Day 5: Saint Michael's and the Museum

In the morning we packed up at Tilghman Island and began sailing to St. Michael's and the Chesapeake Maritime Museum. During science watch we talked about bioaccumulation and marine debris with a fun game to go along! Deck watch hoisted the sails and helped navigate to Saint Michael's while we learned how to triangulate our position on a map. 

Once we reached St. Mike's, we left the boat and had a picnic lunch before touring the museum and obtaining valuable information about our projects. Meanwhile, the boat was open to the public for tours. Tragically, our boat was outshined by the Maryland Dove, which was docked next to us. Luckily, once we finished touring, we had a massive water fight. We drenched the Sigsbee, and all the crew. After cleaning up the water, we dissected a squid and did a fun activity with the ink. Then we finally got to see the Dove ourselves, which was pretty cool. At night we camped within the museum grounds and had pizza night. We were also extremely happy because we got SHOWERS!!!!!!!!!!!! After five days of working on a boat, we were relieved to be clean for once. Overall it was a really great day. 

Going under the drawbridge while leaving Tilghman Island

Learning how to triangulate our position

Working on our projects

A beautiful day on the Sigsbee

Working on steering skills

Time to relax 

Lucy, Colby, Jake, Kalyn, Samantha

Pictures by Natalia

Day 4: Going Fishing and Dredging

    Today we sailed from Horn Point to Tilghman Island. The boat ride was shorter than the one to Horn Point, so we got to go fishing along the way. We used a trawl net that we dragged along with us to catch a bunch of sea life. We caught perch, spot, oyster toadfish, blue crab, gobies, bay anchovy, and over a hundred jellyfish. We got a chance to hold a comb jelly, which does not have any stinging cells and is bioluminescent. As our captain Nick said, it was probably the best biodiversity he had seen. After finishing lunch, we got a chance to dredge for oysters on a real oyster dredging boat- our skipjack! We caught a lot of oyster shells along with some live oysters, baby blue crabs, and one goby in a dead oyster shell. We were very surprised when we pried open an oyster shell and a fish jumped out! On science watch we began our final projects and learned about birds and how to identify them. While on deck watch, we raised the sails, and more of the student crew got a chance to steer.

    When we reached Tilghman Island, we docked in Knapps Narrows. It was pretty cool because people were taking pictures and waving at us, which made us feel like minor celebrities. After docking, we toured the Phillips Wharf Environmental Center and the Tilghman Waterman's Museum. We learned about the history of watermen and viewed may sea animals, which included oysters, rays, and Atlantic sturgeon. We also learned about oyster aquaculture using an upwelling-downwelling system, which helps the baby oysters grow while purifying the bay. 

At night, we set up our tents in the environmental interns' yard, which they graciously let us use. We also got to hang out in an AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM for most of the night and use a flush toilet, which was amazing!!! Overall it was a pretty good day, except for the fact that almost half the crew got sick. 

Starting to work on our final projects: creating a resort on the Chesapeake Bay

Unloading the catch from fishing with trawl nets

Throwing the trawl net into the water 

Pulling up the oysters and examining them

A baby blue crab that we found with the oysters

Throwing in the oyster dredge

Oyster catch

Kalyn, Lucy, Aurora, Jake, and Mikaela

Day 3: Going to Horn Point

Today we went on a long trip to Horn Point, Maryland. Before we left, starboard watch went to the Sigsbee to get the boat ready while port took down the campsite. While underway, the watches switched off between science watch and deck watch. Science watch included water quality testing and plankton catching,mwhcih was exciting. Starboard even caught a larval fish. On deck watch, we raised the sails and learned about navigation. The boat ride was seven hours long and the waves were huge, yet despite the ocean spray it was fun. The campsite at Horn Point is beautiful, with clouds that look painted and an actual bathroom (yes, there is running water here. Yay!). After a delicious dinner of hotdogs and hamburgers, we played a few extremely competitive rounds of Capture the Flag, then turned on for bed.

Also, the Sigsbee's crew set a new speed record today: 8.7 knots

Leaving the harbor 

Preparing to raise the sail

Learning to steer the Sigsbee

The view from Sigsbee

Catching plankton

Eating dinner

Lucy, Kalyn, Natalia, Cooper, Colby

Photography by Mikaela (our RA)

Day 2: Rained out

        After we were woken up at 6:00 in the morning, we took down our tents and split into our Port and Starboard watches. Port watch headed to the boat and learned how to prep to get underway while starboard watch learned about the Chesapeake Bay ecology. We began to sail to Horn Point. As we continued sailing, the rain got progressively worse and soon forecasts predicted water spouts and high waves. Due to bad weather we were forced to turn back, and head back to the Solomons, not before one extrodanarily tall student got to drive the boat. When we got back to the docks, the rain had stopped and we began activities. We fished for jellyfish, tested water samples and shucked oysters. We went back to the Calvert Hills to camp. We watched a demonstration of a runoff model and learned about Riperian Buffers, salt marshes, and oyster reefs. We had a scrumptious

dinner of meatball subs, salad, and corn on the cob. We then moved our belongings to a pavilion to be sheltered from possible rain and set up our tents. We then painted out watch flags. Tomorrow we will be sailing to Horn Point to camp and continue on our way from there.

Lucy, Colby, Jake, Kalyn, Aurora, and Cooper

Natalia and Cooper catching Jellyfish

Jellyfish catches!!!

Card Playing

Relaxing by the dock

Oyster Shelling!

Flag making for out two groups, Port Watch and Starboard

Day 1 of Awesome Camping Adventure

After a three-hour van ride to The Solomons, we reached Sigsbee. We had sandwiches for lunch, then headed to the Calvert Maritime Museum to view the exhibits. We viewed otters, rays, skates, starfish, turtles, sharks, and fossils. We also toured the lighthouse and dock area. Then we learned about skipjacks and other types of boats. We were also very excited to discover that there was a gift shop. Once we returned to the boat, we packed up our belongings and headed to camp. We had a delicious taco dinner, prepared by staff and campers. 

Long live Edgar

Day Eight: Project Presentations and Tent Races

Our last day aboard Sigsbee was marked by the presentation of the projects that students have been working so hard on these past few days. They covered a wide range of topics concerning the Chesapeake, from biodiversity to climate change to dredging and fishing's effects on the Bay.

Otherwise, the day was filled with our last attempts to catch some fish, visiting the Calvert Marine Museum, and racing to see who could set up their tent the fastest. I don't have a lot to say for this last day, so I think I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

One of the three sea robins we caught.

Some from inside the Calvert Marine Museum.

The very end of our last voyage aboard Sigsbee.

Tent races!

And a last photo of our campsite.

Day Seven: Syrup, Swimming, and Seining

Strictly speaking, some of this belongs in yesterday's post, but it was late enough to warrant inclusion in this post.

After bedtime last night, we had another storm roll through—bad enough to warrant waking the crew up, getting out of tents, and moving to a pavilion for shelter. Not to worry, everyone was safe, but it did provide for an hour or so of downtime late at night. Never ones to waste time, the students entertained themselves with stories and shadow puppets.

Our new late-night friend.

The morning brought us another surprise: all of our pancake syrup spilled in our food tub. That made for a messy cleanup for Port Watch.

All over the place.

When we got to the ship, we discovered another surprise: one of the lines had gotten caught up near the top of the mast, so one of the professional crew members had to go retrieve it.

Don't worry, she's roped in.

We finally got ourselves under way, and a good few hours of sailing brought us to Point Lookout, where we finally, at long last, got to go swimming at a bona fide beach.

Building an aquarium to hold fish we caught while Seine netting...

...And using the Seine net.

One of our catches.

A nice dinner was followed by rod-and-reel fishing off the pier, and that's all the news from Sigsbee as we wrap up the last few days of the adventure!

A few of the pier and fishing.

I think this is the first trip selfie. I certainly didn't take it.