You may also see old sails being repaired or new ones cut and sewn in the Charles Mallory Sail Loft.

The process of shipbuilding is an amazing one, particularly as it was done before modern tools and technology came along. That process that comes to life in Mystic Seaport's building barns means you will never look at a ship — or even a boat — in quite the same way again.

In the learning mode . . .

Sure, they'll tell you, you can call it a collection. You can also call the Great Wall of China a fence.

In 2002, Mystic Seaport celebrated the grand opening of its Collections Research Center — the nation's leading maritime research facility. Included are more than 2 million maritime artifacts, including 1 million photographs dating back to the 1840s; 1.5 million feet of film; 1,200 maritime paintings; 500 sea vessels; 100,000 ship plans; 2,000 ship models; and thousands of figureheads, tools, carvings and other items relating to the history of man and the sea.

While many of the artifacts are on display, or are rotated through exhibits, the collection is also accessible to students, scholars and even moviemakers. The list of movies and television programs shot at least in part at the Seaport includes "Amistad," "Gangs of New York," "Moby Dick," and a number of History Channel productions.

In addition, Mystic Seaport offers a full Maritime Studies program in connection with Williams College, that includes both undergraduate and graduate courses. Boat building, sailing and navigation classes are also open to the general public. If you've always wanted to sail the open seas, here's a place to learn how. Pretty cool classroom.

In the town . . .

The nautical heritage of Mystic Seaport extends to the town of Mystic, situated on the Mystic River just as it empties into Long Island Sound. The boat building and the related exploration and trade created a thriving center of commerce as well as a charming town populated by houses reflecting the wealth of builders and traders.

Nearby towns such as Groton, Noank and Stonington also capture a lot of the flavor of that earlier era.

But there are modern connections to the sea, too. The river and the sound offer adventures aplenty, from whale-watching cruises to sailing on everything from reconstructed 19th-century schooners to riverboats, sailboats and ferries. You can even paddle about in kayaks.