0700 hours

Ship's Position: Docked at Peckham Materials in Athens, NY.
Latitude: 42˚ 16.2' N
Longitude: 073˚ 48.1' W

Day Four of the video shoot.

Another day, another camera set-up! While the students rummage their gear and eat breakfast, the video crew prepares a shot that will visually demonstrate refraction.

0900 hours

As tape starts rolling abovedecks, the off-screen crew keeps cool in the shadw down on the orlop deck. Knot lessons are the current fashion in entertainment.

1230 hours

After lunch, the crew switches gears to a new scene. With production assistant Matt B. snapping the clapboard, Nora and Tahari demonstrate how to use a refractometer.

In between weather readings for NOAA, Mr. Boyle joins in on giving knot lessons to the patient crew below.

1400 hours

The next scene will take place on the starboard fore channel. The foremast may be in shot, so Deniro and Matt G. are dispatched to the fore to unfurl the sails.

1415 hours

In this scene, Alex flings a canvas bucket into the river to collect a water sample. He then hands the bucket to Tahari and Nora.

If your eyes are sharp enough to spot the water splashing out of the bucket on its way down to the river, that's because the bucket is already full when we toss it down. The extra weight makes a more dramatic splash. Movie magic!

1430 hours

All free hands to the mizzenmast! First Mate Hansen and Bosun Laufer are in charge of prepping the mizzenyard for use. The first problem to address: the whole yard is sitting on its side; we need to rotate it about 90 degrees to hang properly. We gather up all the student and senior crew we can to lay on hands. With everyone grabbing on, the weight becomes manageable.

Meanwhile, back on the weather deck, the video crew is wrapping up their scene.

1500 hours

Weather forecasts and radar have warned us of a serious thunderstorm moving in our direction. As Mr. Weisse sends his rig team back up to furl the fore sails, Troy is reportedly being pelted by high winds and hail.

We can already hear the distant thunder, and the winds are starting to pick up.

Meanwhile, Mate Hansen puts his back into battening down the mizzen yard.

The threatening weather calls for a wrap on today's production. The equipment is safely stowed in the truck, but we're hoping to be able to resume later this afternoon.

1545 hours

With the skies growing darker by the minute, Ms. Niehaus lashes a ridge line to support the tarps that will shield the weather deck from the looming rain.

1600 hours

We get the tarps up just in time! The storm is milder than we were hoping for; after a few minutes of heavy rain, it moves on, taking the high pressure front with it. The rest of the afternoon is cool and comfortable.

1700 hours

Radar shows that there's no immediate threat of any more storm fronts heading our way. This means that Jason, Tahari, Abby, and Jack finally get their chance for a Zodiak expedition! We zoom out for a nice, long, bumpy ride against the waves to the southern end of the Middle Ground Flats.

This team isn't as interested in wading as yesterday's muddy crews. They're more interested in the pile of downed trees that have washed ashore here, creating a natural jungle gym.

Mouse over to call "Action!"

Within a few minutes, the team is collecting driftwood and erecting the skeleton of a hut on the beach.

They find an amply supply of flexible branches and roots, driving them into the soil and lashing them together.

After a while, however, they decide to relocate the hut, using a driftwood tree for a ceiling beam.

Mouse over for a close up!

We don't encounter much fauna on this expedition, but Jack does find a crab claw as the tide goes out. Whether this claw was molted or represents all that remains of a some creature's dinner, we cannot say.

1745 hours

Eventually the team gets the itch to return home to the ship. With one last crew shot, we slide the Zodiak back out into deep water, zip out to the lighthouse for a quick look, and then zoom back to the Half Moon.

1830 hours

While the Zodiak team was away, taping has resumed on the ship. As the sun sets, we film a final scene. The students gather around historical and modern river charts, using them as a prop in a largely improvised scene explaining the use of latitude, longitude, magnetic north, and true north in navigation.

Mouse over to cue the cast!

Here's a bit of movie magic: Nick's casual lean against the capstan has been carefully posed, right down to the position of his fingers, to hide a light stand that would otherwise be visible in the shot.

1900 hours

That's a wrap for the day, but the Deck Log keeps on going. It's Nick's turn to measure the current speed.

2015 hours

At the end of a long work day, the crew settles down for some serious fun. We gather 'round the main hatch and, as evening falls, play a few rounds of a social game that's become quite the crew favorite. In the first round, the human crew wins with only a few casualties, thanks to Matt B.'s ability to see into others' dreams, but in the next round, Abby the werewolf successfully devours the entire crew!

...And if you want to have the faintest clue as to what we're talking about, you'll have to come sailing with us!

After the game, it's straight to lights out. Dockwatch continues to monitor the current speed, and the night passes smoothly.

Next Time: Mail Call!