Premier Maritime Scholars Aid in the Morgan Restoration Project

Fourteen of the nation’s leading maritime scholars, historians, and advisors visited Mystic Seaport January 12-13, 2012 to assist in development of exhibit and programming for the Charles W. Morgan and her groundbreaking 38^th Voyage. Set for the summer of 2014, the much-anticipated voyage of the last wooden whaleship in the world will include visits at historic ports of call along the northeastern seaboard.

Mystic Seaport Shipyard Director Quentin Snediker (in yellow) discusses the Morgan project with scholars.

The two-day charrette was made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Bridging Cultures Grant and was awarded to the Museum for its “In the Wake of the Whalers” program. Feedback from NEH reviewers has been quite positive for the program and its four key humanities themes: 1) The Cultural Crossroads of Globalization (cultural crosspollination), 2) Profit from the Deep (economic endeavors), 3) The American Sailor: Making an Icon (American identity), and 4) Thar She Blows: From Whale Hunt to Whale Watch (changing perceptions of the natural world).

Snediker and scholars visit the Morgan's hold.

Visiting scholars worked with Museum staff in the development of the program’s sub-themes, confirming that they are consistent with the best recent scholarship in the fields of maritime history, literature, art, and history of science.  Mystic Seaport plans to match each subtheme to the best delivery system to maximize audience impact and understanding. Ultimately, the Museum will ensure that intellectual and research-grounded content is consistently strong across all formats and outcomes. Charrette results will move the Museum forward towards implementation of its final onsite, online, and onboard programming concepts.

Consulting scholars, historians, and advisors included:

• Jeff Bolster, Associate Professor of History at the University of New Hampshire
• D. Graham Burnett, Professor, History Department and Program in History of Science at Princeton University
• Stuart Frank, Director Emeritus of the Kendall Institute and Senior Curator at New Bedford Whaling Museum
• Lisa Norling, Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Minnesota
• Joe Roman, Conservation Biologist
• Helen Rozwadowski, Associate Professor of History and Maritime Studies Coordinator at the University of Connecticut
• Tim Runyan, Special Project Assistant in the Maritime Heritage Program for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration
• Elizabeth Schultz, Professor Emerita in the Department of English at the University of Kansas
• Nancy Shoemaker, Professor of History at the University of Connecticut
• Julie Winch, Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts, Boston
• Revell Carr, Assistant Professor at the School of Music, Theater and Dance at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• Karen Jamison Wizevich, Ph.D. in Architecture/Museum Studies from Victoria University, New Zealand
• Jamie L. Jones; Professor of American Literature and Writing at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
• Jason Mancini, Senior Researcher at Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center.

For more information regarding the Morgan’s restoration, or to find out how you can help support the project, please visit www.mysticseaport.org/charleswmorgan.

With Special Thanks to Ric Burns, Steeplechase Films Inc., WGBH and Connecticut College

There was no red carpet. Those of us arriving at Connecticut College‘s Palmer Auditorium on May 1st weren’t dressed in glittery finery or tuxedos. But the mood of anticipation and excitement was comparable to any Hollywood premiere, knowing we were about to view a film the general public won’t see until May 10^th. That’s when Ric Burns‘ documentary, Into the Deep: America, Whaling & the World is scheduled to air on PBS. 

The film is an awesome account of the era during which Mystic Seaport‘s Charles W. Morgan, now the last surviving wooden whaleship in the world, played an integral part. But aside from this wonderful historic and graphic film, I had a feeling of pride knowing the significant role Mystic Seaport staff played in the shooting of this film. Some appeared on camera, but many, many others participated in behind-the-scenes efforts to ensure the film’s authenticity regarding the rigors of life aboard a whaling ship. The amazing expertise of Mystic Seaport sailors was a major factor in exciting, live scenes shot aboard a variety of ships utilized by the filmmaker. 

"Into the Deep" being filmed aboard the Charles W. Morgan at Mystic Seaport, September 2007

I wonder how many in the audience, like me, came away with a new respect for what Mystic Seaport is dedicated to doing….restoring the Charles W. Morgan to make her seaworthy once again in 2013. Any naysayers regarding that goal need to see this film. 

Filming "Into the Deep" aboard the Charles W. Morgan at Mystic Seaport, Sept. 2007

 The handout at Palmer Auditorium said: Be a Part of History: Help The Charles W. Morgan Sail Again. Each of us who gives any amount toward her restoration could, and really should, feel that way – a part of history. 

What’s in your piggy bank? A little history in the making maybe? Think about it. (Donations gratefully accepted online or directly to Mystic Seaport, 75 Greenmanville Ave. Mystic, CT 06355). 

Now don’t forget. Tune in American Experience on PBS – Monday, May 10, at 9 p.m. to watch Into the Deep. It’s a fascinating epic story covering three centuries of American whaling. 

Blog written by Trudi Busey.

When a Quilt is More Than a Blanket

“The freedom schooner Amistad visits Cuba.” That was an attention-getting headline in itself last week. Reading newspaper reports of the warm welcome and hundreds of school children clamoring aboard the Amistad gave me goose bumps. Some of those who came aboard were likely hearing about the history rooted in their own family tree.

The accounts of visitors’ interest and excitement has inspired me to do two things myself. I absolutely  must put the movie Amistad in my Netflix queue! After all, Mystic Seaport’s waterfront served as a location for four days of shooting during the movie’s production.

The second thing I want to do is take a closer look at the quilts on the bunks of the Amistad the next chance I have to board the freedom schooner.

Professor Mary Staley, an art department faculty member of Montgomery College in Maryland, spent a portion of her sabbatical at Mystic Seaport, helping build the re-created Amistad.  The experience motivated her to initiate the Amistad Friendship Quilt Project in 1999. More than 1,000 quilt blocks were created and contributed by individuals from around the country and around the world. The blocks were sewn into a total of 48 individual quilts, which were then donated to the Amistad. [See an example of one quilt made by Polly Poulin.]

Many of the images and symbols portrayed in the quilt blocks are taken from the historical events surrounding the takeover of the Amistad by the 53 West Africans who were being transported to Cuba to become part of slave trade there.

It’s often said a picture is worth a thousand words, but I venture to say these quilts must say a lot, too.   

For more information about Amistad, please visit www.amistadamerica.org.

Blog written by Trudi Busey

Mystic Seaport Staffer Gives an Update from Cuba

In Cuba for Amistad‘s celebration, Mystic Seaport Shipyard Director Quentin Snediker provided this update via email yesterday:

We’ve been in Cuba for a week.  Saturday through Monday in Havana, then to Matanzas to greet the vessel.  Arrival in Matanzas was what we have come to refer to as our “soft landing,” that is, our arriving near or outside our final destination a day or two early in order to prepare the ship for a highly visible celebratory arrival.  Here in Cuba, that was important for all our usual reasons, but it was also an opportunity to visit this historical port. Matanzas is an industrial city, once referred to as the Athens of Cuba.  It is just now recovering from the economic devastation caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba’s principal trading partner.  It has been said, with the loss of Soviet trade, the Cuban economy declined 34% in the first year.  Matanzas is also important historically because it was one of the leading ports for the importation of slaves.  The Dewolf family of Rhode Island held one of the leading companies in that trade.  We have as a partner in this expedition a descendant of this family, Katrina Browne, who recently produced a moving documentary called Traces of the Trade which broadcasted on PBS last June.  In Matanzas there is a fort built in 1693 which is now dedicated as a museum to the tragedies of slavery.  It is recognized by the UN as part of the Slave Route Project. Visit www.unesco.org for more information.

The people of Matanzas welcomed the vessel with unbelievable hospitality.  Each night we enjoyed a different cultural program, however, the first night remains a highpoint of our visit.  In a small restored 18^th-century church overlooking the city a folkloric troop of musicians and dancers performed traditional drumming and dance, highlighting the African influence on Cuban culture.  By the time it was over all of us were dancing together.  The next night, we joined a convention of journalists for a more formal concert featuring modern dance, a violin quartet, modern classical singing, and, of course, more African-influenced drumming and dance.  The caliber of these performances was as professional as any I’ve ever seen and they were all native to the city of under 200,000 people.  This dramatically illustrates the commitment to cultural ideas held by the Cuban people.  Our last night in Matanzas featured a reception at the Slavery Museum and included a tour of the museum, dance and music, and a wonderful buffet. 
 
On Thursday, March 25, the 10^th anniversary of Amistad‘s launch, we departed Matanzas at 04:00 a.m. to arrive at the pilot station off Havana by 13:00 p.m.  For me this was one of the most fulfilling days of my life.  I mentioned earlier that it has always been part of our dream for Amistad to visit Cuba because of its historic connections.  My personal interest in Cuba started much earlier.  As a child, during the peak of international tensions between our nations, I became intrigued by this small island nation’s influence on international affairs.  My interest was further peaked by a photo in one of my favorite picture books of ships.  Robert Carse, in his book on American sail, includes a rare photo of a US flag Baltimore-style schooner sailing past El Morro, the fortress at the entrance to Havana Harbor.  At the time, in the mid 1960s, I never imagined I would one day be on the deck of a vessel recreating that historic image.  [Photo credit the Peabody Museum of Salem, MA.]  I don’t mind admitting to all that at that moment I was moved to tears.  The fulfillment of so many aspects of my life came together in that one short half mile reach.  My love of history, of ships, specifically American schooners, coupled with my personal political beliefs filled me with awe, pleasure and not a small degree of pride in what we have contributed to the world in our time.
 
Dealing with the logistical needs of ship and crew, laundry, hot showers, provisions, crew participation at events, while maintaining public visits and programs aboard is difficult under normal conditions in an American port.  Here, these issues are exacerbated by language, rigid routine, security and protocol.  Maureen [Maureen Hennessey, fellow Mystic Seaport staff member in Cuba] has literally spent the last two days, Friday and Saturday, March 26 – 27, doing nothing but juggling all of these challenges; yet she is still loving the experience.

~

For more information on Amistad, as well as a schedule of the vessel’s 2010 port visits, please visit www.amistadamerica.org.

A Glimpse Inside Amistad’s Cuban Celebration

Currently taking part in Amistad‘s 10th-anniversary festivities, Mystic Seaport staff member Maureen Hennessey shares her reflections from Cuba…

Wow, so much to say about this amazing experience, and hard to capture it all in this quick email, but I’ll pick up where Quentin left off on Sunday night.
 
We stayed at the Hotel Nacional in Havana through Sunday night and left on Monday morning for Matanzas in a very nice and comfortable 24-seat bus.  Traveling were Quentin, Maureen, Cap’t Bill Pinkney, Wayne Bartow, two great journalists from The New London Day, Ted Mann (reporter) and Sean Elliot (photographer), as well as Traces of the Trade filmmaker and Dewolf family member, Katrina Browne, and Sylvia Wilhelm (our expert Cuban coordinator) and Jorge (our expert Cuban guide).   Our two-hour drive to Matanzas took us along some beautiful shoreline with blue/green waters, where it is a rarity to actually see any boats (boat ownership and fishing are heavily regulated here).  We also saw some really large housing projects (250,000 people) who commute many miles each day to get to Havana.   The landscape changed along our route and there were some beautiful vistas of mountains and waterways.  We arrived in Matanzas and dropped our luggage at the hotel before heading over to the Port to greet Amistad when she arrived shortly thereafter.  You’ve probably seen/heard about the arrival celebration (it was well covered by the press).  Needless to say, it was a very special occasion for us all.  Onboard the ship were 19 persons, including Captain Sean Bercaw, 12 crew, and an instructor and five students from UMASS.  They all deserve high praise for this great accomplishment of sailing Amistad into Cuba.
 
Monday night many of us were treated to a traditional performance of the folkloric group Ojundegara in the La Hermita de Monserrate in Matanzas.  As some of the crew need to stay onboard the vessel at all times, they are rotated around for the various activities (including grabbing a shower at our hotel).  The bus and guide have come in handy and there is a lot of coordinating, checking lists, and back and forth through customs at the port every time we come or go.   
 
Tuesday was a spectacular day and one we will all remember.  The weather was beautiful, the programs with students began onboard, there were some intimate interviews with descendents of slaves (including one from the Amistad), a field trip to a coffee plantation (where we saw some authentic shackles, equipment, and buildings from slave days, and, of course, had some Cuban Coffee).  The only disappointment on this day was that Capt. Bill was completely out of commission – truly - he did not even leave his hotel room on Tuesday.  Something he ate or drank, we’ll never know.  Tuesday night was one of the most enjoyable evenings of my life.  Our group was treated to a variety of world-class performances at the local Theater.  It included a variety of music and dance, from violins to salsa.  Following that we were honored with a reception at a local museum (beginning at 10 p.m.), where there was food and more music, but this time we were the entertainment.  We danced until midnight and it was electrifying.
 
The people of Matanzas could not be more friendly or welcoming.  They have shown us great hospitality and shared their love of their culture.  As Quentin conveyed to me this morning, “It’s easy to see why Hemingway and others fell in love with the Cuban people.”
 
It’s now Wednesday morning and I’m getting this quick email out before we continue with today’s activities and join the ship later today as we prepare to sail out at 4 a.m. tomorrow morning for the trip to Havana.
 
Stay tuned for more …
 
Adios mi amigos, Maureen

An Update from Amistad’s Stop in Cuba

Mystic Seaport Shipyard Director Quentin Snediker and Museum staff member Maureen Hennessey are currently in Cuba for Amistad’s celebration. Here are a few thoughts emailed to Mystic Seaport from Quentin, sharing the experience:

Any port visit, especially an international one, demands tremendous advance negotiation and logistical planning.  Nowhere has this been more true than with Amistad’s visit to Cuba.  Saturday evening, March 20, was spent meeting with Havana Travel, an official tourist agency of the government of Cuba, planning multi-faceted programs to be part of this visit.  During the later part of this meeting, Fernando Rojas, Vice Minister of Culture, paid a visit to greet us and finalize plans, along with Miguel Barnet, President of the Artists and Writers Union, and a recognized Amistad historian.  Saturday night, we were treated to an outstanding cultural program of music and dance at a beautiful theater built in 1930 in downtown Havana.  The program clearly demonstrated the influence of Africa on modern Cuba culture.

Quentin Snediker looks on as AMISTAD is hauled out in the Museum's Shipyard in April 2009

On Sunday, March 21, we began the day with a Press Conference held at the National Fine Arts Museum.  It was well attended by both domestic Cuban and International press, including CNN, NBC, CBS, BBC, among others.  The conference consisted of Captain Pinkney, myself and Miguel Barnet.  Following the press conference, we enjoyed a wonderful tour of the National Museum of Cuban Art.  Lead by the Director, we saw the evolution of Cuban art from Colonial times through modern works.  The collection shows the influence of European traditions through the development of a uniquely Cuban style in the late 19th century.  In front of the art museum is the National Museum of the Revolution, where Grama is on display.  Grama is a yacht that was used by Fidel Castro and 80 freedom fighters which initiated the Cuba revolution.

The rest of the day was spent touring Old Havana and enjoying authentic Cuban cuisine (and cafe’ Cubana, of course).

Sunday evening, Wayne Bartow arrived in time to join us for dinner at a private house restaurant with some Cuban friends.

Our Floating Ambassador, the AMISTAD, Celebrates her 10th Anniversary

In case you didn’t know it, the United Nations has designated March 25^th as the global Day of Remembrance for the victims of the Atlantic slave trade. But at Mystic Seaport, March 25^th is circled in red and remembered fondly as the day the freedom schooner Amistad was launched from the Museum’s Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard.

The AMISTAD being built in 1998

The AMISTAD almost complete in 2000

Getting ready to launch the AMISTAD in 2000

The excitement of that day is still palpable when you talk to anyone connected with the launch on March 25, 2000. The Amistad was two years in the building, and on launch day, those who had only watched her progress were as pumped up as the shipwrights whose hard work and talents recreated this living, breathing history lesson, a replica of the original vessel.

The AMISTAD at Mystic Seaport

Since that special day, thousands of visitors have walked her decks and learned of the Amistad’s role in the struggle for human rights. She has visited 70 domestic and international ports, including a most meaningful stop at Sierra Leone, West Africa, home of the original Amistad captives.

Although Amistad America, Inc. is now the schooner’s official owner, Mystic Seaport, the vessel’s birthplace,  can’t help but feel a ‘parental’ link to the ship. Consequently, the Museum is proud that the Amistad will add yet another poignant chapter to her ship’s log. As her most recent Caribbean Heritage Tour winds down, the Amistad sails into Cuban waters on March 22^nd  with scheduled port visits to Matanzas and Havanna.

Mystic Seaport has a unique connection to this particular tour since the original Amistad was built in Cuba. In 1839, she sailed from Havanna, the center of the illegal slave trade. Flying the American flag along with the Cuban flag, the Amistad’s arrival in Cuba makes a statement that she is truly a floating ambassador; Cuba has not readily welcomed American ships to its ports for some time. 

The AMISTAD at sea

Mystic Seaport takes great pride in the Museum’s contribution to history. The building and launch of the Amistad  in the year 2000 was just the beginning of her mission to ensure the slave rebellion of 1841, which ultimately led to the U.S Supreme Court ruling to free the African captives, is a lesson to be learned and not forgotten.

Blog written by Trudi Busey

Prepare to Come About — It’s All About Sailing

Just a typical day of sailing camp at Mystic Seaport.

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and texting are words most likely part of  the vocabulary of any pre-teen, teen or computer-literate adult these days.  But how about these words: Dyer Dhow, main sheet, halyard, jibe, tack, fore, aft, starboard, port, head?

If those examples of a sailor’s vernacular aren’t familiar to you, a simple phone call or email could change all that. Enrolling in one of Mystic Seaport’s sailing programs not only expands your vocabulary, it opens up a wonderful opportunity to learn to sail and enjoy an unequaled experience out on the water.

Never sailed before? Doesn’t matter!  Don’t own a sailboat? Doesn’t matter! You are grandparent vintage? Doesn’t matter! Only 8 years old? Doesn’t matter! Certified instructors are experienced in teaching all age groups through personal, hands-on instruction. There’s a class designed for every age and every skill level.

Fun and unique among Mystic Seaport offerings is Family Community Sailing. Children ages 8 and older, along with their parents and/or grandparents, learn the basics of sailing together in beginner classes. Intermediate classes are designed for adults who have their sea legs but want to improve their boat handling skills sailing the JY15s. The 3-hour classes run Monday-Friday beginning in late June.

The homeschool community gets off to an even earlier start in mid-April with a Friday class for homeschooled students.

Wait. Don’t log off yet! I’ve saved one of Mystic Seaport’s coolest sailing programs for last. It’s the Overnight Summer Sailing Camp aboard the Joseph Conrad.  For 50 years, the six-day camp has been teaching skills of the sea to boys and girls ages 10 to 15 years old.  Sleeping on a tall ship each night, the comradeship that develops amongst the campers, the self-confidence climbing the Conrad’s rigging can bring – it’s a super package of learning by doing wrapped in fun. For many “graduates,” the camp was such a fantastic social and learning experience that they return to perfect skills, reunite with camp friends or even return as adults to become camp instructors.

I strongly recommend you watch the videos on Community Sailing and the Conrad Camp that are mentioned on the web pages describing the various sailing programs. All the information about dates, times, costs and registration methods are listed there as well. Here’s a tip, act ASAP so you or your child aren’t disappointed due to an already filled to capacity class. It may seem early, but you know the saying – the early bird gets the worm!

Learn more about Community Sailing programs here – including the video you can watch.

Learn more about sailing camp aboard the Joseph Conrad — including a video — here.

Post written by Trudi Busey.

There’s A New Lady in Our Village

You can’t miss her. She’s a lady with quite a past and she is making Mystic Seaport her home until Memorial Day 2010. Her name is Amazon, appropriate considering she is 124-years-young, strong and still turning heads wherever she goes!

You guessed it; Amazon is the 102-ft. LOA screw schooner docked opposite Sabino here at the Museum, her British flag hoisted daily making her presence known to visitors and staff. Amazon has come a long way – from Malta via Gibraltar, the Canary Islands, the Cape Verde Islands, Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Bermuda and Rhode Island ports. Quite a trip for an old gal!

If this lady could talk, she would give a riveting account of her many owners, where she has been and what she has done.

Amazon was built at Southampton, England, in 1885 from designs by the renowned Dixon Kemp. Her builder and first owner was Tankerville Chamberlayne, Esq., owner of a small non-commercial boat yard in Northam on the River Itchen. He personally supervised construction of Amazon, using high quality materials that have ensured her longevity to this day.  Amazon was used for summer cruising, attending sailing regattas along the south coast of England until she was sold in 1897 to a Frenchman; she returned to British ownership in 1900, where she has remained.

She was too old-fashioned for the First World War and just plain too old for the Second World War and so lost her bronze propeller and shaft to the war effort, becoming a houseboat in a west London yacht basin until British actor, Arthur Lowe, bought her in 1968.  Bought as a houseboat, the surveyor’s report on this 83-year-old was so favorable that it was decided to make her seaworthy again and Amazon was used as a floating base while touring coastal theaters. After Lowe’s death in 1982, his son used Amazon as a charter boat until she was put up for sale at the start of 1990, having migrated to northern Scotland that year.

After lying for sale in Scotland for seven years, Amazon was looking sad. The broker described her as difficult to sell because she was something of a “dinosaur” with four factors deterring potential buyers: Amazon was old, wooden, long (and therefore expensive to keep in a marina) and single screw!

None of these factors were deterrents to Ted and Melody, who could see beyond the cosmetics and the ill-informed ‘received opinion.’  Amazon was certainly no has-been. After all, the yacht was unrestored, substantially the original hull and fundamentally sound.  As if to prove this in April 1997, Amazon sailed from Scotland to a new home in Malta (the furthest she had then been) without difficulty to undergo some repairs and to blossom into the family’s cruising boat and continuing obsession.

This family is very familiar and comfortable with living afloat; son George is an intelligent and engaging 12-year-old and has taken a year off from school to travel here with his father. George’s mother and 10-year-old sister, who are in Malta, will be coming to Mystic Seaport to spend the Christmas holiday. Melody’s career in Malta is financing this voyage.

When asked about how George and he will adapt to our New England winter weather, Ted professes they will enjoy the cold and crisp air. Perhaps we’ll check back with them in February!

Although the Museum’s visitors cannot board Amazon, Ted and George are happy to share their knowledge of her history in friendly conversation with those who stop by to have a look.  Believe me, it’s a treat talking to Ted and George.

Blog written by volunteer, Trudi Busey.

How About a New Tradition?

What’s your Thanksgiving holiday tradition?  Do you watch the Macy’s parade on TV?  Do you bundle up to watch a local football game? Or, if you’re in charge of preparing the Thanksgiving feast, do you even have time to relax at all?

Well!  Here’s a new tradition for you to consider.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast; take your seat in the bleachers at a football game or sit in your easy chair at home and flip the TV channel to the Macy parade. Then, sometime between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., meander over to Mystic Seaport country and celebrate the season’s bounty at the Seamen’s Inne Thanksgiving Grand Buffet. Just think how nice it would be to simply enjoy the food without worrying if the turkey is tender, the mashed potatoes lumpy or the gravy too thick or too thin!

Then, right next door is Mystic Seaport, Yes, even on Thanksgiving Day the Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and….admission is half-price!  True, not all the exhibits will be open, but you can either work up your appetite or walk off the calories you just ate by climbing the staircase up to the Charles W. Morgan whaling ship deck. If that’s too strenuous, than board the L.A. Dunton.  Visit the Buckingham-Hall House and imagine cooking a Thanksgiving feast in that kitchen!  Then, visit the Voyages exhibit where it’s easy to spend a good chunk of time, either before or after your dinner.

Mystic Seaport this time of year has a tranquil charm. The village streets are quiet and the allure of the sea is ever present. It’s a special place for all seasons.

So how about it? Ready to start a new tradition? Then make your reservations for the Thanksgiving Day Grand Buffet at Seamen’s Inne (860.572.5303) and pop over to Mystic Seaport to  enjoy the view along the Mystic River and visit the open exhibits. Don’t forget to tell the exhibit interpreters  you’re thankful for them working on this day of thanks!

We wish you all a happy Thanksgiving!

Blog posted by Trudi Busey.