Spooky Sightings Aboard Historic Boat

June 26, 2006 — -- The Charles W. Morgan is one of the top attractions at Connecticut's Mystic Seaport.

Lately, though, the famous whaling ship has drawn more attention for its mystery than its history.

"The Rhode Island Paranormal Research Group wrote us a letter in February and asked for permission to come and do a preliminary investigation of paranormal activity aboard the Morgan," said Michael O'Farrell, spokesman for the maritime museum.

"Three visitors, in particular, described the same type of incident. They mentioned seeing somebody in the blubber room, which is the midlevel of the ship, dressed in 19th-century clothing -- a gentleman who was working with some line and smoking a pipe."

Howard Davis, a longtime Mystic Seaport employee, said that he often ran into what appeared to be the ghost of a Morgan ship keeper who once had worked with Davis on the boat.

"One night in the winter, I was down there putting out the lights and I had this feeling that this fella who I had known was standing right behind me so I turned around quick and there was nobody there," Davis said. "Recently a young boy was here and he said, 'The ghost smoked a pipe, didn't he?' And this fella that I saw always had a pipe going."

The Charles W. Morgan is the last surviving wooden whaling ship from the heyday of the American whaling industry.

It was built in 1841 and made 37 voyages under 20 captains before it retired in 1921. Because of its long career, it was known as a lucky ship.