Murphy led the resolution in the Senate. Following a nearly five-year, multimillion dollar restoration, the Morgan will be launched on Sunday in preparation for her first sail in over 80 years. In the summer of 2014, the Morgan will embark on her 38th Voyage to ports of call up-and-down the New England coast. The July 21 launch is a critical milestone in this ambitious and world-class endeavor.

“I am overjoyed by the restoration and launch of the Charles W. Morgan,” Blumenthal said. “Through the partnership and cooperation of many organizations across multiple states, we are able to preserve a National Historic Landmark for current and future generations to enjoy, and set sail a living testament to the American ethos of hard work and perseverance. I look forward to attending the Charles W. Morgan‘s launch ceremony.”

“Senator Blumenthal and I are proud to honor the Charles W. Morgan whaleship with this Senate resolution,” Murphy said. “The Morgan is an important part of Connecticut’s historic whaling industry, and I’m so grateful to Mystic Seaport for its impressive restoration work to help preserve the last remaining wooden whaleship in the world. I’m also thrilled that the Morgan‘s voyage next year–a collaborative effort between 22 states–will focus on raising awareness on environmental protection, and bringing attention to how we can protect our planet’s whale population. I can’t wait for the voyage to begin, and I’ll support its educational efforts along the way.”

Organizations in more than 22 states have contributed labor, materials, and expertise to the Morgan restoration making her 38th Voyage a remarkable national achievement. As an example of the scope of contributions to the Morgan‘s restoration, families in Biloxi, MS, donated 200-year-old live oak trees felled in Hurricane Katrina as a way to continue the legacy of these famous trees. Other states are hosting satellite exhibits or have built smaller whaleboats to accompany the Morgan. Stephanie Meeks, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation explained, “The excitement generated by the Charles W. Morgan’s 38th Voyage is a testament to the power of history to engage and inspire us. It demonstrates the value of saving the tangible fabric of our shared experience and revitalizing it for contemporary times and new uses.”

The 172-year-old ship is a National Historic Landmark and an icon for the maritime heritage community. Nathaniel Philbrick, renowned historian and author, added, “The Charles W. Morgan is one of America’s greatest treasures. To explore the Morgan is to experience our country’s maritime past in a way no book or lecture can ever hope to match.”

Whereas the Morgan was once a renowned whaler, her 38th Voyage will recast her as a scientific and educational vessel. “Whaling in the 19th and early 20th centuries ultimately proved unsustainable economically as well as for whales as a species,” said Daniel J. Basta, Director of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. One of the Morgan’s most important destinations will be Stellwagen Bank off of Boston, once a hunting ground and now refuge for whales. “Sailing through Stellwagen’s waters is key,” said Basta. “The Morgan will sail again, now with a mission to raise public awareness of the importance of protecting our nation’s oceans and its species, and of whale watching as a sustainable business.”

Steve White, President of Mystic Seaport, thanked the Senators for their efforts, saying, “We are grateful to our representatives in the United States Senate for recognizing the importance of the Morgan’s restoration and 38th Voyage to the State of Connecticut, to the nation, and to the world. Mystic Seaport is grateful to our partners in the 22 states who have and continue to make essential contributions to the success of this endeavor.”

For more information, detailing exactly how individuals and organizations in each state have contributed to this unprecedented restoration project, media may contact Christopher Fisher at 202.544.7944, ext. 3 or Daniel McFadden at 860.572.5317 with further questions.

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.