BEST OF 2013: Charles W Morgan Spirit of American Enterprise

Spirit of American Enterprise


“To me, that spirit, which the CHARLES W. MORGAN symbolized when she was built in 1841, is the unique American spirit, born on the coast and on the frontier, which enabled America to spread its wings globally and create the economic engine that was the foundation of what was known as the American Century.”
—Richard Vietor, Board Chairman



Long ago there was a global industry dominated by America — energized by American workers and entrepreneurs — and shaped by American ingenuity and will. That industry was whaling.

For more than two centuries, the 2700 ships of America’s whaling fleet helped to fuel the nation’s economic, political and cultural growth. The success of the whaling industry — and the capital it generated — set the stage for America’s emergence as a global force and world leader.

Today only the Charles W. Morgan remains from those epic times. Only the Morgan represents the day when whaleships brought American ideals to people across the oceans, the day when whaleships like the Morgan helped to define an energetic young nation’s place in the world.


Lessons for our times


Today, the Morgan’s cargo is no longer oil and whalebone — rather, it is knowledge and inspiration.

The ship’s lessons resonate with American companies today and speak to contemporary issues:

Enterprise
Millions of dollars of wealth generated by this quintessential industry helped to capitalize the nation’s rapid development of factories and railroads.

Courage
There was risk for crew, investors, and for loved-ones waiting behind. The Morgan struggled with wind, tide, and brutal storms on oceans around the world during an 80-year test of courage.

Diversity
By the end of her commercial life, the Morgan had been worked by people of diverse cultures and races in a melding that foreshadowed global organizations of our own day.

Innovation
From harpoon design to deck prisms to a reinforced hull for sailing in ice, the Morgan represented the culmination of 19th century whaling technology.

Leadership
The officers managed motivation and punishment, health and discipline, navigated and negotiated. The Morgan was known as a lucky ship, but good leadership made its own luck.

Global industry
Whaling — aid to be the world’s first truly global industry — touched all oceans and had an impact — for good and ill — on people and ports across the globe.

Cooperation
On board the Morgan, 35 men toiled in relative harmony for many years at a time. Work together or risk ruin or death; that was the key to success in this most interdependent of communities.

To learn more about the Charles W. Morgan and to be a part of keeping that spirit alive go to:
Charles W. Morgan

MYSTIC SEAPORT NAMES 22ND CAPTAIN OF THE CHARLES W. MORGAN

Capt. Richard “Kip” Files. Credit: Fred LeBlanc Photography

Richard “Kip” Files to take the helm of the 19th-century whaleship ahead of her voyage next summer
Mystic, Connecticut - Mystic Seaport named Richard “Kip” Files of Rockland, Maine, as the new captain of the 19th-century whaleship Charles W. Morgan, which will venture back to sea next summer to visit historic ports of New England celebrating the importance of America’s maritime heritage.

At the conclusion of a five-year, multi-million dollar restoration at the Museum’s Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard, Files will take the Morgan on an approximately three-month voyage from May to August 2014 in Southern New England waters.

“This is an extraordinary undertaking and it will be exciting to take this ship back to sea to discover and share what it was like to operate a wooden whaleship as they did throughout the 19th century,” Files said.

As the owner and captain of the 132-foot, three-masted schooner Victory Chimes out of Rockland, Files is no stranger to sailing large ships without an engine. He is also the primary captain of the 207-foot barque Elissa, owned and operated by the Galveston Historical Foundation and Texas Seaport Museum. Files holds a U.S. Coast Guard Master Ocean License for Inspected Passenger Vessels of up to 1,600 Gross Tons. He has been a master of traditional sailing vessels since 1978. He also served on the boards of Tall Ships America (formerly the American Sail Training Association) and the Ocean Classroom Foundation.

“There are very few people in the world with the knowledge and experience of traditional square-rigged sailing necessary to do this job. Kip is one of those people and we are confident we have found the right person to lead the ship on her 38th Voyage,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport.

Files will arrive at Mystic Seaport to start work on November 11. He will be charged with hiring the Morgan’s crew and preparing and equipping her for the 38th Voyage. After a period of fitting-out and sea trials based in New London, Conn. Files will sail her to Newport, Vineyard Haven, New Bedford, and Boston. The Morgan will also venture into the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and participate in the centennial celebration of the Cape Cod Canal. The voyage will be a commemoration of the role of the sea in the history of America and an appreciation of our changing relationship with the natural world.

“For someone who has made his living with traditional vessels this is quite an honor,” Files said. “The 38th Voyage will be one of the most significant maritime events in my lifetime, and I feel privileged and humbled to be part of this historic voyage.”

As the 22nd captain of the National Historic Landmark and the last wooden whaling ship in the world, Files takes his responsibility for the well-being of the vessel and the safety of the crew very seriously.

“The most important goal is to achieve a safe voyage for the ship and all who sail on her,” Files said. “The Charles W. Morgan is an irreplaceable artifact of America’s maritime heritage and her well-being is paramount.”

At 113-feet long, the Morgan was launched in New Bedford, Mass. in 1841 and had a whaling career of 80 years and 37 voyages that spanned the far reaches of the globe. While her original cargo was whale oil and bone, now her cargo is knowledge. Commanding this American icon and presenting her to the American people as a living portal into an important chapter of our history is an honor, Files said.

Although he’s sailed in oceans across the globe for close to half a century, Files said he hasn’t yet experienced a favorite sail. However, the Morgan’s 38th Voyage is “going to be a quite the adventure,” he said.

About Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, the Museum is home to four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the Charles W. Morgan, America’s oldest commercial ship and the last wooden whaleship in the world. The museum is located one mile south of Exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $24 for adults and $15 for children ages 6-17. Museum members and children 5 and under are admitted free.

Charles W Morgan Spirit of American Enterprise

Spirit of American Enterprise


“To me, that spirit, which the CHARLES W. MORGAN symbolized when she was built in 1841, is the unique American spirit, born on the coast and on the frontier, which enabled America to spread its wings globally and create the economic engine that was the foundation of what was known as the American Century.”
—Richard Vietor, Board Chairman



Long ago there was a global industry dominated by America — energized by American workers and entrepreneurs — and shaped by American ingenuity and will. That industry was whaling.

For more than two centuries, the 2700 ships of America’s whaling fleet helped to fuel the nation’s economic, political and cultural growth. The success of the whaling industry — and the capital it generated — set the stage for America’s emergence as a global force and world leader.

Today only the Charles W. Morgan remains from those epic times. Only the Morgan represents the day when whaleships brought American ideals to people across the oceans, the day when whaleships like the Morgan helped to define an energetic young nation’s place in the world.


Lessons for our times


Today, the Morgan’s cargo is no longer oil and whalebone — rather, it is knowledge and inspiration.

The ship’s lessons resonate with American companies today and speak to contemporary issues:

Enterprise
Millions of dollars of wealth generated by this quintessential industry helped to capitalize the nation’s rapid development of factories and railroads.

Courage
There was risk for crew, investors, and for loved-ones waiting behind. The Morgan struggled with wind, tide, and brutal storms on oceans around the world during an 80-year test of courage.

Diversity
By the end of her commercial life, the Morgan had been worked by people of diverse cultures and races in a melding that foreshadowed global organizations of our own day.

Innovation
From harpoon design to deck prisms to a reinforced hull for sailing in ice, the Morgan represented the culmination of 19th century whaling technology.

Leadership
The officers managed motivation and punishment, health and discipline, navigated and negotiated. The Morgan was known as a lucky ship, but good leadership made its own luck.

Global industry
Whaling — aid to be the world’s first truly global industry — touched all oceans and had an impact — for good and ill — on people and ports across the globe.

Cooperation
On board the Morgan, 35 men toiled in relative harmony for many years at a time. Work together or risk ruin or death; that was the key to success in this most interdependent of communities.

To learn more about the Charles W. Morgan and to be a part of keeping that spirit alive go to:
Charles W. Morgan