Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, Block Island
Summers in New England
We Fit Adventure Into A Three Day Weekend
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Our long weekend voyages are the bread and butter of The Voyaging Institute. We have taken the best parts of long distance voyaging—port stops, night sailing, sail evolutions, watch standing, ocean science—and crafted an adventure that you can fit into your work schedule. Report to the ship after work on Thursday and get ready to become a pirate for the weekend.
Sail Between New York City and Boston
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Day 1—Thursday
Arrive to Wonder at 1800 (6pm), move into your bunk, complete a short scavenger hunt to familiarize yourself with the ship, and then gather for a full ship meeting to review the weather and voyage plan.
Around 1900 (7pm) we will get underway for a sunset sail where the crew will demonstrate how to set sails, steer the ship, and stand watch. Before the sun fully sets, we will perform safety drills to prepare Guest Crew for our first night underway.
Night sailing takes the magic of the ocean to a new level. As you steer using the stars, we will point out constellations and the Milky Way. Sip tea as you work with the captain and mates to feel the rhythm of the ship. The final reward is watching the sun rise with the sails up and feeling that you just had the most exhilarating night of your life while the rest of the world slept. That’s just Day One.
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Day 2—Friday
Start the day with a delicious breakfast and endless coffee while underway. You will begin to settle into the routine of the vessel as you rotate through standing watch. We will conduct our first science deployment of the voyage and have a morning discussion on marine biology and oceanography. If the sky is clear, we may use sextants to determine our position at noon.
In the evening after another glorious sunset, we will pull into our port stop and drop our anchor. We will spend this night at anchor, giving you a chance to recover from your first full day of standing watch.
NYC to Boston port stop: Martha’s Vineyard
Boston to NYC port stop: Block Island
Other possible port stops (subject to wind/weather): Provincetown, Greenport, Montauk, Nantucket, Newport.
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Day 3—Saturday
Waking up at anchor means jumping into the water from the bow for a morning swim. Then it is off to shore in the ship’s dinghy to explore the island for the morning. Go on a hike, visit a beach, shop the cute local stores, rent a bicycle…too many good choices. After a picnic lunch ashore, it’s back to the ship and we are underway by 1400 (2pm).
We will spend the day sailing as we continue our voyage. This is the heart of the trip where seamanship skills will be practiced and reinforced. Watches will rotate every four hours and you will get plenty of practice setting sails, plotting positions, and maneuvering the ship under sail power.
Once again, our voyage will continue through the night. If the skies are clear, we will practice using sextants to determine our position using the stars.
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Day 4—Sunday
Another beautiful sunrise underway. Our final day of voyaging will feature more science work, more seamanship concepts, and more great food.
We will continue with science deployments, weather observations, and engage in some light competition between the watches: setting the jib and a line chase testing your knowledge of the lines you have been handling.
In the early afternoon we will strike sail for the final time as we sail into our destination. Guest Crew will depart by 1600 (4pm) filled with an amazing sense of accomplishment—you just had one of the best adventures of your life. Just five days ago you joined a ship of strangers who are now your shipmates and friends. There is nothing quite like the bonds formed at sea.