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Daily Log: Tuesday, July 1st

0700 Hours

Current Position: Moored at Eagle Landing in East Haddam, CT.
Latitude: 41 ˚ 27.0' N
Longitude: 072˚ 27.9' W

Day Five of our 2008 Fresh River Voyage of Discovery.

We begin the day where we'll end it: docked in a park on the edge of East Haddam. We will remain in port all day to give the students an opportunity to focus on collecting data for their student projects.

Thanks to our friends at the Goodspeed Opera House for pointing out where we could get a wireless connection; we can't get a signal on board in our current location, so otherwise we'd have to revert to updating this log via hand-written letters!

0715 Hours

A number of students chose to sleep under the stars last night. Now, the bright sunlight creeping across the deck helps nudge them up and into their day.

0800 Hours

Below decks, the student crew musters itself for a long day of hard work.

But first, breakfast! This morning it's French toast and sausages with juice.

0930 Hours

As the morning proceeds, Captain Reynolds reviews the work that's been done so far and discovers that there were lapses in the data collection over the course of the night. This is disappointing, but not an insurmountable problem; the students will simply have to work later into the night tonight.

0945 Hours

After the briefing, the students throw themselves into their work. Those who changed their topics reaquaint themselves with the instruments that they will now be using.

1000 Hours

Students conducting time-dependent experiments generally take readings every half an hour. When not taking readings, they're free to engage in other activities, such as joining Ms. Cosgrove and Mr. Schuijer on the beach to collect flora and fauna samples.

1130 Hours

Each team also consists of one student each from the Port and Starboard watches. If one student is busy on watch (such as being on galley duty), their partner is always available to cover for them -- and vice versa.

While Oksana works belowdecks, Carolann and Ms. Read start setting up the block-and-tackle they'll be using to study mechanical advantage.

Mouse over to close the bridge.
The swivel bridge between East Haddam and Haddam closes.

1145 Hours

While taking a current speed reading, Jessica and Nora alert us to the fact that the nearby swing bridge is opening. This bridge marks the farthest the Replica Ship Half Moon has ever sailed up the Connecticut River. We'll pass through the bridge in about 24 hours, entering undiscovered country.

1230 Hours

Captain Reynolds and the senior crew advisors tour the student projects as they work, offering advice as needed. Here the captain helps Alex take accurate readings with a quadrant to track the sun.

1245 Hours

We also have local newspaper media on board with us today. The students enjoy the limelight, but by now they certainly aren't phased by having cameras snapping photos of them.

1300 Hours

Gabriel and Carlos are recording the water's depth as the tide floods and ebbs.

Meanwhile, in the shade of the orlop deck, lunch has just been served. Remaining in port has allowed Mr. McLaughlin some extra leeway, so he and his galley assistants have treated us to invidually prepared sandwiches.

1315 Hours

The press also interviews some of the students as they come and go. Most of these interviews are for articles that will appear in the Wednesday (July 2) edition of the Hartford Courant (external link).

After their interviews, the students hop back to their studies. Danielle and Tahari are using the fore deck for a lab as they compare barometric pressure, air temperature, and relative humidity.

1345 Hours

The press also speak to Captain Reynolds and some of the senior crew, of course.

Meanwhile, work continues apace. Ms. Read has called in Mr. Hansen as a technical advisor, and now Carolann and Oksãna are ready to begin their mechanical advantage experiments.

1500 Hours

Once again, the midafternoon heat is starting to wear down our hard-working crew. They retreat to the shadows of the orlop deck in between expeditions out into the direct sunlight.

Once again, we decide we need a deck wash to cool off. Oksãna rigs a plastic bag to protect her hair -- she wants to get soaked!

Mouse over to shut the gun port.
Senior crew members close a gun port.

One last thing to do: We need to close the gunports. We usually leave them open to improve the orlop's circulation and provide more light, but when we hose down the weather deck, the water is channeled off the sides of the deck, down the slope of whales ... and right through the gunport, getting everyone's gear wet. Closing the gunports fixes the problem nicely.

One crew member lowers the heavy gunport cover from the weather deck while another pulls it shut from the orlop. Watch your fingers!

(It was at this point that Mr. Mangrum hopped across the river to update the log, so no photos of deck wash horseplay; sorry.)

1800 Hours

As the day winds down, we see that our students have kept at their work and collected a sizable body of data. There's still more work to be done, but for now a reward: We send out a Zodiac expedition to explore the nearby wetlands.

Meanwhile, back on the ship, Ms. Cosgrove discusses her latest biological collections with Mr. Wardwell.

1815 Hours

As students wind down their projects, they meet with their senior crew advisors for a quick review and to look for any possible additions or avenues of improvement.

1830 Hours

Our hungry crew is rewarded with dinner. Tonight we can have all the lasagna we can eat.

1845 Hours

Shortly after dinner is served, the Zodiac expedition returns. While we relax over our food, we start organizing the next group of students to go out.

1900 Hours

Once they finish eating, the students return to their work. Jessica is compiling data sheets for the current speed experient she and Nora are conducting.

1915 Hours

Our second Zodiac expedition zips out to have a look at the waterline. Ms. Reilly points out various anti-erosion methods and some wetlands...

...but while the Zodiac is out and about, ominous clouds gather over the ship. We decided to cut the expedition short, just to be safe.

1930 Hours

The dark clouds glower over the ship for a brief while, but in the end they simply move on without so much as a drop of rain.

1945 Hours

Once everyone's on board, Captain Reynolds convenes a briefing to review the day's progress and make plans for the experiments that need to continue into the anchor watch hours.

2015 Hours

He also introduces the crew to the Task Matrix, which records their many and varied achievements.

2030 Hours

After a hot day and the seeming threat of storms, we're instead rewarded with this unusual purple sunset.

Most of the student crew barely notice -- they're having too much fun filling in the Task Matrix.

2045 Hours

Nora records another current speed reading. She and Jessica are among the students whose experiments will need to continue through the early morning hours.

2100 Hours

But that work will come later. For now, with so much work behind them, the students are getting rambunctious. Ms. Reilly, Ms. Cosgrove, Ms. Cowles, and Ms. Dulen-Jennings lead the rowdies across the dock and into the park to burn off some excess energy with games of tag and relay races.

In reality, the students weren't quite this hyper, but the blurs of post-sunset photography do express the general idea.

Some students rely on their wits during games of tag, hiding behind convenient objects.

Soon enough, the students have settled down (and the adults who participated in the games are worn out), so we head back on board.

2100 Hours

Anchor watch begins, with experiments continuing into the night.

Tomorrow brings another long day, not to mention visits from dignitaries and media interviews!

 
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