Charles W. Morgan
Pre-Launch Party
Saturday, July 20, 2013
7 - 10:30 p.m.
Village Green
Dance into the night to the tunes of the Cartells and enjoy an a la carte menu by Coastal Gourmet. This is your chance to celebrate the launch of the Charles W. Morgan with Mystic Seaport staff as we prepare the Morgan for her 38th Voyage in the summer of 2014.
Tickets:
Adult: $20 (member $10)
Youth: (ages 6-17) $5, children under the age of 5 will be admitted for free
Tickets to the pre-launch party must be purchased in advance.
Purchase tickets online
Premier Viewing of the
Charles W. Morgan
Launch aboard Sabino
Sunday, July 21, 2013
1-2:30 p.m.
SOLD OUT!
Climb aboard steamboat Sabino, moored by the shiplift in the Shipyard, to witness the historic occasion when the Charles W. Morgan is launched into the Mystic River. Enjoy complimentary food and drinks and live music to celebrate this exciting event.
Tickets for this event are no longer available.
Members: $100
Non-members: $125
Charles W. Morgan Launch
Sunday, July 21, 2013
2 p.m.
The whaleship Charles W. Morgan, the oldest American commercial vessel still afloat and a National Historic Landmark, has undergone a multi-year, comprehensive restoration in the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport. The project, which began in November 2008, renewed areas of the vessel from the waterline down to her keel and also addressed the bow and stern. On July 21, the 172nd anniversary of the vessel's initial launch, she will be launched again. A ceremonial breaking of a bottle over the Morgan's bow and lowering of the vessel into the Mystic River at 2 p.m. will highlight the day's celebration.
Ric Burns, the award-winning documentary filmmaker, will deliver the keynote address at the launch ceremony. Burns is best known for his acclaimed series New York: A Documentary Film, a sweeping chronicle of the city's history, which garnered several honors, including two Emmy Awards and an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award. His career began with the celebrated series The Civil War, which he produced with his brother, Ken Burns, and co-wrote with Geoffrey C. Ward. In 1989, Ric founded Steeplechase Films and has since written and directed a number of award-winning films for PBS, including Into the Deep: America, Whaling & the World, a film for the American Experience series about the history of the whaling industry. Portions were shot at Mystic Seaport and two of the Museum's whaleboats and several staff members took part in filming scenes in Erie, PA as well.
Special Morgan-related presentations and demonstrations, including talks from the shipwrights who worked on the restoration, will take place throughout the day. Hear live music from the Museum's chanteymen and take part in family-friendly activities. Join us for this historic occasion as we celebrate a national treasure -- it's a once-in-a-lifetime event not to be missed!
The 38th Voyage
In the late spring of 2014, the Morgan will embark on a historic 38th Voyage to historic ports in New England. The journey will begin with several weeks in New London, where she will finalize her fitting out and conduct sail training. This will also include events celebrating the city's whaling heritage. The Morgan will then sail to Newport, New Bedford (where she was built and sailed from for much of her career), Vineyard Haven on Martha's Vineyard, through the Cape Cod Canal on the centennial anniversary of its opening, Provincetown, which she will use as a base for day sails among the whales on Stellwagon Bank, and finally to Boston to join the USS Constitution.
Each port stop will have a series of public events and programs focusing on that particular city's heritage. When she returns to Mystic Seaport in August 2014, the Morgan will return to her berth at Chubb's Wharf and resume her role as an exhibit and flagship of the Museum.