The Charles W. Morgan has returned to the Mystic Seaport Museum from her 38th voyage. Her previous voyages, between 1841 and 1921, took her around the globe hunting whales, whereas the 38th voyage took the wooden whaling ship to ports in New England, including New Bedford, where the ship was built at the Jethro and Zachariah Hillman shipyard. The historic ship underwent a five year rebuild and restoration at Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard in Mystic prior to setting sail again. Crowds gathered to see her at every port, and fittingly, whales swam alongside the Morgan as she sailed off Cape Cod’s Stellwagen Bank.
A short video about the historic ship’s return to Mystic. No doubt she will continue to fascinate, inspire and teach visitors to the seaport as she has for more than seventy years since she first arrived in Mystic.
Was it fitting or ironic that whales swam alongside the Morgan?