It’s been a while since I personally renewed my Mystic Seaport Museum membership, so credit card in hand off I went.

Traditionally, my first stop is the beautifully-stocked bookstore — arguably the nation’s premier maritime bookstore —to chat with the knowledgeable staff, pick up this year’s Eldridge (don’t know what an Eldridge is? It’s kind of a bible for us nautical types; but not to worry, the staff will be happy to explain it).

I careened through the gift shop quickly weaving through a small display of nautically-themed coffee table books interspersed with a few Seaport publications and headed upstairs—only to skid to a stop against a rope and sign stating that upstairs is closed and the “bookstore” is downstairs. That anemic display was the bookstore. Staff? Zilch; a harassed cashier was the only employee in sight (regarding that Eldridge?—just Google it).

Confused, I opted for a maritime art fix and staggered towards the Museum’s art gallery—one of Connecticut’s premier galleries—but couldn’t find it. Those sly administrators had done such a fine job in eliminating the gallery that there wasn’t even a remnant of its previous existence.

Holy cow, what a disappointment; might as well join the crowds streaming into the Seaport, grab a snack at the cafeteria and enjoy the museum displays. What crowds? On this delightful summer Sunday, the grounds swallowed up the few visitors; the only crowd was the one clustered around the automated menu in the cafeteria trying to figure out how to insert their credit cards to order. Aw, just grab a pre-packaged sandwich from the rack —reminiscent of a service station snack-rack — against the wall; but wait, no prices listed, no ingredients shown. There was, however, one of those little symbols that you can wave at with your cell phone.

Then it hit me—déjà-vu. I worked at the South Street Museum in New York while it was being converted to a shopping mall with a few old boats lying around. The South Street beat—get rid of those with old time nautical skills, cut back on staff and guest services, then cry long and loud about how the museum is going down the tubes—fits the playbill here. The next step will be to call in the feather merchants to save the joint.

Yeah, I’m just another old guy venting. But I have bona-fides; I live here now because the Mystic Seaport Museum invited me to co-judge, with Rudolph Schaefer III — a man who truly and unselfishly supported the museum and what it stood for — the 15th Annual Mystic Maritime Gallery International Art Exhibition in 1994. I sailed up from New York and was so impressed by Mystic and the Seaport that I never went back. I even skippered the Sabino one year — the last coal-fired passenger-carrying steamboat in the continental USA. Remember the Sabino? Well, your kids won’t; it’s shut down with no immediate operational plans.

And now? The defunct Mystic Maritime Gallery, which was created by Rudy Schaefer, won’t be hosting any more art exhibitions. Paraphrasing the excuses for closing it down; it wasn’t profitable enough and interest in marine art is waning (really?). And who needs a bookstore? It, the maritime gallery and an old steamboat that actually steams; all they do is inspire and create awe and wonder. Ridiculous; this place needs to turn a buck.

Stu Reininger is a resident of New London.

Editor’s note: The gallery closed in 2020. A Seaport spokeswoman provided this link for more information: https://www.mysticseaport.org/news/maritime-art-gallery-to-close/

The gift shop is operated by Event Network.