Daily Log, September 19

Latitude 41o 15.2'; Longitude 073o 58.3'; dockside at King Marine, Verplanck, NY

The sun looks (and feels) great, especially after the torrential rain.  We were in good spirits yesterday, but there is nothing like feeling the sun's rays and getting dry to really get your blood flowing.   With the tarps down we now look like a ship again, and the crew started work early organizing anchors and gear.

The wind remains blustery out of the north, about 20 knots with higher gusts.  Interestingly, the highest winds last night came between about 0330 and 0530.   Could this have to do with colder air from the north funneling down the Hudson River Valley?  The Half Moon pulled at its lines as if it wanted to get underway.  But that will happen later.  It was best for all to have remained at the King Marine dock - rather than a rough and sleepless night on the anchor, we could focus our energies on training and gaining familiarity with the ship.

The sky was clear last night, with a broad view of the starry sky.  Some of the crew started the night on the open deck, but by dawn all had moved below.  It was a bit cold.

The forecast is for the wind to remain northerly for the next few days, but calmer tonight.  Conditions will be excellent for getting underway, testing the skills that we learned, and practicing new skills today.

 

Latitude 41o 30.5’  Latitude 73o 59.5’; off Beacon, NY.

The anchor is set and holding, with winds diminishing from the moment we started to anchor.  This is fortunate, as we have had northerly winds of 20 to 30 knots since leaving the dock at King Marine at 1330.  The prospect of light winds through the night is a welcome circumstance.

Our morning was productive, with the crew working on their special projects (we have a range of studies underway, examining current speed, wind speed, historical sites, origins of Dutch and English names, mechanical advantage, and more).  Good progress is being made on each.  We also continued work on ship training, particularly to prepare for departure, operations underway and anchoring in the evening.

Meals are like our clocks – work and fresh air whet the appetite – and we eagerly anticipate Mr. Wolfe’s call that each meal is ready.  Even with the wind we prefer eating on the open decks, now that the rain has stopped.

We had spectacular views coming through the Highlands; the air was crystal clear and we could see to eternity.  The chart we have from the 1630s is accurate in its depiction of this area, showing the entrance at Verplanck and Stony Points, the bend around Dunderberg Mountain and Bear Mountain, Con Hook, West Point, and Storm King.  The North wind ran through here like a wind tunnel, and we had to stay alert on the helm – any deviation could cause us to make a full 360o, which we want to avoid.

Anchoring went smoothly, and we gathered to review how to keep watch through the night, using shoreline features to determine whether the ship drags.  In the night sky the star Arcturus was first to shine in the west, and Scorpio and Sagittarius came into clear view to the South.  Everyone (except the anchor watch) was asleep by 2200, as the winds had dropped to just a light puff – should be a good night’s sleep.

 

Mr. Woodworth & Alex performing preventive maintenance on the Half Moon.

   
Ms. van den Berg sketches the Great Cabin on the top deck.  
Mr. Zantkuijl & Mr. Weisse play the flute and medieval bagpipe on top deck.
   

Laila at the helm holding two hands on the whipstaff.        

   
An integral part of the Half Moon is the Watchboard. Crew members are assigned positions on an hourly basis. The red group is called the Port Watch and the green group is called the Starboard Watch. On the very bottom of the Watchboard is the Anchor Watch. 
   
Nora makes an entry in her journal. Each student must maintain a journal throughout the voyage.