During these past few dockside days in
New Bedford, weve been catching up on some
maintenance and preparing the ship for several
weeks of programming in Long Island Sound and all
the way up to Portland, Maine before the Labor
Day schooner races in Gloucester. This morning
fetched up hot and humid, so the crew were ready
and waiting when our group of 15 students from
the University of Massachusetts-Boston came
onboard. We mustered around the wheel and, as a
way of introducing ourselves, each person said
what they were looking forward to learning and
accomplishing for the voyage. Our participants
are focused on oceanography and coastal zone
management issues, and theyre looking
forward to what, for many, will be their first
extended experience at sea. Several members of
the crew also expressed excitement for the
opportunity to sail with one group for 8 days,
develop a working rhythm and really get to know
the participants. We had
a full day of sailing ahead of usdestination:
New London, CT for the concurrent conferences of
the National Marine Educators and Ships to Save
the Waters (see links from Ernestinas home
page for more info). So we got right off the
dock, introducing participants initially to basic
safety and sail-raising points; and once our four
lowers were set, the watches began full
orientations to the ship, both below decks and on
decks.
The chart image shows Ernestina
steaming through Fishers Island Sound on the
approach to New London.
One of the groups
programmatic goals is to collect a data set of
water characteristics for study in the remainder
of their summer course. So after lunch the
students learned how to use and care for the
refractometer, plankton net and microscopes. From
there we proceeded into safety drills as we do on
every multi-day voyage. Each watch group played
its designated role in vessel operations,
emergency management, and personnel control as we
simulated a fire scenario in the main hold.
Given the rolling sea and stiff
breezes, everyone was hungry by dinnertime. Those
not on watch rested after dinner and crew and a
few participants were on hand for our late-night
docking in New London. It was well after midnight
before our dock watches began. A very full first
day indeedand tomorrow morning we join the
conferences!
Captain: Sophie Morse
Program Coordinator: MaryHelen Gunn
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