News from the Half Moon

Report from 2002

The crew of the original Half Moon in 1609 faced one seemingly insurmountable challenge after another: pack ice in the Arctic, ferocious storms, the loss of a foremast, groundings. Yet, they persevered, and opened an area to Europeans that proved to be ... . a beautiful and fruitful place...’

We know the area today as the Hudson River Valley, where generations have lived and prospered... ... as we persevere, and prosper with our work to operate the replica Half Moon, conduct our programs of historical interpretation, and build for the future.

An ambitious schedule and program for the Half Moon that requires us constantly to develop program activities and keep the ship in good operating condition. Both aspects of our work are expensive, but worthwhile. A sampling of activities from our schedule in 2002 includes shows how your support helped us:

• Completed a successful Voyage of Discovery with an international group of teenagers. Organized in partnership with the Schenectady (NY) — Nijkerk (Netherlands) Council, our group of students worked hard and well together as they sailed the Half Moon in an educational program for two weeks in the Hudson River Valley.
• Provided the lead attraction for the celebration of the 350th anniversary of the first European settlement in Kingston, NY, in cooperation with the City of Kingston and Mayor James M. Sottile;
• Partnered with the Peekskill Celebration and Cablevision to operate a Voyage of Discovery with students from Westchester County, and post their experiences on the Cablevision Website;
• Set up a 17th century encampment that included displays and demonstrations of games and pastimes from the New Netherland period, that involved more than 1,000 participants from the Peekskill Celebration;
• Expanded our annual re-creation of the original voyage of the Half Moon, to include a broader array of students, an expanded presence on the internet, and a stronger educational program on board the ship.

In the midst of these engagements, we spent six weeks at Caddell Shipyard making major structural improvements to the Half Moon. We moved the engine bed and shafting, improved the cooling, modified the steering and rudder, and reinforced the keel. Yes, we do sail as they did in 1609, but we also must operate safely in the modem world.

More challenges lie ahead. We need to rebuild the forecastle and beak of the ship, which are worn from our ambitious sailing. Continued improvements to the engineering systems are necessary. This will refine the accuracy of our historical appearance, and improve the modern, safe operation of the ship.

A dedicated group of teachers is developing curriculum for use aboard the ship and in classrooms. Formalizing the Half Moon curriculum and keeping the educational component consistent with and relevant to the New York State and national standards is demanding and time consuming work, but essential.

We will continue our Voyage of Discovery for middle school youth and dockside components for elementary schools. Plans are set for dockside tours in the fall, voyages in the summer and the annual re-creation of the 1609 voyage up the Hudson River.

This work can only be accomplished through the efforts of the many dedicated volunteers that give so much to the ship and its programs. It is truly inspirational to visit the Half Moon and meet so many energetic people who give freely of their time and talents to keep our programs alive. One can feel the same spirit that animated the original explorers and settlers of New Netherland in our volunteer crew members today.

However, as much as volunteers provide, we still need financial help to keep going and growing. The breadth and depth of support both from volunteers and contributors is essential to keeping our organization going. Please make your check payable to the “New Netherland Museum” and send it to their office in Albany, PO Box 10609, Albany, NY 12201.

The New Netherland Museum

Henry Hudson and Early Hudson River History

The Half Moon