0600 hours

Current Position: Under way on Long Island Sound, off of Great Neck, Long Island.
Latitude: 40˚ 98.5' N
Longitude: 073˚ 97.0' W
Port Watch Leader: Lisa.

Day Two of the Half Moon's voyage from East Hartford, CT to Hudson, NY.

The Half Moon has traveled through the night, operating on 24-hour watch rotation. By the time Port Watch comes on duty at daybreak, we are nearing the western end of Long Island Sound.

0645 hours

The dense fog of the night has lifted, but the skies are still overcast as we pass under Throgs Neck Bridge, which connects Queens with the Bronx.

High five! What's Port Watch celebrating -- making it through the night? No, that's just to be expected for this crew. They're just happy to have successfully hoisted a troublesome flag.

0700 hours

Patrick serves scrambled eggs, sausage, and English muffins for breakfast.

0745 hours

As Evi and Nick move on to their next flag -- this one puting much less of a fight -- we enter Hellsgate, noted for its turbulent currents. "A little swirly, isn't it?" comments Steve at the helm.

0800 hours

Once through Hellsgate we enter the East River. The crew takes in the sights of the Manhattan skyline as we pass by.

We happen to have entered the East River just as the ebb tide began, so we're making excellent time.

We soon comes to one of the most significant landmarks on the East River is the United Nations Headquarters, an international zone.

1000 hours

We've spent the last hour traveling through New York Harbor and just passed the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, entering Raritan Bay.

1045 hours

Having ridden the ebb this far south, we are now in position for our real goal of the day: sailing on the flood tide all the way past New York City to the Palisades. Our rig teams have unfurled the sails, and the mast teams are awaiting their commands.

1100 hours

As we turn back to the north, we set sail and catch the south-westerly winds.

We'll ride the powerful winds throughout most of the rest of the day. Just hauling in the main course sheet requires teamwork...

Mouse over to sheet her home!

...but together Dave and Jack tackle it without a problem.

1200 hours

Current Position: Under sail in Raritan Bay.
Latitude: 41˚ 13.4' N
Longitude: 072˚ 34.4' W
Starboard Watch Leader: Glen.

The tops and courses are catching wind as Starboard Watch comes on duty. Steve and Rachel are dispatched to the beak to set the spritsail as well.

1245 hours

We brace the billowing sails as we adjust our course.

With the current behind us and the sails straining under the wind, we make an average of eight knots for much of the remaining day.

1300 hours

Patrick serves lunch as we sail along. Today the crew digs into classic comfort food: hot macaroni & cheese.

Mouse over to feel
the force of the wind.

1430 hours

We aim to show the Half Moon at its best in these logs, naturally, so standard practice is to show the sails only once they're fully set, rather than during maneuvers. In this case, however, we've captured the main course just after we've released its sheets and just before we clew it up; the resulting luffing is a fine example of the sheer force the wind is exerting on us as we approach the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

In fact, in order to maintain tight control over the ship while passing under the bridge, we've place the sails in this unsual configuration. The fore course is doused, and we've clewed up the port side only of the main course, reducing its propulsive power.

These sails, combined with the spritsail and the mizzen lateen, carry us past and back into New York Harbor.

1445 hours

As we enter New York Harbor, Howland is wrapping up his hour at the whipstaff.

Mouse over to roll over the waves.

1515 hours

Under full sail, the Half Moon powerfully bounds across the harbor on our way toward the distant spires of Manhattan.

1600 hours

Dawn stands lookout as we enter the Hudson River.

We're still barrelling right along and making excellent time. In fact, we're going too fast! Allow us to explain...

1630 hours

We have two special guests making their own way out to us on the water, and if we continue at this clip they'll never be able to catch up. We douse the tops and courses to slow down.

1645 hours

Our first guest has arrived: New York Times reporter Corey Kilgannon rows out to the ship in his kayak.

1700 hours

We load his boat on board and continue on our way. Mr. Kilgannon will remain with us overnight to collect info and images for an article.

Our other intended guest is Marco Burmester, a friend of crew member Swantje Crone. He's on his own when it comes to reaching the ship, however, and he winds up spending the rest of the afternoon convincing pleasure craft passersby to give him a lift.

In the meantime, however, we must move on. We set the sails once more, with the fore course first on our list.

Bram is standing lookout as we go, and seems to be enjoying himself as he does so.

Mouse over to sheet the main top sail.

With the fore course set, we move on to the fore and main top sails.

With all sails once again drawing, we heel to the wind and fly upriver toward the George Washington Bridge.

1715 hours

As we pass under the bridge, we reach the upper reaches of New York City.

1815 hours

Patrick is exercising his "cook's prerogative." On the Half Moon, as a break from the galley, cooks can always jump to the front of the line for the head, and they are allowed to step into any watch position they want. While his assistants keep dinner preparations under control, Patrick ascends the rig.

Mr. Burmester has finally caught up with the ship, having arrived as a jet ski passenger. Captain Reynolds gets to know our new guests up on the Quarter deck.

1900 hours

The Half Moon sails north of Yonkers as the afternoon winds down.

Opting to take advantage of the sunny summer day and our excellent sailing conditions, we dispatch a camera team to the Zodiac.

The camera team spends the next hour on the water, snapping photos of the ship as the sun descends toward the Palisades.

1945 hours

Just as the camera crew is wrapping up, the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater sails into view from the north. They invite us by to say hello before we head back to the ship.

Mouse over for closer looks!

2000 hours

As we return, our topmen -- Nick on the fore and Evi on the main, wave hi.

With the fading sunset sinking beneath the horizon, we have only a short distance to go before we reach our destination.

As the day dies, the wind is growing flukey, so we douse the sails.

2030 hours

With Nick waving from the fore top, we pass under the Tappan Zee Bridge.

Meanwhile, Rachel and Steve are hard at work furling the spritsail.

On the main mast, Captain Reynolds and Glen furl the main course.

Not only have we come to the end of a great day of sailing, our crew has also completed a 37-hour leg of continuous travel, taking the ship all the way from East Hartford, Connecticut to Haverstraw Bay in New York. Now it's time to rest.

2115 hours

We set anchor in the lee of the Palisades. We were actually set up to create a stop-motion clip of the anchor rode running out, but the water at our chosen anchorage is so shallow that not even the 50-foot anchor chain fully clears the hawsehole.

(In other words, if this still were moving, it would still be still.)

2130 hours

Ending Position: Anchored at the northern end of the Palisades.
Latitude: 41˚ 07.5' N
Longitude: 073˚ 53.9' W

With the anchor secure, Patrick and Ewout work on raising the anchor light.

With the ship secure and the anchor light in place, Captain Reynolds convenes the crew to congratulate them on a productive sail and briefs them on anchor watch -- for many of our crew members, their first one.

The ship grows quiet as, for the first time since leaving East Hartford, the entire crew beds down for the night.

Next Time: Just Like Going Home!