Mystic Seaport Orders Yards from the Spar Shop

Mystic Seaport – The Museum of America and the Sea, the nation’s leading maritime museum, has contracted with the Historical Seaport to turn two large yards for the tall ship Joseph Conrad, now undergoing maintenance at Mystic Seaport’s facilities in Mystic, Conn. Mystic Seaport has ordered a fore yard, which will be 49 feet long and 11 and three-quarter inches in diameter. The museum also requested a mizzen topsail yard, which will be 35 feet, ten inches long and eight and one-half inches in diameter.

The Spar Shop, a unit of the Historical Seaport, will perform the work using logs harvested from a western Washington forest. The logs will be turned on the Spar Shop’s tracer lathe, which can handle logs up to 122-feet long. The project is expected to take four to six weeks. A purchase price was not disclosed.

Launched in 1882, the Joseph Conrad is an iron-hulled sailing ship originally used as a training vessel for Danish sailors. The vessel was acquired in 1934 by Mystic Seaport, which displays the vessel as a museum ship. Mystic Seaport’s education programs also use the vessel as an overnight facility. Mystic Seaport regularly contracts with the Historical Seaport to turn masts and spars. In 2006, the Historical Seaport supplied spars for the schooner Amistad, which was undergoing a restoration at Mystic Seaport.

The Historical Seaport is planning to ship the Joseph Conrad's yards to Mystic, Conn., via flatbed semi. If you are a west coast member of the American Sail Training Association, GHHSA can offer you space on the semi-trailer for materials you need to ship to New England. For more information, please contact Les Bolton, 800-200-5239, les@historicalseaport.org.

Photos From Lady Washington Sea Trials

We've just received photos from the first sea trials of Lady Washington's new engine. About two weeks ago, we took the boat out into the Chehalis River at Aberdeen and as you can see, the Scania 12 liter ran just fine. Lady Washington is missing her foremast in these pictures; we're turning a new mast in the Spar Shop plus completing other rigging work. Assuming all goes according to plan and she passes US Coast Guard inspection, Lady Washington could be back at work in March. We'll keep you posted.

Four Skilled Volunteers Needed for Lady Washington Refit

The Historical Seaport is seeking four skilled volunteers to help us finish our repower and re-rigging work on Lady Washington. We need two volunteers immediately with very strong mechanical/engineering skills to complete work on an overhaul of Lady Washington’s engine room. Tasks include wiring and plumbing upgrades associated with replacement of Lady Washington’s auxiliary engine.


We also need two volunteers with strong general trades experience to help us complete painting of Lady Washington’s holds, deck hardware replacements, and the eventual re-rig of the ship.

Your donation of up to two weeks of time and energy will be extraordinarily valuable in helping the Seaport to get Lady Washington again delivering one-of-a-kind educational programs to young people. This is also an excellent opportunity to expand your skills, knowledge, and experience. If you are available immediately in the Aberdeen, Wash., area, or you can travel to the area, please contact Marine Operations Manager Micah Allnutt, 800-200-5239, marine_ops@historicalseaport.org.

Got Sail? Photos from Two Weeks Before the Mast

Hawaiian Chieftain fan Jamie Bain sent us these photos of her husband Matthew during his recent stint aboard the vessel. Matthew participated in our Two Weeks Before the Mast program, which gives volunteers a taste of life on a tall ship. He sailed from Ventura, Calif., to the San Francisco Bay Area. As you can see, he performed many of the same tasks done by any tall ship sailor, all under the watchful eye of an experienced crew person. If you'd like to test your sailing mettle on a real tall ship, contact us at 800-200-5239 or email volunteer@historicalseaport.org. You'll find more information on our Volunteering page.

Logs arrive for Lady Washington's rigging upgrade

A pair of logs destined for the Lady Washington arrived this morning at the Historical Seaport headquarters in Aberdeen. The larger log, inspected by Spar Shop manager Kent Wall in the lower photo, will become the new foremast for the boat. The smaller log will become the course yard. Both will be turned on the Seaport's tracer lathe, which can handle whole logs up to 122-feet long. Marine Operations Manager Micah Allnutt will also replace the topmast yard and the spritsail yard on Lady Washington.

The work is part of rigging upgrades to Lady Washington while she is getting a new engine. She's scheduled for her first sea trial with the new motor on Wednesday. Stay tuned for photos of the action that day.