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Daily Log, September 9

Saturday September 9, 2006

1130 hours

Current Position: Docked at King Marine, Verplanck, NY
Latitude: 41˚ 15.234'
Longitude: 073˚ 58.028'

Day One of the first leg of the Fall 2006 Voyage of Discovery.

As the day begins, the skies are mostly clear and hazy, and the temperatures are warm, though not uncomfortably so.

Our new student crew and their teachers arrive right on schedule. Captain Reynolds meets them at the bus to welcome everyone and lead them down to the ship.

1145 hours

Our new crew hauls their gear down to the ship, getting their first look at the Half Moon. We quickly relay everyone's belongings on board...

1200 hours

...and then welcome the students themselves on deck. This will be their home for the next six days. Captain Reynolds offers a brief introduction to the ship, then gives them some time to get their bearings.

Two matters need to be taken care of right away.

First, all the students transfer their gear down to the orlop deck, where they'll be bunking. The orlop seems a little more crowded once fifteen people are staying in it!

The new crew members also need to be instructed on how to use the head -- our hand-operated marine toilet is a delicate instrument, and no one wants any mishaps.

1230 hours

Mrs. Barton and Mrs. Lawler serve a light lunch of sandwiches on the weather deck. Some of the students aren't terribly hungry, but they'll work up an appetite by the end of the day.

1430 hours

After lunch, we attend to a few last tasks that must be completed before we can leave, such as replenishing our water supply.

This doesn't take much work, however, and in the meantime Mr. Morel starts teaching the new crew members how to handle the lines.

The first lesson: How to properly belay a line on a pin.

Once the students master belaying, they move on to coiling lines. We'll explore line handling in more detail on our Shipcraft page, so check back there for updates.

1530 hours

After an hour, the students have quickly learned their way around the lines, so Mr. Morel splits them into teams for an introduction to sail handling. One team (pictured here) climbs up to the fore deck to learn about the fore mast, while the other students work on the main mast.

This is just a basic overview; later on, everyone will get a chance to get hands-on and try other positions.

1600 hours

We still have one or two little loose ends to tie up on shore before we can leave, so the students have a chance to slip down to the orlop deck, relax out of the sun, pick where they want to bed down, and write their bios for the Crew page.

1630 hours

We're ready to go. Before we can leave the dock, however, Captain Reynolds offers a detailed safety briefing so every crew member will know to move and act safely while on board.

1745 hours

We start hauling in our secondary mooring lines, assigning and positions. We even unlash the tiller (the lever we use to steer the ship) and are minutes from leaving the dock, when...

1800 hours

This late-afternoon downpour blows through. Fortunately, our mooring lines are all still in place, so instead of having to grin and bear the rain, the crew can scurry under cover.

Like most late-summer storms, it's all over in a few minutes.

1830 hours

After the storm passes, the crew re-emerges, no worse for wear. The storm has also broken the heat; it's now comfortably cool out.

Back to work!

We assign line positions. Esther acts as communicator, relaying commands between the captain on the Quarter deck and the crew members at Line One -- our foremost mooring line, which enter the ship in the bow of the orlop deck.

Right next to Esther, Robert and Mr. Beiter are assigned to Line Two.

Within a few minutes, we're off and away, motoring our way south across Haverstraw Bay.

1900 hours

As if to celebrate our smooth departure, the cooks serve dinner on the weather deck. Tonight's dinner includes ham, scalloped potatoes, applesauce, and Irish sodabread.

1930 hours

After dinner, the students get a chance to simply relax and enjoy the scenery as the sun sets to the west.

2000 hours

After dark, the students retreat to the orlop deck to update their personal journals and reflect on their first day on board the Half Moon.

However, the excitement isn't quite over yet! We've discovered that we have not one but two birthday boys among our crew: Robert, who's turning 13, and Mr. Mangrum, so doesn't seem quite so excited to be turning 35. Peaches and cake for everyone!

2200 hours

Current Position: Anchored off the Pallisades
Latitude: 40˚ 55.655'
Longitude: 073˚ 55.321'

Well after dark, we reach our destination for the evening, setting anchor in the shadow of the Pallisades, with the lights of the Tappan Zee Bridge to our south. Shortly after we arrive, the captain leads the crew through an anchor watch meeting, discussing their responsibilities for the night. Then it's lights out for everyone. We settle in our bunks to get a good night's sleep.

 

On this date in 1609:

The ninth, faire weather. In the morning, two great Canoes came aboord full of men; the one with their Bowes and Arrowes, and the other in shew of buying of knives to betray us; but we perceived their intent. Wee tooke two of them to have kept them, and put red Coates on them, and would not suffer the other to come neere us. So they went on Land, and two other came aboord in a Canoe: wee tooke the one and let the other goe; but hee which wee had taken got up and leapt over-boord. Then we weighed and went off into the channell of the River, and Anchored there all night.

-- Robert Juet's Journal.