Day 8
8/6/08
This morning, we started off the day with a swim call in the fresh water of the Chesapeake Bay. We all jumped off the side of the boat while, of course, Meghan took millions of pictures. The huge current kept dragging us away from the boat, making it hard to stay in one place, but we felt the cleanest we had in 8 long days. When the pool closed, port watch raised the anchor with great difficulty as we sailed off the hook, on our way once again. When we anchored at night, we ate dinner, worked on our projects, and then presented them. Port watch did an episode of "Pimp my Whale" while starboard watch did an episode of "American Idol" whale week, featuring Whaleja Boy! After our presentations, we had muster where we read the very colorful story that we wrote, made fun of Bowie for reading Seventeen Magazine, and heard our night orders.
Tonight was the night that we would be on watch all by ourselves. After we all had changed in our pj's and were ready for bed, we played a game called Mallory Family Fun Game, which is a game that mixes Charades with Taboo to form one very fun game. When the game was over, we set up all of our sleeping bags on deck and snuggled into them. However, many of us sat up and talked while Bowie's cranky self kept telling us to be quiet. I think that we were all just too excited that our journey on the Lady Maryland was coming to an end.
Written by Jaquee and William Benjamin Phillips III
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Whales CTY Summer Session 4 Day 7
Day 7
8/5/08
Since yesterday was a relaxing day at the beach, today we sailed all day from Lewes, DE, through the C and D canal, finally anchoring in Maryland.
Last night we anchored in Lewes and got to sleep on deck. We woke up this morning to a delicious breakfast. We proceeded to see dolphins cross our bow and see sea turtles swim close to the port side as we set sail.
In the middle of tying the somewhat impossible bowline knot, I was relieved to be called down below for initiation. The adults on board the Lady Maryland in addition to Jimbo were dressed in costumes while they all too happily squirted us with miniature water guns and poured false-in bacon bits in our hair. We were all called up individually. We had to crawl through a life ring with a type one PFD on. Then Dylan stated something about each of us which ranged from being a rock star to always wearing your hair up. After this, we had to eat a cracker with leftovers on it, then have a mixture of mayo and blueberries wiped on our faces. I'm not sure what you would call all of that, but it was a good surprise. We cleaned the fake-in bits off the deck and did our best to wash our faces. We had a delicious dinner of spaghetti and meat sauce, which I have been craving. We then did an activity called scrimshaw. On old whaling boats, men would make these in their free time. Scrimshaw is carvings in whale bone filled with ink. Men were paid little or nothing at all, so they would use their art to buy food and gifts in town. We made our carvings on touga nuts, not whale bone. We mustered and got ready for another relaxing sleep on deck.
Written by Savannah
8/5/08
Since yesterday was a relaxing day at the beach, today we sailed all day from Lewes, DE, through the C and D canal, finally anchoring in Maryland.
Last night we anchored in Lewes and got to sleep on deck. We woke up this morning to a delicious breakfast. We proceeded to see dolphins cross our bow and see sea turtles swim close to the port side as we set sail.
In the middle of tying the somewhat impossible bowline knot, I was relieved to be called down below for initiation. The adults on board the Lady Maryland in addition to Jimbo were dressed in costumes while they all too happily squirted us with miniature water guns and poured false-in bacon bits in our hair. We were all called up individually. We had to crawl through a life ring with a type one PFD on. Then Dylan stated something about each of us which ranged from being a rock star to always wearing your hair up. After this, we had to eat a cracker with leftovers on it, then have a mixture of mayo and blueberries wiped on our faces. I'm not sure what you would call all of that, but it was a good surprise. We cleaned the fake-in bits off the deck and did our best to wash our faces. We had a delicious dinner of spaghetti and meat sauce, which I have been craving. We then did an activity called scrimshaw. On old whaling boats, men would make these in their free time. Scrimshaw is carvings in whale bone filled with ink. Men were paid little or nothing at all, so they would use their art to buy food and gifts in town. We made our carvings on touga nuts, not whale bone. We mustered and got ready for another relaxing sleep on deck.
Written by Savannah
Whales CTY Summer Session 4 Day 6
8/4/08
Day 6
We started the Jersey Shore leg of our journey with a breath-taking sail through the night. We raised sails off of Sea Bright, NJ and sailed without engines almost the entire Jersey coast. We has a perfect point of sail with winds at 25 knots and an average speed of 8.5 knots. Everyone volunteered for an underway watch for an hour during the night. We awoke just off Cape May. A short while later, dolphins were spotted all over. We had a bagel and biscut breakfast as we sailed to Cape Henlopen, DE. We sailed again without engines across the mouth of the Delaware Bay with little wind. The trawl net was set in Captain Rich's special place, but only brought up jellyfish and a few hermit crabs. The boat approached the cove breakwater and motored with only the main to our anchorage. The anchor was set, the awning put up, and the bathing suits put on. We were brought to the little beach inside the cove by Swampy, the dinghy. The water was warm. We sained a bit, only catching a few fish. The ocean beach was filled with fishing poles so we couldn't swim there. It was after this that we had a little phone time before returning the the boat. We relaxed before a rosemary marsala chicken dinner was served. Next came the dog watch and more dolphin sightings. We used a hydrophone in the water which allowed us to listen to the dolphins clicking and sqeeking. Muster was on the foredeck. Captain Rich announced we could sleep on deck and most of us are planning on it. We all have anchor watches tonight. Tomorrow holds a transit to the mouth of the C and D Canal and light winds. See you on Friday!
Written by Jimmy
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Whales CTY Summer Session 4 Day 5
8/3/08
Day 5
This morning, we started with the opportunity to wake up at 6:30 a.m. and go swimming. Most people did. Thornton made everyone pancakes for pancakes and then we began our watches. We made our way to New York City, and at lunch as we passed through Manhatten. We saw the Christer building and then Empire State building, and shortly after, the Statue of Liberty. We sailed to New Jersey, and while passing a beach, Jimbo's dad kayaked over and came on board briefly.
Afterwards, we went abck to class and watch, and those in class cast a net to collect plankton. We caught a small fish, a tiny crab, and a bunch of microorganisms. We had dinner, washed the souls and bowls, and went back to sailing. We turned the motor off and went by wind. We watched the sun set during our muster (a meeting we have every night), and hung out and played cards below deck. When we got ready for bed, we were timed and we changed in under six minutes so we can sleep in for an extra 15 minutes tomorrow.
Written by Cosima
Day 5
This morning, we started with the opportunity to wake up at 6:30 a.m. and go swimming. Most people did. Thornton made everyone pancakes for pancakes and then we began our watches. We made our way to New York City, and at lunch as we passed through Manhatten. We saw the Christer building and then Empire State building, and shortly after, the Statue of Liberty. We sailed to New Jersey, and while passing a beach, Jimbo's dad kayaked over and came on board briefly.
Afterwards, we went abck to class and watch, and those in class cast a net to collect plankton. We caught a small fish, a tiny crab, and a bunch of microorganisms. We had dinner, washed the souls and bowls, and went back to sailing. We turned the motor off and went by wind. We watched the sun set during our muster (a meeting we have every night), and hung out and played cards below deck. When we got ready for bed, we were timed and we changed in under six minutes so we can sleep in for an extra 15 minutes tomorrow.
Written by Cosima
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Whales CTY Summer Session 4 Day 4
8/2/08
Day 4
Another day on the Lady Maryland! We woke up on this foggy Saturday morning to get ready for another day of work, same as all other days. The starboard watch had breakfast before the portwatch because starboard watch had the 8 am to 12 pm watch while the port watch had the 12 pm to 4 pm. However, at 3:30, our port watch was cut off by a thunderstorm. We were forced to retreat to below deck to continue our work. Later on, we returned to the deck when the storm had passed.
Dinner was great as usual. We continued the day with evening classes which included bow watch, navigation, and working the helm. What a day, oh, what a day!. With us in the Long Island Sound, everything seems just right.
Written by Nathalie
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Whales CTY Summer Session 4 Day 3
Day 3
8/1/08
We woke up to the putrid smell of the head and the bilge. We have slightly gotten used to the stench over the past couple days. My ears only slightly make out the words, "swim call" followed by a round of "YES" and "FINALLY." I caught a comb jelly during our swim call.
Next, we anchored in New Bedford, MA. There, we went rowing in whaling dories. Afterwards, we came back to the boat and had another delicious lunch prepared by Thornton. Then, we went to the New Bedford Whaling Museum, where we completed a scavenger hunt. Afterwards, we toured the sailor's bethel, a nondenominational church featured in Moby Dick.
When we got back to the wonderful Lady Maryland, we set the sail (only the forsail) and trawled for the second time, catching many creatures including a Lion's Mane Jellyfish. We even were able to do a water quality test for the coalition for Buzzard's Bay.
Dinner was delicious and we cleaned the ship afterwards. Now, we sail on into the night, through the Block Island Sound and into the Long Island Sound. I close my eyes and wonder how much longer it will be until I am awaken for my night watch.
Written by Welles
Friday, August 1, 2008
Whales CTY Summer Session 4 Day 2
Day 2
7/31/08
Greetings from our little piece of paradise! After the fantastic day yesterday, I thought it would be IMPOSSIBLE to have as much fun today, but I was most definitely proved wrong. After awakening from a lovely night sleeping on deck, we were treated to our first ever breakfast by Thornton (the Lady Maryland cook). Mmmmmm...Boy was that cranberry orange coffee cake YUMMY! We all helped with the dishes and did a wash down of the deck, which is more fun than it sounds! When you are sitting on a boat with waves lapping on the deck, even scraping crud out of pots is enjoyable! After all the cleaning, we headed down the dock for a professional whale watching excursion. I had pretty low expectations because the whales were so amazing from the Lady Maryland the day before and a thick fog didn't help my spirits. But we were treated pretty early on to a lone humpback showing us its fluke, nice and slow, perfect for taking photos. Soon, we met up with Salt, a well known humpback around Stellwagen Bank, who was nursing her calf. We stayed with the pair for quite a while, untile the calf became very curious. It swam RIGHT UNDER THE BOW where we were standing, spraying us all with whale snot from its blow hole. We could have touched it, it was so close. The calf then turned onto its back, and started flapping it fluke, getting us all wet! On our way back to P-Town, we came upon some humpbacks bubble feeding. Bubbling feeding is where whales blow bubbles around a school of fish, trapping them. Then, the whale swims through the school and sometimes out of the water, so you get a great view of the open mouths filled with baleen. I headed upstairs to talk to the boat's scientist about whales. It was the best decision I have ever made. When I raeched the upper level, I caught a glimpse of a humpback. As I followed it with my eyes, it suddenly leaped out of the water, breaching. It breached again two more times before disappearing. It was a stunning, once in a life time moment. The power and grace of the whale was simply magical. It is an even I will remember for the rest of my life. The whale watching ended with a group of four fin whales, the second largest whale. When we got back to P-Town, we headed to the Whydah Pirate museum, home to the world's only pirate treasure. We also took a trip to the real, flushing toilets, which are a huge step up from the head on the ship. We left P-Town and sailed through the Cape Cod Bay and towards New Bedford. We had our first real watch/class rotation which went well. Right before we went through the Cape Cod Canal, we put out a trawl net.
Among other things, we caught two skates, and fish, spider crabs, sand dollars and a star fish. We got to touch EVERYTHING! I even got to put a starfish on my face. We enjoyed a lovely dinner while motoring down the Cape Cod Canal. Late tonight, we will anchor somewhere near New Bedford, awaiting and exciting day. I have night watch tonight from 10 to 11 or 2200-2300 in sailing langauge.
Written by Meghan Shea
7/31/08
Greetings from our little piece of paradise! After the fantastic day yesterday, I thought it would be IMPOSSIBLE to have as much fun today, but I was most definitely proved wrong. After awakening from a lovely night sleeping on deck, we were treated to our first ever breakfast by Thornton (the Lady Maryland cook). Mmmmmm...Boy was that cranberry orange coffee cake YUMMY! We all helped with the dishes and did a wash down of the deck, which is more fun than it sounds! When you are sitting on a boat with waves lapping on the deck, even scraping crud out of pots is enjoyable! After all the cleaning, we headed down the dock for a professional whale watching excursion. I had pretty low expectations because the whales were so amazing from the Lady Maryland the day before and a thick fog didn't help my spirits. But we were treated pretty early on to a lone humpback showing us its fluke, nice and slow, perfect for taking photos. Soon, we met up with Salt, a well known humpback around Stellwagen Bank, who was nursing her calf. We stayed with the pair for quite a while, untile the calf became very curious. It swam RIGHT UNDER THE BOW where we were standing, spraying us all with whale snot from its blow hole. We could have touched it, it was so close. The calf then turned onto its back, and started flapping it fluke, getting us all wet! On our way back to P-Town, we came upon some humpbacks bubble feeding. Bubbling feeding is where whales blow bubbles around a school of fish, trapping them. Then, the whale swims through the school and sometimes out of the water, so you get a great view of the open mouths filled with baleen. I headed upstairs to talk to the boat's scientist about whales. It was the best decision I have ever made. When I raeched the upper level, I caught a glimpse of a humpback. As I followed it with my eyes, it suddenly leaped out of the water, breaching. It breached again two more times before disappearing. It was a stunning, once in a life time moment. The power and grace of the whale was simply magical. It is an even I will remember for the rest of my life. The whale watching ended with a group of four fin whales, the second largest whale. When we got back to P-Town, we headed to the Whydah Pirate museum, home to the world's only pirate treasure. We also took a trip to the real, flushing toilets, which are a huge step up from the head on the ship. We left P-Town and sailed through the Cape Cod Bay and towards New Bedford. We had our first real watch/class rotation which went well. Right before we went through the Cape Cod Canal, we put out a trawl net.
Among other things, we caught two skates, and fish, spider crabs, sand dollars and a star fish. We got to touch EVERYTHING! I even got to put a starfish on my face. We enjoyed a lovely dinner while motoring down the Cape Cod Canal. Late tonight, we will anchor somewhere near New Bedford, awaiting and exciting day. I have night watch tonight from 10 to 11 or 2200-2300 in sailing langauge.Written by Meghan Shea
Whales CTY Summer Session 4 Day 1
Day 1
7/30/08
Today, we finally set sail on the Lady Maryland! We were all exhausted from the train ride and car ride, but we managed somehow. We all learned how to set up the boat, including pulling up the sails, which was pretty fun. On the boat, we saw atleast 15 whales surface! We even saw some whales that were less than 100 feet away and feeding right behind the boat! The lunch was delicious on board.
When we experienced some boat chores like sweeping the floor, washing the floor, and piloting the Lady Maryland, we arrived at our destination for the night, Provincetown. We listened to an interesting speech about how some companies were working to free marine mammals (specifically whales) that were getting in fishing lines.
Afterwards, we were allowed to wander around in town. We encountered one store that had an randon selection eclectic marine necessities.
Tonight, we experienced our first time sleeping on deck and also our first time waking up at night for the boat watch. Today we learned and saw many things which got us all really excited for the next day.
Written by Suzanne Zhou
7/30/08
Today, we finally set sail on the Lady Maryland! We were all exhausted from the train ride and car ride, but we managed somehow. We all learned how to set up the boat, including pulling up the sails, which was pretty fun. On the boat, we saw atleast 15 whales surface! We even saw some whales that were less than 100 feet away and feeding right behind the boat! The lunch was delicious on board.
When we experienced some boat chores like sweeping the floor, washing the floor, and piloting the Lady Maryland, we arrived at our destination for the night, Provincetown. We listened to an interesting speech about how some companies were working to free marine mammals (specifically whales) that were getting in fishing lines.
Afterwards, we were allowed to wander around in town. We encountered one store that had an randon selection eclectic marine necessities.Tonight, we experienced our first time sleeping on deck and also our first time waking up at night for the boat watch. Today we learned and saw many things which got us all really excited for the next day.
Written by Suzanne Zhou
Monday, July 28, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Whales CTY Summer Session 3 Day 6
7-26-08
This post was written by Reva:
Today we trawled (a method of fishing in which a net is dragged behind the boat) twice. We put the trawl net down first in Buzzard's Bay, then in Cape Cod Bay.
The first trawl had lots of algae the second one had lots of animals and other sea life. Between the two trawls we caught many kinds of crabs and snails, several sand-dollars, a few small fish, and even some tiny shrimp. We even caught a large flounder, but unfortunately it died. Nevertheless, we all got to examine and identify the creatures with field guides. We also got a very informative lesson about the sea life.
Oh yeah, we had a really funny initiation as well because we crossed through the Cape Cod Canal. First the crew came out in Canal Sheriff costumes with water guns and made us put on huge orange life vests. Then we each had to accept funny charges for doing random stuff, and ate creamed lentils and mac n' cheese from the first night (as "punishment" for our "crimes"). It was really funny. Later we learned how to tie knots and went swimming.
Another thing today was that we played "stealth." For this game there was a clothespin that we all tried to stick to someone's clothes without them noticing, and whoever had the clothespin at the end of the day had to do something funny.
This post was written by Reva:
Today we trawled (a method of fishing in which a net is dragged behind the boat) twice. We put the trawl net down first in Buzzard's Bay, then in Cape Cod Bay.
The first trawl had lots of algae the second one had lots of animals and other sea life. Between the two trawls we caught many kinds of crabs and snails, several sand-dollars, a few small fish, and even some tiny shrimp. We even caught a large flounder, but unfortunately it died. Nevertheless, we all got to examine and identify the creatures with field guides. We also got a very informative lesson about the sea life.
Oh yeah, we had a really funny initiation as well because we crossed through the Cape Cod Canal. First the crew came out in Canal Sheriff costumes with water guns and made us put on huge orange life vests. Then we each had to accept funny charges for doing random stuff, and ate creamed lentils and mac n' cheese from the first night (as "punishment" for our "crimes"). It was really funny. Later we learned how to tie knots and went swimming.
Another thing today was that we played "stealth." For this game there was a clothespin that we all tried to stick to someone's clothes without them noticing, and whoever had the clothespin at the end of the day had to do something funny.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Whales CTY Summer Session 3 Day 5
Entry for 7-25-08
This post was written by Sarah:
After night watches filled with interesting creatures (we discovered that apparently the comb jellies we ate three days ago glow in the dark), we detached from our "friend" the Unicorn (who's crew happened to put flour and tapioca tablets in our rescue boat and change our name to LaZy Maryland with some crafty play dough skills in the middle of the night, all in good fun of course).
The waters were misleadingly calm as we traveled down the Mystic River, until, to put it gently, all heck broke loose with our entering the open Atlantic. Although the skies were sunny and clear, our poor Lady Maryland was nearly turned upside down with each roll of the giant waves, as were many of our stomachs. Lunch for most of us consisted of only a few saltines, which a few us then fed to the fishies. This didn't last too long, however, as we steered and anchored in Point Judith Harbor's calmer waters at mid-day.
After a moment to relax our stomachs, we had one of the best experiences of the trip so far; swimming! We all scrambled below deck (boys and girls in shifts of course) to change into swim suits and life jackets, the newest CTY fashion trend. We (fairly) eagerly slid into the icy cold salty water, then climbed back on board for perhaps the best saltwater and dish soap shower ever. With a little more swimming, we settled down for a bit. Although the plan was to set sail again at midnight, a spectacular sunset urged our Captain to start out a little early. Now, as we sit "down below," waiting for our first sailing night shifts, we're all hoping that the bucket by the ladder will be left empty through the night. Unfortunately, given the already pronounced rocking, I rather doubt it.
This post was written by Sarah:
After night watches filled with interesting creatures (we discovered that apparently the comb jellies we ate three days ago glow in the dark), we detached from our "friend" the Unicorn (who's crew happened to put flour and tapioca tablets in our rescue boat and change our name to LaZy Maryland with some crafty play dough skills in the middle of the night, all in good fun of course).
The waters were misleadingly calm as we traveled down the Mystic River, until, to put it gently, all heck broke loose with our entering the open Atlantic. Although the skies were sunny and clear, our poor Lady Maryland was nearly turned upside down with each roll of the giant waves, as were many of our stomachs. Lunch for most of us consisted of only a few saltines, which a few us then fed to the fishies. This didn't last too long, however, as we steered and anchored in Point Judith Harbor's calmer waters at mid-day. 
After a moment to relax our stomachs, we had one of the best experiences of the trip so far; swimming! We all scrambled below deck (boys and girls in shifts of course) to change into swim suits and life jackets, the newest CTY fashion trend. We (fairly) eagerly slid into the icy cold salty water, then climbed back on board for perhaps the best saltwater and dish soap shower ever. With a little more swimming, we settled down for a bit. Although the plan was to set sail again at midnight, a spectacular sunset urged our Captain to start out a little early. Now, as we sit "down below," waiting for our first sailing night shifts, we're all hoping that the bucket by the ladder will be left empty through the night. Unfortunately, given the already pronounced rocking, I rather doubt it.
Whales CTY Summer Session 3 Day 4
Entry for 7-24-08
Happy Birthday to Hannah!
This post was written by James and Emmanuel:
Mystic Seaport
We began the day early in order to make it through the turntable bridge in the Mystic river, which only opens every hour. When we arrived at the town of Mystic we docked at the expansive seaport museum along with the Unicorn (a slightly larger vessel that focuses on sails training and women's empowerment) against us. After docking, we performed our daily cleaning duties and then began to explore the museum (which is really more like a little seaside village).
Some of the things we saw included a demonstration on cargo handling aboard the last remaining wooden whaling ship in existence (the Charles W. Morgan), a planetarium show about celestial navigation, and a live explanation about how exactly a whale hunt went. Also, we had been given a scavenger hunt and in order to find the answers we had to go to all the exhibits and learn about them, or you could do it the easier way and just ask someone who worked there (which was cheating, but we did it anyways). I supposed we learned something either way. After we had filled in all the answers we headed over to the gift shop where we stuffed ourselves with fudge (which was very good).
One of my favorite exhibits was the Charles W. Morgan . There were many events on the ship, my favorite was the "dog watch", which was what the sailors called the free time they had while on board. During "dog watch" they would usually sing shanties, play instruments, and do crafts.
After the museum closed we walked back to the Lady Maryland and ate dinner. After dinner the Unicorn's crew challenged us to a sea shanty sing off, during which each crew got the opportunity to sing four sea shanty's to each other.
After that epic battle, they introduced us to the sport of "lime jousting."A fame where you have to balance a lime on a spoon and with another spoon try to knock the other person's lime off. All in all it was an exciting day throughout which we learned many new and, in the case of lime jousting, useful things.
Happy Birthday to Hannah!
This post was written by James and Emmanuel:
Mystic Seaport
We began the day early in order to make it through the turntable bridge in the Mystic river, which only opens every hour. When we arrived at the town of Mystic we docked at the expansive seaport museum along with the Unicorn (a slightly larger vessel that focuses on sails training and women's empowerment) against us. After docking, we performed our daily cleaning duties and then began to explore the museum (which is really more like a little seaside village).
Some of the things we saw included a demonstration on cargo handling aboard the last remaining wooden whaling ship in existence (the Charles W. Morgan), a planetarium show about celestial navigation, and a live explanation about how exactly a whale hunt went. Also, we had been given a scavenger hunt and in order to find the answers we had to go to all the exhibits and learn about them, or you could do it the easier way and just ask someone who worked there (which was cheating, but we did it anyways). I supposed we learned something either way. After we had filled in all the answers we headed over to the gift shop where we stuffed ourselves with fudge (which was very good).
One of my favorite exhibits was the Charles W. Morgan . There were many events on the ship, my favorite was the "dog watch", which was what the sailors called the free time they had while on board. During "dog watch" they would usually sing shanties, play instruments, and do crafts.
After the museum closed we walked back to the Lady Maryland and ate dinner. After dinner the Unicorn's crew challenged us to a sea shanty sing off, during which each crew got the opportunity to sing four sea shanty's to each other.
After that epic battle, they introduced us to the sport of "lime jousting."A fame where you have to balance a lime on a spoon and with another spoon try to knock the other person's lime off. All in all it was an exciting day throughout which we learned many new and, in the case of lime jousting, useful things. 
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Whales CTY Summer Session 3 Day 3
This post was written by Hannah:
We started our third day early. At almost 6:00 we could hear the crew shuffling around deck, raising anchor and getting us underway because we had 50 miles to travel in a single day. The water was extremely choppy, and lucky me, I got bow watch (meaning I had to stand at the front of the boat and keep and eye out for boat traffic, crab pods, or other obstacles). Every time the boat hit a wave (which was a lot considering the sea conditions) I was splashed with a huge spray of salty water. By the end of it there wasn't an inch of me that wasn't soaking wet. I was sooo cold, but it was actually really fun! I don't think I have ever been so wet. After my bow watch (and a good dry-off) I went to Navigation. I learned so much in so little time. I still can't believe I understood what the crew member instructing me was saying (it was all about lines of latitude/longitude, and the relationship between distance, rate, and time)! I am so excited to see what I learn in the days ahead.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Whales CTY Summer Session 3 Day 2
This post was written by Alyssa:
Our first morning on the high seas. We started today at 6:30 with our very first swim call. After a refreshing and invigorating dip, we all dried off and had a very excellent breakfast. This was all an especially good morning after pushing through our mid night anchor watches (we are all required to get up in the middle of the night for an hour to keep watch over the boat, we do things like check our bearings to make sure we are not drifting, monitor weather, and generally make sure everyone else is safe). We also began trawling today and caught several different kinds of sea creatures in our net.
We caught several kinds of crabs, multiple sea stars, and many many comb jellyfish (we estimate about 450 in total) from the Long Island Sound. Several of us even ate comb jellies...alive! We split into our watches and began our new jobs of navigating, steering, and keeping watch off the bow. After several hard hours we relaxed with a nice muster (a nightly meeting of all on deck), but then the waters became rough and we had to go down below and bond as a group until lights out.
P.S. OMG! We caught a sea star named Jimmy and Johnny Depp hasn't shown up yet.
Our first morning on the high seas. We started today at 6:30 with our very first swim call. After a refreshing and invigorating dip, we all dried off and had a very excellent breakfast. This was all an especially good morning after pushing through our mid night anchor watches (we are all required to get up in the middle of the night for an hour to keep watch over the boat, we do things like check our bearings to make sure we are not drifting, monitor weather, and generally make sure everyone else is safe). We also began trawling today and caught several different kinds of sea creatures in our net.
We caught several kinds of crabs, multiple sea stars, and many many comb jellyfish (we estimate about 450 in total) from the Long Island Sound. Several of us even ate comb jellies...alive! We split into our watches and began our new jobs of navigating, steering, and keeping watch off the bow. After several hard hours we relaxed with a nice muster (a nightly meeting of all on deck), but then the waters became rough and we had to go down below and bond as a group until lights out.
P.S. OMG! We caught a sea star named Jimmy and Johnny Depp hasn't shown up yet.
Whales CTY Summer Session 3 Day 1
This entry marks the first day on the Lady Maryland for the CTY summer whale students of session three. Each member will have at least one opportunity to report the days events by writing the blog.
This very first entry is written by KC:
Our first day began bright and early at 6:30 when we started to get ready for the long drive from Baltimore to Oyster Bay, NY. After an insanely long six hours of bonding time in a van, we finally arrived at Oyster Bay. After a brief introduction to our boat, The Lady Maryland, and a delicious lunch, we immediately started our first activity; kayaking. Shortly after our long paddling workout, we got acquainted with the crew who all seem really cool. We were fed dinner and told about the basic safety precautions on the boat. We also were split into two groups and assigned watches (Port and Starboard), so that we can take turns watching the boat and making routine checks. As the day came to an end we all gathered in a muster, or a meeting, and we were given our night watch time. It was a VERY eventful first day, and a great start to what promises to be a wonderful trip.
This very first entry is written by KC:
Our first day began bright and early at 6:30 when we started to get ready for the long drive from Baltimore to Oyster Bay, NY. After an insanely long six hours of bonding time in a van, we finally arrived at Oyster Bay. After a brief introduction to our boat, The Lady Maryland, and a delicious lunch, we immediately started our first activity; kayaking. Shortly after our long paddling workout, we got acquainted with the crew who all seem really cool. We were fed dinner and told about the basic safety precautions on the boat. We also were split into two groups and assigned watches (Port and Starboard), so that we can take turns watching the boat and making routine checks. As the day came to an end we all gathered in a muster, or a meeting, and we were given our night watch time. It was a VERY eventful first day, and a great start to what promises to be a wonderful trip.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Whales CTY Summer Session 2 Day 6
7/14/08
Day 6
Today, we docked at Mystic Seaport, where we became part of the museum!!! There we saw a demonstration on the world's last wooden whaling boat, Charles W. Morgan. She is 170 years old. We were surprised to learn that her head was merely a slide which led out of the boat EW! After lunch, we dazed off while looking at stars at the planetarium. Then, we played on the playground and entertained some little kids by climbing on mini boats far too small for us.
We also saw an interactive play in which Devon played the mother, and I (Amanda) played a greenhand, surprising the actors and audience with a correct spelling of antidisestablishmentarianism.
After the play, we were free to roam around Mystic Seaport Museum, where we ended up buying WAY too much fudge (which we gave to Devon) and learned about dogwatches. We heard some music during the dogwatch played on a banjo and whale bones. We then toured the Charles W. Morgan and saw the blubber room.
When we came back to the Lady Maryland, we finally got to talk on our phones, which we enjoyed very much, and we questioned Owen about his age. He is only 19!!!!!!! We found this very shocking. Also, we made scrimshaw, replacing ivory with Ivory soap. We created scrimshaw with drawings of our time on the Lady Maryland.
To end the day, we mustered in the gazebo in the museum. We still have yet to finish that fudge...
Written by Amanda (a.k.a Lemonjello) and Karen (a.k.a Oranjello)
Day 6
Today, we docked at Mystic Seaport, where we became part of the museum!!! There we saw a demonstration on the world's last wooden whaling boat, Charles W. Morgan. She is 170 years old. We were surprised to learn that her head was merely a slide which led out of the boat EW! After lunch, we dazed off while looking at stars at the planetarium. Then, we played on the playground and entertained some little kids by climbing on mini boats far too small for us.
We also saw an interactive play in which Devon played the mother, and I (Amanda) played a greenhand, surprising the actors and audience with a correct spelling of antidisestablishmentarianism.
After the play, we were free to roam around Mystic Seaport Museum, where we ended up buying WAY too much fudge (which we gave to Devon) and learned about dogwatches. We heard some music during the dogwatch played on a banjo and whale bones. We then toured the Charles W. Morgan and saw the blubber room.
When we came back to the Lady Maryland, we finally got to talk on our phones, which we enjoyed very much, and we questioned Owen about his age. He is only 19!!!!!!! We found this very shocking. Also, we made scrimshaw, replacing ivory with Ivory soap. We created scrimshaw with drawings of our time on the Lady Maryland.
To end the day, we mustered in the gazebo in the museum. We still have yet to finish that fudge...
Written by Amanda (a.k.a Lemonjello) and Karen (a.k.a Oranjello)
Monday, July 14, 2008
Whales CTY Summer Session 2 Day 5
7/13/08
Day 5
Well, it's very easy to lose track of time, but I do know it's either Sunday or Monday and it's also Cephlopod Appreciation Day!
So, we actually went on land today to go dissect squids, but first we went to the beach. While everyone went into the ocean, I decided to get a tan. I was spoiled with the warm Israeli waters. Then after getting burned (not tanned), my friend, Monica, and I decided to take a shower after six whole days without running water. It was AMAZING!!! We smelled so much better, and our hair wasn't greasy anymore.
After the beach, we went and dissected squids. We had fun getting the goo and ink on eachother. After we finished the dissection, we went back to the boat, and we sailed all the way to Fisher's Island. We didn't use the engine at all. A storm almost caught us, but instead we landed in fog, which is currently blocking the view of the stars. I had a chance to steer some of the way, which is not very easy with a storm tailing your back.
So, after we anchored, we had our muster where we talk about the day. We also play a game called stealth, in which a clothes pin is pinned on people in stealth. Who ever has it at the begining of muster has to do a performance in front of everyone. We had a lot of fun ganging up on the crew, so in the end big Jimmy (the crew member, not Fonda) ended up with it. Big Jimmy read us a poem dedicated to Betty (also a crew member named Owen, long story). After the poem we all ate gummy worms.
And that's the end of our day. I'm writing this while watching the boat at night. Good night.
Written by Bat-Or
Whales CTY Summer Session 2 Day 4
7/12/08
Day 4
In the morning, we lifted lifted anchor from outside Provincetown and made our way into the harbor. We took the dingie to land and listened to a lecture on whale entanglement and possible solutions to the issue at hand. After we finished the talk, we went to a pirate museum and learned all about the immense treasure that was found off the coast of Cape Cod. After we left Provincetown, there was a nice wind and we set sail to go to the Canal. When we got into the canal, we took down the sails and used motor because the Canal was too narrow. When we got into Buzzard's Bay, we threw out the trawl net for the second day in a row. We caught many conb jellies, which don't sting. We also caught a spider crab and some krill. Hailey said that it was possible to eat a comb jelly, so I (George) did just that. It wasn't that bad. We also tested the pH, salinatey and DO of the water where we trawled. We then entered Wood's Hole, which was a long stretch due to the fact that we had no wind to sail on. As we were entering Martha's Vineyard, out motor was out,so we were sailing approximately four inched per hour for a while. Finally, we anchored and the was amazingly clear with a huge array of stars.
Written by George Waked and Max Yousey
Whales CTY Summer Session 2 Day 3
7/11/08
Day 3
Today was very fun. We sailed out of Provincetown and went trawling. When we pulled up the net, we found crabs, sand dollars, shrimp, and a baby founder. We examined these sea critters with our educators as we sailed through the Cape Cod Canal.
Written by Jimmy Fonda
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Whales CTY Summer Session 2 Day 2
7/10/08
Today was great! We got to see lots of whales right up close to the Lady Maryland. There were four fin whales and a humpback whales swimming all around us and even under the Lady Maryland. Later we learned about Stellwagen Bank, the place where we saw all the whales, and went into Provincetown and got some ice cream. We went shopping and one of the stores had "Ugly Dolls!!!" Anyways, we are all having bunches of fun and we miss everyone (even you, crabs)!!!
Written by J.L.
Whales CTY Summer Session 2
7/9/08
Day 1
Today we woke up on land, said good bye to the other whale group and went to a professional, commercial whale watch. We saw a total of 12 whales: three fin whales, 1 minke whale, and eight humpback whales. It was amazing! Three times a whale got within 50 feet of the boat! Almost a dozen times a whale calf breached! The ship we were on traveled to Stellwagen Bank, where we saw all these whales. After about four hours we went back to the dock. We had an ice breaker with the Lady Maryland crew, the loaded our luggage on the ship. We had lunch, had orientation,, then set out on the Lady Maryland. We sailed out to the mouth of the harbor, set anchor, and had dinner. Afterwards, we learned a little bit about how the ship worked. Near the end of the day, we talked about watched through the night and had some free time before hitting the sack. Throughout the night, one hour shifts were chosen. Each shift was composed of two students and one crew member. It total, it was a great way to start a great trip.
Written by Devon Umstead
Monday, July 7, 2008
Day 7 (the last day for CTY summer session 1 )on the Lady Maryland
This post was written by Terry:
Today we set sail from Stellwagen Bank (a natural marine life sanctuary) to Gloucester. On our course through these protected waters we saw quite a few Minke whales, which are some of the smallest whales on earth. Then, as we progressed North we started to see some Humpback whales swimming off in the distance. After a quick lunch, we continued our whale-watching. We found a mother Humpback whale teaching her calf how to bubble-feed (a feeding technique in which one or more whales exhale to form a "bubble net," which traps fish inside as it rises to the surface and then allows the whales to feed on the fish caught inside). It was an extraordinary sight! As we continued to watch them, one swam righ under the bow of the boat! Everyone was speechless. We continued our trip just praying to see a whale breach. Finally, we glimpsed another whale in the distance and began tracking it. We could see it slapping its pectoral fin as well as its tail on top of the water very consistently. This alone was an amazing sight. After a few minutes, he fluked (dived into the water so that his tail came completely out of the water). We were heartbroken at first because this usually means that the whale is going on a deep dive. However, a few minutes later, he breached!!! The deck fell silent in awe. Would you believe that the whale did 23 pronounced tail slaps and 47 breaches?! That was a once in a lifetime opportunity that you don't see on a regular whale watching boat. After the whale finally swam out of sight, we headed to dock at Gloucester where we would relish our final hours together and reflect on both an amazing day and an amazing trip.
Today we set sail from Stellwagen Bank (a natural marine life sanctuary) to Gloucester. On our course through these protected waters we saw quite a few Minke whales, which are some of the smallest whales on earth. Then, as we progressed North we started to see some Humpback whales swimming off in the distance. After a quick lunch, we continued our whale-watching. We found a mother Humpback whale teaching her calf how to bubble-feed (a feeding technique in which one or more whales exhale to form a "bubble net," which traps fish inside as it rises to the surface and then allows the whales to feed on the fish caught inside). It was an extraordinary sight! As we continued to watch them, one swam righ under the bow of the boat! Everyone was speechless. We continued our trip just praying to see a whale breach. Finally, we glimpsed another whale in the distance and began tracking it. We could see it slapping its pectoral fin as well as its tail on top of the water very consistently. This alone was an amazing sight. After a few minutes, he fluked (dived into the water so that his tail came completely out of the water). We were heartbroken at first because this usually means that the whale is going on a deep dive. However, a few minutes later, he breached!!! The deck fell silent in awe. Would you believe that the whale did 23 pronounced tail slaps and 47 breaches?! That was a once in a lifetime opportunity that you don't see on a regular whale watching boat. After the whale finally swam out of sight, we headed to dock at Gloucester where we would relish our final hours together and reflect on both an amazing day and an amazing trip.
Day 6 on the Lady Maryland
This post was written by Meredith:
Today was what is known as "cheeseball saturday!" There's pretty much an extra large jar of cheeseballs, and we have to finish the entire jar as fast as possible and count how many cheeseballs each of us ate. The record was 285 (in less than 2 hours). After the cheeseballs, we went to the whaling museum in New Bedford, MA. Among the many interesting displays at the museum was a deformed jawbone of a sperm whale, the whale was able to live even with the deformed jaw because sperm whales are capable of emitting sound waves powerful enough to stun their prey. In the museum we completed a scavenger hunt of whaling facts.
After we left the museum we walked around town and visited New Bedford's "Summerfest," enjoying a brief moment of life on land with frozen lemonade. Soon after we left New Bedford, we neared the Cape Cod Canal. There were strong currents and incredibly thick fog, but we made it through. However, right after we made it through the canal, we were ambushed by crew members dressed as "canal police" and made to take part in a "secret" initiation process. We were read a list of our offenses (like smiling too much or manning the helm too well) and then made to eat one of the cook's concotions as "punishment." At the end of the day, we read our historical fiction stories we had written and then went to bed.
Today was what is known as "cheeseball saturday!" There's pretty much an extra large jar of cheeseballs, and we have to finish the entire jar as fast as possible and count how many cheeseballs each of us ate. The record was 285 (in less than 2 hours). After the cheeseballs, we went to the whaling museum in New Bedford, MA. Among the many interesting displays at the museum was a deformed jawbone of a sperm whale, the whale was able to live even with the deformed jaw because sperm whales are capable of emitting sound waves powerful enough to stun their prey. In the museum we completed a scavenger hunt of whaling facts.
After we left the museum we walked around town and visited New Bedford's "Summerfest," enjoying a brief moment of life on land with frozen lemonade. Soon after we left New Bedford, we neared the Cape Cod Canal. There were strong currents and incredibly thick fog, but we made it through. However, right after we made it through the canal, we were ambushed by crew members dressed as "canal police" and made to take part in a "secret" initiation process. We were read a list of our offenses (like smiling too much or manning the helm too well) and then made to eat one of the cook's concotions as "punishment." At the end of the day, we read our historical fiction stories we had written and then went to bed.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Day 5 on the Lady Maryland
This post was written by Mike and Jesus:
Friday, the Fourth of July, we awoke at 6:10 to haul the anchor and set sail for New Bedford, MA. After breakfast one crew member taught an English lesson that incorporated American History. Later, we broke up to write our own short stories about the sea. When we reached an area called Buzzard's Bay, the cadets aboard the Lady Maryland became volunteer "Baywatchers," by performing numerous scientific tests on the water quality of the surrounding bay.
This data was collected to help inform the conservation efforts of the Coalition for Buzzards Bay, which is dedicated to the restoration, protection, and sustainable use and enjoyment of the bay and its watershed. Using various types of equipment we determined the waters temperature, pH, salinity, and clarity at two different depths.
Then through the rough swells and maze of crab pots, we made our way to the dock in New Bedford and had dinner. That night, we watched a patriotic display of fireworks while celebrating with watermelon and grape soda. To end the day, we all retired to our bunks except for the two brave souls who slept on deck.
The following is a sample short story that one of the students on board wrote for their English project about life at sea:
The Twilight Ship
Captain Alexander Hamand watched the sunset from the docks of Havana, Cuba. He was still stunned from the events of the days before. It was 1863 and the American Civil War was still raging. Captain Alexander had been recently promoted and given a ship. The Embroke was a four masted frigate armed with twenty-six long-range cannons that fired specialized exploding shot. She was commissioned as a Union assault frigate.
Weeks earlier a Confederate flotilla began terrorizing trade ships in the Caribbean Sea. A task force was assembled and sent in pursuit of the flotilla. The Embroke being assigned to the fleet, grouped at Havana. After tracking the Confederates for days, they clashed near the Bahamas. The Union won and chased the fleeing rebels. Unable to flee, they retreated to the Bermuda Triangle. The rebels lost ships in the retreat. The Embroke alone set several aflame.
A bright pinpoint of light appeared on the horizon. By the time it was visible night had fallen. It appeared to be a fully-rigged massive man-of-war that gave off an eerie white light. It sailed between the two flotillas, unaffected by the crossfire. Suddenly, it opened up in a powerful sweeping broadside barrage with all 122 guns. The Confederates were gone, decimated by the blast. The Union forces were battered and immediately broke and fled.
The ghost ship followed and was oblivious to the crossfire. Dozens of ships fell prey to the terrifying phantom. The Embroke was the only one left. As they neared the edge of the Bermuda Triangle, the ship stopped firing. The ghost closed the distance. It was so close you could read its name, Hollow Bone. It pulled alongside, its crew became visible. The Hollow Bone was crewed by cursed skeletons, ghosts, and gory zombies.
Then the Embroke crossed the border of the Triangle, and as quickly as it appeared, the Hollow Bone was gone. The Embroke limped back to Havana.
Even the memory of that fateful day scared Alexander to the degree that he shook with fear. He vowed never to sail the Triangle again.
Friday, the Fourth of July, we awoke at 6:10 to haul the anchor and set sail for New Bedford, MA. After breakfast one crew member taught an English lesson that incorporated American History. Later, we broke up to write our own short stories about the sea. When we reached an area called Buzzard's Bay, the cadets aboard the Lady Maryland became volunteer "Baywatchers," by performing numerous scientific tests on the water quality of the surrounding bay.
This data was collected to help inform the conservation efforts of the Coalition for Buzzards Bay, which is dedicated to the restoration, protection, and sustainable use and enjoyment of the bay and its watershed. Using various types of equipment we determined the waters temperature, pH, salinity, and clarity at two different depths.
Then through the rough swells and maze of crab pots, we made our way to the dock in New Bedford and had dinner. That night, we watched a patriotic display of fireworks while celebrating with watermelon and grape soda. To end the day, we all retired to our bunks except for the two brave souls who slept on deck.The following is a sample short story that one of the students on board wrote for their English project about life at sea:
The Twilight Ship
Captain Alexander Hamand watched the sunset from the docks of Havana, Cuba. He was still stunned from the events of the days before. It was 1863 and the American Civil War was still raging. Captain Alexander had been recently promoted and given a ship. The Embroke was a four masted frigate armed with twenty-six long-range cannons that fired specialized exploding shot. She was commissioned as a Union assault frigate.
Weeks earlier a Confederate flotilla began terrorizing trade ships in the Caribbean Sea. A task force was assembled and sent in pursuit of the flotilla. The Embroke being assigned to the fleet, grouped at Havana. After tracking the Confederates for days, they clashed near the Bahamas. The Union won and chased the fleeing rebels. Unable to flee, they retreated to the Bermuda Triangle. The rebels lost ships in the retreat. The Embroke alone set several aflame.
A bright pinpoint of light appeared on the horizon. By the time it was visible night had fallen. It appeared to be a fully-rigged massive man-of-war that gave off an eerie white light. It sailed between the two flotillas, unaffected by the crossfire. Suddenly, it opened up in a powerful sweeping broadside barrage with all 122 guns. The Confederates were gone, decimated by the blast. The Union forces were battered and immediately broke and fled.
The ghost ship followed and was oblivious to the crossfire. Dozens of ships fell prey to the terrifying phantom. The Embroke was the only one left. As they neared the edge of the Bermuda Triangle, the ship stopped firing. The ghost closed the distance. It was so close you could read its name, Hollow Bone. It pulled alongside, its crew became visible. The Hollow Bone was crewed by cursed skeletons, ghosts, and gory zombies.
Then the Embroke crossed the border of the Triangle, and as quickly as it appeared, the Hollow Bone was gone. The Embroke limped back to Havana.
Even the memory of that fateful day scared Alexander to the degree that he shook with fear. He vowed never to sail the Triangle again.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Day 4 on the Lady Maryland
This post was written by Brian and Kevin:
Another early morning on the high seas. The very first thing to do for the day was to swab the deck, but luckily the weather was nice and we were all feeling good. The winds today were absolutely perfect and with such optimal conditions we were able to cut the motor and sail completely by the power of the wind for nearly the whole day. The wind was so strong that we even broke speeds of 10 knots, which is even more impressive considering the maximum hull speed of the Lady Maryland is 11 knots.
Later in the day two Spanish speaking students from Los Angeles taught the rest of us a little spanish. We also learned an old type of sailor's art called, schrimshaw. Sailors used to carve images in whale's teeth and then fill the grooves with ink. We made our scrimshaws with soap though, it was fabulous.
Overall the entire trip is terrific. We'ev learned lots of useful knots and navigating skills. In the evening one of the crew members caught a Lion's Mane Jellyfish and brought it on board for us to look at and learn about. Apparantly jellyfish can only sting where there are hair folicles, so its possible to touch them with your palm without being stung. We definitely have a lot of new knowledge and information to share when we get back.
Another early morning on the high seas. The very first thing to do for the day was to swab the deck, but luckily the weather was nice and we were all feeling good. The winds today were absolutely perfect and with such optimal conditions we were able to cut the motor and sail completely by the power of the wind for nearly the whole day. The wind was so strong that we even broke speeds of 10 knots, which is even more impressive considering the maximum hull speed of the Lady Maryland is 11 knots.
Later in the day two Spanish speaking students from Los Angeles taught the rest of us a little spanish. We also learned an old type of sailor's art called, schrimshaw. Sailors used to carve images in whale's teeth and then fill the grooves with ink. We made our scrimshaws with soap though, it was fabulous.
Overall the entire trip is terrific. We'ev learned lots of useful knots and navigating skills. In the evening one of the crew members caught a Lion's Mane Jellyfish and brought it on board for us to look at and learn about. Apparantly jellyfish can only sting where there are hair folicles, so its possible to touch them with your palm without being stung. We definitely have a lot of new knowledge and information to share when we get back. 
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Day 3 on the Lady Maryland
This post was written by Andrew:
Wow, what a day.
After spending an hour awake at midnight for night watch, we awoke this morning to the New York City skyline on the horizon. Just as we arrived on deck we were passing under the incredibly long Verrazono Bridge. Our wonderful ship cook Thorton had prepared some delicious french toast, but there was little time to enjoy before things got really exciting and we had to attend to the ship. The crew was nice enough however to let us whip out our camera and take pictures of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty as we motored on by. Those who took the helm today had a tough job because of the strong currents and huge amount of boat traffic in the New York Metro area. As we headed North on the East River, we passed all sorts of amazing landmarks like Governor's Island and Roosevelt Island, as well as many huge cargo ships, massive barges and the Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Tri-boro, Throgs Neck, Whitestone, and Queensboro bridges. It was pretty amazing
Later that day, after we had successfully maneuvered the most treacherous waters on the East Coast (Hell's Gate), we docked in Oyster Bay and spent the afternoon playing on the beach. Some of us tried to go swimming, but most of us returned to explore a small stream that flowed into the bay. With stomachs full of ice cream (our first taste of dry land life in almost three days), we found many creatures; including, young American eels, small crabs, shrimp, a horseshoe crab and snails. Seven of us worked together to build a huge dam. However, just as soon as we placed the last barrier into place, the main wall gave way. We all gave up after that and headed back to the Lady Maryland. We were lucky enough to take a cold shower under a fresh water spigot that we found on the dock and then we ate another delicious meal of pasta salad and garlic bread.
It's been a long three days on the Lady Maryland, but we are all having fun and becoming very good friends. I hope I sleep well tonight, because one thing I'm sure of is that tomorrow will be another hard and exciting day.
Wow, what a day.
After spending an hour awake at midnight for night watch, we awoke this morning to the New York City skyline on the horizon. Just as we arrived on deck we were passing under the incredibly long Verrazono Bridge. Our wonderful ship cook Thorton had prepared some delicious french toast, but there was little time to enjoy before things got really exciting and we had to attend to the ship. The crew was nice enough however to let us whip out our camera and take pictures of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty as we motored on by. Those who took the helm today had a tough job because of the strong currents and huge amount of boat traffic in the New York Metro area. As we headed North on the East River, we passed all sorts of amazing landmarks like Governor's Island and Roosevelt Island, as well as many huge cargo ships, massive barges and the Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Tri-boro, Throgs Neck, Whitestone, and Queensboro bridges. It was pretty amazing
Later that day, after we had successfully maneuvered the most treacherous waters on the East Coast (Hell's Gate), we docked in Oyster Bay and spent the afternoon playing on the beach. Some of us tried to go swimming, but most of us returned to explore a small stream that flowed into the bay. With stomachs full of ice cream (our first taste of dry land life in almost three days), we found many creatures; including, young American eels, small crabs, shrimp, a horseshoe crab and snails. Seven of us worked together to build a huge dam. However, just as soon as we placed the last barrier into place, the main wall gave way. We all gave up after that and headed back to the Lady Maryland. We were lucky enough to take a cold shower under a fresh water spigot that we found on the dock and then we ate another delicious meal of pasta salad and garlic bread.
It's been a long three days on the Lady Maryland, but we are all having fun and becoming very good friends. I hope I sleep well tonight, because one thing I'm sure of is that tomorrow will be another hard and exciting day.
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