In the summer of 2014, the Charles W. Morgan sailed for the first time in more than 90 years on her 38th Voyage. After nearly three months away from Mystic Seaport on a journey that took her to Boston and back, including three days sailing in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, the ship returned to the Museum with new understanding, knowledge, and lots and lots of stories. Now, the Museum has launched a new website to share it all.
The website is both an online archive and exhibit that will allow anyone anywhere to explore the perspectives on the 38th Voyage including personal experiences, professional work, and lessons learned. The website is a dynamic repository for these never-before-seen photos, videos, and written reflections.
Central to the site is the ongoing work of the 38th Voyagers. These 85 individuals each sailed on board the Morgan for a day and completed personal and professional projects in a variety of disciplines. The artistic impressions, poems, scientific data, lesson plans, and scholarly work each capture a different aspect of sailing the world’s last wooden whaleship. Visitors to the site can also explore work from the ship’s crew, museum staff, and the Morgan’s Stowaway Ryan Leighton.
Each item on the site is categorized by many different attributes, such as port city and type of content. The “Stories” tab groups items around 38th Voyage themes such as “Whales”, “Global Connections”, “Science and Conservation”, and “Moby-Dick and Literature.” This online home for the 38th Voyage allows connections to be made between different themes, media, and creators in a living, interdisciplinary display.
The 38th Voyage website can be found at www.mysticseaport.org/voyage/ and is also accessible to Museum visitors via a touch screen display in the “Voyaging in the Wake of the Whalers” exhibit. The website continues to grow as more content is added and more connections are made, so visitors are encouraged to check back often.
