In 1609, Captain Henry Hudson arrived on the shores of what is now New York City on the Dutch ship the Half Moon (Halve Maen). Today, a replica of the explorer’s vessel is recreating his voyage up the Hudson River. Captain William ‘Chip’ Reynolds explains what it feels like to be the 21st century’s Henry Hudson.
‘When I first got involved with the Half Moon, I knew next to nothing about the 17th century, or about the history of the Dutch in New York State’, Mr. Reynolds said in the New York Times. ‘But then I started to realize that this was one of the most compelling untold stories in American history.’
The replica of the Dutch ship was built twenty years ago by the New Netherland Museum in Albany. Each year the Half Moon recreates Henry Hudson’s 1609 voyage up the river that now bears his name. Life on the replica ship is much like the original – except the crew is comprised of middle school students from New York State. Sailing from the lower New York Harbor to Albany, the student crew handles sail, steers, weighs anchor, and stands night watch. And each student completes a research project in history and science while aboard ship, to get them more interested in the early history of New York State.
Captain Reynolds, an environmental scientist by training, believes that the original Half Moon crew were also keen observers of their surroundings. ‘We have the students read the original logs of Hudson and his crew, so they can compare those with what they are seeing’, Reynolds said. ‘The old log books read like the data books of a natural scientist.’
As 2009 marks the 400th anniversary of Hudson’s voyage, all eyes are on the Half Moon, which will be sailing up and down the Hudson River all summer long. From June 5 – 13, the ship will lead the River Day flotilla, from New York City to Albany. Alan Wechsler, a reporter for the Albany Times Union, boarded the ship as a volunteer during a shakedown cruise last week. For his adventure, Wechsler acted as a crew member, in an attempt to relive part of Hudson’s journey.
Even though the outside of the ship ‘appeared more or less exactly like its 400-year-old namesake’, Wechsler’s journey differed considerately from Hudson’s in 1609. But even the roaring engine didn’t keep him from truly putting himself in the shoes of the original Half Moon’s crew: With nothing particularly important to do just before sunset, we climbed the mast. The light painted the river and shore with a golden hue. Fifty feet above the world: the land seemed timeless. It was easy to imagine being members of the Half Moon, the first Europeans to explore this river, seeing it for the first time. Of course, they didn’t have the sound of a diesel engine in the background – the winds were coming from the wrong direction, so we couldn’t sail. But one can’t be too picky about reliving history.’
The full account of Wechsler’s voyage, entitled ‘Riding Currents of History’, can be read here.
view features from all categories
Send To Friend
Please wait ...
