Wednesday October 19, 2005

Morning Position
Under the Pallisades,
opposite Spuiten Duivel
41˚ 37.9' latitude
073˚ 57.1' longitude

Midday Position
Bay Ridge Flats
40˚ 39.9' latitude
074˚ 02.6' longitude

Evening Position
Bay Ridge Flats
40˚ 39.9' latitude
074˚ 02.6' longitude

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0600 hours: Rise and shine.
0700 hours: Weigh anchor.
0730 hours: Daybreak.
0740 hours: Breakfast.
0930 hours: New York Harbor.
1000 hours: Set anchor.
1010 hours: Deck wash.

 

0600: We rise to greet another day.

0700: We weigh anchor and continue south, passing under the George Washington Bridge at 0720 hours.

0730: Although daylight has been flooding over the horizon since we weighed anchor, it's only now that day breaks over the city. We've already been working for more than an hour!

0740: We eat a simple breakfast (with various cereals to choose from) while motoring south past Manhattan.

While we eat, we pass the Cloisters to the east. Associated with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cloisters are home to an expansive collection of artifacts from Medieval Europe.

0930: We've passed Manhattan and are entering New York Harbor. We get a close look at the Statue of Liberty as we reach our anchorage, the Bay Ridge Flats.

From this anchorage, we are surounded by sights of the city: the State of Liberty and the towers of Manhattan to the north, Staten Island to the west, and Brooklyn to the east. The Verazano Narrows lie to our south, leading to the Atlantic.

1000: We set anchor in the Bay Ridge Flats, a relatively shallow area in New York Harbor. We'll be staying here for nearly 48 hours in total, giving our student crew a full day to gather data for their educational presentations.

1010: But before that, it's time for a deck wash! We hose and scrub down the upper decks thoroughly. Not only does this keep us clean, these deck washes help keep us seaworthy as well. As the planks of a wooden sailing vessel absorb water, they expand, tightening their seal.

1030: With that done, the students start learning how to use the scientific instruments they'll be using during our layover. Since everyone has passed their harness test, they're cleared to go out on the channels (with adult supervision).

To the above left, Mr. Colley shows Candice, Kris, and Alex W. how to use a Secchi disk to measure water clarity. To the above right, Mr. Linehan shows Matt, Alex S., and Zach how to use a lead line to take soundings, which means to measure the water's depth.

1100: Now that everyone is familiar with the most commonly used instruments on the ship, our educational crew convenes the watches to organize their team presentations. Port Watch, studying water phenomena, meets on the weather deck. Meanwhile, Starboard Watch, studying weather phenomena, meets on the orlop. The teachers explain the steps the students will need to follow to complete their projects successfully, from initial hypothesis, through data collection and on to the final presentation.

1130: Once the briefing concludes, the students move out to familiarize themselves with their instruments. The data collection period doesn't actually begin until tomorrow morning, so today the students can just "play" with their instruments, learning how to use them effectively.

To the left, Sam examines a whirling hydrometer, which he will use as part of his research on humidity.

To the right, Zach uses a Van Dorn sampler, which will let him collect water temperature data from the depths of his choice.

Nick is studying surface temperatures, comparing the water's temperature with that of the air. He's checking a thermometer to the left.

 

When the students aren't busy taking readings, they usually hang out around the capstan, comparing notes.

1230: Lunch is served! Today we're having grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.

1400: One of the benefits of our day-long research layover is that it gives us time to send the Zodiac (our inflatable tender boat) out on exploratory expeditions, just as Hudson sent men out on the Half Moon's small boat to explore or gather supplies in 1609. Mr. Dawson, Mr. Linehan, and Mr. Mangrum have already gone out once this afternoon to scout around, and now we're ready to take out the students in groups of two or three. The students are also accompanied by Mr. Dawson, the boat pilot, and at least one other adult. (This isn't just for safety; grown ups enjoy riding around on the Zodiac too.)

On this voyage, we've decided to explore some of the Brookyln waterline, in an area that's visible from the ship.

While the first group of students is out the Zodiac, experimentation continues on the Half Moon. Here, Mr. Beiter teaches Matt how to use a refractometer, which he'll be using to study water salinity.

Here, Nate is learning to use a hand-bearing compass to mark the direction of the sun as part of his studies of solar energy.

1500: The Zodiac has returned! Unfortunately, while it was out, a front has blown through, bringing strong winds with it. The sea is now too choppy to go back out again today.

The good news is that the expedition members have returned with a collection of artifacts and biological samples to examine. To the left, Alex S. uses a field guide to identify a plant. To the right, Kris checks out some sames under the microscope.

And don't worry -- there's still tomorrow for the rest of the crew to go exploring.

The highlight of the expedition discoveries so far is a mussel the Zodiac crew discovered in shallow water. We break out the dissection kit, and Alex and Alex work together to study the invertebrate's physiology.

1600: With the sun still high in the sky, the students retreat to the orlop deck to update their journals.

1630: That done, the students return to their experiments. Some students also take the opportunity to climb aloft, either to measure the wind speed or simply to take in the view.

1700: Perhaps due to the heavy tidal motion and the winds constantly turning the ship, a few of our crew are feeling slightly under the weather. However, we let them get out of the sun and rest up for a while. Here, Sam has discovered just how comfortable the anchor rode can be for taking a catnap.

By the end of the night, everyone is feeling like themselves again.

1730: As the sun sinks, Captain Reynolds gathers everyone on the weather deck. We spend the remains of the day learning about lines of position, using hand-bearing compasses and the surrounding landmarks to triangulate our position on the water.

1800: As the sun sets behind Staten Island, Captain Reynolds holds our usual anchor watch meeting. It's particularly important that we not drag our anchor here in New York Harbor. As you might expect for a major port, New York sees heavy water traffic all day. Just a few hundred yards away, in several directions, high-speed ferries like the one below zip back and forth on a regular schedule. You can also see tankers and tugboats operating farther away, and several massive cruise ships pass by as well. We're pefectly safe where we are (due to the shallow depths here on the Bay Ridge Flats, we're out of the shipping routes), but we certainly wouldn't want to drift in front of one of these huge, powerful vessels.

1900: As the lights of the city wink on, we eat dinner on the weather deck. The whole crew ends the day -- best not to ask how or why it happens -- singing every song we can think of, ranging from rock classics of the 60s through the 90s to television jingles. The sea does strange things to people, sometimes.

2100: Our musical repertoire exhausted, we once again opt for an early lights out. Tomorrow promises to be a long, busy day.

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