Category: Press Releases

Journalist and Adventure Enthusiast to Document Unprecedented Journey this Summer Aboard the 19^th-Century Whaleship

Mystic, Conn. (May 8, 2014) – After reviewing scores of applications and video auditions from qualified candidates, Mystic Seaport has selected journalist Ryan Leighton, of Boothbay, Maine to stowaway aboard the Charles W. Morgan, America’s oldest surviving merchant vessel, during her 38^th Voyage this summer.

As the stowaway, Leighton will be immersed in all aspects of the 19^th-century whaling ship’s 38^th Voyage–living on board the ship with the crew, handling the sails and lines, steering the ship, and most important, sharing his daily experiences through a blog and social media platforms.

“Ryan proved he has the ‘sense of the adventure’ Mystic Seaport was searching for from the outset of the stowaway contest,” said Susan Funk, executive vice president of Mystic Seaport. “As a successful journalist, he has relevant experience and the necessary skills to fulfill the role of the stowaway aboard the Morgan’s most documented voyage ever. In addition to his enthusiasm, we are confident Ryan will bring his tireless work ethic, his ability to adapt to new situations, and his creativity to the 38^th Voyage.”

Leighton, who graduated from the University of Maine with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and advertising and a minor in history, had been waiting for a unique and extreme opportunity such as this.

“One of the main reasons I wanted to become the stowaway is because it is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Sometimes the most satisfying feeling is not knowing what tomorrow will bring,” Leighton said. “Typically, stowaways are forced to remain hidden below deck, but with this opportunity, I will be able to insert myself into the daily routine of the ship. I want to take chances and be creative in order to make this journey as exciting as possible. My goal is to fully immerse myself, so that others are able to live vicariously through my videos and stories.”

Leighton will watch, inquire, learn, participate, and use his creative energy to share the voyage experience with the general public through blogging, videos, social media, and activities in the port cities. He will be a key player during events and exhibits at each port of call with an opportunity to explore the community and meet its people.

“To quote Nat Wilson, the Morgan’s sailmaker, ‘it is the only way to carry the ship’s future forward because the living memories are all gone,’” Leighton said. “Sailing is a big part of the New England heritage – It’s how we got here. And what better way to learn about the past then to relive it in the present?”

Leighton filed his first video as stowaway on the Museum’s YouTube channel.

While on the 38^th 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. While the Morgan’s cargo was once whale bone and oil, the vessel will embark upon her final voyage bearing a message of peace and serving as a symbol of our changing relationship with the natural world.

Both Mystic Seaport and Leighton will be sharing the Morgan‘s journey onsite, online, and onboard. If you wish to partake in this exciting voyage, follow Leighton’s blog at mysticseaport.org/stowaway, on Twitter @MorganStowaway and on Facebook www.facebook.com/mysticseaport.

The stowaway program has been made possible in part by a 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/.

Mystic, Conn. (May 1, 2014) – For the first time since her arrival in 1941, the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan will depart Mystic Seaport and head down the Mystic River on a journey to New London on Saturday, May 17. The trip is the first stage in her return to sea on her 38th Voyage.

Following a brief ceremony in the Museum shipyard, the ship will be towed down the Mystic River and pass through the Route. 1 drawbridge in downtown Mystic en route to Fishers Island Sound and the Thames River. She will berth at City Pier in New London sometime in the early afternoon. The Morgan will lead a procession of Museum watercraft and whaleboats.

Once in New London, the crew will finish fitting out the ship for her 38th Voyage, which will begin with a sail to Newport, RI scheduled for June 14.

WHAT:        Departure Journey of the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan

WHEN:       8:45 a.m. on May 17, 2014

WHERE:     Mystic Seaport and the Mystic River, Mystic, CT

WHO:          Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT), Mystic Seaport President Steve White, Mystic Seaport Executive Vice President Susan Funk, Capt. Kip Files, 22nd captain of the Charles W. Morgan

Media Notes:

The ship will cast off and begin her journey downriver promptly at 9:15 a.m.

The trip is weather-dependent. Conditions not conducive to the tow will postpone the departure to the following day. A go/no go decision is intended for 6 p.m. on May 16, although deteriorating conditions overnight could result in a postponement the following morning. The Mystic Seaport website will have an updated status report.

Due to U.S. Coast Guard regulations, passenger slots for media onboard the ship are very limited. Once on board, all media representatives must remain on the ship until her arrival in New London.

Mystic Seaport will be recording the event from five locations: on board the ship, from a chase boat, on the shore at Mystic River Park, dockside in the Museum shipyard, and at City Pier in New London.

High-resolution still photos and HD video suitable for broadcast will be available for download by 3 p.m. on the press page of the Museum website.

Marine traffic can monitor radio transmissions on Channels 13/16.

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/

Modern Marine Masters to Feature Leading Contemporary Maritime Artists

Mystic, Conn. (April 24, 2014) – The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport is proud to open its 2014 season with the 35th Annual Spring Exhibition and Sale, Modern Marine Masters, on Sunday, April 27. The exhibition celebrates the timeless beauty of the sea and ships with contemporary art created by award-winning artists from around the globe.

On display will be original paintings, drawings, sculpture, scrimshaw and models from 64 of today’s leading maritime artists. Each of these contemporary masters continues the tradition of preserving and celebrating the art of the sea by transferring his or her experience into a vivid and visual expression, one that may evoke a mood, record an important moment in maritime history, or capture the timeless challenge of the sea.

On exhibit will be 79 works of art available for purchase. Featured artists include Don Demers, William Duffy, Ian Hansen, Russ Kramer, and Victor Mays.

“This invitational show represents some of the most exciting maritime art being created today and is a must-see for lovers of art that portrays the maritime experience,” said Jeanne Potter, director of the Maritime Gallery. 

Modern Marine Masters will be open through June 15, 2014. The entire exhibition can be viewed online at mysticseaport.org/gallery.

The Maritime Gallery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, please call the Maritime Gallery at 860.572.5388 or email gallery@https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/

About the Maritime Gallery

The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport is the nation’s foremost gallery specializing in contemporary marine art and ship models. For more than 30 years, the Gallery has been privileged to exhibit the works of leading international maritime artists. Located at historic Mystic Seaport, the Gallery overlooks the beautiful Mystic River attracting art lovers and collectors from around the world. For more information, please visit mysticseaport.org/gallery.

PBS Film to Premiere at the Garde Arts Center

MYSTIC, Conn. (April 17, 2014) — The new documentary film by Connecticut filmmaker Bailey Pryor “The Charles W. Morgan” will have its premiere at the Garde Arts Center in New London Sunday, May 4 at 7 p.m.

The one-hour documentary film “The Charles W. Morgan,” directed by five-time Emmy winner Pryor, tells the extraordinary story of America’s last wooden whaleship and the incredible saga of whaling, the first global industry dominated by America. From her humble beginnings in New Bedford in the year 1841, the film follows the adventures of the Morgan on 37 voyages around the world where this “Lucky Ship” survived freeze-ups in the Arctic, attacks by hostile natives, fire aboard ship, and a host of other stories, each of which had the potential to end the vessel’s life. Yet more than 170 years later, the Charles W. Morgan lives on, and she is poised to sail again, on her 38th Voyage in June of 2014.

The film will receive its broadcast debut on CPTV on May 12 at 9 p.m., after which it will be aired on PBS affiliate stations around the country.

The screening of the film at the Garde will be followed by a panel discussion with Pryor, Executive Producer Steve Jones, Morgan Historian Matthew Stackpole, and Mystic Seaport Shipyard Director, Quentin Snediker, who oversaw the ship’s recent five-year restoration.

Tickets for the event are $25 per person and $30 at the door. VIP tickets are $100 and include a pre-film reception with the filmmakers, and preferred seating in the theater. Proceeds from the event will support the Morgan’s 38th Voyage.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the Garde Arts Center Box Office at 860.444.7373, ext. 1 or online at https://tickets.gardearts.org/

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. (March 25, 2014) — NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries announced today its partnership with Mystic Seaport to support the 38th Voyage of the Charles W. Morgan. Nearly 100 years after its last whaling voyage, the Morgan will sail across the New England coast this summer to celebrate America’s maritime heritage and the whales that gather in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.

The Morgan, a National Historic Landmark built in 1841 and restored to seaworthy status over the past five years, is the flagship of the watercraft collection at Mystic Seaport, the nation’s leading maritime museum located in Mystic, Conn. Over an 80-year whaling career, the Morgan sailed on 37 voyages to the remote corners of the globe, including waters of national marine sanctuaries in California, Hawaii, and American Samoa.

“America’s pursuit of whales is an epic story of global dimensions that shaped the nation’s identity,” said Daniel J. Basta, director, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. “Today, thanks to pioneering work by sanctuary scientists and others to understand whale behavior, and develop conservation strategies to reduce risks to whales, we’re writing a new chapter based on respect and stewardship for these magnificent creatures of the deep.”

During the voyage, NOAA will work with Mystic Seaport and its partners to conduct a series of science and outreach activities around the voyage. The ship’s stop in each port will be accompanied by a dockside exhibit customized for each location. Upon its return to Mystic Seaport, the ship will resume its status as an exhibit at the museum.

“The Charles W. Morgan is an exceptional and truly unique artifact of our shared maritime heritage,” said Mystic Seaport President Steve White. “While the ship is an American icon and a living portal into an important chapter of American history, she now embarks on a new journey with transformed purpose. She’s no longer an instrument of commerce but a source of education, knowledge, and understanding.”

The Morgan will depart on June 14 to historic New England ports, including Newport, R.I.; Vineyard Haven, Mass; New Bedford, Mass.; Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Boston, Mass; and back to New London and Mystic with a stop at the Cape Cod Canal to participate in its centennial celebration. The entire voyage is expected to take about seven weeks.

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and our other social media channels.

About Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

Designated in 1992, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary encompasses 842 square miles of ocean, stretching between Cape Ann and Cape Cod offshore of Massachusetts. Renowned for its remarkable productivity, the sanctuary supports a rich diversity of marine life, including endangered great whales, seabirds, more than 60 species of fishes and hundreds of marine invertebrates.

The sanctuary is also one of the top whale watching destinations in the world, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Whale watching is a fast growing industry that encourages people to protect whales and their habitats, supports local economies, and provides local employment.

The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries serves as trustee for a network of 14 marine protected areas encompassing more than 170,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters from Washington state to the Florida Keys, and from Lake Huron to American Samoa. The network includes a system of 13 national marine sanctuaries and the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

About NOAA

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and our other social media channels.

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/.

Season Kicks Off with Winter’s Aweigh Celebration

MYSTIC, Conn. (February 4, 2014) – Mystic Seaport celebrates its reopening with free admission for children ages 17 and under when accompanied by a paying adult from February 15 to 23.

The Museum will kick off the year with Winter’s Aweigh, three days of special activities on Presidents’ Day Weekend beginning Saturday, February 15. Visitors can explore the Museum’s 19th-century seafaring village, historic vessels, and maritime exhibits, and take a horse-and-carriage ride.

Children can try their hand at an art project, stop by the Print Shop and create a vintage winter scene, or watch a Planetarium show. Other activities include toy boat building, story time in the Children’s Museum, music workshops, and a kids’-eye view of the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan.

Back by popular demand, three breeds of winter working dogs will visit Mystic Seaport throughout the weekend. The dogs will demonstrate various winter work tasks and be available for petting from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Malamutes will be on grounds Saturday, February 15; Newfoundlands will visit Sunday, February 16; and St. Bernards will be on Museum grounds Monday, February 17.

The children’s free admission offer continues through Sunday, February 23, during which time the Museum will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The offer is not transferable and no other discounts apply.

For more information on hours and ticketing, please visit mysticseaport.org/visit.

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. (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/.

Free Admission with Donation of a Non-Perishable Food Item

Mystic, Conn. (December 13, 2013) –The 58th annual Community Carol Sing at Mystic Seaport will be held Sunday, December 22.

The Museum will be open to visitors from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admission is free with the donation of a non-perishable food item or by cash donation. All contributions will be donated to and distributed by the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center.

The Mystic Seaport Carolers will perform a holiday concert in the Greenmanville Church at 2 p.m. The carol sing will commence at Anchor Circle at 3 p.m. led by choral director Jamie Spillane and backed by the Museum Carolers and a brass quartet.

The Treworgy Planetarium will present “The Star of Bethlehem” at 12, 1 and 2 p.m. The free program explores the winter skies, merging science, mythology, religious observance, winter traditions and music. Additionally, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. visitors can hear stories of holidays at sea, print a Victorian Christmas card keepsake at the Print Shop, observe carving and shipsmithing demonstrations, and more. Children are invited to make a souvenir toy or enjoy holiday stories at the Children’s Museum.

For more information, visit mysticseaport.org/carolsing.

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/.