0700 hours

Current Position: Anchored off Beacon, NY.
Latitude: 41˚ 30.7'
Longitude: 073˚ 59.7'

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

Before we begin, we have a two special notices to send out with this log. Click here to jump directly to the Mail Bag.

As the student crew rises to greet the final full day of their Voyage of Discovery, we find that the atmosphere has turned gloomy. Cool temperatures and overcast skies will be our constant companions throughout the day.

The teachers introduce a new Pillar of character today: Respect.

Once again, the students and teachers discuss the ethical meaning and value of respecting others, and the students will concentrate on this concept in their journals.

0915 hours

This is the climactic day of the Voyage of Discovery, when the students' Presentation projects come due. The students devote the morning to preparing graphs and data sheets...

...double-checking their observations...

...seeking advice from senior crew members...

...preparing reference notes...

...and working as teams to complete their presentations.

1030 hours

The morning remains unusually quiet on board the ship. Rather than laughter echoing up from the orlop deck, or commands being relayed from the Quarter deck, the main sounds permeating the ship are those of scribbling pens and quiet, intent discussion.

1100 hours

Of course, there's more to a good presentation than facts and figures -- or so we're told. Many of the students take the time to braid each other's hair -- and some of the teachers' as well -- for that little extra something.

Mouse over for the Half Moon version of "Pong."

1130 hours

Pens down! By now, all written work for the presentations has been completed, the students have been summoned to the orlop deck for a briefing by their teachers.

While the students sit in class, some of the senior crew enjoy an extended recess.

While Mr. Gorter and Mr. Schuijer play a little European football, Ms. Housler is leading a seminar on guidelines for effective presentations.

The data has been collected, the notes written, and the equations solved. All that remains now is for the students to present their findings to the crew -- and for that, Ms. Housler presents a number of tips on public speaking.

After the brief meeting, the teachers dismiss the students to go find a private spot and practice delivering their presentations with their partners.

Of course, private is a relative term on a sailing vessel...

1200 hours

The students are now nervously awaiting their chance to take the spotlight. In the meantime, as ship's engineer, Mr. Woodworth makes full use of the students on Maintainence duty. Jared is assigned the task of installing a new fire extinguisher bracket in the great cabin.

1215 hours

During this relative lull in the action (or is it eye of the storm?), we can return to the topic of the Half Moon's Fridge Art. Both senior crew and students have contributed to the Galley Gallery. Can you guess who drew what? (Hint: Some crew members drew more than one picture.)

The senior crew members have promised not to psychoanalyze each other's art, but we hold you to no such oaths.

1215 hours

Activity continues on deck. The students are now racing to finish out any lingering tasks on the Task Matrix. Mr. Morel starts his afternoon by teaching Alex, Mike, Chris, and Tyler S. how to tie a variety of knots.

Ericka is Mr. Woodworth's latest recruit. Ah, for the days when maintenance just meant scrubbing the head clean!

1300 hours

The final hour before curtain! Mr. Gorter settles any nervous stomachs with the pasta he serves for lunch -- a warm treat for a cool day.

1400 hours

At last the time has come for the student Presentations. The entire crew convenes on the orlop deck (after quickly deciding that the windy weather is turning too inclement to hold these proceedings on the weather deck).

Each in their turn, each pair of students stands before the main mast to present their hypothesis, describe their procedures, and explain their findings.

After each team of students has delivered its report, they also take questions from the rest of the crew. These questions are often probing, and sometime reveal new factors present in the research -- such as the questionable accuracy of our experimental float bottles.

1530 hours

Before we know it, the presentations are complete! Impressive work done all around.

But now we turn our attention back from river science to shipcraft: this is our scheduled departure time, so the crew immediately rummages the orlop in preparation for weighing anchor.

1545 hours

Unfortunately, while we were all below enjoying the Presentations, a steady rain has blown into the area.

Having thoroughly steeped themselves in scientific pursuits for the past week, the students now indulge themselves in some good old-fashioned spiritualism, imploring the spirit of Henry Hudson to turn the capstan "...so we won't have to..."

Pure superstition... but hark! The capstan turns of its own accord, with no human hand set upon it!

What mysterious, otherworldly force could possibly account for this eerie phenomenon?

1600 hours

With our capstan team begrudgingly returning to the material realm and manning the capstan themselves, the anchor is soon retrieved. A smooth operation...

1615 hours

...that just happens to feel longer than it really is.

Oddly enough, positions on the orlop team were highly coveted for this operation!

1630 hours

With the anchor now securely lashed on the fore channel, the Half Moon is underway. All that remains is to mop up after the anchor rode. No crew members mind scrubbing up -- particularly when the rode's muddy trail passes through where they sleep.

1715 hours

With the inclement weather above and their projects behind them, the students prefer to spend their free time relaxing on the orlop deck.

In the fore, Jared assists as Michael dissects a fish which, sadly, did not survive the night in the aquarium.

Behind the main mast, the ladies amuseme themselves with social games.

Pollapel Island, home to Bannerman's Castle.

West Point.

1800 hours

As the off-duty crew lounges below decks, the Half Moon motors back south through the Hudson Highlands, the region's notable landmarks quietly gliding past us in the rain.

1815 hours

The students may have completed their projects, but their watch duties are far from over. On galley duty, Michael scrubs down the galley table for Mr. Gorter.

1915 hours

We've just passed Bear Mountain Bridge and come into view of Peekskill, NY. Our final destination for this leg of the voyage is just around the bend.

Meanwhile, Mr. Gorter perks up the crew with a late-afternoon treat: ice cream with sprinkles!

2000 hours

We have now returned to King Marine in Verplanck, NY. As we approach the dock, the rainy night is pitch black, so let's visit a seldom-seen position on the ship: Line Four.

The Half Moon is typically secured to a dock using four mooring lines, which are numbered from fore to stern. The Line Four handler is positoned at the far rear of the orlop deck.

Shannon acts as communicator between Line Four and the Quarter deck, positioning herself in a scuttle (hatch) that leads up into the helm hutch. Her task is made somewhat more difficult by the dull roar of the engine one deck down, but a booming voice gets the job done.

When the command comes, Jared and Mr. Woodworth quickly haul in their slack and make off the mooring line on the Sampson bar, securing it in place.

Mouse over to veer to port.

For the curious, the Line Four also provides a look at how the whipstaff actually steers the ship. After passing through the deck (which acts as a fulcrum), the bottom of the whipstaff is attached to the tiller, acting as a lever to push it back and forth.

2130 hours

The Half Moon is now securely moored, and the voyage is nearly over. However, the students aren't quite ready to call it a night just yet!

First, the crew once again convenes on the orlop stairs, this time for a poetry jam!

One by one, the students recite their poems they wrote after being inspired by the sight of the New York Waterfalls.

No applause allowed! Clapping is for squares! The students are rewarded with cool snapping fingers for their performances.

2000 hours

After the poetry jam, the students finish out their last evening on board with a game of charades with a Half Moon theme -- each subject is a person or object on board the ship.

The night concludes with a bit of good news: Captain Reynolds has declared that since this dock is familiar to us, no anchor watch is necessary tonight. Sleep well!

Next Time: One voyage ends, and another begins!

Once again we'd like to thank everyone who's written us over the course of the voyage to send their kind words and encouragement. Today, however, we would like to send out two well-wishing messages of our own.

First, we started our day today by learning that Ann McGuinness, she who patiently puts up with all of Captain Reynolds' long voyages and zany schemes, broke her leg this morning and had to undergo surgery. As we write this log (on Saturday the 13th), she is already recuperating back at home, surrounded by friends and family. Chip and the entire crew of the Half Moon wishes her a speedy recovery.

As a final note, we've discovered that this Voyage of Discovery hasn't quite run out of birthday surprises just yet. At 2228 hours last night (as local time is reckoned in Sydney, Australia), Stuart Turner, a friend of Mr. Mangrum's going back to the distant historical era known as the 20th Century, became a father for the first time. Mr. Mangrum is more than happy to abuse his power as Ship's Chronicler to congratulate the happy parents of Amy M. Turner and welcome her to the crew.

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.