The second day on the water for the Rhode Island Children’s Crusade was action packed.  We started off with some safety drills and even tried on an immersion suit.  By 0930, the participants were in the Ernestina’s two dories and the rescue boat and headed for shore for some exploration.  The shoreline offered the diversity of both a beach as well as a marsh, and the students collected and identified the various creatures living in these two zones.  With a successful row back to the Ernestina, swim call was announced and we cooled off in the Narraganset Bay.

After lunch we got underway with all four lowers set, and tacked across the bay, passing Gould Island.  Students rotated through stations on water chemistry and plankton, and spent time climbing aloft in the rigging.  In the early evening we struck sail and anchored in Potter Cove off Conanicut Island.  After a busy day, students relaxed, and after a few games and a story, before hitting the sack for their final night on board.

Program Coordinator: Gretchen Stuppy
Captain: Sophie Morse