Iggy or Igmu Tanka (Lakota for “Big Cat”) is the senior ship’s cat on board having starting his duties with Charlie on another historic ship in 2007. Now 13 years old, he greets every guest who comes down the dock to visit the Fire Fighter. Iggy has been know to roam and visit other boats, people…but one thing is for sure he doesn’t like dogs and tolerates other cats. He and Charlie met on the streets of Beacon, NY when Iggy was just 11 months old and he followed Charlie home…and the rest is a long and somewhat crazy history. He has been the unintentional star of theater stagings on board as well as graced the cover of the Suffolk Times 6 years ago when Fire Fighter first moved to Greenport.. He and Charlie have been friends forever, and one can hardly think of Fire Fighter without him
Boo Boo is the bombay cat that lives below in the quarters and also found Charlie one October night in Cold Spring, NY where Charlie lived for some time. Scarred from some sort of animal attack, and hungry he was quickly assimilated into the Fire Fighter family in 2013. He is an old fella of unknown age , with a sweet disposition that tolerates no business from his tow cat brothers on board. Boo made his Mystic Seaport debut by jumping off the boat onto land for the first time – ever. He greets all who come down into the bunk room and sometimes jumps into their lap. …He is named Boo Boo for his wounds when Charlie found him, and because it was nearly Halloween and because Charlie always loved the character Boo Boo in Yogi Bear.
The newest member of our cat clan is Captain Morgan or Morgan or Mo….he is 4 years old and previously lived at the abandoned Fishkill, NY Mall until one snowy night Charlie spotted him begging for food at a nearby McDonalds. After a four month courtship, he finally came to the boat and learning the ways of shipboard living. Not always a fan of Iggy’s he sticks with Boo Boo like they always belonged together. He is full of energy, a handsome cat …and still a little bit wild. He had his own room on board for four months before he ever came close to anyone and then one cold Thanksgiving jumped in Charlie’s lap and hasn’t stopped being cute and loving since…He is destined for Iggy level greatness as a ship’s cat..so stop by and say hello if you can catch him.