Historians at the Mystic Seaport Museum are turning to advanced new technologies in order to restore the world’s last remaining wooden whaling vessel, the Charles W. Morgan. The whaleship, built in 1841, has been on display at the Connecticut museum for nearly 60 years and, for the first time, is being retrofitted to once again sail on the highseas.  The New York Times has the details on the technology used in the restoration:

To learn as much as possible about the old ship and ensure its successful restoration, the specialists here are turning to the art and science of imaging.

They are deploying lasers and portable X-ray machines, laptops and forensic specialists, cameras and recorders, historians and graphic artists to tease out hidden details of the ship’s construction and condition. The project, begun in 2008, is producing a revealing portrait. It shows the exact placement and status of many thousands of planks, ribs, beams, nails, reinforcing pins, wooden pegs and other vital parts of the Morgan, giving shipwrights a high-tech guide for the rebuilding of the historic vessel.

…

In a more sweeping assessment, specialists have sent laser beams racing across the Morgan, inside and out, seeking to record inconspicuous details and form a digital archive of exact measurements. The laser scans can track details as small as an eighth of an inch and have swept the entire ship across its 114-foot length and 28-foot width — once a cramped home to a crew of 35.

The scans have produced “millions of points of information” and a wealth of three-dimensional images, said Kane Borden, research coordinator of the restoration. “The results are pretty spectacular to look at.” Keep Reading

[Image credit: Harry R. Feldman, Inc. via New York Times]

C. F. Møller Architects have recently published sketches of the extension for the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London. The Danish firm won the international architectural competition for the 5200 m2 new wing in 2006.

The new wing, called the Sammy Ofer Wing, will house a large special exhibitions gallery, a new south entrance towards Greenwich Park, and the creation of storage facilities for the National Maritime Archive with associated learning and research facilities.

According to NMM.ac.uk:

The new wing will open access routes from the Museum to Greenwich Park with a new south entrance.

It will improve the Museum’s key visitor approaches from the Royal Observatory and major transport arrival points, as well as connections with the rest of the World Heritage Site.

The new wing will give visitors a complete sense of what the Museum offers: world-class displays, collections and visitor facilities, all in one accessible configuration.

Due to the heritage sensitivity of the site, the bulk of the new construction is kept below ground, meaning that the new wing becomes a combination of architecture and public landscape. The roof of the new wing is a landscaped terrace overlooking the park, and all levels are accessed by ramps.

Construction is planned to start this summer with a scheduled opening sometime prior to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.  The new wing is named after Sammy Ofer, an international shipping magnate and philanthropist, who donated £20m for the new project.

Sammy Ofer Wing sketches:

Images via CFMoller.com

New York’s Intrepid Air & Space Museum officially re-opened for business on Saturday for the first time since September 31, 2006.  The grand opening on Saturday morning was marked by a ceremonial ribbon cutting attended by: George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company; Connie Fishman, CEO of Hudson River Park Trust; Intrepid officials and former crewmembers.  An evening fireworks display was scheduled across the Hudson River.  In a symbolic “salute” to the Intrepid, the amphibious assault ship, USS Bataan (LHD 5), along with more than 1,000 Sailors and Marines, arrived in New York last week to be on hand for the festivities.

The entire project – which also included the complete rebuilding of Pier 86, the refurbishment of 16 historic aircraft on board, the redesigning and installation of a new Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, and an inside-and-out paint job for the 65-year-old aircraft carrier – cost approximately $115 million and took less than two years.

About the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

One of the world’s largest maritime museums, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is housed aboard the 900-foot-long ESSEX class aircraft carrier Intrepid, which saw service during World War II, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. It also served as a prime recovery vessel for NASA during the Mercury and Gemini space programs before it was retired in 1974. Four years later, Zachary Fisher established the Intrepid Museum Foundation for the sole purpose of “saving the Intrepid for generations to come.” Listed in the National Park Service’s National Historic Landmark register, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum was opened as a symbol of peace and education in August 1982. The Intrepid underwent extensive renovations for nearly two years and returned to its home at Pier 86 in October 2008.  Prior to leaving its home on the Hudson River at West 46th Street, the Intrepid attracted more than 750,000 people each year from around the world, from children to senior citizens and world leaders.  It also hosted more than 150 special events, and served as a focal point during New York’s annual Fleet Week celebration. The Intrepid produces a wide range of public programming, and is recognized worldwide as an historic icon that makes history come alive for visitors through its unforgettable series of dynamic and interactive exhibits.

For more information, and to purchase tickets visit www.intrepidmuseum.org

If you are in New York tomorrow (October 2nd) be sure to head down to Pier 86 to watch her return home.

Thanks Sea-Fever!

NOAA has teamed up with the Smithsonian Institute to bring the depths of the ocean to the National Mall, in Washington D.C.  This past weekend, the Institute inaugurated the Sant Ocean Hall in the National Museum of Natural History: an exhibit that aims to raise awareness of the importance of the ocean and the effect of human activities on marine life.  NOAA tells us about the exhibit:

Phoenix, a 45-foot model of a living North Atlantic Right Whale, serves as the Hall’s signature symbol. There are 10 sections in the hall that address a variety of ocean-related topics, including the deep ocean, coral reefs, the Arctic and Southern Oceans and current ocean research. The Coral Reef section has a 1,500-gallon aquarium featuring an Indo-Pacific reef with over 1,000 specimens of more than 50 different species of live fish and other marine life. The hall’s “Journey through Time” section looks into the past with fossils of a large number of ancient organisms; some are more than 500 million years old. In the exhibit’s theater, a 13-minute video, “Deep Ocean Explorers,” takes visitors on a dive through the zones of the open ocean to the deep ocean bottom aboard the submersible, Alvin.

The exhibit is a good fit that fills a void in both the Natural History Museum and others in the area.  I will be sure to check that out next time I am over in our Nations Capital.

In other news, just a few hours north in New York, The Intrepid is finally making its way back to the West Side of New York City after two years from being hauled off for renovations.

According to the Museum’s website, the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum will be re-opening on November 8th, with a large celebration on November 11th; Veteran’s Day.

For New Yorkers, it is a welcoming return for the legendary warship that has sat right next the West Side Highway at Pier 86 since the early eighties.

The Intrepid served a long career in the U.S. Navy and has quite a bit of experience in battle.  Commission in 1943, the Intrepid has fought in 6 major Pacific campaigns and has been the victim of Japanese Kamikazes.  It also served in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars and even as a recovery ship for NASA astronauts.

Our Favorite Maritime Photographer, Houston Pilot Lou Vest, has donated a few of his amazing photos to the pilot association’s charitable foundation, Anchor Watch. They will use the images to produce a 2008 calendar with the proceeds funding scholarships to maritime schools, sea scout troops, the Houston maritime museum and other worthy causes.

Purchase details and a preview of the images can be found on Lou’s Flickr page: LINK

Our ship model of the week is the Malaysia International Shipping Company’s (MISC) LNG Tanker Bunga Cenderawasih. The model is of the 17 year old Korean built ship prior to being refurbished by Keppel Verolme in 2005.

This model was built by Maritime Replicas.

Photos of the Bunga Cenderawasih