1015 Hours

Current Position: Moored at the city dock in New London, CT.
Latitude: # ˚ #.#'
Longitude: # ˚ #.#'

Day One of our 2008 Fresh River Voyage of Discovery.

After arriving on Monday, the Half Moon has been docked here in New London for a few days while new crew members rotate in and we replenish our supplies. Now, right on time, a bus full of middle school students from the East Hartford region (and beyond) has pulled up to greet us.

1030 Hours

After everyone's gear is offloaded onto the dock, we relay it on board. Once everyone's belongings are on the weather deck, the new crew members follow, one by one.

1045 Hours

Captain Reynolds gathers the new crew around the capstan for an introductory safety briefing. The students then move their gear down to the orlop deck, which they will call home for the next week.

That done, we launch straight into shipcraft training. The students split into three groups of four, each working under an individual teacher: Mr. Hansen, Mr. Schuijer, and Ms. Read.

The students quickly master the fundamental skills of line handling: belaying and coiling lines.

1100 Hours

While the students practice at the rail, Dr. Jacobs meets with our new educational crew members to familiarize them with the procedures we will be using for the students' presentation projects.

1115 Hours

The students are still hard at work at the pinrails. The groups also rotate between the three mentors to experience a variety of individual teaching techniques.

1200 Hours

After we wrap up the line handling session, the students move around the ship, learning the tasks and responsibilities that will be required of them as soon as our duty roster is prepared.

Here, Ms. Cosgrove shows Oksãna, Jessica, and Tahari how to use the whipstaff.

Shortly afterward, our new crew has their first meal on board: Italian subs for lunch.

1330 Hours

A number of dignitaries have come down for our ceremonial departure, including Mark Scheinberg, President of Goodwin College (left photo, far right); and Kevin Cavanaugh, Mayor of New London (right photo).

1415 Hours

The tide is shifting, so the time has come for us to leave. Captain Reynolds gives the order to prepare for an immediate departure.

With Half Moon volunteers Jay Pocius and Chris Palmerie assisting on the dock, we haul in our docking lines.

Here, Jessica helps Ms. Reilly with line three.

As we pull away from the dock, we fire a parting salute to New London with our stern chaser cannon. The students on deck brace themselves for the boom.

1430 Hours

Carlos and Gabriel wave goodbye to life on land...

...as the New London skyline fades into the fog.

1500 Hours

As we motor along on a southwesterly course, the students begin their safety harness training, the first step toward working in the rig.

1530 Hours

By now, the students have divided into two watch teams -- Port and Starboard -- and are attending to their assigned duties.

Up on the fore deck, Carlos and David act as lookouts, scanning the horizon for obstacles.

Foggy days on calm, open water can make for intriguing lookout details. Most of the time, all there is to see is a vast, silvery void...

...but the Half Moon is not alone. These waters are home to many lobster fishermen. The floating buoys marking their traps (called lobster pots) are small and hard to see, and if the ship runs over a pot, the line connecting the buoy to the cage can snarl our propellor.

On the other hand, the light winds and calm seas make for excellent sailing conditions. Several students who have already completed their safety harness training climb aloft to work in the main and fore tops.

1545 Hours

Down in the galley, David helps Mr. McLaughlin prepare a salad for dinner. Like everyone else, a ship's crew travels on its stomach.

1615 Hours

Carolann is partway through her first hour at the whipstaff. The original Half Moon predated the invention of the ship's wheel by about a century, so we use this earlier device instead. It's simple to use, but does take a little getting used to.

1630 Hours

With Carolann still at the helm, we prepare to set sail. Alex and Tahari man the main course sheets, which help position the lower corners of the sail.

1715 Hours

We soon have the main and fore courses set and shut off the engine, traveling under sail power alone.

1800 Hours

After some practice, we're satisfied with the set of the sails, so our sail handlers on deck can sit back and enjoy the smooth, quiet ride.

1815 Hours

Dinner is served on the orlop deck, where the students have already made themselves at home, as you can see. Tonight's dinner is beef stew and bisquits, accompanied by salad and spinach bread, and followed by donuts for dessert.

1900 Hours

The skies clear as we sail into Niantic Cove, finally giving our sightseers on board some scenery to look at...

...other than us.

We soon reach our anchorage for the night and promptly set the anchor. We take in the view as the sun begins to set.

1945 Hours

With the anchor deployed, we're done with sailing for the day. As students climb aloft to help Mr. Schuijer and Ms. Read furl the sails, their crew mates -- such as Nick and Jamie here -- attend to the rigging down below.

On the fore deck, we start by putting the top sail in its gear. As the fore mast team hauls up the sail, the "topman" pulls it into the basket.

2015 Hours

Our silvery-gray day is ending with a glorious sunset.

The fore deck crew wraps up by clearing and coiling all of their lines.

Mouse over for a closer view.

2030 Hours

The ship took a few turns as we settled around the anchor, leading the wind to wrap our flags around their poles. Two of them -- the Lion Rampant on the fore mast, pictured, and the Unitied Provinces flag on the main -- have snarled themselves.

While Mr. Schuijer climbs to the top the main rigging to free the United Provinces, Nora climbs the flagpole to rescue the Lion Rampant.

Mouse over to fold the flag.

2045 Hours

She quickly has it free and we draw it down to the deck. Gabriel and Carlos help fold the flags.

2100 Hours

After the sun has set, Captain Reynolds gathers the crew around the capstan one more time for our first nightly anchor watch briefing. Working in pairs, the students will each spend an hour tonight monitoring our position to ensure that we don't drag our anchor. They'll also keep an eye on our anchor light, which helps other vessels see us in the night and tells them that we are stationary.

With anchor watch done, the crew retreats to the bunks. Lights out comes at 2200 hours.

We enjoy a pleasantly cool night tonight as we sleep.

Tomorrow brings our first full day on the water and the beginning of student project orientations.

Sail On to June 28