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July, 1997 issue

Log of the Halve Maen
The winter and spring months saw Captain Chip Reynolds and a group of dedicated volunteers scraping and cleaning all the spars, re-serving the shrouds, repairing some woodwork -- and then re-rigging the replica of Henry Hudson's vessel, the Half Moon (Halve Maen). Much of the work took place at King Marine, Verplanck, where the Half Moon wintered.

In a report to the members of the New Netherland Museum, Captain Reynolds writes about testing different non-toxic preservatives on the spars. "If they perform well," he says, "this can help not only the Half Moon and other wooden ships, but the environment as well."

Captain Reynolds hopes that the Half Moon will arrive at the Connecticut River Museum, Essex, CT on July 1. There are plans for an exhibition at the museum, beginning in July, entitled "Before New England: the Dutch and Native Americans in the Connecticut River Valley, 1609 - 1650." A flier outlines the hands-on program schedule as including programs about "Beaver: From Furs to Fashion," "Twist and Tie: Making Rope," and "A Day in the Life of a Colonial Child."

By the fall, Captain Reynolds anticipates that the Half Moon will be back on the Hudson, where several tentative stops are in development. "The original Half Moon sailed the Hudson in late September, so much of what we do on the Hudson in the fall will replicate portions of that original voyage," he says.

Captain Reynolds also suggests watching for the Half Moon's appearance on television in the commercial for Thompson Financial Services.