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Last of the American Whaling ships sails again

Discussion in 'Boat Shows & Yacht Watching' started by captholli, Jul 9, 2014.

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  1. captholli, Jul 9, 2014
    #1
    captholli

    captholli Senior Member

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    The Charles W. Morgan has set sail on her 38th voyage through the Northeast
    United States. The Morgan is the last of over 2,700 whaling ships that set sail out of the U.S. in the 1800's and is a National historic landmark that's been maintained at the Mystic Seaport in Conn. More than 20 million visitors have walked her decks since the seaport has had her on display. The Morgan's voyages of the day lasted for up to three years before returning to New Bedford or Nantucket Mass. to unload their valuable whale oil. These photos were taken yesterday July 8th on Buzzards Bay and today just west of Providence Town Mass. The photos don't do her justice but they look like they could have been taken one hundred years ago. The round photo was taken through the engine room port light with salt spray on the port glass. It does ones soul good to see a majestic ship and part of our history under sail once again. At the present she's docked next to the USS Constitution in Charlestown Navy yard in Boston and I'll try for some photos of the two together.

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    Last edited: Jul 9, 2014
  2. Capt Ralph, Jul 9, 2014
    #2
    Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    Wow & Wow.
    The grander of two old souls together sounds near romantic. I look forward to your next pictures.

    Thx,
    rc
  3. Ken Bracewell, Jul 10, 2014
    #3
    Ken Bracewell

    Ken Bracewell Senior Member

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    Don't rush down to the Navy Yard- she won't be there until next week, and open to the public next weekend.
    I was honored to have sailed as a guest on the Morgan from Bourne to Provincetown yesterday. And we have been escorting her on her entire 38th voyage. So, I gather you must have taken those pictures yesterday as I'm pretty sure that was the first time that they have raised the mizzen gaff topsail that is in your first shot.
    Which boat are you sailing on? Because that porthole picture looks suspiciously like my galley porthole!
  4. Ken Bracewell, Jul 10, 2014
    #4
    Ken Bracewell

    Ken Bracewell Senior Member

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  5. captholli, Jul 11, 2014
    #5
    captholli

    captholli Senior Member

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    C.W. Morgans Anchor windlass

    I wouldn't want to have been on the business end of this anchor system!
    The Charles W. Morgan has two # 1500 Bowers anchors Port and Starboard with 540 ft. of 1 1/4" stud chain and a mechanical windlass that's powered by deckhands backs and legs! No electric push buttons here. I was told that it takes 1.5 hours to retrieve the length's of the chain when out and 4 poor souls on the windlass. She carries two other anchors for different situations such as a #300 Kedge and a # 700 stream.
    The history of this vessel is fascinating as a young Herman Melville (Moby Dick) set sail as a deckhand on her first voyage in 1841 out of New Bedford
    Mass. Pretty amazing that a vessel with a LOA of 113ft and a GRT of 351 tons would have a draft of 18ft! I guess they had to offset all that rigging aloft with draft but after the first voyage they had 847 barrels of whale oil and an unknown amount of whale bone aboard so I would say that the Morgan was ballasted down so to speak.

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  6. Ken Bracewell, Jul 12, 2014
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    Ken Bracewell

    Ken Bracewell Senior Member

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    I love your enthusiasm for this historically significant 38th Voyage, but your poetic license is at work here. Melville sailed on the Acushnet

    Anyhow- yesterday was a particularly spectacular day! They sailed the Morgan out to Stellwagen Bank and launched a whale boat, which they sent out to make peace with the whales. Here is a great (maybe my poetic license has expired too) video shot by NOAA. And just to add some yachting to this, the RENA can be seen about half way through the video.

    WHALE HO! - YouTube

    We will be heading back to Stellwagen today.
  7. captholli, Jul 12, 2014
    #7
    captholli

    captholli Senior Member

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    Sorry about that Ken,
    no poetic license meant. Just read it on the Mystic Seaport web site for the CW Morgan, figured they would know what they're talking about more than you and I ?
  8. Ken Bracewell, Jul 12, 2014
    #8
    Ken Bracewell

    Ken Bracewell Senior Member

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    I haven't seen that anywhere on their website, but I'm pretty sure that the only connection is that the Morgan was built in New Bedford, and Melville wrote about New Bedford in Moby Dick.

    I'm certainly not an authority, but have dined with many who are most nights over the past month. The Morgan has been the topic of conversation most nights, and nobody has mentioned that fact.

    On another note- here is a great photo which was sent to me. I don't know who took it, so can't give photo credit. This is likely the only image ever taken from this perspective.

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  9. PacBlue, Jul 12, 2014
    #9
    PacBlue

    PacBlue Senior Member

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    An absolute must read about the true story that inspired whaling Melville:

    In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick ? Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

    Those men (and children) did work and lived in conditions that make us all seem like a bunch of modern day "sissies" and they took seafaring to a whole nother level.

    Like hey, you want to go whaling son? Let's just head out of Nantucket over to the Azores, hang a right and split the African/South American continents, throw in Cape Horn for good measure, whale in the Galapagos and do it in reverse some 18 - 24 months later, enough time to come home and meet the child you created in the short time you had between the last trip!
  10. Ken Bracewell, Jul 12, 2014
    #10
    Ken Bracewell

    Ken Bracewell Senior Member

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  11. PacBlue, Jul 12, 2014
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    PacBlue

    PacBlue Senior Member

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    His writing style makes for a great read, could not put it down once I started....
  12. Ken Bracewell, Jul 13, 2014
    #12
    Ken Bracewell

    Ken Bracewell Senior Member

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    Stellwagen

    Yesterday was flat calm, so it wasn't a great sailing day. But it was a fantastic day for whale watching! One of my stewardesses took this shot yesterday from our swim platform.

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