Henry Hudson's Historic Voyage: The Boat's Name

Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator who is best known for his expeditions of present-day Canada and parts of the Northeastern United States. Hudson's ship, the 'Half Moon' (or 'Halve Maen' in Dutch) was an 85-foot, square-rigged, three-masted sailing vessel. It was built in 1608 and carried a crew of 15-20 men. In 1609, Hudson landed in North America on behalf of the Dutch East India Company and explored the region around the modern New York metropolitan area. He sailed up the Hudson River, which was later named after him, and laid the foundation for Dutch colonisation of the region.

Henry Hudson's ship, the Half Moon

Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century. He is best known for his expeditions to present-day Canada and parts of the Northeastern United States. Hudson was tasked with finding a rumoured Northeast Passage to Cathay via a route above the Arctic Circle.

In 1609, Hudson landed in North America on behalf of the Dutch East India Company. He explored the region around the modern New York metropolitan area. He was in search of a Northwest Passage to Asia on his ship, the Halve Maen, or Half Moon. The Half Moon was an 85-foot, square-rigged, three-masted wooden sailing vessel, built in 1608. It carried a crew of 15 to 20 men and was classified as a yacht—the origin of the English word for a pleasure boat.

The Half Moon sailed from Amsterdam, north and east to Novaya Zemlya in the Barents Sea. From there, Hudson sailed westward via the Faroe Islands, eventually exploring the North American coastline as far south as Virginia. He entered the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, and explored the Hudson River as far north as Albany. He returned to England, and the Half Moon eventually returned to the Netherlands.

The Half Moon played a significant role in establishing European contact with the native peoples of North America and contributed to the development of trade and commerce. The river that Hudson explored was later named after him, and his voyage laid the foundation for Dutch colonisation of the region.

In 1909, a full-scale replica of the Half Moon was built to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Hudson's voyage. This replica was destroyed in a fire in 1934. Another replica was built in 1989 by the New Netherland Museum in Albany, New York. This replica retraces the course of the original ship every September, venturing from New York Harbour approximately 150 miles north to Albany.

The search for the Northeast Passage

Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century. He is best known for his explorations of present-day Canada and parts of the Northeastern United States.

In 1607 and 1608, Hudson made two attempts to find a rumoured Northeast Passage to Cathay via a route above the Arctic Circle. He set sail from London on 1 May 1607, with a crew of ten men and a boy on the 80-ton Hopewell. They reached the east coast of Greenland on 13 May and continued northward until 22 May, naming a headland "Young's Cape" and a nearby mount "Mount of God's Mercy". They turned east and sighted "Newland" (Spitsbergen) on 27 May, before entering what Hudson later named Whales Bay on 14 July. They reached as far north as Hakluyt's Headland on 16 July, encountering ice-packed along the north coast, and were forced to turn back.

On 22 April 1608, Hudson set out on his second voyage, this time attempting to locate a passage to the Indies by travelling east around northern Russia. He travelled almost 2,500 miles, reaching Novaya Zemlya well above the Arctic Circle in July, but again found the ice impenetrable and turned back, arriving back in London in August.

In the spring of 1609, Hudson was chosen by the Dutch East India Company to find an easterly passage to Asia. While awaiting orders in Amsterdam, he heard rumours of a northwest route to the Pacific through North America. He departed Amsterdam on 4 April in command of the Dutch ship Halve Maen ("Half Moon"). However, ice blocked the specified route, and Hudson turned the ship around in mid-May. Acting outside his instructions, he pointed the ship west to seek a westerly passage through North America. They reached the Grand Banks of Newfoundland on 2 July and made landfall near the LaHave area of Nova Scotia in mid-July, encountering Indigenous people and trading for beaver pelts. On 4 August, the ship reached Cape Cod, and Hudson sailed south to explore the coast, finding Delaware Bay and the estuary of the river that now bears his name—the Hudson River. On 11 September, he sailed into the Upper New York Bay and began a journey up the Hudson River.

Although Hudson was unable to find the Northeast Passage during these voyages, his explorations contributed significantly to the navigational geography of North America and helped establish European contact and trade with the native peoples of the continent.

The mutiny against Hudson

Henry Hudson was an English sea explorer and navigator during the early 17th century. He is best known for his explorations of present-day Canada and parts of the Northeastern United States.

In 1610, Hudson obtained backing for another voyage, this time under the English flag. The funding came from the Virginia Company and the British East India Company. He set sail in his ship, the Discovery, and reached the southern tip of Greenland in June. In August, the ship entered Hudson Bay. Hudson spent the following months mapping and exploring its eastern shores, but he and his crew did not find a passage to Asia.

In November, the ship became trapped in the ice in James Bay, and the crew moved ashore for the winter. When the ice cleared in the spring of 1611, Hudson planned to use his Discovery to further explore Hudson Bay with the continuing goal of discovering the Passage. However, most of the members of his crew ardently desired to return home. Matters came to a head and much of the crew mutinied in June.

The mutineers set Hudson, his teenage son John, and seven crewmen adrift from the Discovery in a small shallop, an open boat, effectively marooning them in Hudson Bay. The mutineers provided the castaways with clothing, powder and shot, some pikes, an iron pot, some food, and other miscellaneous items.

After the mutiny, Hudson's shallop tried to keep pace with the Discovery for some time, but the larger vessel was eventually able to leave the tiny open boat behind. Hudson and the other seven aboard the shallop were never seen again. Despite subsequent searches, their fate remains unknown.

Back in England, four men were tried for the murder of their captain, but they were acquitted. They blamed the mutiny on those who had died.

Hudson's legacy

Henry Hudson's legacy is a complex one, with both positive and negative impacts. On the one hand, Hudson is known for his contributions to the exploration of the New World and the development of trade and commerce with Native Americans. He helped establish European contact with the native peoples of North America, leading to the expansion of trade in North America. Hudson also discovered the bay surrounded by the Arctic and western parts of Canada, which led to further exploration and the expansion of European influence in the region. The Hudson Bay Company, for example, flourished due to the new trade routes Hudson helped establish.

Hudson's name is also immortalised in several geographical features that bear his name, including the Hudson Bay, the Hudson River, and the Hudson Strait. These features were important entryways for explorers seeking the Northwest Passage. Additionally, places such as the Henry Hudson Bridge, the Henry Hudson Parkway, the city of Hudson in New York, and Hudson County in New Jersey, all carry his name.

However, Hudson's legacy is also tainted by accusations of greed and selfishness. Records indicate that he hoarded food, which created resentment among his crew and ultimately led to the mutiny that cost him his life, as well as the lives of his son and loyal crew members.

Despite this, Hudson's adventures and discoveries have secured his place in history, and he remains one of England's most famous explorers.

The construction of the Half Moon replica

The boat that Henry Hudson sailed on was called the Halve Maen, or "Half Moon" in English. The Half Moon was an 85-foot, square-rigged, three-masted wooden sailing vessel, which carried a crew of 15 to 20 men. It was built in 1608 and was classified as a yacht.

The first replica of the Half Moon was built in 1909 in Amsterdam by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which presented the ship to the United States to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Hudson's voyage. This replica was destroyed in a fire in 1934.

In 1988, Dr Andrew Hendricks commissioned the construction of a second full-scale replica of the Half Moon. Master ship-rigger and shipwright, Nicholas S. Benton, President of the Rigging Gang of Middleton, was hired to design and build the replica. Benton visited maritime museums in the Netherlands and the United States to prepare for the build. Unfortunately, Benton died in an accident in 1989, before the replica was completed. The New Netherland Museum in Albany, New York, continued the construction process, overcoming various challenges along the way.

The replica was built using a combination of traditional and modern methods. The structural members of the hull were prefabricated and shaped off-site, and the decorative flourishes, cannon, rigging, and sails were produced by specialty contractors. The ship's frame was made of glued laminated oak, and the exterior planking was attached using nails and glue. The interior was sheathed with ceiling planking, and the decks were constructed using laminated beams and epoxy sandwiches of thin planks and plywood.

The Half Moon replica was completed in 1989, and it served as a cultural ambassador, celebrating the Dutch influence in naval architecture, exploration, trade, and colonization. The ship retraced Henry Hudson's original course, sailing from New York Harbor to Albany, and it also participated in educational programs and films. In 2015, the replica was transported to the Netherlands, where it was exhibited and used for tours and maintenance. As of 2019, the Half Moon replica is located in the port of Enkhuizen and is open to the public.

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