As part of a weekend celebration and homage marking the 400th
anniversary of Henry Hudson's historic discovery, we will take a moment to examine
the craft that the European explorer used in order to cross the Atlantic toward
North America.
Once in a Half Moon…
Owned by the Dutch East Indian Company, the Halve Maen, or Half Moon, was the 15th
century vessel provided by the company for Hudson's voyage to find a quicker route to
the "Orient." While Hudson and his crew
could have ventured south in order to circumvent the Cape of Good Hope, the
goal and reason for Hudson's employment by the
company was to find a quicker Northwest Passage.
The Half Moon launched from Amsterdam, Netherlands,
sometime in early April of 1609. While it was recorded that Hudson
sailed toward the mid-Atlantic region near today's Chesapeake
and Delaware Bay, he decisively pushed north
for the elusive passage that he was searching for. Sailing past the
wide-mouthed entrance of today's New
York harbor, Hudson and his crew continued their
exploration.
It was when Hudson reached our present day's location of Albany, NY that his
crew determined the river was becoming too narrow and shallow for the Half Moon
to continue onward. However, Hudson's
efforts effectively helped the Dutch claim the land for future settlers, and it
should also be noted that his voyage came ten years before the Pilgrims landed
at Plymouth Rock!
Far From Your Average Model Ships
Plans to construct the
first replica of the Half Moon came to fruition by the fall of 1909 when
researchers commissioned by the state of New York
collected data and support from museums and libraries in Holland in order to recreate the ship in an
authentic fashion. The plans of the Half
Moon were prepared by C. L. Loder, Director of Shipbuilding of the
Netherlands Navy Department, and from these plans the replica was built at the
Royal Ship Yards at Amsterdam.
Sadly, this model did not live to see its next celebration. A brewing
controversy over its preservation ended in Cohoes, NY
as the replica burned down in 1931.
Another operational replica of the Half
Moon was constructed in Albany, NY in 1989 for the New Netherland Museum
by way of a design from Nicholas Benton, a master ship-rigger and shipwright. Benton was president of a
group specializing in colonial-era ship restoration called the Rigging Gang of
Middletown. As part of the $1 million undertaking, Benton
researched a number of museums overseas in the Netherlands. Sadly, Benton's untimely death while working on the ship in
nearby Rensselaer left the construction of the Half Moon to be completed by the
New Netherland Museum.
Originally constructed in 1608, the 1989 replica of the Half
Moon features a total of six sails on three masts, which equals 2,757 square
feet of canvas. The ship is equipped with six cannons and four anchors. Aside
from having a crew of 15 to 20, the vessel can store 80 tons. Its "behind the
scenes" gears that are necessary for modern operations include a diesel engine,
electric generator, sewage and fresh water holding tanks, and modern
navigational equipment. However, the ship frequently operates in the traditional
manner of using sails for historic events.
Other original specifications
include the following:
- Length on Deck: 85 feet
-
Length on Keel: 64.5 feet
-
Height: 78 feet
-
Beam: 17.3 feet
-
Draft: 8.5 feet
-
Class: Yacht
-
Rigging: square and lateen sails
-
Masts: fore, main, mizzen
Part 3 of this three-part series will run conclude
tomorrow with a look at Hudson's impact on the Hudson region and the
world.
References:
1909 Hudson-Fulton Celebration: http://www.ulster.net/~hrmm/quad/1909hudsonfulton/chapter07.html
The Half Moon and New Netherland
Museum: http://www.halfmoon.mus.ny.us/, http://www.hudsonriver.com/history/halfmoon.htm
The
New York Times
Obituaries: http://www.nytimes.com/1989/06/21/obituaries/nicholas-benton-35-builder-of-ship-replica.html
| 
