Inside Mystic Seaport

November 2008
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Mon, 17 November 2008

Ahoy, matey. Even the most confirmed landlubbers will be transformed into savvy sea dogs after boarding one of Mystic Seaport's many historic vessels. From the world's last wooden whaleship, the Charles W. Morgan, to the last example of early 20th-century New England fishing vessels, the L.A. Dunton, these vessels offer a glimpse of long-past seafaring days.

And you can do a lot more than just look. Take a cruise along the historic Mystic River aboard the 1908 steamboat Sabino, who is celebrating her 100th birthday this year. Help set a sail aboard the full-rigged Joseph Conrad. Or, participate in our ever-popular "Dead Horse Ceremony."

Direct download: Flagships.m4v
Category: Museum -- posted at: 4:15 PM

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Fri, 14 November 2008

Inside Mystic Seaport - Sentinels of the Sea

Step inside Mystic Seaport's replica of Nantucket's Brant Point Light and discover Sentinels of the Sea, an exciting new multimedia exhibition recounting the history and diversity of lighthouses from around the country. Surrounded by a panorama of five LCD screens, watch as two short films celebrate these iconic structures with stunning footage and moving images.

From the Revolutionary War era to the advent of GPS, American lighthouses were imperative to the safety and survival of an untold number of ships and sailors at sea. Hear as first-hand accounts from keepers and their families relay some of these stories of survival, as well as the difficult and sometimes perilous duties of a lighthouse keeper.

Mystic Seaport is now a proud participant of the United States Lighthouse Society's Passport Program. Make sure to purchase your passport in the Museum Store, receive a one-of-a-kind stamp at the Visitors' Reception Center and get started on your lighthouse quest today!

Located on the southwest point of the Museum grounds (#56 on Map), this replica of the Brant Point Lighthouse on Nantucket was built in 1966. When the first Brant Point Light was built in 1746, it was the second operative lighthouse in New England (the first being Boston Light dating from 1716). The wooden tower, built in 1900 and on which Mystic Seaport's replica was modeled after, is the lowest lighthouse in New England with its light only 26 feet above sea level.

Like the original on Nantucket, which has a 1,300 candlepower electric light and is visible for ten miles, the Brant Point Lighthouse replica contains a fourth-order Fresnel lens. Developed in France during the 1830s, the Fresnel lens, which efficiently focuses light to create that strong beam of light that characterizes lighthouses of today, was one of the most significant developments in lighthouse technology.

The lighthouse has been a significant device for identifying harbors and warning sailors of dangers since ancient Egyptian times and have gone through a long evolutionary process, beginning with burning piles of wood, then using whale oil lamps for illumination, and culminating in the present automated, electronic lighthouses.

Lighthouses were tended to by vessels such as Gerda III, a Danish lighthouse tender berthed here at Mystic Seaport. Gerda not only carried the basic lighthouse supplies, but also some very special cargo.

Direct download: Sentinels_of_the_Sea.m4v
Category: Inside Mystic Seaport -- posted at: 2:24 PM

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Wed, 12 November 2008

Charles W. Morgan, The Voyage Begins

The Charles W. Morgan is towed to the Henry B. DuPont Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport to begin a three-year restoration effort.

The Morgan's $5 million restoration project will renew areas of the vessel from the waterline down to below the turn of her bilge, including parts that haven't been seen since she was built more than 160 years ago.

A National Historic Landmark and the Museum's signature vessel, the Morgan was built in 1841 in New Bedford, MA. During her 80-year whaling career, she made 37 voyages across the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. In 1941, the Morgan came to Mystic Seaport where millions of visitors have since walked her decks.

Video edited by: Brandon Morgan

Direct download: Charles_W_Morgan_The_Voyage_Begins.m4v
Category: Museum -- posted at: 3:44 PM

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