DATE: JUNE 9, 2011
TIME: 1000 HOURS EDT
POSITION: 42d 54m NORTH X 68d 15m WEST, OR NEAR MID-GULF OF MAINE
WEATHER: WNW’rly 15-20 KNOTS, HIGH ALTITUDE CLOUDS
SEA STATE: 2-3 FEET WITH 5 FOOT GROUND SWELL
SPEED: 7 KNOTS
HEADING: 085 MAGNETIC
SAILS SET: ALL SAIL (MAIN, FORE, STAYSAIL, JIB, JIB-TOP, FORETOP, MAINTOP)
TRIM: BROAD REACHING ON A PORT TACK
Moral aboard is high. This year’s crew feels they are now finally making a “real” ocean sailing passage as PRIDE II heads out across the Gulf of Maine toward Cape Sable at the southern tip of Nova Scotia. The weather is fair and the sailing is good.
Meanwhile, Boston was an opportunity to have family day for a full third of our crew who are from the area. We have two from the Peacock clan of New Hampshire; we have one from the Ordway clan of outer Boston and one from the Krasinski clan of Boston. This is the highest concentration of New England crew I can recall being aboard PRIDE II at the same time. Or maybe it is the highest concentration of Boston centered New England crew I can remember being aboard PRIDE II. I guess it does not matter. There was family everywhere aboard!
Getting the ship and her crew ready to go to sea is a matter of checking and rechecking the status of spares, stores, functionality of gear, last minute maintenance on top of the regular maintenance and dealing with a lot more paperwork because of going foreign. With the help of Pride, Inc.’s staffer Jane Wilcoxson and PRIDE II’s 2nd Mate a whole lot of paperwork needed to be accomplished before getting underway. In these days of potential terrorism it is required to notify the 1st foreign port of call that you are coming by boat at least 4 days before arrival…or on departure day if the voyage is shorter. The information required includes all the particulars of the ship and her legal status as well as a list of everyone who’s sailing aboard. We must also declare any taxable items beyond a certain quantity and we must declare the quantities of certain goods on a list…if carried. All this must be understood and fulfilled before departure. Jane Wilcoxson is a master at getting the information and making sure all the details are addressed. Meanwhile the 2nd Mate made sure details needed were provided by all aboard and I made sure all of the proper information was located. After a lot of emailing back and forth to verify all the forms are filled correctly and the ship has copies of what was submitted to Canadian authorities prior to departure…it became time to get underway at around 3:30 PM.
After motoring out of Boston Harbor against an on-shore breeze, we found a decent slant near Boston Light and set all sail and had a great sail away from Massachusetts as the sun went down in the west. The sea was smooth and the wind fresh enough to give all aboard a sense of great speed and a quick trip. As I said, spirits were high.
This morning the weather has moderated some and speed has dropped so there won’t be a record run…knowing the forecast I could have told everyone that…but why spoil their fun? But the conditions remain mild and PRIDE II continues to sail at around 5-7 knots. The weather forecast indicates some changes coming tonight. Wind is described to change from W-NW towards North with threat of thunderstorms as another moderately weak cold front passes by late tonight. We saw lighting off in the distance to the west last night and heard weather warnings of thunderstorms occurring back ashore and near the coast. None of which bothered us. I am uncertain what might be the chance of a thunderstorm tonight. Such things are to be given a great deal of respect. I can only hope that we won’t be approached by any. If we do get approached…sail will have to come in till such threat passes…it is really the only thing to do.
Signed,
Jan C. Miles, Captain Aboard PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II
