Mystic Seaport Names 22nd Captain of the Charles W. Morgan

Mystic Seaport named Richard “Kip” Files of Rockland, Maine as the new captain of the 19th century whaling ship the Charles W. Morgan, which will venture back to sea next summer to visit historic ports of New England celebrating the importance of America’s maritime heritage.

At the conclusion of a five-year, multi-million dollar restoration at the museum’s Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard, Files will take the Morgan on an approximately three-month voyage from May to August in Southern New England waters.

“This is an extraordinary undertaking and it will be exciting to take this ship back to sea to discover and share what it was like to operate a wooden whaleship as they did throughout the 19th century,”  Files said.

As the owner and captain of the 132-foot, three-masted schooner Victory Chimes out of Rockland, Files is no stranger to sailing large ships with no engine. He is also the primary captain of the 207-foot barque Elissa, owned and operated by the Galveston Historical Foundation and Texas Seaport Museum. Files holds a U.S. Coast Guard Master Ocean License for Inspected Passenger Vessels of up to 1600 Gross Tons. He has been a master of traditional sailing vessels since 1978. He also served on the boards of Tall Ships America (formerly the American Sail Training Association) and the Ocean Classroom Foundation.

“There are very few people in the world with the knowledge and experience of traditional square-rigged sailing necessary to do this job. Kip is one of those people and we are confident we have found the right person to be lead the ship on her 38th Voyage,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport.

Files will arrive at Mystic Seaport to start work on Nov. 11. He will be charged with hiring the Morgan’s crew and preparing and equipping her for the 38th Voyage. After a period of fitting out and sea trials based in New London, Conn. Files will sail her to Newport, Vineyard Haven, New Bedford, and Boston. The Morgan will also venture onto the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and participate in the centennial celebration of the Cape Cod Canal. The voyage will be a commemoration of the role of the sea in the history of America and an appreciation of our changing relationship with the natural world.

“For someone who has made his living with traditional vessels this is quite an honor,” Files said. “The 38th Voyage will be one of the most significant maritime events in my lifetime, and I feel privileged and humbled to be part of this historic voyage.”

As the 22nd captain of the National Historic Landmark and the last wooden whaling ship in the world, Files takes his responsibility for the well-being of the vessel and the safety of the crew very seriously.

“The most important goal is to achieve a safe voyage for the ship and all who sail on her,” Files said. “The Charles W. Morgan is an irreplaceable artifact of America’s maritime heritage and her well-being is paramount.”

At 113 feet long, the Charles W. Morgan was launched in New Bedford, Mass. in 1841 and had a whaling career of 80 years and 37 voyages that spanned the far reaches of the globe. While her original cargo was whale oil and bone, now her cargo is knowledge. Commanding this American icon and presenting her to the American people as a living portal into an important chapter of our history is an honor, Files said.

Although he’s sailed in oceans across the globe for close to half a century, Files said he hasn’t yet experienced a favorite sail. However, the Morgan’s 38th Voyage is “going to be a quite the adventure,” he said. 

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Photo Credit: Fred LeBlanc. Kip at the helm of his windjammer Victory Chimes out of Rockland, Maine.