Thursday October 1, 2009

 

 

Mystic Seaport

Mystic, Connecticut

Friday, September 18

Final Report

 

  Restoring the Charles W. Morgan ~ The Last Wooden Whaleship

 

 Seeing this process was interesting to Cerwin, as he is currently involved in construction.  This room contained a lathe that can handle a ninety-five-foot-long tree.

 

 

 We were told that there are men who are skilled in looking through a forest for perfect trees for this process.  This looks like it may be used for making heels for the ship.

 

 

 

 

After learning about the restoration process, we walked over toward the Morgan. 

 

Notice the height of the ship as opposed to the people on the ground.  When we were at the top, we were looking down on two-story houses.

 

  

The steps (left) that workers and visitors use to enter the ship.

 

  

 This is an Internet photo of what the Charles W. Morgan looked like when it was at sea.  Her longest voyage was four years and eleven months, while her shortest was only eight and a half months.

 

 

 

 

 Top deck

 

 

 Down to the second deck.  This appears to be where the captain lived.

 

 

The Morgan made thirty-seven whaling voyages under the command of twenty different captains.  Five captains’ wives sailed with their husbands on the Morgan. The captain was the only one permitted to bring his wife and family members aboard the vessel.

 

 

 

The Morgan held a crew of thirty-five.

 

 

 This is one of the Morgan’s heels.

  

 

 The Morgan’s cargo capacity was around 3,000 barrels (each barrel held 31.5 gallons). Therefore, the Morgan could potentially bring home over 90,000 gallons of oil.

 

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There was also a bottom deck.  However, we were not permitted to go down there.

 

 

Back on the top deck – huge kettles where blubber was cooked.

Before petroleum oil was discovered in 1859, whale oil was a primary agent for lubrication and illumination.

 

 

 Cerwin was fascinated by the construction of the bow.

 

 

 Notice the heavy layers of lumber.

 

 We learned how sea worms and critters destroy wooden ships.

 

 

 

 

 

Thus ended our interesting tour of the Morgan.

 

 

 I was fascinated by all the ropes and riggings of the sailing ships at Mystic.  It looked complicated to me.  How do the ropes not get tangled? 

 

 

 I treasure the memories of the warm day we spent at Mystic Seaport.

 

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Tomorrow night – Visiting Chaplain George and Nancy Freeman – Lead Chaplain at Flynn’s Travel Plaza, Shrewsbury, Massachusetts.