VOYAGES

1999 Voyage | Spring 2002 Navigation Contest | Fall 2002

1999 VOYAGE

Our first voyage in 1999, which encircled all of New England and part of Eastern Canada, began and ended in Boston. At each port, a new crew of students joined the voyage and the previous crew returned home. It was a voyage of education and discovery for the students on board.

Our Route

See our ports of call by state or province:

Massachusetts Connecticut and Rhode Island New York Quebec

Prince Edward Island Nova Scotia Maine Vermont and New Hampshire

See overview map again


Each segment of the voyage was a one-day passage. The first passage, took place in mid-April, left Boston at dawn and arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in the afternoon. This was typical of passages throughout the voyage.

Between April and November the voyage visited 20 major ports. The time in port lasted as long as five days. During the time in port, students living there were introduced to the sea in short two-hour sailing trips in their harbors. The introductory trips were open to kids of almost any age or ability. Students selected to make the passage to the next port city, however, were typically in middle school and had demonstrated an interest in the sea.

By the end of June, the journey had reached northern New York State, Vermont, and the region adjacent to the US/Canadian border. Schools were out for the summer. At this stage the voyage took on a different pattern. The crew now consisted of teachers or college students. They can remain on board for longer periods of time and visited many ports.

The voyage progressed down the St. Lawrence River as it flows toward the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Major stops included Sorel, Quebec City, Tadusac, Rimouski and Gaspe - all in the Province of Quebec. Here cultural and language differences played a much greater role in the experience of the voyage and the ongoing account of the voyage maintained on our web site. One of our long-term goals was to build sister city relationships between U.S. and Canadian cities. We now have friends in Quebec Province who might help us make wider contact with students living there.

In the Gulf of St. Lawrence we visited Prince Edward Island and the northern coast of Nova Scotia. We landed at small fishing villages and met local lobstermen. There were some similarities and some striking differences between the lobster fishery in these regions and the same fishery on Long Island Sound. Check out our 1999 ship's log, August 11-17, to read about the lobster's role in the economy of Prince Edward Island.

We then passed through the Strait of Canso into the North Atlantic and followed the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia to the southwest. The voyage stopped at the historic ports of Halifax and Lunenburg. From Shelburne, Nova Scotia we made the only overnight passage of the journey, the passage across the mouth of the Bay of Fundy to Bar Harbor, Maine.

The segment of the voyage from Halifax to Boston took place during the fall. Schools had opened. The history and culture of seafaring peoples - a central interest throughout the voyage - was nowhere more evident or better preserved than in the leg of our voyage from Halifax to Boston.

By November the voyage was be complete. Our boat was back in Boston. We were all one year older, and a lot smarter!