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0730 hours

Current Position: Moored in Athens Channel, NY.
Latitude: 42˚ 16.26'
Longitude: 073˚ 48.09'

Day Five of our Voyage of Discovery.

We will spend the entire day moored here at Peckham Materials in Athens Channel, allowing our students to focus on collecting data and completing the work for their research presentations.

0930 hours

After a leisurely breakfast and journal writing, Captain Reynolds announces another mail call, reading notes from the families of several students. He also had the students consider the answer to an e-mail question; you can read Muhammad's response in the Mail Bag, below.

1030 hours

While the students work on their presentations, the senior crew members have projects that keep them busy, too. We want the Half Moon to look its best when we arrive at Albany the day after tomorrow, so Mr. Schuijer and Mr. Moore spend most of the day sprucing up the ship. First, Mr. Schuijer gives the channels and whales (raised black bands running the length of the hull) a good, soapy scrubbing.

We will also be sending out Zodiac expeditions all day, with students exploring the surrounding wetlands in groups of three. The first group is geared up in their life vests and ready to go. Now that Sienna and Thwe-Thwe are experienced line handlers, they help lower the inflatable tender boat into the water. Jesse assists them from the fore deck.

That done, they climb down into the waiting tender. Mark Morel will be piloting the boat today, while science officer Jacobs will help them find interesting subjects for collection and study.

1045 hours

And they're off! The expeditions will explore two nearby locations: the dramatically named Murderer's Creek, located just a few hundred feet north of our location; and the shores of the Middle Ground Flats, an artificial island which creates Athens Channel. The Middle Ground Flats was created when the Hudson River was dredged to create a shipping channel, and today is home to numerous species of wildlife, including deer and snapping turtles.

1100 hours

As part of their studies in comparative temperatures, Kristie and Sienna will be working with a Van Dorn sampler. Once she's familiarized herself with its use, Kristie teaches other students how to use it as well.

Jasmine has completed the data collection phase of her mechanical advantage project, and has Mr. Linehan review her notes.

Below decks, other students who have collected most or all of their data start turning their attention toward tomorrow's presentations. Each student has to prepare data sheets and a graph by the end of the day.

1115 hours

Mr. Linehan spends most of the day on the main channel, teaching a rotating group of students how to use take soundings using a lead line, how to measure turbidity using a Secchi disk, and how to use the Van Dorn sampler to collect water samples from beneath the surface.

Lead line lessons come first. Students need to determine the channel's depth so they can know how far they can lower their other instruments into the water.

1130 hours

Casey continues her work collecting data on current patterns, which she and Jesse will be doing throughout the day. Part of her work includes timing a wooden chip as it floats past a section of the weather deck -- reportedly a distance of 28 feet. Rather than simply assume this factor to be true, she and Mrs. Mahigian use a tape measure to confirm that distance.

The first Zodiac expedition has returned! The students clamber back on board and return to their projects.

Kristie and Jasmine can now take soundings by themselves. Mr. Linehan offers advice on swinging the lead line against the current to counteract its effects on the line's weighted end.

1145 hours

Mary climbs down to join the rest of her expedition team in the Zodiac.

She, Casey, and Jacob head out with Mark Morel and Dr. Jacobs to explore the region.

Meanwhile, on the channel, Mr. Linehan has moved on to Secchi disk lessons.

Jasmine has no problem learning how to use this instrument for herself.

Over the course of this voyage, we've gone from cool and overcast, to cold and wet, to warm and dry, and now the sun is beating down on us from clear blue skies. Channel lessons soon to give Mr. Linehan a break in the shade.

1200 hours

On the orlop deck, Mr. Linehan meets with Beniah and Keith to review their graph work. Their work is taking shape nicely.

1215 hours

Sienna and Kristie have now added the Van Dorn sampler to their equipment and are testing water temperatures within the water column at our current location.

Here, Sienna enters their most recent reading into their data tables.

1245 hours

As the afternoon grows hotter, the students prefer to spend their free time on the orlop deck. As you can see, not having to rummage their gear each morning for the anchor rode has allowed them to truly make themselves at home!

The second Zodiac expedition has returned to the ship.

1300 hours

And just in time, because no sooner are the second Zodiac team back on board than lunch is served! Everyone enjoys their tomato soup and sandwiches.

1345 hours

After lunch, the students return to their work. While an increasing number of students have completed their data collection, a few are still taking readings to take advantage of a full tidal cycle.

Mr. Linehan reviews Casey and Jesse's notes as they track the ebb and flow of the river's current.

1400 hours

Down below, students work feverishly on their data tables and graphs. We've decided that the presentations will be held tomorrow morning, before we depart from Athens Channel.

Henk Morel has spent the day teaching the art of marlinspike to the students (and anyone else who wants to learn). One by one, crew members are spotted sporting handmade marlin bracelets -- even Mr. Gorter!

1430 hours

As the afternoon wears on, Sienna continues to trade places on the channel with Kristie as they collect water temperature data.

1445 hours

Mr. Schuijer remains hard at work as well, adding a touch of paint to the Half Moon's whales.

Meanwhile, dark clouds start to loom in the northern sky. Our location grows overcast, and we even feel an occasional drop of rain. Despite our worry that our sunny days might be at an end, the rumbly weather soon moves on.

1500 hours

The third Zodiac expedition is launched, with Keith, Muhammad, and Jasmine on board. When they return, they bring a new passenger with them: a small turtle discovered in Murderer's Creek.

1515 hours

Henk Morel has also been teaching the students how to tie various knots. Here, Kristie proudly demonstrates to Mr. Linehan that she could rescue herself with a non-cinching bowline.

Our students are also becoming teachers in their own right. Beniah teaches Jesse a new knot, passing on knowledge he's gained.

As Mrs. Mahigian continues the channel lessons, Jacob and Mary line up to learn the lead line, Secchi disk, and Van Dorn sampler.

1615 hours

Before the students turn in their final presentations, they bring their data sheets and graphs to Captain Reynolds, who reviews their work and suggests possible improvements and/or additional avenues of investigation.

As the third Zodiac expedition returns, sampling continues apace on the main channel. Fortunately, the scattered clouds moving through the area have cooled us all off.

Casey, Thwe-Thwe, and Muhammad take their stand on the channel. While they're working, they notice a barely-moving flounder that happens to float by on the surface -- obviously a seriously unwell animal. We capture it in a net and transfer it to a bucket of aerated water. (Our aquarium is already occupied.)

1630 hours

The fourth and final Zodiac expedition is ready to depart. Jasmine pokes her head out a gun port to bid them good farewell.

And with that, Daniella, Kristie, and Beniah set out to explore the wetlands. Mr. Gorter takes a break from the galley to see the sights as well.

As the afternoon winds down, Sierra takes the last of the readings she and Kristie need for their presentation. Their advisor, Mrs. Mahigian, reviews their work.

1715 hours

Mr. Moore has been hard at work all day as well, cleaning and preening the sides of the ship. He's since moved up to the standing rigging, and is scupulously applying a fresh coat of black exterior paint to the shrouds and ratlines wherever the old coat was worn through; this help weatherproof the lines and extends their useful life.

In 1609, the crew of Hudson's Half Moon would have been hard at work doing this as well -- except they used bubbling pots of hot tar! Fortunately for us, a jar of modern weatherproofing paint does this job just as well.

A series of eager students line up as Mr. Linehan turns his attention to updating the Task Matrix. Our students have accomplishd so much these past few days!

1800 hours

More and more students have learned their knots from Henk Morel. Up on the fore deck, Jasmine and Casey relax in the late-day sun while learning how to tie a bowline.

Down in the shady orlop deck, Muhammad and Thwe-Thwe meet with Mr. Hansen. They've discovered that in order to graph the salinity gradient they've recorded, they need to determine the scale of the distance we've traveled. Mr. Hansen teaches them how to track the ship's course on a river chart.

Meanwhile, Casey is busily computing the time/distance equations needed to determine the current's speed in knots.

1900 hours

Our hungry crew receives an ample dinner of macaroni with meat sauce and various vegetable dishes (not including ketchup).

Mouse over to fling the wood chip.

1930 hours

As the sunlight dwindles, Casey throws the final wood chip to measure the current, officially bringing the data collection phase of the student presentations to an end.

2045 hours

After the crew has had time to relax and digest after an extremely productive day, Beniah and Jesse help clean up the dishes in the galley. But they aren't there solely out of altruism...

Mouse over for another view.

...Mr. Gorter is preparing a lavish desser of crepes (hot off the skillet) with ice cream and real maple syrup.

Delicious! And he made plenty of extras!

After finishing their work, Beniah and Jesse are the first students to sample Mr. Gorter's wares. Jesse sits himself down on a footstool to enjoy his dessert right there. (The senior crew clustered around the table immediately dub it "the urchin's seat.")

2100 hours

After dessert, Captain Reynolds calls for another anchor watch briefing. We review the day's events and make plans for tomorrow. Plus extra good news: Since we've monitored our dock lines for a full tidal cycle, we don't need an anchor watch tonight! The crew hustles downstairs to update their journals and get ready for bed.

2200 hours

Lights out! Tomorrow brings the student presentations and the last full day of our Voyage of Discovery.

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Once again, thanks to everyone at home who wrote to us on board the Half Moon. Among the e-mail you sent, we received this question for the student crew:

Q: Can the water be too deep for the ship to sail?

We'll let Muhammad tackle the answer:

A: The river can’t be too deep to sail in. The ship is buoyant (meaning that it floats on water), so it can sail anywhere. However, nine feet of the bottom of the boat are underwater, so we can’t sail in shallow water.

Thanks again, and keep writing!