Flagship of the 'Official Fleet of the
Commonwealth of Virginia' to
Depart Mid-June
WILLIAMSBURG, Va., June 10,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Jamestown Settlement, a museum
of 17th-century Virginia, is
embarking on a multiyear restoration of the Susan Constant,
flagship of the official fleet of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
After 33 years of maritime education, the "floating classroom"
will travel as early as June 15 to
the Henry B. du Pont Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport Museum
in Connecticut to begin work over
the next two years to preserve it for future generations. The
$4.7 million undertaking to repair
and restore the wooden, 120-ton cargo vessel, was approved this
spring by the Virginia General Assembly, and a fundraising effort
is underway to support maritime education while the ship is
away.
Under the helm of Captain Eric
Speth, longtime director of Maritime Operations for the
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, a 15-member sailing crew will take
the estimated 515-mile journey over a period of four to five days,
weather permitting. Instead of sails, they will travel using diesel
engines to reach their destination.
"Thanks to our highly dedicated and qualified paid and volunteer
crew, Susan Constant was transformed from a museum exhibit to a
fully operable ship ready for the trip to Mystic Seaport Museum
where it will undergo restoration and be prepared for its next
chapter of service teaching early Virginia history," Speth said.
Since its commissioning on April 25,
1991, the Susan Constant has welcomed an estimated 19
million visitors – schoolchildren, presidents and even royalty –
over the past three decades to climb aboard the re-created merchant
ship. From the main deck, 'tween deck and peering into its hold,
guests learn about the 17th-century technology used to sail and
navigate the square-rigged ship across the ocean during the 1607
voyage to Jamestown.
In Jamestown Settlement's 67-year history, there have been two
generations of the Susan Constant, one built in Norfolk in 1957 and the other, built at
Jamestown Settlement in 1990, is still in use today. The Susan
Constant, along with re-creations of the Godspeed and the
Discovery, were designated as the "official fleet of the
Commonwealth" by the Virginia General Assembly in 2001.
Shipyard Selection for the Susan Constant
Mystic Seaport Museum's shipyard, which works exclusively on
wooden ships, has been a leader in maritime preservation for more
than half a century and is ideally suited for large wooden vessel
restoration projects like Jamestown Settlement's Susan
Constant.
While Virginia has a rich
history in shipbuilding and repair, existing shipyards in the state
capable of accommodating a project the size of the Susan Constant
have shifted their workforce to focus on modern naval and
commercial metal vessels, Speth explained.
The Susan Constant is inspected annually by the U.S. Coast Guard
and routinely maintained by staff shipwrights, mechanics and
volunteers, with a thorough dry-dock inspection every five years.
Work last spring entailed stabilizing the wood and painting the
ship's hull. Dry-dock inspections found the ship needs a
comprehensive restoration to repair its hull planking, upper
framing, mast and rigging components, and other pivotal hull
structures. Fortunately, wooden ships are constructed in a way that
allows cost-effective removal and renewal of deteriorated parts,
Speth said.
During restoration of Mystic Seaport Museum's ship, the Charles
W. Morgan, now 183 years old, shipwrights found evidence of prior
"re-toppings," where planking above the waterline and some of the
structure's hull were replaced. The Susan Constant will similarly
be "re-topped" to extend the ship's useful service life for at
least another 20-30 years.
Speth explained that restoring a wooden ship in this manner is
far less costly than replacement, which could total three to four
times the estimated cost of the Susan Constant's
restoration.
The Susan Constant is moored at the Jamestown Settlement ships'
pier, alongside re-creations of the Godspeed and Discovery. Until
its departure, visitors can see the ship from the pier as the crew
prepare the ship for its next journey. While the Susan Constant is
away, the Godspeed and Discovery will allow guests to explore
17th-century maritime history.
Learn more about the Susan Constant and its restoration at
jyfmuseums.org/susan-constant-restoration.
About Jamestown Settlement
Jamestown Settlement is a
museum of 17th-century Virginia
history and culture administered by the Jamestown-Yorktown
Foundation, an educational agency of the Commonwealth of
Virginia accredited by the
American Alliance of Museums. Located on Route 31 south of
Williamsburg along the James
River, the expansive museum features immersive gallery exhibits,
artifacts, films and interactives that explore the convergence of
Virginia Indians, English and West Central African cultures in the
1600s and living-history experiences in outdoor re-creations of a
Paspahegh town, English fort and, at the ships' pier, re-creations
of the Godspeed and Discovery. To learn more, visit
jyfmuseums.org and follow the museum on social media at
@jyfmuseums.
About Mystic Seaport Museum
Mystic Seaport Museum is
the nation's leading maritime Museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and
preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America's seafaring
past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research
and education with the mission to "inspire an enduring connection
to the American maritime experience." The Museum's grounds cover 19
acres on the Mystic River in Mystic,
CT, and include a re-created New England coastal village, a
working shipyard, formal exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art
artifact storage facilities. The Museum is home to more than 500
historic watercraft, including four National Historic Landmark
vessels, most notably the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan.
For more information, please
visit mysticseaport.org and follow the Museum
on Facebook, X, YouTube and Instagram.
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SOURCE Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation