Tour America's History: Charles W. Morgan, Mystic Seaport

View Mystic Seaport in a larger map

Visit our Tour Destination: Connecticut page to see the entire tour of the state’s Save America’s Treasures sites.

The Charles W. Morgan at Chubb's Wharf at Mystic Seaport.
© Mystic Seaport

Charles W. Morgan, Mystic Seaport

75 Greenmanville Avenue

Mystic, CT

Website: Mystic Seaport: The Museum of America and the Sea

The Treasure: The Charles W. Morgan is the only remaining American wooden whaling ship.

Accessibility: Currently, the Charles W. Morgan can be seen undergoing restoration in Mystic Seaport’s Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard. Hours at Mystic Seaport vary based on the season, with limited hours between Thanksgiving and Christmas and closed January through mid-February. Mystic Seaport is open daily through spring, summer, and fall. Check the Mystic Seaport website for the seasonal hour schedules.

The Charles W. Morgan as seen
in the 1922 silent movie
Down to the Sea in Ships.

Background: With whale oil, baleen, and spermaceti in high demand, whaling emerged as a major industry in 19th century America. Throughout most of the 1800s, the oceans of the world were host to hundreds of whaling ships, many sailing out of ports located along the New England coast. Proudly exhibited at Mystic Seaport today, the Charles W. Morgan is the last remaining American wooden whaling ship in existence.

Whaling first became commercially viable as a source of lamp oil and candle wax. It may not be too far off the mark to say that whale oil illuminated the world through much of the 18th and 19th centuries. In later years, other uses were found for whale oil, including oiling wools for combing, as an ingredient in margarine, and as a base for rust-proof paints for metal––such as the original (though not modern) Rust-Oleum.

Built in 1841, the Charles W. Morgan fared very well in the whaling industry of its time. Over the course of its 80-year career, it is believed to have brought in over a million dollars in raw whale materials. At 133 feet long and nearly 30 feet wide, the Morgan could carry over 90,000 gallons of whale oil in a single trip. Sperm, right, and bowhead whales were the primary target species, although others were sometimes pursued.

The Charles W. Morgan was a true cultural melting pot for its crew, generally averaging about 30 sailors per voyage. Over the course of its 37 voyages, more than 1,000 crewmen drawn from over 50 countries visited 59 different ports of call under the command of a succession of 20 captains. The Morgan primarily traveled the Indian and South Atlantic oceans on voyages that could last from eight and a half months to nearly five years.

The Charles W. Morgan undergoing restoration in June 2011.
© Mystic Seaport

Notes from the Editor: On July 21, 2013, the Charles W. Morgan will be officially relaunched and then in late spring 2014 the ship will embark upon a historic 38th voyage, its first since the ship was retired in 1921. In honor of these events, Governor Dannel P. Malloy and State Senator Andrew Maynard of Connecticut have declared the academic year 2013-2014 as the “Year of the Charles W. Morgan.”

This 38th voyage will also mark the finale of over five years of a major restoration of the Morgan done to exacting specifications, right down to the species of trees used in the repairs. When completed, not only will the ship have returned to its original appearance but it will also be seaworthy. As this is being written, one of the largest pieces of wood aboard the ship––a 2,000-pound transom timber––is being painstakingly replaced because of mold damage. This work must be done with great care to ensure that the ship doesn’t begin to sag or buckle as the major support is removed.

One of the more interesting sources of replacement wood comes from the Deep South: fallen trees that remained after Hurricane Katrina passed through Mississippi. The Live Oak of Mississippi is ideal for restoration shipbuilding, so rather than allow the precious trees to go to waste, Mississippi graciously donated large amounts of the fallen wood to the project.

The grand 38th voyage will begin in New London, then make its way to Newport, New Bedford, Vineyard Haven on Martha’s Vineyard, up the Cape Cod Canal to Provincetown, and finally to Boston where it will join the USS Constitution. Each stop will be marked by events tailored to the local heritage. Following this voyage, the Charles W. Morgan will return to her normal berth at Chubb’s Wharf in Mystic Seaport in late summer 2014, where she will resume her service as both an exhibit and flagship for the museum.

Quentin Snediker, Director of the Preservation Shipyard, with Live Oak
donated by the state of Mississippi. Photo courtesy of Mystic Seaport.
© Mystic Seaport

Quentin Snediker inspecting the wood.
© Mystic Seaport

Other Recommended Sites: The Charles W. Morgan is one of four National Historic Landmark vessels located at Mystic Seaport. The others are the Emma C. Berry (a sloop smack used for fishing for mackerel that was launched in 1866), the Sabino (an excursion steamer that dates back to 1908), and the L.A. Dunton (a two-masted schooner from 1921).

The village of Mystic is a popular tourist destination not only for Mystic Seaport but also for Mystic Aquarium. Since its opening in 1973, Mystic Aquarium has served the area as both a fun place to visit and as an important oceanography institute and aquatic research center. Take advantage of a Mystic Pass Card for combined admission to both Mystic Seaport and Mystic Aquarium.

1971 U.S. stamp commemorating the first restoration of the Charles W. Morgan.
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Guest author for this entry: Terry Price

Tour America's History Itinerary

Tuesday’s destination: Avery Point Lighthouse

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Charles W. Morgan, Mystic Seaport

No comments:

Post a Comment