Mystic Moments

Dear Diary,
A little bit cooler in Mystic Seaport but still high humidity and not much breeze.  At least the sun wasn’t beating down so I had a pleasant walk around the seaport.  I got to see the men working on cutting planks for Mayflower II which will be back in the boatyard in November for the last phase of her restoration which will take 30 months.  She must be “ship shape” in time for the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims arrival in Plymouth in 2020!


I got to tour the Charles Morgan, the last whaling ship of a fleet that once number 2700 vessels.  It was built in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1841 and in her 80 year history she made 37 voyages.  She has been meticulously restored and it was very interesting to see how the captain and crew lived on board.  I was really there to get a sense of my ancestor, Capt. Benjamin Howell’s seafaring experience but the Morgan is a bark and Howell sailed a schooner.  There was a schooner there, without her masts, which is being restored.  A much smaller ship than the bark and I walked her decks.  I included a photograph of her in my collage.


Today I will visit the home of an ancestor in Mystic.  My 9th great grandfather’s home burned in the early 1700’s and the one there now was built by his grandson in 1717 using some salvaged pieces from the late 17th century house.  It still sits on 160 acres of the original 200 given to my great grandfather for his service during the Pequod Indian Wars in the 1650’s.  I hope to learn a bit more about him while I am there.  Although the family chronicle is basically finished I am happy to add an extra page or two if something new turns up.  It is a journey that never really ends I think.