0700 hours

Current Position: Anchored off Beacon, NY.

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

When we rise this morning, still anchored between Newburgh and Beacon, we discover a beautifully cool, dry morning waiting for us. The storm fronts of the preceding days have blown over, leaving us with puffy clouds in an azure sky. We also have a northerly wind through the region, which suits our plans perfectly.

0800 hours

Since the student's projects are all but complete, we'll have the pleasure of devoting most the day to a leisurely sail back south through the Hudson Highlands.

Before that can happen, our student sailors climb aloft to unfurl the sails.

0815 hours

Breakfast is served!

0900 hours

As we clear away breakfast, we pause for today's reading from Robert Juet's journal. Mr. Mangrum is pulled out from behind his camera to offer us a few entries.

0930 hours

Time for a quick round of sail handling training! We split the crew between the main mast and the fore mast, and spend an hour setting, striking, and bracing the sails in preparation for our journey.

1030 hours

With no further delay, let's start sailing! The students are again dispatched throughout the ship to weigh anchor. Abbey is our communicator this morning; it's her job to relay commands between the Quarter deck, where Captain Reynolds oversees the procedure, and the orlop deck.

Mouse over to prevent overrides.

Speaking of the orlop deck, here's a view we don't often see: the lower capstan in action. As we run the anchor rode around the capstan, Jaquell guards against overrides (tangles) by keeping the line taut.

1100 hours

With our orlop and capstan crews hard at work, the anchor soon rises from the water. Mrs. Colley, out on the channel this morning, has the task of maneuvering the anchor onto the channel where it is soon secured.

1115 hours

As soon as we're underway, we set the fore and main courses. It's always amazing how quickly our new crew members "learn the ropes," so to speak.

1130 hours

As we sail past Newburgh, we catch an excellent view of George Washington's headquarters.

1200 hours

Once the sails are set and drawing wind, the students turn their attention to putting the final touches on their presentations. Down in the orlop, Abbey, several students compare and discuss their findings.

Meanwhile, a trip to the weather deck finds several students intently writing out their conclusions.

1300 hours

Shorly after we enter the Hudson Highlands, we serve lunch on the weather deck. The weather conditions today feel like a reward for putting up with the rain and damp of preceding days.

Sailing continues uninterrupted, but with the high peaks towering over us to either side of the river, we find the wind's direction constantly shifting. Our mast crews pick up the pace, deftly bracing the sails as needed.

Even with the fluctuating winds, we're making good time.

1315 hours

Pickle juice. Straight from the jar. Of her own volition. And that's all we have to say about that!

1330 hours

Midway through her shift at helm, Tiffany seems to be enjoying herself as she maneuvers the Half Moon through the Hudson Highland's sharp twists and turns.

Around the next bend, we can just spot West Point coming into view. In the meantime, the fore course offers some pleasant shade for our fore deck crew.

Since Ryan and Charlie are spending so much time working the braces, they can use the break from the sun.

1415 hours

Fatima has volunteered to help Mr. Prime mend a tarp that burst a seam while shielding us from the recent storms. She says she doesn't know how to sew, but she's seen her mother do it and is keen to learn. Mr. Prime soon has her stitching away.

Mouse over to work the main sail.

1430 hours

As the winds shift again, our mast crews again scramble to reposition the sails. In this case, we partially draw up the main course to allow more wind to reach the fore.

1515 hours

We pass under Bear Mountain Bridge, leaving the Hudson Highlands behind us.

1630 hours

We've passed Verplanck, our ultimate destination on this leg of the voyage. For now, we've reached our anchorage for the night: the northern end of Haverstraw Bay. From here, it'll be a short hop to King Marine come next morning.

The senior crew scurries aloft to furl the sails while the students get ready belowdecks.

1645 hours

The crew gathers on the weather deck so the students can present their findings.

The students explain their hypotheses, describe the materials they used in their experiments, and present graphs of their results.

Each student also takes questions from the audience. Visit the Presentation page for a more detailed look at the students' reports.

Everyone's so engrossed in the proceedings that few crew members even notice that Haverstraw's weekly sailboat race has been gliding past us the whole time.

1900 hours

Every last presentation has been delivered. The senior crew is impressed, and the students are relieved. They get a little giddy now that the pressure's off.

And so, the sun sets, ending the last full day of this leg of our Voyage of Discovery.

1930 hours

Dinner is served on the weather deck. Our meal includes beef stew, string bean cassarole, and mashed potatoes, with a chocolate mousse for dessert.

2015 hours

While the students are largely free to kick back and relax tonight, their crew duties must go on. Abbey, Alicia, and Annie -- the "Triple A's" -- report to the galley to help Ms. Wegman clean up. They're happy to help out, but horrified to discover that, thanks to these incriminating photos, the student crew's parents are already aware that their kids can now wash dishes.

Shortly after sunset, Mr. Dawson catches an eel, which we quickly transfer to our study tank. The weather hasn't allowed us to conduct many expeditions, so this chance to delve into a little natural history is appreciated.

Mouse over to enjoy this lovely eel.

We'll observe this eel for a few days, then release it back into the wild. We just need to make sure the tank's lid is securely fastened -- this eel wants out!

2100 hours

As our giddy crew settles into the evening, Ryan turns heads with his cutting edge fashion sense. By the way, has anyone seen Tiffany's sweatshirt?

Mrs. Colley likes to conclude our Voyages of Discovery by bringing the crew together to tell everyone the favorite things they encountered during their time on board. Everyone seems to have enjoyed themselves and grown for the having had the experience.

As the student's final night on board the Half Moon winds down, we start anchor watch and retire for the night.

On this date in 1609:

The twelfth, very faire and hot. In the after-noone at two of the clocke wee weighed, the winde being variable, betweene the North and the North-west. So we turned into the River two leagues and Anchored. This morning at our first rode in the River, there came eight and twentie Canones of men, women, and children to betray us; but we saw their intent, and suffered noone of them to come aboord of us. At twelve of the clocke they departed. They brought with them Oysters and Beanes, whereof wee bought some. They have great Tobacco pipes of yellow Copper, and Pots of Earth to dresse their meate in. It floweth South-east by South within.

-- Robert Juet's Journal.