While they may not present the most glamorous of jobs, the ballast and bilge need our attention too.

Earlier this spring, we conducted bouyancy tests in Verplanck to see exactly how the Half Moon sits in the water, and we determined that it's been riding a little low in the bow.

The Half Moon's ballast consists of seemingly countless 60-pound lead ingots. Over a series of days, a collection of volunteers -- primarily Joseph Bamberger, Dan Dawson, Boyd Hottenstein, and Keith Maurer -- roll up their sleeves and reposition hundreds of ingots. While they're at it, they empty the bilge, including sucking out hundreds of pounds of seeping tar.

As a result of their combined efforts, the ship's waterline rises by several inches, and we're better balanced in general.