The Charles W. Morgan’s 70th Anniversary Celebration
On Saturday, November 5th I had the chance to speak at Mystic Seaport in support of the campaign to restore the Charles W. Morgan—the only surviving American whaleship. Seventy years ago, the Morgan arrived at Mystic, where she became the crown jewel of the Seaport’s collection. When working on In the Heart of the Sea back in 1998, I spent a week studying the Morgan, and the experience was vital to my research. What makes this current restoration project so exciting is that the Morgan will be able to sail again for the first time in about a century. The plan is for her to voyage to ports such as New Bedford and Provincetown in the summer of 2014, and it was an absolute pleasure to talk to the crowd assembled on that beautiful fall day about what an important boost this will be for not only Mystic Seaport but for all maritime history. I urge all of you that have a love of history and the sea to think about contributing to the Seaport’s efforts to make the Morgan sail again.
L to R: William Forster, Chairman Emeritus Mystic Seaport Board of Trustees; Melinda Carlisle, Co- Chair “Sail The Morgan” Campaign; Captain Robert Lane, Was aboard the Morgan as a Sea Scout when she came up the Mystic River on November 8, 1941; Senator Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut U.S. Senator; Stephen White, President Mystic Seaport; bestselling author Nathaniel Philbrick; Ed Haberek, Stonington CT First Selectman
After the ceremony I went to the Seaport’s bookstore to sign copies of my new book Why Read Moby-Dick?, which made it my last stop on a tour that’s taken me to New York, Baltimore, New Bedford, Boston, Providence, R.I., and Falmouth, Mass.
Click below to watch the video footage of my talk at the Morgan dedication:
Nat addresses the crowd at the Charles W. Morgan 70th anniversary celebration