5 September (composed by Mike
Stewart, Kaitlyn Tuite) Woke up bright and
early on Wednesday morning alongside at the
Gloucester State Pier. ERNESTINA members David
Kaye, Ed and Alicia Ditto, Scott and Tracy
Brewick, and Bob Hanson joined the ship's company
for the transit South and West to Norwalk, CT.
At 0800 we sprung off the pier and motorsailed
out of Cape Ann Harbor under the fores'l and
jumbo. It was a bright and beautiful morning and
by 0900 we flew the jib and fisherman. After
chores and deckwash, all hands gathered to the
main halyards and we set the mains'l. We shut
down the main engine and began our sail South to
the Cape Cod Canal.There was rarely a moment when
our members weren't either aloft or handling
lines. Winds layed down as the day progressed and
we struck the fisherman, fired up the engine once
again.
Shortly before entering the Canal we struck
our jib as well. Along the Canal all kinds of
people were enjoying the late afternoon, fishing,
biking, or seated in lawn chairs, watching as the
old ERNESTINA sailed by.
You can go to the Massachusetts Maritime
Academy Web Site and view the Cape Cod Canal
anytime at http://www.mma.edu/other/canal.html
. Show at right is the image we pulled off just
as Ernestina passed by the Railroad Bridge in
Bourne.
As evening fell the crew flaked out a shot and
a half of chain in preparation for anchoring off
the Weepecket Islands on the North Shore of
Naushon, one of the Captain's favorite
anchorages. It was dark and the wind and sea calm
when we dropped the hook not far off the middle
Weepecket Island. Traveling by small motor
launch, the crew's friend Gordon Sims arrived
alongside from Hadley Harbor and joined the ship
for a magnificent moonrise.
During the night watches the stars were
"raging", and coyotes and great horned
owls punctuated the stillness.
Captain: Sophie Morse
Program Coordinator: Inette Rex
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