1830 hours

Current Position: Moored at Yonkers, NY.
Latitude: 40˚ 56.76'
Longitude: 073˚ 54.1'

Day One of our Spring 2008 Voyage of Discovery.

The Half Moon is quietly docked at a small park in Yonkers, NY, having arrived here yesterday.

The day has been thickly overcast, with steady easterly winds, due to a weather front working its way up the coast. This is no cause for concern, however -- predictions had been for rain throughout the weekend, so as long as we stay dry we're well ahead of the game.

We spot bands of students porting their gear across the park, sparking the crew into action.

We greet our new crew members as they arrive at the ship...

...and then move all of their gear on board and down onto the orlop deck, where the students will be living for the next week.

1845 hours

Captain Reynolds greets our new arrivals on shore, welcoming them on board and giving them a quick, initial briefing on our plans and procedures.

The students' first challenge is simply to board the ship! Fortunately, our gangplank is sturdier than it looks. Crossing one at a time, the students are soon on board.

1900 hours

Captain Reynolds gathers the students around the capstan to introduce them to the Half Moon's safety procedures.

He also briefly introduces them to the various duties they'll perform as part of their watch rotation, including lookout and manning the helm.

Lastly, Captain Reynolds stresses the importance of proper hygene. With so many people living in such a small space, unchecked diseases can quickly spread throughout the crew. In Captain Hudson's era, for example, before disease transmission was well understood, many ship's crews were wiped out by disease.

Here, Captain Reynolds shows everyone how to thoroughly wash their hands.

1930 hours

The students step below to the orlop deck to rummage their gear and fetch extra sweatshirts and raincoats, since we're getting just a hint of rain in the air.

Meanwhile, Captain Reynolds gathers the senior crew around the capstan. The students' early arrival has coincided nicely with the coming of ebb tide; this means that if we leave the dock quickly, we'll be able to travel all the way down to the Bay Ridge Flats tonight.

1945 hours

Once the students are ready for work, we assign positions and quickly cast off our lines. Kristie is the first crew member to take the helm. The original Half Moon predates the invention of the ship's wheel by about a century, so it uses a whipstaff (pictured) instead. This is a long lever attached to the tiller below, and works just like a big joystick.

Students who haven't been immediately assigned to a task can sit back and enjoy the scenery, as Jacob, Mary, Casey, Thwe-Thwe, and Sienna are doing here.

As the overcast skies press down on the Hudson, concealing the tops of skyscrapers and the George Washington Bridge, we slide south past Yonkers.

2000 hours

The senior crew has now divided the students into two watches, Port and Starboard, and prepared the students' duty roster. Mr. Linehan gathers students on the orlop and more thoroughly explains each position.

2015 hours

Keith, our first lookout, is still on duty as the unseen sun begins to set.

2030 hours

As we motor south past Manhattan, we briefly consider taking advantage of the strong easterly winds and setting sail, but ultimately we decide that it's already been a long day; we don't want to wear out our senior crew by making them furl the sails late at night. We'll remain under motor power until we reach our anchorage.

Meanwhile, dinner is served down in the warmer confines of the orlop deck. Tonight's meal includes cream of mushroom soup, salad, and fajitas, with neopolitan ice cream for dessert.

2100 hours

When darkness falls, we shift our lookout position from the foredeck to the weather deck. This isn't quite as efficient -- the lookout has to pace back and forth from port and starboard to peer out around the fo'c'sle -- but in the colds wind and dark of night, it's much safer and more comfortable for our students.

2200 hours

As the hour grows late, Mr. van Aken and Mrs. Mahigian cycle groups of students through the head, teaching them how to use the intricate marine toilet.

2330 hours

We reach our destination, the Bay Ridge Flats in New York Harbor, and set anchor. Captain Reynolds gathers the entire crew on deck and briefs them on their first anchor watch. Throughout the night, teams of two students apiece will each spend an hour standing watch on deck, ensuring that we don't drag our anchor and thus drift out of our protected position. It's a quiet night, all told, and with the hazy glow of lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty watching us from the horizon, we call it a night and settle into our bunks by 2400 hours. It's been a late night, but it guarantees that our new crew will sleep soundly.