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0700 Hours
Current Position: Anchored at Duck Island Roads in Long Island Sound.
Latitude: 41˚ 15.8'
Longitude: 072˚ 28.8'
Day Three of our 2008 Fresh River Voyage of Discovery.
By the time we rise, Duck Island Road is already buzzing with recreational water traffic, with nearly every boat wanting to come over and greet us.
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0900 Hours
After we get some breakfast for the human crew, it's time to feed the crabs. Mr. McLaughlin donates some spare fat from the galley.
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The crabs have ravenous appetites. After scrabbling with each other over the food, they retreat to their corners and spend the rest of the morning contentedly chewing on their meals.
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0945 Hours
We hold an orientation briefing to discuss the specifics of the students' presentation projects.
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Eventually we hand the briefing over to Mr. Wardwell, who introduces the students to the concepts and terminology of the marine, brackish , and freshwater environments we will be studying on the Connecticut River.
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1015 Hours
It's turning into a seasonably hot and muggy day, so we bring up the hose and treat ourselves to another deck wash -- as much for the crew's sake as that of the ship.
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1100 Hours
After everyone's cooled down with the deck wash, we reconvene on the weather deck. Ms. Cosgrove introduces the students to her foraminifera research and shows them how to collect specimens.
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1145 Hours
After the briefing, everyone returns to their tasks. Nick and Gabriel run up our flags.
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1215 Hours
Lunch is served! Today we have sausages, saurkraut, scalloped potatoes, and bean salad.
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1245 Hours
As we ease into the afternoon, a sailing race passes by our anchorage. We cheer them on.
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We have a few crew members who have not yet climbed aloft -- those heights can be intimidating! However, one by one, all of our remaining deck-bound crew decide to take advantage of the lull in the action and scale the masts.
Jamie is first, and practices clipping into the shrouds out on the channel before clambering up for his hang test.
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1315 Hours
Next goes Oksãna, who is delighted to take in the view from the main top.
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1330 Hours
Down on deck, we continue to take air and water temperature readings. Ms. Cowles observes as Carlos interprets his data.
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1345 Hours
Once they finish collecting data, both Carlos and Ms. Cowles follow Ms. Read up into the rigging to take their hang tests and spend some time aloft.
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1400 Hours
Our students are really starting to come together as a crew.
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1415 Hours
The time is coming for us to depart; we have a schedule to meet in Old Lyme. The crew congregates around the capstan to receive orders.
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1430 Hours
Captain Reynolds briefs the crew on our immediate plans, and all hands are assigned to anchor teams.
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1445 Hours
Captain Reynolds gives the order to begin weighing anchor.
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Mouse over to walk the capstan.
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The capstan crew walks the capstan, using this winch to pull in the anchor rode.
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Directly below them, today's lower capstan team consists of Nick and Danielle.
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Mr. Schuijer remains at the bits, and is joined by his faking team of Alex and Gabriel.
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Jamie stands on the main stairs and acts as communicator, relaying messages back and forth between the captain and the below decks teams.
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1500 Hours
After the capstan team has done its work, Mr. Schuijer moves up to assist the fore deck team. David tails as Mr. Schuijer and Mr. Coolidge sweat the tackle pulling the anchor up to the channel.
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1545 Hours
After we're underway, Ms. Dulen-Jennings and Ms. Cowles gather the student crew on the orlop deck to offficially begin their presentation projects. Topics are assigned, which you'll soon be able to read about in our Learning Pages.
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1600 Hours
After the meeting, students meet with their research partners to discuss their projects. Nora and Jessica will be measuring current speed during our layover at East Haddam.
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1615 Hours
As we're traveling along in the sound, we opt to set sail -- always a calmer experience than motoring.
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Mr. Schuijer asks his main mast team to explain the steps needed to set the main course, and David immediately has the answer. Our student sailors are coming along nicely!
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Mouse over to fix the bunts.
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We set the courses, but the bunts -- two lines that support the lower edge of the sail get a little caught up. Fixing the bunts is just like fixing a stuck windowshade -- a just a tug and a drop sets things to rights.
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1630 Hours
Unfortunately, although our sails are drawing wind nicely, we check our speed and discover it to be reading 0.0 knots -- a swift current is against us, and it's cancelling out the forward momentum provided by the sails. With some regret, we decide to switch the engine back on and "motor sail" to make progress.
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1715 Hours
As we motor along, Ms. Reilly, a professional rigger, entertains us by climbing out on the sprit (the angled wooden mast jutting up from the bow of the ship).
We dissuade her, however, from walking up the forestay (the black line she's holding) to get back on board -- our hearts are fluttering already.
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Once Ms. Reilly is back on board, we adjust our course, turning north to head to the Connecticut River.
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1600 Hours
Even under motor, our sails are still drawing wind, and for the next few hours we make good time. As we near the shoreline, however, the weather once again turns hazy...
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1815 Hours
By the time we start maneuvering around the sandy shoals at the mouth of the Connecticut, a thick fog has descended on the ship. We douse and furl the sails in preparation for our arrival.
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1830 Hours
This lighthouse (one of several) marks the entrance of the channel that allows safe passage into the Connecticut River The Dutch explorer Adrien Block, who in 1614 expanded on Henry Hudson's 1609 expedition, called this the Long Tidal River; the Dutch settlers who followed him knew it simply as the Fresh River. Indeed, the Connecticut River watershed supplies 80% of the fresh water flowing into Long Island Sound.
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1900 Hours
Mr. Wardwell takes the helm as we make our final approach. He asks to have his photo taken as proof for his wife that we do, in fact, have him hard at work.
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After we pass through the railway drawbridge, we're nearly at our destination...
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...the Old Lyme Dock Company in Old Lyme, Connecticut, who are once again kind enough to host us during our travels through the region.
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As we come to port, the humidity mounts, and a light rain starts to fall. It passes quickly, however.
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The Old Lyme Dock attendants take our lines, and we are soon secured in our moorings.
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1945 Hours
Dinner is served on the orlop deck to avoid the dampness outside. Tonight we enjoy chicken parmegon, pasta, and garlic bread.
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2030 Hours
For dessert, we enjoy a chocolate cake Ms. Read's mother baked for us. In fact, "enjoy" might be too gentle a term -- in fact, it results in a certain loss of decorum.
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At dinner, we also observe that Mr. Mangrum and Ms. Reilly have once again accidentally dressed alike, so Mr. Mangrum is dragged out from behind the camera once again.
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2100 Hours
After the sun sets and all ship matters are taken into account, we step onto shore for a bit of shore leave. We are docked near an extensive salt marsh, so we send out an expedition to see what we can see. At the moment, we are planning on leaving the dock at 0900 hours tomorrow, so we aren't sure that we'll have a chance to come back in the morning.
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2130 Hours
We walk the boardwalk and discuss the marsh's ecosystem. After half an hour on land, we return to the ship and get the good news: we're familiar with this port, so anchor watch will not be required tonight. By 2200 hours, the crew are snug in their sleeping bags.
Tonight, we rest. Tomorrow, the students begin collecting data.
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