On Henry Hudson's 1609 voyage up the river that now bears his name, one of his officers, Robert Juet, kept a log of the ship's navigational record and other observations. This journal is now a valuable source of information about the what Hudson River Valley and its people were like during that September in 1609. It also tells us a lot about what Captain Hudson and his crew were like, and how they felt about what they were seeing.

Each day, we'll post dispatches from on board the Half Moon to let you see how our voyage is progressing as our student crew recreates Hudson's explorations. While waiting for our logs, you can track the progress of the original d'Halve Maen in 1609, as presented in the journal of Robert Juet. (Juet's original spelling has been preserved; note that English spelling in the 17th century did not follow the standardized rules we use today.)

The two legs of our Fall Voyage of Discovery parallel the expedition of the original d'Halve Maen as it traveled up what Dutch settlers would soon call the North River, culminating in the ship's fruitful arrival at the site of modern Albany on September 19th, 1609.

We hope these logs, both past and present, will help you learn about what we're discovering, and something about us, too. Check back often!

Click on the dispatches below as they appear to see what we're doing on that day. Note that we may occasionally alter a planned course to take shifting weather patterns into account.

Leg 1, Day 1: Students board at Verplanck NY; Half Moon remains in port due to southerly winds and storms.
Entries: Arrival & Orientation | Any Port in a Storm | Orientation Continues | Juet's 1609 Journal

Leg 1, Day 2: Student orientation; sail handling; Half Moon travels from Verplanck to Gravesend Bay.
Entries: Leaving Port | Orientation | Set Sail! | To the River's Mouth | Gravesend Bay | Juet's 1609 Journal

Leg 1, Day 3: Data collection begins; Half Moon travels from Gravesend Bay to Bay Ridge Flats.
Entries: Lights, Camera, Action! | Stowaway | Harborbound | Bay Ridge Flats | Juet's 1609 Journal

Leg 1, Day 4: Data collection and off-ship expeditions; Half Moon continues upriver to the Palisades.
Entries: 9/11 Commemoration | Data Collection | Deck Wash! | Into the Hudson | Juet's 1609 Journal

Leg 1, Day 5: Half Moon continues upriver to Haverstraw Bay; students deliver presentations.
Entries: On to Haverstraw Bay | Project Presentations | Last Night Onboard | Juet's 1609 Journal

Leg 1, Day 5/Leg 2, Day 1: Student changeover at Verplanck, NY; orientation for new crew; Half Moon travels to Newburgh Bay.
Entries: Morning Sail | Expeditions | Heading Home | The New Crew | Evening in the Highlands | Juet's 1609 Journal

Leg 2, Day 2: Half Moon sails upriver to Kingston, NY; student orientation continues.
Entries: Weighing Anchor | Sailing the Lange Rack | Orientation | Juet's 1609 Journal

Leg 2, Day 3: Half Moon travels to Athens Channel; research project orientation.
Entries: Project Orientation | Deck Wash | Onward to Athens | Juet's 1609 Journal

Leg 2, Day 4: Data collection layover at Athens Channel.
Entries: Data Collection | Athens Layover | Juet's 1609 Journal

Leg 2, Day 5: Half Moon travels to Henry Hudson Park; students deliver presentations.
Entries: Lowering the Masts | Continuing Upriver | Project Presentations | Juet's 1609 Journal

Leg 2, Day 6: First-leg students return at Henry Hudson Park; Half Moon arrives at Albany, NY riverfront at noon.