0700 hours

Current Position: Anchored off Beacon, NY.

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

We begin our day with another reading from Juet's journal, followed by breakfast. The storm fronts are still on their way, so Captain Reynolds and Mr. Dawson zip off in the Zodiac to inspect possible mooring sites (better safe than sorry), but in the end we determine that we're fine just where we are, anchored just south of the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge.

1000 hours

Steady rains finally reach us, causing most activity to retreat below decks. Some students already collected most of their data while we were underway yesterday, but others have projects that benefit from -- or require -- that we remain in a fixed position to gather accurate data. To that end, we'll remain at anchor here through today and tonight. You can read more about how our data collection went here.

1230 hours

Lunch is served down on the orlop deck. Even out of the rain, it's still a damp day (in fact, our primary camera spends most of the day recuperating in the engine room after moisture gets in its lens), but everyone takes it in good cheer.

1300 hours

By now, many students have collected all of their data and are ready to start compiling it into a presentable form. Mr. McDonald leads the crew in a lecture on how to graph their data.

1330 hours

It's time to set up Alicia and Jaquell's mechanical advantage experiment. We lay a capstan bar across the weather deck hatch, then hang a block and tackle system of pulleys beneath it.

Their goal is to lift a 60-pound lead ingot borrowed from our ballast (and tightly wrapped in canvas so it can be handled safely). How will the addition of extra supporting lines aid us in lifting that weight?

In fact, the experiment looks so fun that some of the senior crew can't help but jump in and try it out as well.

1400 hours

Students have started to compile their data, and show their results to our educators for a primary review before continuing. Looks like everyone's headed in the right direction.

1430 hours

The rain has long since passed us by, but it's still wet out, so the galley becomes a popular (and dry) spot to hang out. Mr. Prime tends to a rotating group of students as they write up their results and prepare their graphs.

1600 hours

A few students are still collecting data. (And it's much nicer to be out on the channel now than it was this morning.) Ryan assists Annie with the Van Dorn sampler as she collects water samples from various depths beneath the surface.

1630 hours

Students who have finished their presentation materials have time to relax and practice their shipcraft. Having already learned the square knot, bowline, and half hitch, Charly shows off his skill with Mr. Hansen's trick knot, in which a coil of line collapses into several hitches.

In the foc's'le, Austin puts the finishing touches on his presentation materials while Annie updates her findings.

Meanwhile, Jensen graphs his findings down on the orlop.

Karyn has just finished her project, so she spends her time updating her student journal.

Checking back in with the galley crew, we see that everything is well in hand.

By tonight, every student will have collected all of their data and will be well on their way to completing their presentation materials. Great job, crew!

1815 hours

Dinner is served on the weather deck. Tonight we're having vegetable stir fry and jasmine rice.

The humidity has broken, so sunset is agreeably pleasant.

1900 hours

Captain Reynolds has a bit of news for us, however. According to weather reports, a storm front and high winds are currently blowing eastward across western New York state.

The storm is likely to reach us sometime in the middle of the night.

The rosy sunset is a sign of the coming storm, in fact. Captain Reynolds warns us that, although we're in no danger, we may be in for a wet night, and the gusting winds may rock us back and forth. Everyone is advised to securely stow their gear, both to keep it dry and to keep it from tumbling around the deck.

1930 hours

Until then, however, we just enjoy the sunset.

As evening descends, the crew keeps up with their duties. Abbegail helps clean dishes in the galley after dinner.

Meanwhile, on the port channel, Annie takes her final set of salinity readings before completing her work.

We have a visitor! The sloop Woody Guthrie happens to be in the neighborhood. While taking advantage of the building winds for an evening sail, they circle past us to trade hails and greetings.

2000 hours

The students have been hard at work for two days straight, so the senior crew decides they've earned the right to just sit back and relax tonight. Everyone gathers in the orlop to play word and memory games until 2130 hours, when we make a night of it. The students have a big day tomorrow!

Since the presentation work is complete, the educators want to try out a few more experiments overnight. During anchor watch, the crew will monitor the barometric pressure, and they'll also use a compass to see how the Half Moon shifts position on its anchorage tonight.

As it happens, the night passes quietly; when the storm front reaches us, it's lost its bluster. All we experience is some gentle rocking.

On this date in 1609:

The eleventh, was faire and very hot weather. At one of the clocke in the after-noone, wee weighed and went into the River, the wind at South South-west, little winde. Our soundings were seven, sixe, five, sixe, seven, eight, nine, ten, twelve, thirteene, and fourteene fathomes. Then it shoalded againe, and came to five fathomes. Then wee Anchored, and saw that it was a very good Harbour for all windes, and rode all night. The people of the Countrey came aboord of us, making shew of love, and gave us Tobacco and Indian Wheat and departed for that night; but we durst not trust them.

-- Robert Juet's Journal.