0700 hours

Current Position: Anchored at Bay Ridge Flats

Day Three of the first leg of our Voyage of Discovery.

We wake to discover overcast skies and New York City encased in fog. Stormy weather is coming, but we've already decided to move inland right away.

0800 hours

After a reading of Juet's journal, we prepare to weigh anchor. On the orlop deck, the below decks team begins by running the anchor rode around the capstan, then faking (neatly folding) the line again so it will be ready for use.

Mouse over to walk the capstan.

The students switch positions each time we weigh anchor so everyone gets a chance to experience every role. You'll notice new faces on the capstan this morning.

While the crew hauls up the anchor, Ms. Wegman is busy preparing breakfast in the galley. As soon as we're underway, we enjoy a selection of cereal, oatmeal, and fresh muffins.

0900 hours

We start back toward Manhattan and the mouth of the Hudson River. On our way downriver, we'd hoped that the southerly wind would continue, letting us sail back up, but as it is the winds have shifted to the north, so we'll be motoring again today.

1030 hours

We cross the George Washington Bridge again as we leave New York City behind us. We notice that the little red lighthouse we used for lines of position yesterday is being tended to nicely. Hope they wrap up before the rain comes!

While we're underway, the students begin collecting data for their team presentations. They break out their instruments and work out schedules for taking readings.

The students also have Dr. Jacobs and the other educators review their hypotheses. As a result, a few students make revisions to their topics before they begin.

1100 hours

We pause in our journey upriver so Mr. Colley can take Dr. Jacobs, Jensen, and Annie out in the Zodiac for a quick expedition up the Harlem River to collect samples.

They're back in no time. If the weather allows, every student will have an opportunity to go exploring before the end of data collection.

1315 hours

Pouring rains reach us shortly after midday. This storm front blows through relatively quickly, but in the meantime we serve lunch down on the orlop.

1330 hours

The rain has blown over for now, so the students re-emerge to continue collecting data.

There's a constant bustle of activity as students collect their instruments, take readings, and record their findings. Most students are taking readings every half hour.

We're now coming up on the Tappan Zee Bridge.

After we pass the bridge, we slow down so Ryan and Karyn can take their clarity and depth readings, respectively.

1400 hours

The students who are measuring relative conditions at different locations on the river also need to be able to record specifically where they've taken each reading. To that end, they study our modern river charts, learning how to identify landmarks.

1515 hours

When a students has a few minutes of free time, Mr. Colley takes them into the fo'c'sl to see how many activities they've completed. As you can see, the Matrix is filling out quickly.

Mrs. Colley and Mr. Dawson also take turns taking students aloft. Since we aren't sailing today, we don't have any tasks to do in the rig, but it never hurts for crew members to gain experience climbing before the real work begins.

Plus, it's fun!

1530 hours

Although the duty watches are divided into "teams," they aren't competing against each other. Students cooperate to help their peers collect data while operating the ship. For example, Fatima can't take her solar energy readings while manning the helm, so Jensen and Mr. Prime take readings for her, under her instructions. Later, of course, Fatima will return the favor for other students.

The students also continue to expand on their shipcraft skills. Everyone gets a kick out of the knot tricks Mr. Hansen shows them.

They're also learning more basics. Here, Aaron and Charly are trying out their bowlines on the starboard rail.

We've reached the north end of Haverstraw Bay. Just beyond that point of land is King Marine, our port of call. But we aren't stopping there today -- we'll be continuing all the way through the Hudson Highlands.

Mouse over for another view.

1400 hours

By mid-afternoon, the students have settled into a comfortable routine. During some downtime between readings, Mr. Colley and Mr. Beiter hold an impromptu lecture on tidal forces in the fo'c'sl. As the crowd grows, we move the classroom out onto the weather deck, where the discussion turns to the shifting currents in an estuary like the Hudson.

1600 hours

Over the years, we've noticed that the galley never lacks helpers on wet days, and that's certainly holding true today. In a rare moment of relaxation between mealtimes, Ms. Wegman shows her entourage some of the photos she's been taking during the voyage and tells our new crew members about her Voyage of Discovery in 2000.

1615 hours

We're now motoring north past Peekskil.

Stationed at lookout, Abbey reports that we've come within sight of Bear Mountain Bridge (and lets the Quarter deck know there's a barge passing under it).

Mouse over for the port side view.

1630 hours

As we pass under Bear Mountain Bridge, we enter the Hudson Highlands. As students gather on the foredeck to admire the scenery, they react with anticipation and good cheer -- but if you mouse over the photo to the left, you'll see that there's room for a quick catnap too.

1700 hours

As we continue through the highlands, the students return to their experiments or report for duties elsewere.

We're also still climbing aloft to take in the view.

Mouse over to face the elements.

However, the westerly winds soon pick up sharply. It's getting a little chilly aloft, so we all head back down to the deck. That's the end of climbing for today.

1730 hours

We're coming up on West Point. Ms. Wegman again emerges from the galley to admire her academy.

Mouse over for a closer look at West Point.

As we pass by, our cook offers the students a little visual tour of the campus.

1745 hours

By now, our students are so comfortable with their primary instruments that they've started teaching their peers how to use them properly as well.

1800 hours

We have time for relaxation, too. Up on the fore deck -- which often acts an impromtu clubhouse during these voyages -- our student and senior crews compare favorite movies and get to know each other.

1830 hours

The experiments continue ever onward. Having collected and labeled water samples all day, Jensen goes over them with Dr. Jacobs to test their salinity levels.

We're also closing in on our destination for the day; having just emerged from the highlands, we'll anchor just south of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge.

1930 hours

Once the anchor is set, dinner is served on the weather deck. Temperatures dipped, so a growing number of our crew members have slipped into sweatshirts or sweaters.

After dinner, we hold our nightly anchor watch briefing. Tonight, however, crew members on anchor watch will have an added duty -- they'll need to collect data for experiments that will continue through the night.

At 2200 hours, it's lights out, and our day comes to a close.

On this date in 1609:

The tenth, faire weather, we rode still till twelve of the clocke. Then we weighed and went over, and found it shoald all the middle of the River, for wee could finde but two fathoms and a halfe, and three fathomes for the space of a league; then wee came to three fathomes, and foure fathomes, and so to sueven fathomes, and Anchored, and rode all night in soft Ozie ground. The banke is Sand.

-- Robert Juet's Journal.