Lady Maryland: Trip #4 (Day Four)

“Everything about the day was good, but my favorite thing was anchor watch because I did all of the bearings and checked everything by myself.” - Scott

Today has been a day full of sunshine and a whole lot of learning as we continue to travel down the coast!

This morning we woke up to a calm sea and beautiful skies as we sailed away from Provincetown towards Sakonnet River in Rhode Island. Last night we each stood watch for an hour to ensure that the dock lines didn’t tighten too much or the fenders get pushed out of place as the tide shifted, as that could result in broken lines or a banged up ship. Despite some drizzle through the night, everything went well, and everyone was happy to wake up once again to clear skies. We’ve been extremely lucky with weather so far!

After breakfast, we split up, the Port team cleaning the galley and main salon while the Starboard team kept watch on deck. This was a very important job, as we spent the morning navigating through the Cape Cod Canal, where there was a lot of traffic and only a narrow waterway compared to what we have been sailing. The cadets did a great job working together and communicating about other ships as we made our way through and enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the canal, including some awesome mansions along the water.

Once through the channel into Buzzards Bay, the crew had a surprise for us – trawl fishing! This is a type of fishing that involves dragging a large, weighted net behind the boat for a period of time in order to trap fish and other sea life. After working together to lower the net into the water (and smelling the net for good luck!), we talked about the dangers of trawl fishing and the detrimental effects it has when used as a means of catching large amounts of fish and sea life in commercial fishing. Luckily, the Lady Maryland has a license to use a small trawl in these waters for research purposes as long as we record what we find and throw it all back unharmed. When we raised the net, we had caught multiple crabs, mollusks, and shellfish. The cadets spent some time identifying the different species using field guides before carefully returning them to their natural habitat.

After helping to man the ship for awhile, it was back to learning – this time discussing the pH levels of the water and the changing nature of the oceans due to Co2 pollution. The cadets designed their own experiment to test how varying pH levels affect crab shells, immersing shells in fresh water, salt water, and vinegar, the vinegar representing what could happen to creatures with calcium carbonate based shells should the ocean continue to be polluted. We’ll check back on the experiment in a few days!

Once anchored in Sakonnet River – which the cadets were excited to find out shares some views with Roger Williams, though we couldn’t see the campus – Captain Michael asked if anyone wanted to go for a little swim. Positive responses were unanimous, and so we spent the rest of the evening jumping off the ship into the water (and washing up, finally, with biodegradable dish soap!), eating a great dinner on the deck, learning about constellations in the perfectly clear night sky, telling ghost stories, and finally, watching a fireworks show that just happened to be directly in front of the ship (we responded with blasts of the ship’s horn and lots of clapping!). It couldn’t have been a better night, and we all settled into our sleeping bags on deck under the stars, agreeing that it had been one of the best days we’d had so far. We'll wake up again for anchor watch, and tomorrow morning, we'll head to Block Island for more surprises and adventures!

Cadets work together to "sweat" the line, the last and hardest step in raising the jib sail, to ensure that the sail is taut.

Learning about trawl fishing in Buzzards Bay.

Getting ready to drop the trawl!

The cadets study what we pulled up in the trawl - here is a pregnant Spider Crab!

Creating an experiment to test the affect of different pH levels on marine life.

Swimming in the Sakonnet River!

A beautiful night - excited for tomorrow!

*Please note: Some pictures have been added to previous posts, so make sure to check them out!

Lady Maryland: Trip #4 (Life on Deck)

Matt plots a course on the charts.

The boys clean the dishes after a meal.

Sarah keeps lookout for other ships and potential dangers from the bow.

Scott steers at the helm.

The cadets scrub the floors, or "soles", of the ship as part of a twice-daily maintenance procedure.

Lady Maryland: Trip #4 (Day Three)

"It was so interesting seeing the whales up close after learning so much about them!" - Whitney

Today was filled from morning until night with what we all came to see -- whales!

We started the morning headed south towards Cape Cod, and since the crew was tired from sailing through the night, the cadets took charge of the deck: steering, serving as lookouts, and checking the ship. The waves from yesterday had calmed a little but now we were headed straight into the wind. The captain explained that we have to sail regardless of the wind direction, so with the wind at our bow we had to zigzag back and forth through the night, making the trip much longer than it would have been had the wind been behind us or to the side. Nonetheless, the cadets kept on with smiles, and we spent the morning manning the ship and reviewing what we've learned so far about whales.

As it so happened, we were crossing over a bank that attracts a lot of whales due to the shallower water levels, and just as we had hoped, we spotted whales just off our course to Provincetown. The cadets identified the whales as humpbacks, the largest population of whales in this area, and though they didn't get too close to the ship, it was still very exciting to see them breach and fluke in the distance, especially because for many of us this was our first encounter with whales!

A few hours later, we arrived in Provincetown and everyone worked together to pull the Lady Maryland up to the dock and get tied up. The first thing we noticed at the dock was another large sailboat, which the crew explained is a replica of a typical Dutch sailboat used in the 1600s. The cadets, with their newly acquired knowledge of sailing, analyzed the shape of the boat and the strange square sails. After we disembarked, the crew of the other ship offered to give us a tour, and we all noted the differences between that ship and ours and gained a better understanding of how sailboats have evolved over the years. We all appreciated our small bunks much more after we were told that the crew used to have to sleep on the deck with all of the lines!

In Provincetown (or "PTown", as they call it here), we poked around shops and enjoyed some well-deserved ice cream before heading for the final activity of the day – whale watching on a professional boat with the first whale watching company in the world! Though the weather was gray and overcast, we were assured that the whales would make-up for the dreary skies – apparently they like to play in the waves as much as we do! After a long ride around the Cape, we sure enough found ourselves right in the heart of what seemed to be a whale playground. Humpback whales were blowing through their blow-holes, breaching, slapping their flukes on the water, and just generally swimming around on all sides of our boat. At one point a particularly playful whale came right up to our boat, breached close enough to spray us all on the deck, and then swam under the boat, only to pop up and continue the show on the other side! Needless to say, it was a truly awesome experience, and we found ourselves running from side to side on the deck for over an hour as we watched the whales in their natural waters.

Back at the Lady Maryland (which after only a few days is beginning to feel like home), a few of the cadets wrote some reflective haikus about the day:

Bustling with life;/PTown on a cloudy day./I want seafood. -- Harry

Black flukes in the air/Come crashing down with a splash./Very majestic. -- Harry

Whale did breach, did breach/Whale breach splash splashed me, yes splashed/Now I am wet: darn. -- Max

Gray and overcast./Perfect day for watching whales/All around the Cape. -- Anonymous

Humpback whales at play./Sails full of wind and sunshine./Lady Maryland. -- Anonymous

Another awesome day!

Lady Maryland: Trip #4 (Day Two)

"It was cool seeing all the fuzzy little new birds learning to fly and the sheer amount of birds was astounding!" - Matt

Today, after a great breakfast and a good half hour spent cleaning the boat, a task we must do twice a day to keep the boat in good shape, we got to disembark the Lady Maryland and spend some time exploring Appledore Island, one of the larger islands of the Isles of Shoals. Though the islands were once a fishing village, they are now used primarily for research on marine life and birds, specifically the gulls that inhabit the island during their migrations north and south.

After getting a tour of the labs and seeing all sorts of animal skeletons and interesting live specimens, we walked around the island and eventually sat down for awhile on the rocky shore, where we got a lesson on different types of birds from one of the crew members. The lesson was made even more vivid by the countless birds that surrounded us, continually screeching as they tried to protect the fluffy, dark colored gulls that we learned are the babies. We then continued around the island, checking out the beautiful views of the water from the higher points as we hiked and poking around the tide pools on the shore, where we found endless snail shells and skipped a few rocks. Finally, it was time to head back to the ship and get sailing again.

Back on the Lady Maryland, we ate a good lunch and then worked together to haul up the anchor, a job that took a good half hour and a whole lot of man power – we’ll all be in shape when we get back! Then once again we set the sails – a job that is starting to feel familiar – and set off towards Provincetown, MA on Cape Cod, this time with the wind in our sails.

Once we were sailing, the cadets broke up into two groups, one to keep watch on deck - a job that includes steering at the helm, serving as lookout on the bow, checking the boat for any potential problems, and various other, smaller tasks – and one to start learning about whales and estuaries from the awesome educators on the crew. Everyone agrees that it is great to be out on the water again, and it’s great to feel like we know enough to be helpful on the ship. Before we know it, we’ll be able to sail the Lady Maryland without much assistance at all!

Another wave of sea-sickness accompanied the choppier water of the late-afternoon, but we now have a whole day out at sea under our belt, and we’re excited to do more sailing and exploring tomorrow after a good night’s sleep -- this time below deck, as the crew will be sailing through the night so that we can be in Provincetown by tomorrow!

Skeletal samples, as well as a shark fin, at the Isles of Shoals research labs.

Our cadets pose with some marine life skulls and skeletons.

Learning about different bird species from up on the rocks...

and marine species from down on the shore! What an awesome stop!

Lady Maryland: Trip #4 (Day One)

Welcome! Lady Maryland's final CTY voyage of the summer is officially underway! We're excited for a great nine days, and so happy that you're interested in what we're up to out here at sea and at the different ports we'll stop at along the way! We'll do our best to document our adventures!

On Wednesday morning, as the rest of the CTY students headed off to their morning classes, our eight Whales and Estuaries students hopped into a van and headed north to Portsmouth, NH to board, at long last, the Lady Maryland. We boarded the ship around lunchtime and spent a leisurely afternoon in the sun, bobbing on the quick-running water of Portsmouth Harbor until the current had calmed enough for us to set sail. While we waited, we spent some time getting to know the energetic, eight-person Living Classrooms crew and the ship – a 104 foot pungy schooner modeled after work boats that would have sailed these same waters in the 1800s – as well as reviewing important safety information. Despite a little sea-sickness, the group took easily to life on a ship, and once underway we all began the long process of learning to sail – hoisting sails (which are much heavier than they look!), coiling ropes, and slowly acquiring the skills and vocabulary necessary for sailing.

Our first stop was the Isles of Shoals, a cluster of nine islands that breach the border between New Hampshire and Maine. Though the wind wouldn’t carry us all the way to the shore, we motored into the area around sunset, found a buoy to tie up to (though we eventually had to drop the anchor), and enjoyed a nice meal on deck before bed. Most of the kids opted to sleep under the stars on the deck, and everyone fell asleep quickly, especially with anchor watches to wake up for during the night and an early wake-up in the morning.

The last duty of the day was anchor watch, during which members of the crew and our awesome cadets took shifts through the night to ensure that the ship didn’t drift too much. During anchor watch, each group took bearings to record how the ship had changed positions in the water, and also recorded changing weather patterns. After our hour shift, we were all happy to crawl back into our sleeping bags for a few more hours of good sleep. What an exciting and educational first day!At Isles of Shoals, the Spirit of South Carolina, a fellow schooner, passes us on their way back out to sea, and we shoot our cannons as a friendly "hello"!

At sunset, the cadets review the standing rules of the ship before turning in after a long day.

Lady Maryland: Trip #3 (Day Seven)

Today the cadets disembarked Lady Maryland to board a whale watching ship that would set out from Gloucester harbor. After such an unexpected surprise yesterday, many thought it would be hard to top off such a great day of whale watching onboard Lady Maryland.

They were all pleasantly surprised (yet again). After almost a two hour journey, the whale watching ship reached the southern tip of Stellwagen Bank to come upon dozens and dozens of Humpback whales. They were literally everywhere! And what made it so special was that they were bubble feeding: where one individual circles around to form a bubble net to trap the fish while the others swim up to the surface at the same time top gulp all that prey. It was absolutely spectacular. Such bubble feeding groups were all over the area – it was hard enough to see them all!

Even the whale watch naturalist onboard said she had never seen sop mane Humpbacks in one place at the same time feeding – we all knew we were really lucky, you don’t see this everyday. One whale even breached as it jumped up spectacularly right next to another whale watching ship – its entire massive body minus the fluke perpendicularly above the water- and then came crashing down in an enormous splash!

After returning back to Gloucester just after 2:00PM, the cadets had lunch and then set sail to do some sailing outside of Gloucester harbor. The plan was to head up around Cape Ann towards Rockport to make up some time to the Isles of Shoals, our ultimate destination. But just after getting out of the harbor, the winds completely died out and we were not moving at all. Furthermore, the forecast called for some significant winds from the east so the captain decided it would be best to motor back into Gloucester harbor and spend the night anchored behind the breakwater wall, protected from the wind.

Lady Maryland: Trip #3 (Day Six)

This morning was an early all-hands on deck wake-up: 6:00AM – we had a long way to go to get to Gloucester. The crew and cadets were underway by 7:00AM but that morning the weather was not cooperating as large storm clouds with lightning and thunder were on the horizon on the boat’s course!

It was decided to alter the course to go around the storm which would mean a much longer journey than anticipated. Unfortunately, even with this maneuver, the storm caught up with us but the cadets stood on watch as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on. The rain lasted less than an hour and the clouds gave away to warm rays of sunshine.

Lady Maryland was making her way across Stellwagen Bank - a major summer feeding ground for whales in the North Atlantic. The cadets were hoping to spot a whale but none of them anticipated so many and so close to the boat. There were Humpback whales left and right and the excitement on the boat was contagious! The cadets were running from one side of the boat to the other, jumping, screaming, clapping… camera shutters were clicking away like there was no tomorrow! The whales put on a spectacular show as they were feeding.

Because of the storm and the unexpected whale-watching, Lady Maryland was a couple of hours behind schedule but the crew brought her safely to dock in Gloucester harbor while the cadets doze away after such an exciting day.

PICTURES: Provincetown

PICTURES: rough seas and rowing

Lady Maryland: Trip #3 (Day Five)

Friday was filled with a ton of activities in town. It also proved to be completely different weather-wise than the previous day: sunny, calm and a scorching 90 degree heat. It was all about water bottles and sunscreen today.

In the morning, the cadets visited the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies to listen to an engaging presentation about whale disentanglement efforts. It was quite inspiring to hear the stories and watch the videos. These people truly make a difference!

After a quick lunch, many of the cadets were a little dispirited because of the oppressive heat. Little did they know about the surprise the crew had planed for them: swimming at the beach and then ice-cream! What a refresher!

After that, the cadets were full of energy for a visit to the Pilgrim’s monument and museum. The views from the top were spectacular – a 360 degree view of Cape Cod, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Bay.

Another great day topped of by a fine dinner of vegetable soup and corn on the cob. Yum!

Lady Maryland: Trip #3 (Day Four)

Thursday morning, the crew and cadets got Lady Maryland out of New Bedford harbor – resupplied and refueled for the next stage and destination – Provincetown on the very tip of Cape Cod.

And what a day it was! All on board battled through thick fog, strong winds, high waves and spray – the boat was swaying up and down, to the left and right, water was washing across the deck! But our cadets held their ground and valiantly performed their duties on watch under the careful guidance of the watch officers and the captain

Once Lady Maryland crossed through the Cape Cod Canal, the crew attempted a trawl but it was called off due to high winds – sometimes the sea just does not cooperate. Nevermind, the strong winds proved to be perfect as Lady Maryland swiftly jibed her way across the bay and into Provincetown harbor (for those who don’t sail everyday a jibe is a sailing maneuver where the stern (back) of the boat is moved into and across the wind).

The dock was full so we had to anchor just outside the protection of the breakwater where the winds were churning up the water into waves. After a few minutes the crew found out that the anchor was dragging! Luckily a spot on the dock was found – but now the anchor had to be brought up on deck – on the wind, spray, and dark.

Finally, just after 10:00PM, Lady Maryland was safely docked in the harbor. Everyone was tired but also deeply satisfied in how the boat was handled despite the elements. All could not wait for a full nights rest (minus the one hour each has to stand watch at the dock, of course).

Lady Maryland: Trip #3 (Day Three)

The cadets and crew woke up to a heavy fog – one could not see anything, which caused the boat to have a slow start as being underway in the fog would be like driving a car blindfolded. By 9:30, the fog cleared out so the anchor was pulled out of the water and Lady Maryland left Cuttyhunk harbor on her way to New Bedford.

By noon, Lady Maryland was already docked at the State Pier in New Bedford. The town used to be the whaling capital of the United States and even today represents one of the most productive fishing ports in the country

After lunch, the cadets visited the whaling museum – a fascinating look into the history of whaling as well as whale biology and anatomy. The museum had several real skeletons of whales, as well as huge models of whaling ships. There was so much cool stuff to learn! Did you know for example, that in order to stage whale skeletons for exhibits they need to be cured because they contain a lot of oil in them? They way they do it is that they bury the skeletons for several years in manure where the bacteria break down and “clean” the bones!

Later in the afternoon, the cadets had a unique opportunity to find out what it was like to row a small whaling boat thanks to the New Bedford Whale City Rowing. The cadets were given huge oars and then rowed in the harbor. The wind was quite strong so it was a real workout

That evening, the cadets were really tired after a full day of museum touring and rowing. They had the opportunity to write some postcards and letters that would be sent home and before bedtime they watched a movie about Pacific marine life. Another awesome day!

PICTURES: trawling and species identifications

PICTURES: what it's like to be on watch

Lady Maryland: Trip #3 (Day One and Two)

Welcome family and friends,

Yesterday afternoon the Lady Maryland set out from Bristol harbor for her third nine day voyage. Nine brave cadets boarded the ship with excitement and anticipation of a great adventure. Although the weather was cooperating with rain showers here and there, the high spirited crew made the cadets feel welcomed and energized.

Due to a late afternoon boarding, Lady Maryland made her way just three miles to a small bay near Prudence Island. The first day was filled with introductions, tours of the boat, as well as most importantly – information about safety.

After dinner, prepared by the boat's own cook, the cadets took some time to jot down their impressions expectations of the journey. Here is what they had to say:

“…wow, I’m finally going to get to go sailing again!!! I’m also very excited for such a cool/new experience. I cannot wait for the rest of the trip!” - Abigail

“I’m excited because I am getting to do different activities and experiencing new things. I expect to have a really good time and learn too.” – Betzbeth

“I’m kind of worried that I will fall off! And I learned this is going to be a lot harder than I thought…I would love to see a whale or a dolphin, though” – Cassidy

“Awesome!!! Love you mom and dad, JJ and Kathy” – Harrison

“Not what I was expecting. Roger Williams University is plush and comfy. I feel though that if we were to live only like that, it would be boring. This boat is really exciting!” – Holly

I’m excited and can’t wait to go further away and spot many whales, this boat is awesome!” – Iris

“I’m really excited about sailing and being part of the crew of the boat… I can’t wait to have an awesome learning experience!” – Jessica

‘Working on a boat will be hard work, but with a bit of team work, eight friends, and a good sense of humor, we can manage it.” – Storm

“I think this cruise is a fun and entertaining way to learn about biology” - Martin

That night, the cadets each stood watch at some point in time with the crew as Lady Maryland was anchored, taking bearing and recording the weather to make sure that the boat was not in danger and the rest could sleep soundly.

The next morning the cadets were off to an early start: wake up at 6:45AM! There was no time to waste… the deck needed to be washed, the dishes after breakfast cleaned, and most exciting of them all… the sails to be set! After all, sailing is what Lady Maryland does best. It takes a lot of work to hoist all three sails but with teamwork, everything is possible.

The students were divided into two watch groups with the crew… while one watch is on (basically keeping the bat running – being on lookout, doing boat checks, steering, and navigating), the other is lead by the educators on board with educational activities.

Today, the captain decided it was a good time to do some trawl fishing and see what we catch. After one lucky cadet bestowed luck on the net by sniffing it, it was thrown overboard and after a while pulled back on deck. And indeed lucky we were – among the catch were various crabs, shrimp, algae, as well as a flounder over a foot long!

Over the course of the day, Lady Maryland made her way over some rough seas to Buzzards Bay to anchor in Cuttyhunk harbor for the night.

Lady Maryland: Final Days

Hello once again blog followers!

The cadets are sailing for the last time today. Tonight, the sails will be furled, and tomorrow morning, we will motor onward to our final destination, where we will catch a ride back to our starting point. Days 8 and 9 will go faster than we can imagine!

Last night, all 10 cadets earned the title of "Able-Bodied Seaman". They showcased their knowledge of the forem'st throat halyard, bowline knots, harpoon coils and more in a race between the port and starboard watches that ended in a very close tie! The crew was proud of their apprentices for their hard work and reliability this week.

As a final peek into the minds of our sleepy sailors, I'd like to share another story written during the night anchor watch from a few nights ago...

Thelonious and Malvectius were friends for years, but they didn't always see eye to eye. Malvectius was always making trouble, and therefore, everybody feared him. One day, Thelonious and Malvectius had gotten into a huge fight over how loud the base drum should be; Malvectius had not realized how loud the bass actually was. As a result, Malvectius hypnotized Gillespie to do something very bad...

With that Malvectius begun, he gathered line, tied off ends, and he was ready. Now with no effort at all a single tug would send all the fresh water tumbling into the great salty sea. Melanius seeing what Malvectius was doing, instantly thought of the possible consequences of losing every ounce of drinkable water aboard the boat, and knew he must do something to stop it...

He would have to punish Malvectius in a way that would make him learn a lesson. At first, Melanius tried tickling Malvectius to death. Then he tried to fart all over Malvectius to make it a punishment that he would remember and regret...after all, Melanius had the worst smelling farts around. Suddenly, Melanius knew what he would do to stop Malvectius......

He would make fart bags, full of gas (literally) and set a trap in order to get Melvectius back...in the face...

As Thelonious was making the fart bags, he realized two things: a.) farts are flammable and b.) it is extremely hard to put gas in a bag without beans! He got a new plan to control Malvectius. He would set his bags on fire under him, and would have to make Malvectius think that Thelonius was magical.

His plan wasn't as clever as he had hoped. Malvectius saw straight through the trick, but was clever enough to play along. As Thelonius's trick came to an end. Malvectius acted afraid, but only to play along. He still had a few tricks up his sleeve and he wasn't going to give in quite so easily.

Malvectius was sound asleep in his cabin when he first heard the noise. A faint wooshing that was getting louder and louder. When Malvectius rolled out of bed to see where the noise came from he saw Thelonius floating above the deck. "Oh no!" Malvectius shouted. "Floating fart bags of doom!" Stealthily Malvectius pulled out his paintball gun he was hiding and shot all the fart balloons! Malvectius knew of Thelonius' plan after spying on Thelonius farting into bags the night before.

In his excitement, Malvectius kept missing the fart bags and Thelonius caught him and tied him to the mast of Lady Maryland. Two years later...Malvectius promised to be good and never do that again. Thelonius decided to let him go, but Malvectius never left. He became best friends ith the band and travelled all over the world with them without once causing any trouble.

THE END.

Mystic Seaport

6 of our cadets were chosen to participate in a reenactment of life on a whaling ship.

Mike the Shantyman teaching us songs to sing as we haul away!

The group at Mystic Seaport.

Using the super high-tech microscope to view the plankton we caught on TV.

Our three fly exterminators getting even for the many bites acquired as they sleep.

Lady Maryland: Day Six

When we woke up Monday morning to a fog so thick that we could not see more than 10 feet around our pink and green schooner, we weren't sure if we'd ever make it to Mystic, CT. But fate knew of our plans, and the fog fully lifted at around midday, and we were able to dock alongside the quaint Mystic Seaport. Our pungy schooner, the last of its kind, looked at home with the other historical boats tethered to the pilings at the dock. The cadets heard and read about the history of whaling across the world, and specifically in New England. We even had a shantyman come aboard the Lady Maryland and teach us real sea shanties of different origins and uses! (SHAN-ty n. A song sung by sailors on a boat to keep time, and pass time, when hauling lines, raising/lowering sails, and hauling in the anchor).

The group had a great time going to each outdoor exhibit and searching for answers to questions on their scavenger hunt sheets. Did you know that British ships of the past had anchors weighing up to 7,000 pounds?! The cadets learned this and many other facts about ships and the everyday life of a sailor.

With only one more full day left, the cadets are both excited and sad to be coming to the end of their CTY experience. I think all would say that it has been an experience they will always remember!

A Special Message

Four posts in one day, you say? This must be something very important! Indeed it is, for as we were awaiting a dinner of pot roast only moments ago, our very own "Graham Cracker" and "DJ Sillyz" decided to share a little something special with the rest of the cadets and crew. I present it to you now in video form, though it's majesty is really something better seen in person. Perhaps you can request a live concert upon their return!

(Apologies for the sideways nature of the video)

Lady Maryland: Day Five

It is an absolutely gorgeous day aboard our beloved schooner. The sun is shining brightly, but a light breeze keeps the cadets from over-heating. This morning we were anchored at one of Captain Michael's favorite spots to dredge for oysters, and so we decided to hook up our own oyster dredge and see what we could find. We also threw in the trawl net for the second time this trip to observe the types of species present in this part of the ocean. Everyone was excited to see that we hauled up about 10 different species in our net! The cadets spent much of the morning making observations and identifying those species with the help of field guides.

The second half of the day was filled with learning the proper techniques for testing water quality. The cadets were looking like professional scientists as they used fancy equipment and their new knowledge to record data. They discovered that the quality of the water that the Lady Maryland was sailing through at that moment was mostly high, but there were a few outlying data points, possibly due to pollution by humans.

We will be anchoring again shortly, and all are looking forward to a good night's sleep after a long, hot day of discovery!

Trawling and Water Quality Testing

All hands were ready to drop the trawl net into the ocean.

Testing pH of surface water.

Swabbing the deck after trawling and dredging.

Testing the salinity of the surface ocean water.

Pictures of cadets and crew

It was a slightly chilly day, ending in a slightly warmer night...warm enough to sleep on deck! Some brave cadets decided to leave their comfy bunks in favor of curling up on the wooden deck above. Sleeping beneath the stars marked the halfway point of their journey aboard the ship. Here are some pictures from the rest of Day 4:Michael (Captain) and Beth (Educator) at the stern!

Enjoying a French toast breakfast.

Heading down below into the main salon.

Starboard Watch cadets navigate and chart our course.

At night, Michael shows the cadets and crew where we have been and where we will be going on a series of overlapping charts.