Enjoy photos from the L.A. Dunton Haul-out!
Did you know?
The L.A. Dunton is a National Historic Landmark - one of four permanently moored at Mystic Seaport.
The Story of Mug-Up
Mystic Seaport coffees are inspired by the tradition of "mug-up" - a nickname for the fisherman's coffee break. Take a break of your own, visit Mystic Seaport, and go below deck of the 123-foot L.A. Dunton, a 1920s fishing schooner, where mug-up is still tradition today. <Buy the Mug>
L.A. Dunton - Fishing Schooner
This Gloucester fisherman, 123 feet, 3 inches over all, is one of the few remaining vessels of her type in the country. Sailing schooners were forced from the Grand Banks off Newfoundland and Georges Bank outside of Cape Cod more than fifty years ago, despite the fact that their design made them the fastest and ablest fishing vessels in the world.
Designed by Thomas F. McManus, the L.A. Dunton was built by Arthur D. Story and launched from his well-known yard at Essex, MA, in 1921. Built after auxiliary gasoline power had become common in schooners, the Dunton was probably the last large engineless fishing schooner (a few later ones were built primarily for racing). The Dunton was used in the haddock and halibut fisheries, landing her catches in Boston. By 1923 she was equipped with a 100 H.P. Fairbanks, Morse and Co. C-O engine, and when the Great Depression worsened she was sold to Newfoundland owners in 1934. For thirty years she was used as a fishing and freighting vessel, eventually being converted to a motor vessel with auxiliary sail. In this form she came to the Museum in 1963.
Soon after the Dunton's arrival, restoration to her original design was undertaken. Subsequent work has ensured that her structural integrity is maintained. Between 1974 and 1985, her engine was removed, her stern restored to the correct appearance, deck beams, deck planking and frames replaced, and her topsides were replanked. This work was necessary to maintain the Dunton as an example of the finest type of American fishing schooner and a testimonial to the hard-working fishermen who manned her. The L. A. Dunton was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994.
Did you know?
The L.A. Dunton is one of four National Historic Landmarks at the Mystic Seaport. The others are: