Page 6. MAINE COASTAL NEWS July 2014 Whaleship CHARLES W. MORGAN Sets Sail
Historic Whaleship Charles W. Morgan Sails for First Time in Nearly 100 Years National Historic Landmark Vessel Com- pletes Sea Trial for 38th voyage
MYSTIC, CT — The 1841 whaleship CHARLES W. MORGAN sailed for the fi rst time in almost a century on Saturday, June 7, on the fi rst day of sea trials for her 38th Voyage. The ship cast off from City Pier in New London at 9:30 a.m. and proceeded out onto Long Island Sound, where she spent the day conducting sail training drills and maneuvers. She returned to New London at 3:30 p.m.
“The ship exceeded all expectations and performed wonderfully. She is faster than we thought she would be, she turns easier, and she handles really well. We could not be more pleased,” said Capt. Kip Files, the 22nd
master of the MORGAN. “There is no one alive today who has sailed one of these whaleships who can tell us how they perform, so we really learned a lot today. We have a great voyage ahead of us.” The National Historic Landmark vessel has been a static exhibit at Mystic Seaport since 1941 and has not sailed since the early 1920s. Her last whaling voyage, her 37th
,
ended in 1921. The sea trials were preparing her to sail to historic ports in Southern New England on a 38th Voyage. The 38th
Voyage will consist of stops
at Newport, RI, followed Vineyard Haven, New Bedford, and Boston, MA. At Boston she will dock next to the USS CONSTITU- TION. She will also anchor off of Provinc- etown, MA. 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 and call attention to mankind’s changing relationship with the natural world.
* * * * *
NEWPORT, RI — The CHARLES W. MORGAN completed the fi rst leg of her 38th
Voyage when she sailed into Newport.
The Morgan cast off from City Pier in New London, at 9:15 a.m. and was towed up Fisher’s Island Sound and through Watch Hill Passage. Once on Block Island Sound the ship dropped the tow and set all working sail to make her way to Newport. She arrived in the harbor and tied up at Fort Adams at 6 pm 15 June.
“Seeing the ship with her sails set just as they were in the heyday of her whaling career was an incredible sight. It was tru- ly seeing history come alive,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport. Sunday was the fi rst time the Morgan’s Voyagers were on board the ship. The
38th
Voyagers are individuals from around the world who applied to participate in one leg of the Voyage, and then communicate their experience based on their discipline or tal- ent. Voyagers range from poets and scholars, to musicians and artists. There were nine Voyagers on this leg.
Matthew Ecklund, an artist and educa- tor with Call of the Sea, a non-profi t marine education organization based in Sausalito, CA, spent his time on board sketching the crew at work as the basis for a series of quill and ink illustrations to be used in future exhibitions and programs.
“I hope to bring back the lessons that can only be learned by fi rst-hand experience. The 38th
-cen-
Voyage is an exciting and inspiring event for so many people, and I want to be able to take the experience of the 19th
tury sailor and use it to inform what we try to achieve in our education programs in California,” said Ecklund. The 38th Voyager program is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
The MORGAN was open to the public
at Fort Adams from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 17.
* * * * *
VINEYARD HAVEN — The 1841 whale- ship CHARLES W. MORGAN arrived in Vineyard Haven 18 June.
She ship departed Newport, RI, this morning and was towed out of Narragansett
• Expert Repair • Fuel Polishing • Haulout/Storage
• Showers/Laundry
• Brokerage/Rental • DIY Space
CHASE, LEAVITT & CO. The Chart Room
Flags · Books · Chart Kit · Paper Charts ·Navigation Tools Life Service Station
Abandon Ship · Floatation Gear ·Distress Signals · Overboard Rescue Inlatable Boats
Sales: Achilles, Caribe, & Highield Large Supply of Spare Parts Repair Professionals
144 Fore St., Portland (207) 772-6383 218 Bucksport Rd., Ellsworth (207) 667-9390
www.chaseleavitt.com
Getting ready for the season
Superb Service Best Rates
The whaleship CHARLES W. MORGAN under sail for the fi rst time since the early 1920s. Courtesy of Mystic Seaport
Bay and across the mouth of Buzzards Bay into Vine- yard Sound. Once in the Sound, the crew cast off the tow and continued by sail alone to the mouth of the harbor at Vineyard Haven. The entire trip was about 42 nautical miles. The
MORGAN
berthed at Tisbury Wharf in Vineyard Haven. “We are very excited to take the CHARLES W. MORGAN to the Vineyard because the ship has a lot of ties to the island. Many of her crew hailed from this place, and it is great to bring her here so the community can reconnect with their whaling heritage,” said Capt. Kip Files.
The ship was opened to the public from Saturday, June 21 to Tuesday, June 24. Visitors could tour the ship and explore an expan- sive dockside exhibition that includes information
A stern view of CHARLES W. MORGAN under sail. Courtesy of Mystic Seaport
on the history of whaling, demonstrations of maritime skills, and live music and performances. A focal point was Spouter, a 46-foot-long, life-sized infl atable model of a sperm whale. Visitors also could participate in a “What Bubbles Up?” activity by writing down their whale-related memory, question, or sketch and attaching it to a humpback whale sculpture. Visitors even had the
opportunity to try their hand at rowing a whaleboat during select times.
The dockside exhibition is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The Morgan would remain in Vineyard Haven until June 25, when she is scheduled to sail to New Bedford.
Moose Island 853-6058
MARINE
Commercial and Recreational Boat Supplies Boat Storage
INDOOR · OUTDOOR · POWER · SAIL 16 to 45 ft. Haul out to 40 tons
Boat Winterization
INBOARD · OUTBOARD · STERNDRIVE Boat Repair ·Restoration WOOD · FIBERGLASS Boat Repowering Save on winter jobs. Shrink Wrap
Hours: M-F 8:00-5:00 Online store:
www.mooseislandmarine.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32