The beginning of today's sail began with
a workout. Auburn middle school seventh graders
helped the Ernestina crew in raising the four
lower sails - the mains'l, the fores'l, the
jumbo, and the jib. Once outside the inner
harbor, the ship's company was met with a gentle
Southwesterly breeze as well as fog, fog and more
fog. Bow watch was extra alert for nearby traffic
and the students heard our fog signal for the
first time this week. While
taking a mid-morning turn about the deck of the
Ernestina I was inundated by the sounds of
Ernestina underway with students on board. Over
the sounds of water on the hull and sails in the
wind were voices raised to sing traditional
ballads and chanteys sung by sailors for decades.
Questions and little tidbits of information were
carried on the wind past our ears and into the
sails in the rig as the boat schooned along
towards Padanaram. Helping Ernestina get where
she was going were the students who steered her
on a true course through the water. Students were
hard at work interpreting a nautical chart of
Buzzards Bay. Along with learning about the
folklore and story-telling of sailors at sea they
wove their own daisy chain bracelets. While
discussing mechanical advantage, students were
able to figure out exactly how the blocks that
look like their clothes-line pulleys at home
helped them raise the Ernestina's four lower
sails earlier this morning. Other groups were
discovering what real live plankton looks like
and how it is connected to all of the life in our
oceans and beyond.
A moment of silence began the
afternoon, giving both participants and crew a
chance to appreciate their unique surroundings
without the melee of classes and rotations. After
a few quick stations the students helped to
strike and furl the sails. They were quick,
efficient and alert throughout the day - all
qualities that make them good sailors, students
and shipmates. Each of the sails was stowed well
and Ernestina looks shipshape and ready to sail
another day.
Captain: Amanda Madeira
Program Coordinator: MaryHelen Gunn
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