After a nearly five-year restoration, Mystic Seaport re-launched its crown jewel, the whaleship Charles W. Morgan on 21 July, 2013. When she has been fitted-out and re-rigged, the Morgan will go on a ceremonial 38th Voyage beginning in mid-May 2014 from Mystic to New London, Connecticut, where the crew is going to be trained before heading up the New England coast visiting some of the ports the Morgan went to during her whaling heyday. Ten organisations have built whaleboats for the whaleship – read a great article by the Morgan historian Matthew Stackpole about building these boats here (you will come to an electronic version of the Mystic Seaport Magazine, Stackpole’s article starts on page 10).

The staff at the Museum’s Shipsmith Shop (an original shipsmith shop which opened in New Bedford, Massachusetts, in 1882, and later was moved to Mystic Seaport) is working on making row locks – or, if you so like, oarlocks – for the whaleboats. On top is a wonderful video from the Museum’s Film and Video Department on how to make row locks the old-fashioned way – enjoy!