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Once our crew masters the arts of line handling, they can put their new skills to use. In a sense, operating a sailing ship like the Half Moon is like manipulating a giant marionette, with each line moving a specific yardarm or sail in a specific way.
On this Voyage of Discovery, our crew's sail training started right at the New London dock, before we even got underway.
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Working the sails requires a lot of hands, and thus a lot of cooperation. The crew divides into teams while sail handling — one team working the fore mast while the other works the main mast. The spritsail and mizzenmast sometimes see use as well, though these require advanced training. The mast teams must coordinate their efforts to effectively steer and propel the ship when under sail.
These sails both propel and help steer the ship. In fact, the fore sails have more effect on determining the Half Moon's direction than its rudder!
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The first day of our Voyage of Discovery provided us with a pair of ideal sailing opportunities. First, with just a short training period, our student crew allowed us to sail right off the New London dock and out into Long Island Sound.
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After spending the afternoon motoring against westerly winds, we turned north to make our approach into Niantic Bay and once again enjoyed an extended sailing session, which ended with our new crew sailing right to our anchorage.
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