Main content

Our adventure begins with admission to the Connecticut River Museum’s three floors of exhibits. Then comes a lecture about Essex, Connecticut’s legacy as a ship-building center in centuries past and its critical role in the history of the American Revolution. We then join captain and crew for an evening sail aboard the Onrust (a 45-foot replica of Adriaen Block’s sailing vessel built in New York in 1614 for exploration of New England’s coastline) with the educator and conservationist Jonathan Craig as our guide. 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.

Date: Saturday, May 14, 2022, 4–8 pm (rain date Saturday, May 21)