About the Charles W. Morgan
The Charles W. Morgan is the last surviving wooden whaling ship from the great days of sail. Built in 1841 in New Bedford, MA, the Morgan had a successful 80-year whaling career. She made 37 voyages before retiring in 1921, and was preserved as an exhibit through the efforts of a number of dedicated citizens. After being on display in South Dartmouth, MA, until 1941, she came to Mystic Seaport, where each year thousands of visitors walk her decks and hear the fascinating story of her career as a whaling vessel, historic exhibit, film and media star, and a porthole into America's rich history. Take your own journey into the history of this remarkable survivor.
A porthole into America's rich history.
As both a working vessel and historic icon, the Charles W. Morgan is a reflection of America in more ways than we can imagine. During her career as a whaling ship, the Morgan provided
- Lubricating oil for industry machines;
- Illuminating oil for lighthouses, lamps and street lights;
- Whalebone, the flexible plastic of her time;
- Employment and investment opportunities for hundreds of people;
- An economic boost for her home ports; and
- Crew members from around the world who became U.S. citizens.
At the end of her whaling career, the Charles W. Morgan took her place as a National Historic Landmark, educational resource, film and media star and a porthole into America’s diverse past.
The Basics
1. Why is the Morgan important?
2. Where was the Morgan built?
3. How old is the Morgan?
4. How long did it take to build the Morgan?
5. How much did it cost to build her?
6. Who was Charles W. Morgan?
Ship Statistics
7. How big is the ship?
8. How long were her voyages?
9. How many people were in the Morgan’s crew?
10. Where was her home?
11. How many trips did the Morgan make?
12. How much money did she make?
13. Were there women aboard?
Whaling
14. Why did they hunt for whales?
15. What kind of whales did they hunt for?
16. How did they catch the whales?
17. How did they process the whales?
18. How much whale oil could the Morgan hold?
19. Was whaling dangerous?
1. Why is the Morgan important?
The Charles W. Morgan is the only remaining American wooden whaleship.
2. Where was the Morgan built?
The ship was built at the Hillman shipyard in New Bedford, Mass.
3. How old is the Morgan?
The Morgan was launched on July 21, 1841. She is 163 years old.
4. How long did it take to build the Morgan?
The Morgan was built over a nine month period.
5. How much did it cost to build her?
The ship itself cost $26,877, with another $25,977 to outfit her with all necessary equipment and supplies for her first voyage.
6. Who was Charles W. Morgan?
Charles Waln Morgan was one of six children born to Quaker parents in Philadelphia. He was born on September 14, 1796. He relocated to New Bedford, Mass., in 1819 where he married Sarah Rodman and began investing in whaling vessels. Morgan managed 15 vessels and owned shares in 18 others during his career. With his whaling profits, he invested in many other business enterprises. Morgan left the Quaker faith to become a Unitarian and was recognized as an abolitionist and a supporter of the temperance movement. While he was away on business in 1841, Morgan’s nephew took the liberty of naming the new whaling ship after his uncle. Morgan died on April 7, 1861.
7. How big is the ship?
The Morgan is comparable to many whaling ships of the time: 105' on deck, 133' overall. Her beam (width) is 27.7' and her draft (depth) is 12.6 feet, although fully loaded she could draw as much as 17.6', her registered depth. Her displacement (weight) is 313.75 tons.
8. How long were the voyages?
Her longest voyage was four years and 11 months, while her shortest was "only" eight and a half months.
9. How many in the crew?
The Morgan's full crew complement was around 35 men.
10. Where was her home?
The Morgan sailed from New Bedford, MA, from 1841 to 1886. Then, as the whaling industry waned, she relocated to San Francisco from 1887 until 1906, off-loading her whale oil and shipping it back east by rail. The Morgan returned to New Bedford between 1906 and 1921, when she “retired” from whaling.
11. How many trips did she make?
The Morgan made 37 whaling voyages under the command of 20 different captains while visiting 59 ports of call around the world.
12. How much money did the Morgan make?
The Morgan’s career was a profitable one. During her 80-year career, oil prices varied widely; but by the time she stopped whaling, the Morgan had earned a total of more than one million dollars. Her best voyage brought in $165,405, and her least, $8,977.
13. Were there women aboard?
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.
14. Why did they hunt for whales?
Before petroleum oil was discovered in 1859, whale oil was a primary agent for lubrication and illumination. Even after the discovery of petroleum, whale oil was still used for many applications. In addition, other important products, including baleen (a plastic-like material), spermaceti (a waxy substance used to make candles) and ambergris were harvested from various species of whale.
15. Which kinds of whale did they hunt for?
Vessels like the Morgan primarily hunted three species of whale: sperm, right and bowhead. These species were easy to catch (relative to other species), yielded the most desirable products and reliably remained afloat when they were killed. Occasionally other species, including the California gray whale, were also pursued.
16. How did they catch the whales?
When whales were spotted from the lookout hoops of the ship, the officer-in-charge determined how many boats to send in pursuit. For most of her career, the Morgan carried five whaleboats. Six crew members manned each boat, which was then rowed, sailed or paddled (depending on conditions) to the whale(s). A harpoon, with a long line attached, was thrust into the whale, securing the boat to the whale. Frequently, the whale would swim away until it grew weary from pulling the boat over the sea. When the whale stopped to rest, the crew would bring the boat close to the whale and kill it with a long lance or heavy firearm.
17. How would they process the whale?
Once along side the ship, the dead whale would be secured and the insulating layer of blubber just below the skin would be removed, cut into manageable pieces and melted into oil in the kettles of the try-works on board. The oil would then be stored in casks and barrels below deck. The head of the whale was removed and various products (including baleen and spermaceti) were harvested and stored.
18. How much whale oil could the Morgan hold?
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.
19. Was whaling dangerous?
At times, whaling was very dangerous. Numerous accidents occurred while working aloft in the rigging, processing the whales or during rough seas. The hunt and chase involved close encounters with a very large and potentially aggressive creature. Whaleboats were sometimes tipped over or smashed by whales, and men were injured or killed as a result.
However, compared with other seafaring trades, whaling was not terribly dangerous. Men working in the commercial fishing trade were far more likely to be injured or killed than whalemen.