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Ernestina Logbook Page

Schooner Sound Learning
Six-day Transit New Haven, CT to Boston, MA

August 6, 2003
Day 4: Sandwich to Provincetown

We ended the day in Provincetown Harbor off Long Point Light. The trawl went over between the x's on the right side of the image.

Here is the track for the day. It is a run of about 21 miles across Cape Cod Bay and Ernestina can make seven knots easily. Fair breeze!

All right, everybody up! All hands on deck!  6:00 a.m.  No coffee.  We are anchored in Cape Cod Bay, and are seeing the sun for the first time in what seems to be days.  We decide that we will sail right off the anchor. This may not mean much to those of you who do not sail.  But trust us; this is no easy task.  Luckily we have no shallow water around us to worry about.  When sailing off the anchor we must be sure that we raise the correct sails, at the correct time, in the correct order.  We were not able to actually set sail yesterday so it is quite enjoyable to be sailing once again.

Our destination for the day lies on the other side of the bay.  During the sail there is plenty to keep us busy.  The rotating watches control the ship, while those of us not on watch help wherever we can and learn about the history of the Ernestina.  We were served a rather familiar lunch (leftovers from earlier in the trip ….. mmmmmmm, leftovers).

We also had the opportunity to do another otter trawl.  We pull up flounder, moon snails, starfish, crabs, and a large quantity of skates.  We spend some time examining and learning about these creatures.  With good winds, we arrive off the coast of Provincetown early enough that we have time to take the dories (row boats) out to the beach.  We spend some time swimming, and relaxing for the first time all day.  Upon our return to the Ernestina we are served a not-so-familiar dinner (eggrolls, and cookies for dessert ……mmmmmmmmmm, cookies).  We look forward the dry bunks that await us since the leaks have been re-repaired, and to our partial night’s sleep due to the necessity of anchor watches (boooooooooo, anchor watches).  
~Ian McCabe (15) April Morton (17) ~

Program Coordinator: Rhonda Moniz
Schooner Sound Learning Program Coordinator: Chris Newlan
Captain: Gregg Swanzey

 

The ship gets a good cleaning at the start of every day. 

Galley cleanup is part of the daily chores. 

All lines are carefully coiled so as to run quickly if sails need to come down.

Deck wash is accomplished using one of Ernestina's several fire hoses.

The anchor comes aboard again from our anchorage off Sandwich. Every pull brings the anchor to the surface a link at a time. There is about ninety feet of chain out.

The plankton net goes over to collect specimens. 

 

Students take a look at the plankton and compare the species from Buzzards Bay to those in Cape Cod Bay.

The huge mains'l comes down and is furled.

It takes all hands to furl the mains'l.

 

The trawl has been over for several minutes. Everyone gets on the rode and hauls the net back on board. 

The otter trawl hits the surface.

The cod end is full of specimens.

The trawl is dragged aboard over the rail.

Large clam shells and flounder.

You can see the sea stars and flounder. Many skates came up in this trawl as well.

Skates are in the near tray.

The trawl rode is stowed in a basket for next time.

The anchor chain is faked out on the deck in preparation for anchoring off Long Point.

Dories go over for a run to the beach to explore.

Long Point is in the background.

Oars are at ready.

Coming alongside.

Ernestina at anchor is the sunset.

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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