Our intrepid senior editor joins the rebuilding crew of America’s last sailing whaleship, currently being rebuilt to sail at Mystic Seaport. In this article, Tom examines the MORGAN’s history and the ship’s structure, and he watches the Morgan’s shipwrights cast new light on our knowledge of how this storied vessel was built.
Jesse Eilbeck of Babylon, New York, inherited a decked garvey from his deceased uncle. The boat was originally part of a once-thriving fleet of “tong boats” that fished Great South Bay through the 1970s. Rapid land development, gentrification, and nitrification put an end to the peak years of this industry—and to a way of life.
John Welsford and the art and science of boat design
John Welsford has become something of a worldwide phenomenon over the past decade. His small boats are designed and built for small budgets, but they’ve carried their owner-builders on grand adventures. His 14′9″ lug-rigged Navigator design began the Welsford phenomenon, selling over 700 sets of plans. Newer designs are gaining similar notice.
Jesse Eilbeck of Babylon, New York, inherited a decked garvey from his deceased uncle. The boat was originally part of a once-thriving fleet of “tong boats” that fished Great South Bay through the 1970s. Rapid land development, gentrification, and nitrification put an end to the peak years of this industry—and to a way of life.
John Welsford has become something of a worldwide phenomenon over the past decade. His small boats are designed and built for small budgets, but they’ve carried their owner-builders on grand adventures. His 14′9″ lug-rigged Navigator design began the Welsford phenomenon, selling over 700 sets of plans. Newer designs are gaining similar notice.
