Captain’s Log

It is nice to be back in Rhode Island waters. We arrived at the Sakonnet River yesterday afternoon. The final part of the transit was quite rainy, but knowing that we were close to home, made it more bearable.  Tharaly did a great job tacking up the river and selecting an anchorage in the lee of Little Compton. Everyone had a good night sleep after the trip down from Maine.

This morning the students were tasked with sailing Geronimo from our anchorage in the Sakonnet River to Dutch Harbor on the west side of Conanicut Island on their own, without the guidance of the professional crew. They confidently sailed Geronimo off of the anchor and past Third Beach. It was exciting to sail so close to St. George’s campus. At the end of the passage, William was in charge as we sailed into Dutch Harbor and let go the anchor. The entire passage was made under sail.

At the moment, many hands are in the galley making food for tonight’s Fourth of July feast. Tucker is grilling burgers, hot dogs, and sausage while Ethan and Tharaly are making tres leches cake. Newport’s fireworks have been postponed until tomorrow night, but we’ll celebrate with sparklers here tonight.

Tomorrow morning will be spent cleaning the vessel and packing. After lunch, we will have closing activities to reflect on our voyage and time together. It should be a full last few days aboard the boat.

Hurricane Island was an excellent final stop here in Maine. The Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership staff were gracious hosts touring us around the island and inviting us to dinner. William, Ethan, Tucker, and Nickie were brave enough to go for one last swim in the frigid Maine waters, jumping off the dock before we ate. In the evening, we had a bonfire and roasted marshmallows.

After a few full days in Maine it is time to head for Rhode Island. At the moment, we are waiting for the worst of the rain to pass before getting underway. We have changed up the watch groups one last time for this passage. Nathan, Tucker and I will be on watch first until 1600. This portion of our transit may be a bit sporty as we take advantage of the strong NE winds from the front that's passing by. It is a little over 150 nm to the Cape Cod Canal. Once through, we will be in the home stretch for Rhode Island. The last few days of the trip will be spent in state waters working our way north to Bristol, the final port of the program.

Yesterday was a good day. We were the only vessel anchored in Valley Cove, a lovely spot in Somes Sound. Nickie and I made scrambled eggs and hash browns for breakfast, along with toasted bagels. Fueled up, we set out to hike Mt. Acadia, a 2.5 mile trail that brought us 681’ above sea level. From here we could see Geronimo at anchor along with the numerous islands surrounding Mount Desert Island. After the hike we went for a swim in Echo Lake before hiking back to Geronimo.

In the afternoon, we shifted to Southwest Harbor and picked up a mooring for the night. The students had some free time ashore and played a pickup game of basketball with our second mate, Mr. Kane. For dinner, we went to MDI Lobster and BBQ where we enjoyed outstanding lobster rolls and Maine blueberry pie.

Today we are underway for Hurricane Island. Rather than three watches the students have been divided into two groups for the shorter sail. It will still be a challenge, though, as this passage will be entirely upwind. This will be a good challenge for the JWOs William and Tucker. At the moment, Tucker is deciding between cutting through some islands or remaining to seaward with more room to maneuver.

Tomorrow will likely be our last full day in Maine. Friday morning we will begin our trip south to Rhode Island.

After spending a night at anchor near Plymouth, we resumed our trip north toward Maine. After about 24hrs. we reached Maine waters off of Matinicus Island. It was a quick passage with the winds behind us for the duration of the trip.

At the moment we are passing through the Deer Island Thorofare. William is the JWO and has been skillfully navigating Geronimo through the narrow passage and the hundreds of lobster pots along the route. Our plan is to sail on to Somes Sound in Mount Desert Island. This will be our jumping off point to explore the island. It is my hope that tomorrow will be dedicated to hiking and taking in the natural sights. If possible, we will hike to Echo Lake to go for what I’m sure will be a brisk swim in the freshwater.

The students are excited to be in Maine. We are also looking forward to having a couple of nights at anchor, providing a break from watch standing. At this point in the trip, we have traveled over 1400 nm, an achievement all on board should be proud of.