Sunday September 18, 2005

Morning Position
Athens Channel
42˚ 16.2 minutes latitude
073˚ 48.0 minutes longitude

Midday Position
Coeymans
42˚ 29.7 minutes latitude
073˚ 47.0 minutes longitude

Evening Position
Henry Hudson Park
42˚ 32.6 minutes latitude
073˚ 45.5 minutes longitude

0700: Our crew members rise for the last full day of this Voyage of Discovery. Everyone, both students and adults, has a long list of tasks to they need to accomplish before this day is done.

Today, we have cool, pleasant weather, under azure skies dotted with puffy white clouds. Quite the change from the sauna-like weather that started our voyage!

0800: We start the day with a quick oatmeal breakfast.

0830: Our layover in Athens Channel has come to an end; it's time to weigh anchor.

We are still set at double anchor, so we must weigh both anchors before we can depart.

Just as we did on the 16th, we weigh the port side anchor first.

To the right, Katie helps guide the anchor's tagline around the lower capstan. Meanwhile, to the left, Mr. Morel, Mrs. Colley, and Meaghan work the tackles on the fore deck, helping Mr. Dawson set the anchor on the channel.

 

0900: With the port side done, we still need to weigh the starboard anchor. As Mr. Dawson switches positions to the starboard fore channel, most of our crew shifts to the upper capstan.

Move your mouse over the image below to see the capstan in action.

0930: We are now underway. We leave Athens Channel behind us and motor our way north, past numerous small communities as we close in on the Albany-Rensselaer region.

1000: Having completed gathering data, the student crew spend the rest of the morning hard at work graphing their findings and completing individual projects.

As the students work, our teachers review their progress, offering advice on how to organize and present their data.

To the right, Mrs. Colley checks some students' math.

1130: Before we reach Albany, we must lower the top sections of our foremast and mainmast; otherwise the Half Moon is too tall to clear the Dunn Memorial Bridge.

Mr. Morel is in charge of this operation. While we are underway, he prepares to lower the fore topmast. The adult crew handles this task, letting the students concentrate on their academic work.

1200: As we near our anchorage, Mr. Prime takes a break from advising students to prepare one of our swivel guns to fire a series of salutes as we pass Mrs. Lawler's house in Coeymans and again when we set anchor.

After prepping the swivel gun, let steps aside and lets Mr. Mangrum and Mr. Terry do the actual firing.

To the left, Mr. Prime blows on a linstock to keep its fuse lit until we're ready to fire. Behind him, the swivel gun is mounted and ready on the Quarter deck.

1300: We are now approaching Henry Hudson Park, just south of Albany, which is our destination for the day. This is a tricky, narrow anchorage spot, so Mr. Dawson is sent out to the port fore channel to take constant soundings. There is very little room for error here, but we have everything well in hand.

1315: We are now in position and set anchor (just one will do today) just off Henry Hudson Park. We fire a salute to the families enjoying themselves on this sunny Sunday afternoon.

1430: We still need to lower the main mast. To the left, Mr. Morel and Mr. Dawson prepare the mast.

To the right, our students man the capstan. As you can see below, the top mast lowers without a single snag or holdup. The task is done before we know it, and no one can remember a time when the process went more smoothly.

 

One side effect of lowering the top mast is that it slacks all the lines and rigging leading up to it. The weather deck is now covered in tangled heaps of rope, but a frenzy of belaying and coiling quickly eliminates this spaghetti soup.

1500: With just an hour left until showtime, both watches retreat to the orlop deck to coordinate their research and plan their presentations. Port Watch (above left) meets on the anchor rode, while Starboard Watch (above right) congregates by the capstan.

 

1600: At long last, the hour has come. The team presentations begin!

For more details on these presentations, see our Learning Pages. You can also click on the pictures below to jump directly to individual reports.

 

Starboard Watch (Keith, Richard, Kathleen, Katie, Shannon, and Riki), present their findings on water phenomena and field questions from the audience.

 

1700: After a short break, Port Watch (Meaghan, Adam, Ciara, Madena, Ericka, and Kyle) steps up to the capstan to deliver their presentation on weather phenomena and answer the audience's questions.

In our opinion, both watches delivered an outstanding job on their projects.

1800: Done! As the sun sets at Henry Hudson Park, the students are dispatched below decks to clean the orlop and help Mrs. Lawler in the galley.

Dinner is served just as the sun sinks below the horizon, and we clean up just as the moon emerges.

2000: With their academic projects behind them, the pressure is off our student crew. They're more than happy to help in the galley. Here, you can see Ericka and Riki enjoying themselves as they clean dishes.

2045: Each night of this Voyage of Discovery, Mrs. Fountain has wrapped up the evening with the students by gathering them on the orlop deck and asking them what the high point of that day had been for each one of them. Since this is the last night of the voyage, she decides to ask the students for their high point from the entire voyage instead. The adults gradually join in, and soon the entire crew is gathered on the orlop stairs, talking freely about what they enjoyed the most about this trip and what improvements we could make for future Voyages of Discovery.

2100: By unanimous decision, we decide to have an early lights out. After a brief anchor watch briefing, the crew retreats to their bunks for one last night aboard the Half Moon. We have perfect sleeping weather, and many students opt to sleep on the weather deck.

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