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Ernestina Logbook Page

Date: Thursday, September 6, 2001

Wind: SW 10-15 knots
Seas: 1-2'
Skies: Clear
Temperature: Cool
Pressure: 30.26 and falling

We left our anchorage at the Weepeckets before dawn, hauling back our hook under power and setting sail in the gathering light. The wind was a favorable land breeze from the North, and under the power of her four lowers and JT we shut down the main engine and ERNESTINA "schooned" West, leaving the Elizabeth Islands and the Buzzards Bay Tower in our wake in a few short hours.

Being New England waters, the Northerly breeze died down by mid-day, shifting around to the South just North of Block Island. We ghosted through our lunch hour before striking our jib topsail and firing up the main engine. Conditions were calm with good visibility for a Man Overboard Drill during the early afternoon. The crew and our member participants were able to excercise our emergency procedures and the practice went smoothly and efficiently. We can only hope in any real emergency we are granted such accomodating weather.

Our goal that evening was the "Race," the narrow entrance to Eastern Long Island Sound where tidal currents can reach greater than 4 knots. Navigators approach it with caution, especially at night, as it is a major route for commercial traffic to and from New York to points East. True to form, as we approached the Race at slack tide far after nightfall we found both tugboat and recreational traffic, soon followed by the rapidly moving Orient Point Ferries out of New London.

We continued Westward through the night without incident, motorsailing under our four lowers in the light SW breeze. Our only break from motoring since early afternoon had been a half hour when we hove to for dinner, again enjoyed on deck and provided by our excellent cook, Laurie Weitzen.

Captain: Sophie Morse
Program Coordinator: Inette Rex

 

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Copyright 1997-2001
Schooner Ernestina
89 North Water Street, P.O. Box 2010, New Bedford, MA 02741-2010
phone 508.992.4900 -- fax 508.984.7719
www.ernestina.org

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