Community Corner

Charles W. Morgan Whaling Ship Sails on 38th Voyage

The ship calls Mystic Seaport in CT home and will dock there again in August, upon completion of her 38th voyage.

Built in 1841, the Charles W. Morgan is the last wooden ship in a whaling fleet of 2,700 vessels. She calls Mystic Seaport home but recently set sail on her 38th voyage. 

Today — Wednesday, July 9 — the Morgan is en route to Provincetown, Cape Cod. You can track her voyage here.

"The nearly three-month long journey seeks to engage communities with their maritime heritage and raise awareness about the changing perception about whales and whaling," according to the Mystic Seaport website. "Where once the Morgan’s cargo was whale oil and baleen, today her cargo is knowledge."

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On this same day, 168 years earlier, the Charles W. Morgan was sailing on her 2nd voyage in the South Pacific, near Samoa. The log entry for the day stated: 

'Commences with fine trades and good weather middle and latter part the same the Cook was more rational but very sick so ends'
 
"The previous day, the cook somehow fell overboard and fell ill because of it," according to historical travel logs from the Morgan.

The Itinerary

July 8-11 — Sailing window to Provincetown via the Cape Cod Canal. There will be an overnight stop at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy (no public access)

.July 11-13 — Day sails on Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. The ship will not be open to the public but there will be a free dockside educational exhibit at Provincetown Harbor and special event programming on OceansLIVE.org.

July 15-17 — Sailing window to Boston.July 18-22 — Boston National Historical Park at the Charlestown Navy Yard. The ship will be berthed next to the USS Constitution and open to the public with the dockside exhibition.

July 23-25 — Sailing window to Massachusetts Maritime Academy via the Cape Cod Canal.

July 26-27 — Massachusetts Maritime Academy. The Morgan will be open to the public with the dockside exhibition. The visit coincides with the centennial celebration of the opening of the Cape Cod Canal.

July 28-30 — Sailing window to New London.

August 6-8 — Sailing window to Mystic.

August 9 — A homecoming celebration awaits the Charles W. Morgan at Mystic Seaport.


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