Day 9—Rock Hall and Back Home!!!

     Today is our last day on Sigsbee! Yesterday we docked in Rock Hall and had a great last night camping. Earlier that day we presented our final projects to the crew, but then we ended our sailing day just a little early due to a thunderstorm. Today we woke up early and went crabbing—it was a lot of fun! We'll be back to Sigsbee's home dock soon, and although we're sad to be finished with this incredible trip, it's not quite over yet. We're about to have our final competition called the skipjack races where we'll compete with each other on the boat over all the terms and skills we learned in this trip!

Day 7—Sandy Point

     The last few days have been a blast! On Monday we sailed from St. Michaels to Sandy Point. We spent another beautiful day sailing, trawl fishing, and swimming at a great beach. But Tuesday turned out to be one of the best days yet! We were told that we were going to have the best day trip ever, and it turned out to be even better than we imagined! It was a perfect day for sailing, and we caught tons of fish in the trawl net!  We learned how to throw life rings, and we had a boat building competition. The best part, though, was jumping off the strongback and the bowsprit!

Day 5—St. Michaels

     Today we sailed from Tilghman Island to St. Michaels. On the way, we went trawl fishing, learned to tie knot, and worked on our final science project. At St. Michaels, we toured an incredible and large maritime museum that had a real shipyard and lighthouse. The day ended with pizza for dinner and showers!

Day 4—Tilghman Island

     On the way to Tilghman Island, we dredged for oysters and trawled for fish. We actually caught a large amount of crabs, fish, and tons of jellies! After we docked in Tilghman Island, we went to a small environmental center right on the canal. The center had many baby turtles, terrapins, seahorses, and horseshoe crabs, and we even got to see an injured snapping turtle in rehabilitation. Afterwards, we were relieved when we had the chance to relax in air conditioning at an educational facility called Tilghman Island Watermen's Museum. There were so many artifacts and materials that showed how the oyster, fish, and crab industries started. Then a thunderstorm occurred after we set up camp, so we immediately left to go to a pavilion in the nearby park. While under the protection of the pavilion, we played card games and ate delicious snacks. Once it stopped we left the park and started preparing dinner. To finish up the day, we had a fun activity—fish inking! We took paint and ink and decorated tote bags and card stock by using actual fish as stamps. It was pretty cool, and yes, we all washed our hands really well once we finished!!! These past few days have been busy and full of sailing, fishing, museums, animals, and a lot of fun!

Day 3—Horn Point (7/9)

     Today we went to the University of Maryland's oyster lab at Horn Point. Upon arrival into the air conditioned lobby, we were met by an energetic guide who showed us around the incredible facility. During the interactive, highly educational tour, we learned about where and how oysters grow and reproduce and also about how and what we as humans have done and can do to affect them. The lab takes oysters and helps Mother Nature and the Chesapeake Bay's oyster population by taking spat, also known as baby oysters, and starting oyster reefs. We got to help clean the oysters and their tanks, and we also were able to witness them spawning.

     After going to the lab, we went swimming at a nearby beach. Along with swimming, we also relaxed, and caught some sea nettles and fish. And to top off this great day, we got to shower!