Charles W Morgan Restoration; A Volunteer's Perspective-1

[Morgan Volunteer]

Re: Charles W Morgan Restoration; A Volunteer's Perspective-1

Aside from scraping paint as a volunteer the entire museum is open to me.



The bilge is an area where the bulk of the restoration is taking place. The ceiling and frames are being evaluated and replaced as needed. The bilge is an area that has never been available to visitors to Mystic Seaport.



All of the knees have been removed in the bilge area except those replaced during another restoration back in the 80's. The white I beams overhead are holding up the deck above. They are tied into the main deck with steel rods for support. They are also used as rails for a gantry which is used for hauling heavy timers in and out of the hull.

This is a picture of knees located one deck up.




Here you can see the ends of the futtocks are rotted. The ceiling is only partially removed here and it is not in the best condition either. To the best of the seaports knowledge, this is all original to 1841 and no one has seen this part of the ship since then.

[Morgan Volunteer]

Re: Charles W Morgan Restoration; A Volunteer's Perspective-1

Mystic Seaport is a fully operational ship yard.

Here, the Quinnipiac out of New Haven is hauled for routine maintenance.








The last picture for this time at bat, the Morgan is shielded from the sun and weather to keep her from drying out to much.


http://www.mysticseaport.org/

[Michael D. Storey]

Re: Charles W Morgan Restoration; A Volunteer's Perspective-1

Recently there was plenty yammering about Big Boats, here, like Adelaide and Cutty.
Suggest we take a look at the volunteers here, the clearly visible dedication and interest in their work, and see that if there is truly an interest in keeping the big ole bitches afloat, some sleeves gotta get rolled up.
I am encouraged and inspired by the work of Museum Volunteers everywhere. In my travels, I have never been to a big outdoor Museum that would not put me to work for even a day, and I have been to 48 of 'em, on three continents.
Jusayin.

[Morgan Volunteer]

Re: Charles W Morgan Restoration; A Volunteer's Perspective-1

Mystic Seaport is a beautiful place early in the morning.

This was a few weeks with a light rain, fog, and low hanging clouds. It gave the place a somewhat mystical air.



This view from the Morgan shows that besides a museum, the seaport is a fully functioning shipyard. The Amistad (Tied at the wharf to the rear) was built from the keel up right here.


There are numbers all along both sides of the Morgan.

They are used in conjunction with a laser, I’m not up on this right now but it has something to do with keeping the ship straight and true. As the hog is removed more than just the keel will move so I guess this is part of that project.

Here, in the pictures below, the old numbers are being replaced because the sun has faded the original numbers. The fellow in the picture told me that each number lines up with a frame inside the hull.





This is from the day the ship was hauled and shows the hogging.



While it's hard to see and harder to photograph, the hogging is getting better.

[Morgan Volunteer]

Re: Charles W Morgan Restoration; A Volunteer's Perspective-1

There has been some progress on the framing inside the hull.

Here a shipwright is taking measurements and fabricating a template of the old futtock.



Several frames have been measured.



These are the knees that have been removed so far. They will be replaced with new knees made from live oak.

Knees are used to support 90 degree joints such as where the deck ties into the hull. They are cut from a part of the tree that has the grain growing in the desired shape. Where the root and trunk meet is a good source. Another place is where a large branch forms.



This is one template made to replace a knee. Every knee and every template are numbered so they go back where they belong.



The yard cuts all the wood it needs with various saws. Here they are cutting stock for frames and knees.





http://www.mysticseaport.org/

[Morgan Volunteer]

Re: Charles W Morgan Restoration; A Volunteer's Perspective-1

Mystic is about all things nautical. It is more than just the Morgan and the seaport.

A friend joined up and as I was showing him around we met one of the guys in charge. He asked if we liked engines. An odd question, I thought; of course we like engines.

Next thing we find our selves in the engine shop where the seaport's marine engines are restored and maintained.

The current project is a 12 cylinder Hall Scott experimental PT boat engine.

Since my friend John was a Jaguar mechanic most of his life he had found a home.



This is not what you would normally expect to see in Mystic. The seaport hosts a weekend every year where a lot of their engines are on display and most of them run.

http://www.mysticseaport.org/index.c...8BEDDAB342FD5F

After we were introduced to the Hall Scott we went to the museum's warehouse to see the collection.



There are hundreds of engines. Outboards too.



Look at the outboard on the right. Note where the spark plug is and where the steering tiller is! Ouch!



So my friend John is hooked.

He is really getting into (or on to) his work.




There are two Hall Scotts. Only one is being restored. The other is going to be left as it was found.

[Candyfloss]

Re: Charles W Morgan Restoration; A Volunteer's Perspective-1

Thankyou very much for this. This is brilliant.

[nedL]

Re: Charles W Morgan Restoration; A Volunteer's Perspective-1

Great Pictures Thank you!!!! Maybe some day I can get back to volunteering, I'm only 60mi away now too.

[Morgan Volunteer]

Re: Charles W Morgan Restoration; A Volunteer's Perspective-1

When I was involved with sports cars years ago and was rebuilding an engine there was a special moment when the ratchet wrench lever was switched to tighten bolts rather than loosen them. At that point all the prep work was done and dreams of sunny days with the top down were soon to be realized.

The Morgan has reached that small milestone. After a long winter of prepping the ship for new frames, the first futtock has been installed.

Months of carving out the rough shapes from giant logs which will eventually become futtocks continues. The yard is filling with these blanks.






Some of the original 1841 futtocks have been removed.






The ratchet lever is switched.



One down and hundreds more to go.

[Morgan Volunteer]

Re: Charles W Morgan Restoration; A Volunteer's Perspective-1

Another ship in Mystic Seaport is the Joesph Conrad.

http://www.mysticseaport.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewpage&page_id=B3AF7031-E022-6432-8AE3F674FA3026CA

Conrad is used at Mystic as a training vessel and as a dormitory for summer youth groups. As with all ships, maintenance must be done.

She was hauled out this winter for new patches, paint and zincs.








The hull needs a lot of work but the ship is not going to be sailed. For now patching will do. Someday if there is enough money perhaps she can get the restoration needed to sail.





An old patch is removed exposing a hole.





She is now back in the water with new patches, paint, and zincs. The restoration of the rigging is ongoing. More on this later.

[Hughman]

Re: Charles W Morgan Restoration; A Volunteer's Perspective-1

well done! keep it coming! (this is the forum in one of it's shining moments)

[chuckt]

Re: Charles W Morgan Restoration; A Volunteer's Perspective-1

Wow! Love it. Now on my list of places to visit when I get my boat operational. Thanks very much for this thread.

[Candyfloss]

Re: Charles W Morgan Restoration; A Volunteer's Perspective-1

Is this the same Joseph Conrad that featured in the book I read as a child, "Stormalong"? By Allan Villiers, 1937. A great read.

[rbgarr]

Re: Charles W Morgan Restoration; A Volunteer's Perspective-1

A youtube on the milling for the Morgan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jEwALzzOkg

[Morgan Volunteer]

Re: Charles W Morgan Restoration; A Volunteer's Perspective-1

Spring has arrived! The volunteers are out in the gardens at Mystic Seaport.





But this is Wooden Boat, not House and Garden. Back to the boats, in this case an iron boat.

The Conrad was relaunched after her hull was patched up and now her masts and rigging are being replaced.

A crane was hired for the day to do the lifting.



The rigging crew is getting a yard ready for the lift.







In the next post, the yard goes up.