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

The night was indeed quiet, and we awoke at 0600 to ground fog, which should clear quickly.  It is a bit nippy, but no frost, and the hardy crew who slept on deck are still there, wrapped in their sleeping bags.

Walking the decks in the early morning, one is easily transported to 1609.  Crew and their gear occupy every corner. In the dark and quiet of the dawn the nylon sleeping bags appear as woolen blankets, and the sounds of humans sleeping are the same as ever.  It is a magical moment.  Of course, as the sun rises, so do the young crew members, and their voices bring us back to the modern day.

We are lucky to have an international crew, mixed Dutch and American, just as Hudson had.  Joining us from the Netherlands are Mark Morel, a sailing instructor near Amsterdam, Maartje van den Berg, an architect and avid sailor, and Rob Zantkuijl, a student at the Technical University and avid sailor.  They have come to experience the Half Moon under sail, and especially to work with the students.  It adds a great dimension to our work to have them aboard.

Today we will start with sail training and preparing to get underway with the sails.  It is ironic that the last two days the winds have been too heavy to sail, and today there is almost no wind.  But, that will be fortunate for learning.

The heavy rains flushed duckweed from the upriver creeks and streams into the Hudson. It was blown into windrows, turning the surface near green. Kristin & Abel collected some for the crew to see.

Captain Reynolds provided the crew with tee shirts with the Half Moon design on back.

On the front deck getting sail handling instruction from Captain Reynolds.

Jeaneette & Mrs. Farrell with quadrant               (navigational tool that measures altitude of celestial objects) that Mr. Woodworth made on the ship.

Knot tying on the orlop deck. The orlop is a lower, protected deck where the crew sleeps.

Crew on deck operate the capstan (the ship's winch that gives mechanical advantage in hoisting the anchor line).

Weighing the anchor is a complicated process, which involves the coordination of several teams of crew.  Crew on the weather deck turn the capstan to haul the anchor line; crew on the orlop deck must carefully guide the anchor line into the ship, onto the capstan, then back to the forebits to be faked for setting the anchor again; crew on the foredeck must attach a tackle with a hook to the anchor to lift it onto the ship.

Mr. Meilick on the orlop deck guiding anchor line to capstan.

Jessica & Nora faking the anchor line (laying the rope on the deck in an orderly manner).

Mr. Zantkuijl guiding anchor line off the bit.

At anchor off Piermont, in the Tappan Zee.

We set anchor this evening just before 2100, at the completion of a long and productive day.  The students continued work on their projects, and in an intensive period of training, the new crew learned how to set both the course sails and the topsails.  Then we weighed anchor, and proceeded to sail through the Hudson Highlands, where the History Channel photographer filmed us for an upcoming documentary on Henry Hudson and his voyages.  What  a day.

Going aloft to furl sails (tie them securely to the yards so the wind cannot blow them around) in the evening off Piermont.

Alison, on galley duty, hauls dinner to be served on the weather deck. 

Abel & Peter enjoying dinner.