Little Boats Big Discoveries

Reba Hueckel, C Watch & Deckhand

Here we are sailing under the 4 lowers with a shallow reef in the mains’l.

Centered within a well-organized dome of Cumulonimbus sp. Humulas clouds, we are peacefully gliding up the Gulf Stream guided by the gentle breeze of a high pressure system.

Porpita; colonial hydrozoan

We are not the only ones to find ourselves making way by current and wind.

Today we bid farewell and fair winds to our two little boat friends: Hope and Special!! Hope and Special were created by students of Donald McKay School in partnership with the USS Constitution. These mini boats are used to study currents all over the world (this marks the 3rd set to be launched from the Corwith Cramer alone!). Hope, Special and the rest of the fleet are rigged with a solar powered receiver which can communicate its location via satellite back to the USSCM website. This data is available to be streamed live @ USSCM.org. Follow them on their journey up the Gulf Stream!!!

Today was a big day for Deck and Lab! The JT (Jib tops’l) was set for the first time this trip!! Yippeee, our first kite sail! In the world of Lab a squid was discovered hiding inside of a terapod shell and, following a lengthy identification debate, a Porpita <3 was added to our list of observations. Porpita’s are a bright blue colonial hydrozoan (see image) with beautiful cylindrical designs. Even though it was not a new species so we didn’t get to name it… we had lots of fun learning how to use all our resources on board to identify critters new to us. Who knows maybe one day soon we will find something completely new; the search never stops!

- Reba Hueckel, C Watch & Deckhand

Contact: Douglas Karlson, Director of Communications, 508-444-1918 | dkarlson@sea.edu