human story of the sea
 Our visitors will be amazed by the view as they enter the final and largest area of the museum where the story of people and their relationship with the sea is told through a number of dramatic exhibits and real objects. The room is dominated by the reconstructed bow section of the Orient Star, a Jersey built schooner and an enormous animated globe on which voyages made by islanders are charted and accompanied by sound extracts from their logs. Above everything a large golden cod floats in mid-air suspended from the ceiling to represent the wealth brought back to the island by local vessels involved in the Newfoundland cod trade.
 On the way down to explore these exciting exhibits you will find hundreds of portraits of islanders amongst whom are some of the most important and interesting figures in Jersey's maritime history. You will also have an opportunity to step onto the deck of an ocean-going vessel, have a go at rope and knot work, essential skills for any sailor and step inside the cabin where you can feel the pitch and toss of the ocean and learn how sailors coped with living at sea, often for months at a time. Among the many other themes explored in this last gallery are navigation, shipwrecks, harbours, fishing and smuggling where, as throughout the whole museum, real objects are complemented by fascinating activities designed for visitors of all ages. |
