Tuesday Sept 23, 2025 Bumpy Ride to Mystic Seaport Museum

Tues - Wed. Sept. 23-24, 2025 Silvershell Beach to Mystic Seaport Museum 78 miles and 8 hours

Tuesday: Not an ideal forecast for today's trip, but it wasn't going to improve for a few days so we bit the bullet and headed out. It was so nice to pull up an anchor that had set in a sandy bottom instead of mud. Everything just comes up clean and hardly even requires a washdown. Makes our departures time so much faster than pulling up 2' of chain at a time and hosing all the sticky mud off. Then pulling up another 2' and repeat until all 75-100' of chain is in the locker. So that was a positive to start the day. Between Buzzards Bay and Mystic River is a stretch of open water with a long fetch of open Atlantic Ocean.

Open stretches of Buzzards Bay generate constant winds.
No surprise they are installing wind turbines.

This open stretch builds bigger waves, and the forecast was 4' SE swells with a decent period topped with a SW 2' wave on a short period. Winds are SW 10-15 with gusts to 25. Normally a no-go day for us. Would not be a pleasure cruise. Just a nasty day of boating. Up one wave, down the next, big splashes and wind driven water constantly covering the windshield. Boat handles it fine. Took us until the next day to finally get rid of the wobbles and walk straight.

Summer cottage along the shore

This is one massive rip rap project - assume if you can afford the house,
you can afford all that rock

Watch Lighthouse

Morgan Point Lighthouse approaching Mystic

Things did settle down as we approached Mystic and got some protection from Fishers Island. Coming into Mystic is a sight. The river channel winds around a bit so following the channel markers is critical. Finding the markers amidst all the moored boats is the hard part. On approach it seems the entire area is one solid mass of marinas, moorings and boats. And it goes on and on through a no wake zone. To get to the museum we need to pass through a railroad swing bridge - normally open unless a train is coming. Then a bascule road bridge that only opens once an hour at 40 minutes past the hour. We had been timing our arrival and even ran for about an hour at cruising speed to stay on time.

Railroad Bridge was open on approach but we hailed the operator
to advise we would be passing -got short gruff reply

Female operator at the Highway lift bridge was much more friendly.

Tourists out watching boats pass through the bridge

Mystic Seaport Museum also has docks where you can stay. A bit pricey but it includes admission to the museum and also allows you to walk around the exhibits after hours when the tourists are finally gone. Got docked by 3PM which left time to give the boat a much-needed rinse to remove all that saltiness. Quick walk around the grounds and then downtown Mystic for dinner and some ice cream. Not sure how crazy this place is during the summer but plenty of tourists still walking around this night.

Journey for Sept. 23, 2025

Wednesday: I remember coming to Mystic Seaport as a kid when we lived in NY. It was an outing with our cub scout troop to show you how long ago it was. The museum was founded back in 1929 and is considered the premier location for authentic refurbishment of historical wooden ships. The museum has a collection of historic buildings set up as a town street showcasing the various trades required to support the shipyards.

Main Street in Mystic Village - each business a unique museum
showcasing the businesses required to support the shipbuilding business

The cooperage - making barrels for storing water, whale oil, foods, etc. aboard ship

The Shipsmith shop for nails, hoops, hooks, harpoons, etc.

Once a whale was spotted a crew of 3 would row these boats out, harpoon it,
get the ride of their life until the whale was exhausted, do a final kill,
wrap a rope around the tail and tow the beast back to the ship for processing.

Along with the museums which are very fascinating they have a group of craftsmen who maintain a true old fashioned shipyard and use as many traditional hand tools as possible. Currently working on several vessels. The largest is a $4 million multi-year full restoration of the Susan Constant for the Jamestown Settlement. Very interesting in that you can tour inside the boat to see the work being performed.

The Susan Constant up on blocks for restoration

New keel attached. Now working on ribs, then the planking, then the deck

Red ribs are replacements. Many more to go. Question often asked -
If you replace the keel, ribs, planks, decks and mast -
Is it a refurbishment or a new construction??

Much of the museum is focused on the local shipbuilding trades which was primarily whaling ships. Their featured ship is the Charles M. Morgan which is the last remaining whaling ship. Learned a lot about whaling I never knew. Such as a typical whaling voyage lasted 2-1/2 to 5 years with the ship often times traveling the world and not returning until it had filled it's hold with barrels of whale oil. Typically required killing at least 50-60 whales. Blubber was cut off and boiled down right there and then on the ship, then placed in casks in the hold. It's estimated from her logs books that the Morgan killed roughly 1200 whales during her days at sea. She was part of a fleet of 2500 whaling ships. Do the math and its amazing there are any whales still remaining.

Selfie station in front of the Charles M. Morgan

Typical crew was 36 men. All paid at end of the trip with a percentage
of profits based on their position. Hard work and crowded conditions.

Growing up on Long Island I always knew the area was a whaling center. Just never realized how few whales were found here. It was simply the shipyards and home ports for many whaling vessels.