William Reynolds: Ship's Captain

Captain William Reynolds has been captain of the Half Moon and Director of the New Netherland Museum since 1998. Before coming to the Half Moon, he captained numerous seagoing vessels, both historical and industrial. His background also includes training and work in the environmental sciences. He currently lives with his family in Selkirk, NY, and is looking forward to seeing the new student crew meet the challenges this Voyage of Discovery places before them.

Marco Burmester

Marco Burmester first joined the Half Moon in the summer of 2009 for a day-long visit — the first crew member ever to join the ship by way of jet-ski (and the assistance of many unknown helpers). Mr. Burmester is a banker from Germany who has been in New York City for the last seven years. He very much takes advantage of New York's theaters and music scene, being a musician himself.

Kelly Falvey

Kelly Falvey loves being outside, especially on the water. She's eager to experience the Half Moon in the beautiful Fall season. The Half Moon allows one to work with scholars on her two favorite fields: Environment and Social Studies.

Bob Fournier

Bob Fournier is a retired firefighter of 35 years. He loves the outdoors, hiking, camping, skiing, boating, and kayaking. Bob is also an accomplished cook, having won Emeril Lagasse's Firehouse Cook Off in 1998.

Rich Fournier

Rich Fournier is a retired science teacher from the East Hartford school system. He grew up in East Hartford and currently resides in Tolland, CT.

Since retirement, Rich has become a bit of a history buff. Both he and his wife have done a number of trail rides out west, which included a portion of the Oregon Trail via horseback and covered wagon. Rich has also retraced the Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery from St. Louis to Oregon via an elder hostel program.

Roberto Gonzalez

Roberto Gonzalez lives in Wethersfield, CT. He has a wife and two children: his son Kyle, 20, and his daughter Marisa, 17. This is his third year as an instructor as the Connectict River Academy. In his previous career, he was a sports writer at the Hartford Courant and freelanced for the Associated Press for 20 years. He is an avid fisherman.

Bob Hansen

Ship's mate Bob Hansen started sailing on the Hudson on the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater; later, on two engineless sloops. Since the 1990s, he has served as a volunteer and mate on the schooners Spirit of Massachusetts and Ernestina, as well as other vessels.

Having recently retired from a career as a self-styled "bureaucrat" with the New York State government, Mr. Hansen has now turned his attention to serving as second-in-command on board the Half Moon.

 

Boyd Hottenstein

Several years ago, Boyd Hottenstein spent a summer on the Half Moon while installing extensive material upgrades. He's glad to finally sail on his first voyage aboard.

John W. Mangrum

Originally hailing from the suburbs of Philadelphia, PA, John W. Mangrum holds one of the most anachronistic positions the crew of a 17th-century wooden sailing ship could imagine: the Half Moon's webmaster. Seldom seen in front of the camera, the self-titled "Ship's Chronicler" oversees the daily updates to this website during our voyages. A roleplaying game designer in a past life, Mr. Mangrum has been sailing on board the Half Moon since the summer of 2004. What started as a simple, impromptu dockside tour of the ship has since turned into a life of adventure.

Michelle Pac

Michelle Pac is a mathematics teacher at Connecticut River Academy. She is excited to go on this voyage to interact with students outside the classroom in a new, dynamic setting. Having spent summers along the Connecticut shoreline, she can't wait to explore the Sound with this experience.

Jason Shorthouse

Jason Shorthouse served as a Half Moon crew member in 1998 and 1999. He lives in Atlanta, and is excited to be back on board, trying to remember all the training he's forgotten.

Woody Woodworth

Woody Woodworth has a home in Schenectady, NY. He has worked as a professional photographer for 28 years. He joined the Half Moon in 1998 and is best known for keeping the ship's head working.

Carolyn Niehaus

Carolyn Niehaus has been an active member of the Half Moon since 1999 and first sailed as a Voyage of Discovery student in the fall of 2000. Now, Carolyn enjoys working with the Half Moon both on the ship and in the office.

Ms. Niehaus assisted us with our New Haven layover, and will provide dockside and behind-the-scenes support for our arrival at the Connecticut River Academy/Goodwin College campus at the conclusion of the voyage.