Mystic Seaport

Nellie is an oyster sloop located at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut, United States. Nellie was built in 1891 in Smithtown, New York and was used for oyster dredging in Long Island Sound. Mystic Seaport acquired her in 1964 to add to their collection of watercraft.

Roann is an Eastern rig dragger located at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut, United States. Roann was built in 1947 in Thomaston, Maine by Newbert & Wallace and was used to fish for flounder, cod, and haddock. Mystic Seaport acquired the vessel to add to their collection of watercraft after she became obsolete in the 1970s. In 2009, Roann underwent a complete restoration.

Brilliant is a schooner located at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut, United States. Brilliant was built in 1932 on City Island, Bronx, by Henry B. Nevins Yard to a design by Olin Stephens of Sparkman & Stephens for Walter Barnum. Brilliant was built as an ocean racing yacht, and on her maiden voyage crossed the Atlantic Ocean in just over 15 days, 1 hour and 23 minutes, a record for a sailing yacht of her size. Brilliant ran from Nantucket Lightship to Bishop Rock Light, England.According to the Sparkman & Stephens blog, Brilliant was designed to a "rigorous" standard. During World War II, the schooner was acquired by the U.S. Coast Guard and used to patrol the New England coast for enemy submarines. During this time, two machine guns were mounted on Brilliant's deck. After the war, Brilliant was purchased by the accomplished sailor Briggs Cunningham, who attempted to increase her speed by outfitting her with a larger rig. The new rig consisted of taller masts, a self-tacking forestaysail, but maintained the gaff rig. During this time, Cunningham also invented what became known as the cunningham, a tie-down for the tack (the lower, forward corner of the mainsail) that allows the sail to maintain a more efficient shape. This makes Brilliant the first boat to have the device, now standard on racing boats of all sizes. Despite his modifications, Cunningham was unable to significantly improve the Brilliant's speed and he donated her to Mystic Seaport in 1953. The seaport once again changed her rig. They maintained the larger rig that Cunningham installed but changed the gaff mainsail to a Bermuda/Marconi rigged main. This is said to have happened to make sailing her easier under her new mission. Mystic Seaport now uses her as an offshore classroom and features her as part of their collection of watercraft. This use was a requirement of Cunningham's gift to Mystic Seaport.

Joseph Conrad is an iron-hulled sailing ship, originally launched as Georg Stage in 1882 and used to train sailors in Denmark. After sailing around the world as a private yacht in 1934 she served as a training ship in the United States, and is now a museum ship at Mystic Seaport in Connecticut.

Florence is a western rig dragger located at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut, United States. Florence was built in 1926 by Franklin G. Post along the Mystic River and was used as a dragger in Long Island Sound. In 1982 Florence was acquired by Mystic Seaport and completely restored to her original configuration. Florence is the only working dragger in a museum collection. Florence is now used to carry students to collect marine biology specimens from Fishers Island Sound.

Australia is a coasting schooner located at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut, United States. Australia was built in 1862 in Great South Bay, Long Island, New York and was originally named Alma. Australia was designed to carry freight and to be able to traverse shallow water. Australia was used as a Confederate blockade runner during the American Civil War until she was captured by Union warships and sold at auction. Mystic Seaport acquired her in 1951 for use as a training vessel. In 1962 Australia was hauled out for restoration but damage to the hull was deemed too extensive and the vessel was permanently beached. Australia is now housed in a shed and used as an exhibit on ship construction. Around December 28, 1874 "Henry Evans, sailor of schr Australia, crashed to death between the tug and vessel at Muskegon." in Michigan.

Annie is a Sandbagger sloop located at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut, United States. Built in 1880 in Mystic by David O. Richmond, Annie was built for Henry H. Tift and was used for competitive racing. Annie was donated to Mystic Seaport in 1931 and was the first vessel in their collection of watercraft. In 2004 she underwent an extensive restoration to return her to her original configuration.

Gerda III is a lighthouse tender located at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut, United States. Gerda III was built in 1928 in Denmark and was used as a common work boat. In 1943 Gerda III was used by 19-year old Henny Sinding to smuggle Jews from Nazi occupied Denmark to Sweden. Approximately 300 Jews were rescued by Gerda III. The Danish Parliament donated Gerda III to The Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City. Mystic Seaport now cares for the vessel and features her as part of their collection of watercraft. The rescue story is the subject of the 1991 film A Day in October.

Charles W. Morgan is an American whaling ship built in 1841 that was active during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Ships of this type were used to harvest the blubber of whales for whale oil which was commonly used in lamps. Charles W. Morgan has served as a museum ship since the 1940s and is now an exhibit at the Mystic Seaport museum in Mystic, Connecticut. She is the world's oldest surviving (non-wrecked) merchant vessel and the only surviving wooden whaling ship from the 19th century American merchant fleet (of an estimated 2,700 built). The Morgan was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966.

La Amistad (pronounced [la a.misˈtað]; Spanish for Friendship) was a 19th-century two-masted schooner, owned by a Spaniard colonizing Cuba. It became renowned in July 1839 for a slave revolt by Mende captives, who had been captured and sold to European slave traders and illegally transported by a Portuguese ship from West Africa to Cuba in violation of existing European treaties against the Atlantic slave trade. Two Spanish plantation owners, Don José Ruiz and Don Pedro Montes, bought 53 captives, including four children, in Havana, Cuba, and were transporting them on the ship to their plantations near Puerto Príncipe (modern Camagüey, Cuba). The revolt began after the schooner's cook jokingly told the slaves that they were to be "killed, salted, and cooked." Sengbe Pieh, a Mende man, also known as Joseph Cinqué, unshackled himself and the others on the third day and started the revolt. They took control of the ship, killing the captain and the cook. In the melee, three Africans were also killed. Pieh ordered Ruiz and Montes to sail to Africa. Instead, Ruiz and Montes sailed north, up the east coast of the United States, sure that the ship would be intercepted and the Africans returned to Cuba as slaves. A US ship, the revenue cutter Washington, seized Amistad off Montauk Point in Long Island, New York. Pieh and his group escaped the ship but were caught offshore by citizens. They were incarcerated in New Haven, Connecticut, on charges of murder and piracy. The man who captured Pieh and his group claimed them as property. La Amistad was towed to New London, Connecticut, and those remaining on the ship were arrested. None of the 43 survivors on the ship spoke English, so they could not explain what had taken place. Eventually language professor Josiah Gibbs found an interpreter, James Covey, and learned of the abduction. Two lawsuits were filed. The first case was brought by the Washington ship officers over property claims and the second case was the Spanish being charged with enslaving Africans. Spain requested President Martin Van Buren to return the African captives to Cuba under international treaty. Because of issues of ownership and jurisdiction, the case gained international attention. Known as United States v. The Amistad (1841), the case was finally decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in favor of the Mende, restoring their freedom. It became a symbol in the United States in the movement to abolish slavery.

Sabino (pronounced Sah-BYE-No) is a small wooden, coal-fired steamboat built in 1908 and located at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut. It is one of only two surviving members of the American mosquito fleet, and it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1992.

Emma C. Berry is a fishing sloop located at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut, United States, and one of the oldest surviving commercial vessels in America. She is the last known surviving American well smack. This type of boat is also termed a sloop smack or Noank smack. The Noank design was imitated in other regions of the United States. Emma C. Berry was built in 1866 at the Palmer Shipyards in Noank, Connecticut by James A. Latham. The boat was named for Captain John Henry Berry's daughter. In 1886 she was rigged as a schooner, and in 1916 a gasoline engine was added. She was restored in 1931 to her original condition. She was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1994.