Tuesday, June 11, 2024 The Jamestown Settlement, a museum dedicated to 17th-century Virginia, has initiated a comprehensive multiyear project to refurbish the Susan Constant, the flagship of Virginia’s official fleet. For over three decades, the Susan Constant has served as a vital maritime education platform. Starting as early as June 15, it is scheduled to be transported to the Henry B.
du Pont Preservation Shipyard at Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut. Over the following two years, a $4.7 million restoration effort will take place, funded by the recent approval from the Virginia General Assembly and supported by ongoing fundraising to continue maritime education programs during the restoration period.
Captain Eric Speth, the longstanding director of Maritime Operations at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, will lead a 15-member crew on the estimated 515-mile voyage to Connecticut, which will span approximately four to five days, depending on weather conditions. The journey will be powered by diesel engines rather than traditional sails. Captain Speth highlighted the transformation of the Susan Constant from a static museum exhibit to a fully operational vessel, ready for its restoration journey to Mystic Seaport Museum.
There, it will be readied for continued service in teaching the history of early Virginia. Since its launch on April 25, 1991, the Susan Constant has hosted around 19 million visitors, including schoolchildren, presidents, and royalty. These visitors h.
