Clear blue
skies and light NW winds greeted the
Ernestina as she motored out of her slip
this morning with 59 students and chaperones from
Dighton Middle school aboard. The following
wind guided the ship out as the students weighed
in on setting the fore and jumbo sails. A
lot of eager hands crowded in and hauled away
then busied themselves with coiling down lines. Once everything was ship shape the
student split into their groups to try their hand
at a variety of stations. Cap'n Willi took
his chances with students navigating, steering,
and standing bow watch, while others learned
about plankton, simple machines, and the history
of the Ernestina. Willi's risk paid off as
the students did a fantastic job of guiding
Ernestina around Buzzards bay (with only a little
help from the crew).
Conveniently, after lunch the
students had a fifteen minute quiet,
contemplative sail in which they wrote in their
fuzzy notebooks about the experience on board
such an historic vessel. On our return sail
home the students covered the last few stations
and soaked in as much as they could on this
beautiful sunny day.
Once back inside the hurricane barrier the
everyone took care of the last few
responsibilities on board and Cap'n Willi deftly
maneuvered our ship back alongside the New
Bedford State Pier. The students of Dighton
Middle School departed with smiles and, whether
they realize it or not, a sense of a different
life.
Captain: Willi Bank
Program Coordinator: MaryHelen Gunn
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