Mystic — Unlike his predecessors, Peter Armstrong is not a sailor.

But the new president of Mystic Seaport Museum sees that as an advantage, not a drawback.

While some museum patrons are interested in the technical aspects of the boats on display, he said many visitors, like him, are not sailors.

"They want to know the stories behind the boats. They want to know about the people who were on the boats, what their families did when they were gone. That's what I want to know about. They're not interested in the tonnage, the height (of the mast) or the keel," he said Tuesday afternoon, standing across from the Charles W. Morgan whaling ship.    

Armstrong said he intends to continue rolling out new exhibits, programs and demonstrations along with featuring more modern vessels and telling the story of how people rely on the sea in ways they may not realize. 

"You don't want to see the same thing you saw the last time you were here," he said.

He said he also plans to ask community members what they want to see at the museum and provide more opportunities for those with disabilities or autism, the visually impaired and underserved youth to experience the museum. 

After an international search, the 57-year-old Armstrong, a native of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, took over the reins of the museum on Dec. 14 from Steve White, who retired after 12 years.

Before coming here, Armstrong worked at the United Kingdom's Royal Armories Museum, which is best known for its Tower of London Museum. Most recently, he was the senior director at the Jamestown-Yorktown museums in Virginia, which opened a $50 million American Revolution Museum in 2017. In 2019, he oversaw the creation of two major exhibitions, one on the arrival of women at the Jamestown colony and another on enslaved and free Blacks who fought on both sides of the Revolutionary War.   

While he had never visited the Seaport before beginning the interview process, Armstrong said he was well aware of its international reputation. In fact, when he and his wife decided to move to the United States seven years ago, he looked at the Seaport, "but the job was taken." 

"It's a place I always thought I'd like to work at. It's a place that suits my skill set," he said. "It's a historic site but it's doing relevant things. I wanted to be part of that and take it forward."

Armstrong applied for the position when the Seaport announced White was stepping down. He said the location's proximity to Boston appealed to him because it will enable him to quickly get back to England to see his three grown children and a grandchild who's on the way.

A modern focus

Armstrong said he would like to focus on current stories of the sea, such as the crucial role it plays in the shipping of food around the globe and as a conduit for the cable that provides much of the world's internet service.  

"It really relates to us in many ways but you don't necessarily think about it," he said. "It plays a part in everyone's lives and it always will."

Armstrong said he wants to provide opportunities for underserved youth to experience the teamwork and responsibility that come with being on the sea.

Currently, he said the museum is preparing the village and shipyard portions of the museum to reopen to the public on May 1. He said he wants to hear from the community about how the museum can help them deliver their programs, such as providing space or expertise. 

"We're a big part of this community. We have resources and we'd like to offer them to the community," he said.

Armstrong said he would like to publicly exhibit more of the museum's vast collection, which is housed in the Collections Research Center.

"We want the public to see them," he said of the many artifacts, which include more than 500 boats.

j.wojtas@theday.com