Reporting from Mystic, Conn. — She has weak knees, her front and rear ends sag, and Quentin Snediker worries about what else he may find when he digs deeper into her stout frame.
Snediker is director of the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport. The weak-kneed "she," the Charles W. Morgan, is the last surviving wooden whaling ship in the world and the icon of the seaport, among Connecticut's most popular tourist destinations.
Launched in 1841 in New Bedford, Mass., the Morgan served as a whaling vessel until 1921. She made 37 voyages, the longest almost five years. In 1941, the ship arrived at Mystic Seaport, where she spent much of her life embedded in a berth of sand.
Since being refloated in 1973, the Morgan has been maintained and refurbished faithfully. After being hauled out of the water in November, she now is in dry dock undergoing a three-year, $5-million restoration, her most extensive yet. Snediker and eight professional shipwrights have been charged with rebuilding and replacing many of the ship's frames and interior planking.
All the work is done in accordance with the ship's official registry as a National Historic Landmark. Each piece of wood and fastening is documented before it is removed.
Visitors to Mystic Seaport can reflect upon the ship's seagoing history and are encouraged to climb aboard to watch the restoration. Although there are seaport representatives on board to answer questions, visitors also can speak directly to the shipwrights. It is estimated that more than 20 million visitors have walked the decks of the Morgan since 1941.
"It is imperative that this vessel is preserved for the future," Snediker says. "It is the last of its kind."
sdunn@courant.com
