(l-r) Amy O’Connor and Ed Dean give a toast in honor of their 23rd wedding anniversary.

by Ed Dean
photos by Alexis Ann

“Marriages performed by the Captain are valid only for the duration of the voyage.” So reads a sign aboard the Mystic Whaler, a windjammer owned and captained by John Eginton based in New London. On August 23rd, when Amy O’Connor and Ed Dean boarded the Whaler, the couple just laughed at the sign. It has been 23 years since they boarded for their wedding voyage. Both the ship and their wedding have weathered the times.

The Mystic Whaler (MysticWhalerCruises.com) is a vintage tall ship, built in 1967 and restored by Captain John in 1993 to pristine condition. With 83 feet of hardwood decking and 3000 square feet of sail, the schooner is frequently chartered for special events like this anniversary party.

On Sunday, there were many similarities to Amy and Ed’s wedding voyage 23 years prior… scrumptious clam chowder from the ship’s galley, swinging music – this time by Hot Cat Jazz Band (HotCatJazz.com) – sitting on the bow, numerous bottles of sparkling champagne and many of the same guests including parents of the bride and groom.

Now entering his fourteenth year as owner of Mystic Whaler Cruises, Captain John Eginton restored the Mystic Whaler in 1993.

This nautical anniversary was also marked by some key differences, most notably the addition of twenty beautiful teenage children of original guests, including daughters Danielle and Tara Dean who helped Ed arrange the surprise party. And much like the story of “Bride Wars,” this second trip also included close friends Margie and Al Warner, Chester, who missed the original wedding because they inconveniently scheduled their nuptials on the same day 23 years ago. And some new friends like Fred Brooke and Lynn McCarthy of Old Lyme, founders of the Angel Ride (AngelRide.org) that raises funds in support of Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.

After a sunny four-hour sail across the Sound, the Mystic Whaler returned to dock in New London. There, Ed  – who is an adventure photographer (PhotoAdventuresWithEd.com) – used circuit camera technology, based upon the original concepts developed in the early 1900s, to capture memories of the day in a sunny panorama.