| What
began as a cloudy, rain threatening morning,
ended as a sunny, perfect sailing day for the
Ernestina Crew and Revere High School.
Thirty juniors and seniors from Revere High and
eight chaperones lead by David Eatough boarded
the ship this morning for 4 hours of both
physical and mental challenges. The first
obstacle to overcome was getting onto the vessel.
Not only did they have to make their way through
Boston traffic to Fan Pier, they then had to
cross over the deck of another gaff rigged
schooner, the Spirit of Massachusetts, before
arriving safely on the deck of the
Ernestina. The next challenge was to work
together as a team to raise our four lower sails,
not an easy task considering they total almost
5,000 square feet. After a brief rest the
students broke up into 5 smaller groups and
worked with crew members to learn more about the
ship and the environment they were sailing
through. They used a chart and traditional
navigation tools to figure out exactly where they
were in Boston Harbor. A plankton net was
used to collect a plethora of zooplankton and
phytoplankton that the students identified with
microscopes and field guides. They gathered
water samples and recorded the dissolved oxygen,
pH, salinity and temperature and then compared
their results to their previous findings from a
salt marsh and estuarine area. Some musical
relief was provided by Tom Goux along with
information about Ernestina's past. And
last but not least the students got to test their
self confidence and their balance as they
volunteered to steer the ship through Boston
Harbor, walk out over the water along the
bowsprit and climb aloft. Much was accomplished
during the 4 hour sail but most importantly
everyone left with big smile.
Captain: Willi Bank
Program Coordinator: Crista Mellican
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