0700 hours

Current Position: Anchored at Grave's End Bay, off Brooklyn, NY.
Latitude: 40˚ 35.4'
Longitude: 074˚ 00.3'

Day Three of the first leg of our Fall 2008 Voyage of Discovery.

We wake within sight of Brooklyn and Coney Island to discover a marked change in the weather. Our azure skies are over for now; today is cool and overcast.

0800 hours

The main goal of the day is to complete the students' orientation. The students begin their morning by continuing to practice taking measurements with all of the instruments used for the Deck Log, as well as any additional materials needed for their own presentation projects.

As the students relax after breakfast, their teachers introduce them to the new Pillar concept of the day: Citizenship.

0815 hours

After the briefing, it's back to mastering the Half Moon's scientific tool set.

0930 hours

The Half Moon is expecting another special visit today: a scheduled inspection by the Coast Guard. The students help sweat and tail to haul the ship's tender back out of the water after the inspectors arrive.

0945 hours

While Captain Reynolds and the Coast Guard inspect the ship's systems below decks, Ms. O'Leary heads a meeting with the students on the weather deck.

This meeting's purpose is to brief the students on what they will need to accomplish to complete their presentations.

1000 hours

The briefing is still ongoing as the Coast Guard complete their inspection and depart. Once the tender crew return, we'll be ready to weigh anchor and move onward.

The teachers hand out data journals for each student. This is where the students will enter all of their findings, and thus mark the official start of their presentation projects.

With all other business attended to, Dr. Jacobs introduces the crew to yet another instrument: the Van Dorn sampler, which is a prerequisite for Chris & Ericka's project in particular.

1115 hours

Another notable avian visitor -- no, not the return of yesterday's cormorant, but a Coast Guard rescue helicopter, which, like the cormorant, circles us closely for a few minutes to take a long, curious look before continuing on its way. In hindsight, the presence of a rescue patrol could have been taken as an omen...

1130 hours

The ship's tender has now long since returned from shore and lunch has been served. Just as we start to prepare for weighing anchor, a thunderstorm rumbles over Grave's End Bay, dousing us in a deluge. All work above deck stops, for the moment.

1145 hours

While lightning flashes above us, work continues without a pause in the warm, dry galley, where Tee-Ahna and Mr. Gorter are busily preparing a potato dish for tonight's dinner.

The students have been sequestered below decks until the storm subsides. They gather in popular hangouts on the orlop deck and pass the time playing social games.

The senior crew must have their own kind of fun, because they remain on deck to string up sheltering tarps.

1230 hours

It's still raining, but the storm has subsided to the point that Captain Reynolds now believes it is prudent to return to ship's operations. In fact, the current weather report predicts that we'll be hit by similar storms on and off all day, so it's best to act during this lull.

But wait! Just as Captain Reynolds orders all crew to their anchor positions, Mr. Woodworth and Mr. Morel practically fling themselves overboard, scrambling down to the low-lying tender with net in hand. They've seen a lion's mane jellyfish floating by, and capture it for observation.

That done, we return to the matter at hand.

On the weather deck, the capstan crew use mechanical advantage to combine their strength and raise the anchor. At one point, we press ten people into service!

Meanwhile, the below decks crew is also hard at work. Kathleen and Rowan act as "fakers," neatly folding and positioning the anchor rode (or anchor rope) as it passes around the lower capstan and back to their position. This prevents tangles and allows the anchor to be deployed again at a moment's notice.

1400 hours

Having helped weigh anchor, Rowan now finds herself back in the position of lookout as the Half Moon travels north back out of the harbor.

We close in on the southern tip of Manhattan as we take a side route around Governor's Island, to the mouth of the East River.

1415 hours

The ship is off its usual course, but we aren't lost; this side trip is part of a poetry project for the students.

Mouse over to watch the falls.

The students have been assigned to write poems inspired by the Waterfalls, a public artwork project erected around the tip of Manhattan. Water continually cascades from four towering scaffoldings, drawn from and pouring back into the Hudson and East Rivers.

From our position, we can easily see all four of the Waterfalls at once, including this one on Governor's Island. We're also fortunate in that at this time of season, it's uncommon for all four cascades to be on at once. But today, we get to pass between all four active falls.

1500 hours

After our inspirational side trip, we've returned to the mouth of the Hudson and are heading upriver. The students continue to take water samples for their projects and the Deck Log. Alex is testing salinity, while Tee-Ahna needs surface temperature readings.

1600 hours

Snack time! Some chips and dip tide the hungry crew over until dinner.

1700 hours

Some students have already started collecting data for their presentations, and spend their spare time entering readings into their personal logs.

1800 hours

As we leave Manhattan behind, the students are in a mood to relax toward the end of a long day of work. They congregate at the rail, sharing stories and making friends.

Photo by Mark Morel

Meanwhile, Mr. Mangrum discovers that his secret has been discovered: it's his birthday today. In honor of the occasion, he submits himself to being captured on film.

Mr. Gorter's treat of Dutch pancakes and ice cream is a bit easier to swallow.

1815 hours

The gloomy weather forecasts from earlier today have been proven incorrect; the initial downpour has been the only storm to reach us, and by now the skies are even starting to clear. Captain Reynolds gives the all-clear for our first group of eager climbers to ascend the rig.

Since we haven't had an opportunity to sail today, there's no actual work to be done -- but the view of the river from the top is certainly worth the climb anyway. Our climbers relax for a while waiting for the dinner bell.

Mouse over for a closer look.

1845 hours

Meanwhile, the officers of the Quarter deck have discovered that Mia has developed some... unusual ways of keeping herself entertained during her hour-long shifts at the helm.

The setting sun finally breaks free of the clouds as Mia steers the Half Moon through Haverstraw Bay.

1900 hours

Dinner is served! Our climbers return to the deck for a meal of mushroom soup, potatoes, vegetables, and salad.

Photo by Woody Woodworth

Mr. Mangrum steps in for the helmsman on duty while they go eat, and gets caught on film again.

Photo by Woody Woodworth

1945 hours

One last photo before the "Gray Ghost" of the Half Moon scrabbles back off-screen: the teachers have been kind enough to provide a cake, and Mr. Gorter has added his own touch of decoration.

Meanwhile, as the sun sets abovedecks, Michael and Tyler S. help lower the flags for the evening.

2000 hours

Mr. Mangrum celebrates his birthday by serving up his cake to the students and senior crew. (And yes, he has some too.)

Shortly after everyone enjoys their cake, we set anchor in Haverstraw Bay.

2045 hours

After all the day's work is done, the students settle into their bunks to update their journals. Meanwhile, Mr. Gorter secretly treats the senior crew -- and his galley assistants -- to more Dutch pancakes. It's always good to be friends with the cook!

2200 hours

We end our evening anchored just around the bend from our frequent port at King Marine. We had initially planned on a different location in the shadow of the Pallisades, but the latest weather reports are now warning of strong winds due at midnight. In our preferred position, we would have been vulnerable to dragging the anchor; here, we'll be perfectly fine.

(As it happens, the predicted winds never quite manifest. Such is nautical life.)

Next: Data collection!

On this date in 1609:

The ninth, faire weather. In the morning, two great Canoes came aboord full of men; the one with their Bowes and Arrowes, and the other in shew of buying of knives to betray us; but we perceived their intent. Wee tooke two of them to have kept them, and put red Coates on them, and would not suffer the other to come neere us. So they went on Land, and two other came aboord in a Canoe: wee tooke the one and let the other goe; but hee which wee had taken got up and leapt over-boord. Then we weighed and went off into the channell of the River, and Anchored there all night.

-- Robert Juet's Journal.