News

A Rainy Sail to Sakonnet River

October 12, 2026
Tim deploying the Secchi disc with Marine Technician Annie. Congrats to Tim who also correctly guessed the depth at which the Secchi disc would no longer be visible. This happens to be the only form of betting allowed onboard!

Sunday, 11 October 2026
Noon Position: 41° 32.5’ N x 071° 12.9’ W
Ship Heading: Anchored Sakonnet River
Ship Speed: NA
Log:  49.8 nm
Weather / Wind / Sail Plan:  The center of a nor’easter is just offshore from Cape Cod sending us rainy, chilly, northeast winds that are progressively getting stronger. 
Settled in at a protected anchorage in Sakonnet River

Hannah, Piper, Ezra set the mains’l with the help of their shipmates.

With the approaching nor’easter Captain Séan determined that we should move to a new anchorage in Sakonnet River, Rhode Island.  Though he simply may have wanted to go for a daysail.  Either way the students enjoyed the opportunity to reef the mains’l, set the mains’l, set the main and fore stays’ls and finally to set the jib for a lovely day of sailing.  

The ocean is our classroom, so rain or shine there is something to learn.  Here students see how to set up the neuston net.  

We also added in some science deployments just to mix things up a bit.  Our first phytoplankton net, Secchi disc deployment, and a demonstration of how to set-up and deploy the neuston net.  All of this before the wind and rains made things too uncomfortable.  

Tague and Charlie strike a pose while processing the neuston net.  The net was loaded with fish larvae (their project topic), gelatinous salps, and the ubiquitous copepods.  

Stay tuned for more updates as we prepare to head south!

Chief Scientist Jeff Schell

PS. Go Pack Go!