Henry B. du Pont Preservation Shipyard
The Henry B. du Pont Preservation Shipyard is part of the Mystic Seaport Museum complex. At the Shipyard, shipwrights and assistants carry out maintenance and preservation work on vessels belonging to the Museum and other organizations.
The following photos show some of the facilities and work being done at the Shipyard.
Two-masted fishing schooner L.A. Dunton (1921) hauled out and undergoing restoration. The ship is a National Historic Landmark. 23 April 2026.
Stern view of L.A. Dunton’s keel and lower hull.22 April 2026.
Detail of part of the hull on the starboard side of L.A. Dunton. 22 April 2026.
The Shipyard mills its own planks from carefully sourced wood. The Saw Mill building is at left. 22 April 2026.
View looking at one end of the Saw Mill building. 22 April 2026.
Detail of a saw in the Main Shop. 22 April 2026.
National Historic Landmark fishing smack Emma C. Berry (1866) in the Main Shop. 22 April 2026.
Emma C. Berry from the upper Exhibit Gallery in the Main Shop. 22 April 2026.
The Hays and Ros Clark Shiplift. A vessel is lifted out of the water using a platform located at the end of the pier. Once that is done and the vessel is secured for transport on land, it is then carefully moved ashore using the track system on the pier. 22 April 2026.
Mayflower II (1956) is a reproduction of the Mayflower, which brought the Pilgrims to North America in 1620. She is owned and operated by Plimoth Patuxet located in Plymouth, Massachusetts. 23 April 2026.
Hidden behind the scaffolding, Susan Constant (1989) is a three-masted barque. She is a reproduction of one of the three ships that brought the Jamestown (Virginia) colonists to North America in 1607. She is part of the Jamestown Settlement. 22 April 2026.
Coronet (1885) is a two-masted schooner, that was built as a yacht for businessman Rufus T. Bush (1840–1890). She is currently owned by a New York-based company, Crew. 23 April 2026.
Rufus T. Bush’s wife and son accompanied him on board Coronet on a circumnavigation of the world in 1888. Hawai‘i was one of the stops along the way.
From the 14 August 1888 issue of the Daily Bulletin Weekly Summary:
The ship arrived in Honolulu from San Diego, California on Saturday, 11 August 1888. Based on accounts in local newspapers from the time, the Bush family and the guests who sailed with them on Coronet had a busy social schedule. King David Kalākaua visited the ship, as did members of Honolulu’s high society. They attended a public concert by the Royal Hawaiian Band at the Hawaiian Hotel.
Early in the morning on the 20th, the Bush family and others from Coronet joined a small group from the city on board the steamer Waimanalo. They sailed along the coast to Wai‘anae and went ashore to visit the Waianae Sugar Plantation, where they enjoyed a hearty breakfast that featured “excellent coffee and sugar, tender chicken and fresh-caught akule fish.” After the meal, the group went on a quick tour of the sugar mill and then viewed the plantation’s lands via the company’s railway. They returned to Waimanalo in the afternoon for the voyage back to Honolulu. Along the way, there was time for a short cruise around Pearl Harbor before sunset. 1“AN EXCURSION.” Daily Pacific Commercial Advertiser, 21 August 1888, p. 2.
Coronet departed for Japan on Wednesday, 22 August 1888.
Transcript:
THE CORONET.
The American yacht Coronet, (reported as the Casco) arrived Saturday afternoon, 14 days from San Diego. About five months ago the Coronet sailed from New York on a voyage around the world with the following passengers:—Mr. R. T. Bush (owner) wife, and son, W. P. Denslow and wife, Dr. Abbott and Mr. Martin. From this port the Coronet expects to sail for Yokohama, returning to New York by the way of Bombay, Suez Canal, the Mediteranean [sic] Sea and Liverpool, and will be about 10 months on the voyage. The Coronet was towed in by the Mokolii, and is anchored in the stream off the old Custom House wharf. She is a fine looking vessel and is magnificently fitted up inside.
