2024 Speakers’ Series

Masin Room (shore side of North Entrance building)

Friday, June 28

Friday, June 28, 10:30 a.m.

Project MAYFLOWER

Richard A. Stone
Plimoth Patuxet Museums’ replica ship MAYFLOWER II was launched in England in 1956. In his just-released book, Richard Stone recounts the English and American roots and the continuing legacy of the replica project, including the research into the original 1620 ship and the replica’s seven-week voyage in 1957 to Plymouth, Massachusetts, with Alan Villiers at the helm. The replica was restored at Mystic Seaport Museum and relaunched in 2020 in time for the 400th anniversary of the original MAYFLOWER’s voyage. www.MayflowerEventNews.com

Friday, June 28, 2:00 p.m.

Restoring L.A. DUNTON’s Shape

Walt Ansel
As part of the multiyear project to restore the L.A. DUNTON, Mystic Seaport’s 1921 fishing schooner, her sweeping original sheerline was re-established in early 2024. Walter Ansel, the museum shipyard’s director, will discuss what was involved in the extraordinary effort of raising the bow and the stern by as much as 3′6″. Restoring the hull’s shape opens the path to the next phases of what is expected to be a years-long restoration, and Ansel will discuss what comes next.

Saturday, June 29

Saturday, June 29, 10:30 a.m.

Left for Dead

Eric Jay Dolin
In his latest maritime history, Eric Jay Dolin writes of a War of 1812 encounter between American and British ships in the Falkland Islands. He describes it as a tale of shipwreck, greed, lying, bullying, a hostile takeover, stellar leadership, ingenuity, severe privation, endurance, banishment, the great value of a dog, the birth of a baby, a perilous 1,000-mile open-ocean journey in a 17′ boat, an improbable rescue mission, and legal battles over a dubious and disgraceful wartime prize. www.ericjaydolin.com

Saturday, June 29, 2:00 p.m.

Panel Discussion: Trends in Wooden Boatbuilding

Alec Brainerd, John Harris, and David Snediker
With high-end restorations that demand exacting traditional skills, cold-molded construction that seems to dominate in new custom yachts, and the rise of wood-epoxy kit boatbuilding among owner-builders, much has changed in the 50 years since WoodenBoat started publishing. What are the trends ahead for wooden boatbuilding? Alec Brainerd, of Artisan Boatworks, John Harris of Chesapeake Light Craft, and David Snediker of Snediker Yacht Restoration share their wide-ranging perspectives.