Revisiting Mystic Seaport (with pics)

[Subnuts]

This Monday I revisited Mystic Seaport, and armed with a half-off coupon, dragged my mother in tow. She hadn't been there since the early 60s, back when it was basically two ships and a couple old buildings. Much to my surprise, she really enjoyed the visit, though spending five hours on all those hard wooden floors and decks can be awfully tiring!

The pictures from my last trip can be seen here: http://www.subsim.com/radioroom//sho...d.php?t=197810
I tried to avoid taking pictures of things I'd photographed the last time, or visiting all of the same exhibits I'd already seen. Needless to say, I wish I could have returned on Tuesday - I swear I only saw half the seaport this time!

This is the Roann, one of the last of the eastern-rig draggers, a type of fishing trawler that was common off the New England coast from the 1920s through to the 1970s. As anyone who has ever played a Sonalysts sim knows, these boats go whump-whump-swish-whump-whump-swish.


I can't identify the motor launch in the foreground. Snazzy little boat either way. Behind the Roann you can see the Sabino, a little steam-powered river boat built back in 1908. More on her later.


Mystic Seaport is a working museum, so naturally there's always something go on. Here we see a tin roof being moved into position.


There's a shipbuilding exhibit at the shipyard, although the lighting inside was kinda lousy and I only got one good shot. This is a pair of lower frames from a ship whose name I can't remember. Trivia time: the part of the forward frame that overlaps the keel is known as the "floor," so if anyone tells you that ships don't have floors, they're full of BS.


The Charles W Morgan is the world's only surviving wooden whaling ship, and almost certainly the Seaport's pride and joy. In one month she'll be returned to the water after a five-year restoration, and a year from now she'll put to sea for the first time since 1922 for a tour of New England harbors. Hopefully, of course!


A year ago, the entire ship was surrounded by scaffolding, covered in a weatherproof tent, and almost entirely unpainted and unplanked. The difference from May 2012 is startling.


The entire hull was replanked, recaulked, and repainted in the last year.


You still have the walk up 40 feet of stairs to get onboard the ship, which was too much for my Mom to handle. Here we see some painting in progress, although I don't think the cherry picker is authentic 19th century shipyard equipment.


Steve has got to do something about his model building.


Making her look good as new!

[Subnuts]

Interesting little detail here: the iron bars over the mess room skylight, which protects the glass in heavy seas.


The only picture I took when I went inside. I'm 6' 1" and had to duck to avoid hitting the beam in front of me. The deck in the room ahead of me was at least a foot lower!


The Sabino out for her morning test run.




Any good shipyard needs a large supply of wood on hand.


Here's a picture demonstrating that 19th century merchant ships had terribly inefficient hull shapes.


There were a number of projects going on inside the shipyard when I visited. Off to the left, you can see the ramp that will let visitors board the Morgan when she returns to the water. The object in the top center is the Morgan's foremast top, the red and black object is the ship's rudder, and below that you can see see a guy working on some floors (no really, they're called that).


I really like the simple but beautiful lines of this boat. She's the Emma C Berry, built in 1866, and the last surviving American-built "well smack." Smacks were built with watertight holds in their midships section which would be used to keep fish alive until the boat could return to harbor.


Pretty elegant scrollwork for a 19th century working boat!


The Oyster Sloop Nellie of 1891.

[Sailor Steve]

Those bars over the windows aren't iron, they're plastic. I know, I built that model when I was a kid.

Seriously, those are some great shots!

[nikimcbee]

Never had time to visit Mystic when I was there. Thanks for the pix!

[Subnuts]

The Nellie and Emma C Berry again. What can I say? Old boats are the best boats.




For $5.50, you can go onboard the Sabino for a narrated half-hour trip down the Mystic River. Some people probably won't agree with me, but I think she's adorable.


That motor launch again. There has to be some kind of story behind it - that drop keel and oversize rudder is just too unique for a mass-produced craft.


The deck of the Roann. I tend to take pictures that will only interest one in a million people.


Getting ready to go onboard the Sabino. Just like the Titanic, except it's only a thousandth the size and much less likely to kill you.


You can actually watch the engine room "in action" after you go onboard and anytime during the trip. It's a pretty simple affair - basically just a boiler, a little two-cylinder reciprocating engine, a few gauges, some steam pipes, and a warning bell.


The Western-Rig Dragger Florence, built in 1926 and still being used to carry students to collect specimens from local waters. As you can tell, 20th century fishing boats aren't anywhere near as nice looking as their 19th century counterparts.


And just to drive that point home, another picture of the Emma C Berry, taken from the upper deck of the Sabino.


I only managed to get a couple shots in after the Sabino got underway, but here's a nice (I think) profile view of the sail training ship Joseph Conrad.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Subnuts

What can I say? Old boats are the best boats.

Some people probably won't agree with me, but I think she's adorable.

There's a saying among WW1 flying afficianados: A real airplane has two wings and a round engine. Well, a real ship has wooden walls and sails.

The deck of the Roann. I tend to take pictures that will only interest one in a million people.

I guess that makes me one in a million. I'm downloading all your pictures.

[fireftr18]

Years ago, my wife and I drove to New England for vacation. The car happened to break down in Mystic. If it weren't for that, we probably would've missed the Seaport Museum. It turned out one the best stops we made. The Charles W Morgan was open for tours at the time and we went on it. It was floating, but not seaworthy. And as I am typing this, I am looking at a framed print of her.

[Rockstar]

That motor launch, the one with the retractable keel and barn door rudder, maybe itself unique. But the design is a common enough for a lot of shoal draft boats. Id wager she could sail on the morning dew.

[Spiced_Rum]

Thank you Subnuts. Some great pictures and it looks like a good place to visit one day. I had to look up where it is located, their website provides directions:

Our Address

Mystic Seaport
75 Greenmanville Avenue
Mystic, CT 06355

GPS Coordinates

Latitude N 41 21.594 (41.3599)
Longitude W 71 57.810 (-71.9635)

Mystic Seaport is located about 10 miles east of New London in Connecticut’s “Ocean Corner”–part of the Mystic Country region.

http://www.mysticseaport.org/

[bertieck476]

Lovely photos of some lovely boats, we have a strong tradition of working boats on the Essex and Kent coasts in England I myself have an Essex oyster smack, I can post some pics if you folks would like to see them, just out the door now so it would have to be tomorrow.
Bert.

[Catfish]

Wow phantastic photos, and what a nice site to be !

Thanks for posting

[Jimbuna]

Crackin photos of a place obviously well worth visiting...thanks for sharing

[Subnuts]

Thanks to everyone who liked my photos. But as they say on late-night infomercials, "but wait! there's more!"

Another view of the Conrad. You really do get a much better view of the Seaport's vessels from the Sabino.


As big as the Morgan looks in this picture, it's still only half as long as the Type VII we all know and love.


This ship isn't part of the Seaport's collection, so enjoy the filler shot.


So here's some more stuff that one in a million people will appreciate. I went down to the lower deck to check out the Sabino's engine room before she returned to the pier. The boiler is aft of the engine. I'm not sure if this arrangement was common on smaller steam-powered ships like the Sabino, but I've never seen it on larger ships.


Chuga-Chuga-Chuga-Chuga-Chuga.


Funny how this still-running boat has a better-preserved engine room than many of the museum ships I've seen.




The Seaport also has a large number of indoor exhibits. One of the most interesting ones is the James Driggs Shipsmith Shop. This building was actually built in New Bedford in 1885, brought to Mystic in 1944, and still creates replacement parts for many of the seaport's ships and boats.

[Gerald]

This was nice photos, thanks for sharing

[AVGWarhawk]

Beautiful shots! It has been a long time since I visited Mystic. Thanks for sharing!