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Auburn Middle School Sail
Day Sail 9:30am-1:30pm

Friday, May 30, 2003

 

With calm seas and clear skies, Boy Scout Troop 1 from Hopkinton, MA set out from the State Pier on Saturday, May 31. The scouts came on an overnight sail with the Ernestina hoping to learn about the operation, design and life on board a 19th century fishing schooner – and to just have a good time.

After all the sails were set, everyone got a chance to be on watch while underway in Buzzards Bay which meant driving the vessel, standing bow watch, running hourly boat checks and navigating. Extra time was spent with the down watches getting oriented to the ship, exploring the history of the Ernestina and looking at the ship and the surrounding waters from a different view point - out on the bowsprit.

After striking sail, dropping anchor in the lee of Sconticut Neck and enjoying a delicious dinner on deck, rain that had been threatening on the horizon all afternoon finally arrived. A rousing evening program involving theatrics and music, was held in the fish hold. Afterwards, everyone got ready for bed, turned in and started hourly anchor watches that continued through the night.

Rain and winds increased overnight, leading to a change in plans. Instead of sailing out into gale force winds and steady rain, the Ernestina and her crew returned to dock at the State Pier in the morning and spent a couple hours below decks learning about ship construction, ropework and advanced navigation in the captains cabin.

To wrap up the morning, everyone took a short trip to explore the New Bedford Whaling Museum before lunch back at the ship. After a last meeting in the rain around the aft cabin top, everyone reflected on their experience, commenting that life on a fishing schooner is hard work and "not the same in real life as in the movies."

The scouts said farewell to the Ernestina crew and their borrowed, orange foul weather gear with plan to continue to enjoy outdoor adventures in the rain.

Program Coordinator: Kristen Sharpless
Captain: Sophie Morse

The chart image above shows the green track from May 31st to anchor off Sconticut Neck and then the shorter track of June 1st back to harbor.

Here is a group shot up at the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

Plotting the position and getting a course off the chart.

This shot, taken through the scuttle from deck, captures the hard work going on in the galley at the end of a meal.

A rolling hitch is used to make off the halyard while the strain is transferred to the pin rail.

At the helm steering 250 tons of ship.

Group shot out on the bowsprit....

We would like to thank Lotus and IBM for donation of software, hardware and funding to enable regular electronic updates from the ship.

NOAA Chart is provided courtesy of Maptech using Cruising Navigator 4.3 and grabbing the image using Grabit Pro 6.02.

 
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Copyright 1997-2003
Schooner Ernestina
89 North Water Street, P.O. Box 2010, New Bedford, MA 02741-2010
phone 508.992.4900 -- fax 508.984.7719
www.ernestina.org

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