Captain’s Log

This morning we hauled back the anchor and began our short trip to Woods Hole, MA. Without much breeze, we decided to use the engine for the 12nm voyage. John smoothly steered Geronimo through a tricky channel into Woods Hole Harbor.

Ashore, we visited Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) marine exhibits, and had the opportunity to learn about the submarine exploration vessel, Alvin. Students ate ice cream and checked out town during free time before returning to Geronimo.

We’ve since moved the vessel to Hadley Harbor, tonight’s anchorage. Christian brought us through the harbor’s narrow opening and convinced me to keep going to the inner harbor further back. I’m glad he did; this is a tranquil spot.

Everyone enjoyed an afternoon swim in warm water. Ashley and Elizabeth are in the galley making dinner and dessert. The girls have exceeded expectations, making cupcakes from scratch for dessert.

Most of tomorrow will be spent underway as we head back to Narragansett Bay.

With all the students on board, Geronimo left Bristol Harbor on the second Sea Legs voyage of the summer. Each student had a turn tacking the boat and handling the winches as we made our way south down Narragansett Bay. Ashley did an especially good job steering and saved us some extra maneuvering by carefully sailing Geronimo upwind. Once at anchor, Ricky made tacos for dinner. Afterwards, Lily and Caroline, this trip’s senior leaders, organized a few games to play in the evening.

This morning, after chores, we had a short navigation lesson before sailing to Cuttyhunk, MA. The wind conditions allowed us to sail here without turning on the engine. This group has taken to sailing quickly, it’s hard to believe they’ve only been aboard for 24 hours. Shortly after anchoring, we went for a swim off the boat. Most of the crew are currently on deck enjoying the sunshine. We will head ashore to explore Cuttyhunk this afternoon before returning to the boat for dinner. Christian is the cook today and plans to make mac and cheese for dinner.

In a little over 24 hours the Geronimo crew has visited three different states, NY, CT, and RI. Around 10 this morning we crossed back into Rhode Island waters at Watch Hill. We are slowly sailing back toward Narragansett Bay.

Most of yesterday was spent ashore in Mystic. We dedicated a few hours to checking out the exhibits at the museum before walking to town. Mason grilled hot dogs for dinner which we enjoyed back aboard the boat. Afterwards, we found a field to play capture the flag. Because of the rain last night, everyone had to sleep below deck. It was cozy in the bunk room with all nine students there.

We hope to anchor somewhere in the bay just before dinner tonight. Alex is cook today and plans to make lasagna. After dinner, we’ll likely watch a movie and dry out from a rainy day on the water.

Most of today was spent motor-sailing from our anchorage at Potter Cove to Fishers Island. The students were divided into two watches and worked with the mates to navigate and steer Geronimo. Alexander was on the helm as we went through Watch Hill Passage, a tricky place to steer with lots of currents at play.

As we anchored in West Harbor, we were visited by St. George’s alumni welcoming us to the anchorage. Sarah and Mia made tacos for dinner, perfectly timed for Taco Tuesday. After dinner was cleaned up, we boarded our small boat “Thunder Chief” for a quick stop ashore. There we had ice cream and stretched our legs.

Tomorrow morning, we will head north for Mystic, CT.