Courses

The Moon, Stars, and Tides: A sailor’s guide to the universe

Brenda Milkofsky, retired director and curator of the Connecticut River Museum will lead off our adventure at 4:00 pm with a behind the scenes view of some of the museum's historic navigation equipment collection. She'll offer a brief history of ship building along the Connecticut River before we head to the museum, itself, for a look at their permanent exhibits. At 6:00 pm, we then join educator and conservationist Jonathan Craig, the Onrust ship captain and crew who will serve as our guides for an evening sail aboard this 45-foot replica of Adriaen Block’s sailing vessel, the original built in New York in 1614, for exploration of New England’s coastline.

We will learn how navigation and knowledge of the sea were often a matter of experience and feel (dead reckoning) rather than a precise science; the Pilgrims, for instance, expected to land in Virginia. We will enjoy the company of experienced sailors who will share their expertise in reading the stars, following the tides and currents, and harnessing the wind. Examples of old navigation instruments as well as modern iPad apps and GPS will be demonstrated during this two-hour cruise.

Instructor: Jonathan Craig & Brenda Milkofsky

Date: Saturday, May 14, 2022; time: 4-8 pm

Location: Connecticut River Museum, with cruise aboard the Onrust

Instructor: Jonathan Craig

Date: Saturday, May 14, 2022

Time: 4-8 pm

Location: Connecticut River Museum & cruise aboard the Onrust