Mystic Seaport Museum is hiring for a one-year Mate position with the possibility of extending for an additional year. The position will start in the Spring of 2026. BRILLIANT is a classic sailing yacht built in 1932 and is home to one of the longest running youth sail training programs in the country. Onboard, teens and adults are introduced to life aboard a classic sail training vessel while sailing throughout New England and the Atlantic. Dual registered as a Sailing School Vessel and a Small Passenger Vessel, BRILLIANT sails on programs ranging from two- to five-day trips for adults and five- and ten-day training voyages for teenagers. In addition, BRILLIANT participates in classic yacht racing and occasional daysails, representing the Museum in all that she does. BRILLIANT sails with a Captain, a Mate, and a Cook/Deckhand, as well as up to 9 program participants.
The mate will assist the captain in all aspects of the vessel’s operation ranging from teaching student and adult crew, vessel maneuvering, and vessel maintenance and upkeep. In the absence of the captain, the mate is responsible for all aspects of vessel operation and safety.
During the maintenance season, the mate works with the captain, staff, and volunteers to perform all needed maintenance on the vessel, including annual haul out, crew and volunteer management, interfacing with vendors, subcontractors, and other Museum Departments, as well as allocation of materials/resources. The mate is often responsible for day to day management of maintenance tasks and will work with the captain to plan long- and medium-term maintenance strategy.
The mate should enjoy working with teenagers and adult participants. Due to the nature of the work involved, the incumbent interacts with a broad range of individuals including fellow staff, visitors, volunteers, trustees, vendors, etc. In all of these interactions, the reputation of Mystic Seaport Museum and the Watercraft Area are at stake. It is essential therefore that a high degree of professionalism be exhibited at all times.
BRILLIANT has been described by WoodenBoat Magazine as one of the 100 most beautiful classic boats in existence and as "one of the best maintained and sailed classic yachts in the country — if not the world." We are really proud of our vessel and our program, and welcome qualified applicants to submit an application, resume, and cover letter.
Requirements
Physical and Mental Requirements and Environmental Conditions: The nature of the work involved requires extended periods of time outdoors in all weather conditions and all seasons. Must be able to access boats, floats, bilges, vehicles, etc in a variety of vessels.
Because of the broad interests and variety of work expected of the Watercraft Preservation and Program Staff, much work outside the parameter of this job description is desirable and expected. Within limits set by their supervisor, employees are encouraged to become involved in aspects of the Watercraft Area that are not normally within the scope of their job description. Furthermore, interests related to the Watercraft Preservation and Program Area but not currently being accomplished can be considered.
This is a high profile position for a very visible vessel and program at Mystic Seaport. The incumbent interacts with a broad range of individuals including fellow staff, visitors, volunteers, trustees, vendors, clients, donors, etc. In all of these interactions, the reputation of Mystic Seaport Museum and the Watercraft Area are at stake. It is essential therefore that a high degree of professionalism be exhibited at all times.
Mystic Seaport Museum is the nation’s largest maritime museum. Founded in 1929 to gather and preserve the rapidly disappearing artifacts of America’s seafaring past, the Museum has grown to become a national center for research and education with the mission to inspire an enduring connection to the American maritime experience.
The Museum’s grounds cover 19 acres on the Mystic River in Mystic, CT and include a recreated 19th century coastal village, a working shipyard, exhibit halls, and state-of-the-art artifact storage facilities. The Museum is home to more than 500 historic watercraft, including four National Historic Landmark vessels, most notably the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan, America’s oldest commercial ship still in existence.
With a full-time staff of 150 that swells to 350 during the summer season, the Museum hosts over 250,000 visitors annually. Mystic Seaport employs a diverse staff of scholars, librarians, historic interpreters, educators, scientists, musicians, and skilled artisans.
A stroll through the historic village transports visitors back to the mid-1800s where they can experience firsthand from staff historians, storytellers, musicians, and craftspeople just what life was like to earn one's living from the sea. In the Henry B. du Pont Preservation Shipyard, they can watch shipwrights keeping the skills and techniques of traditional shipbuilding alive as they restore and maintain the Museum’s watercraft collection.
The Museum’s 41,000 sq. ft. Collections Research Center (CRC) offers access to more than 2 million artifacts and is also home to the G.W. Blunt White Library, a 75,000-volume research library where scholars from around the world come to study America’s maritime history.
For more than 80 years, visitors, students, and scholars have turned to Mystic Seaport to preserve and interpret America’s maritime experience. The Museum’s commitment to that mission is as strong as ever.
