Time: 1300 hours EDT

Location: Sailing along the southern shore of Long Island

Wind: west-southwest around 18-20 knots. Softening.

Sea: irregular at 6-8. Reducing.

Speed: PRIDE easing along at around 5 knots under fore staysail with softening breeze and lowering seas.

Thinking about setting the square topsail.

It has been a boisterous couple of days. There have been a few cases of “Mal de Mer”. A lot of stowed stuff sliding around that did not usually slide around when stowed. Plenty of seawater on deck. Not deep. Merely slipping aboard, creating 1-2 inches of slosh that quickly disappears over the side.

The start of this boisterous weather was torrential rain Friday night while PRIDE passed through the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. Followed by strong 30 knot northwest to westerly winds Saturday morning as PRIDE entered the Atlantic from the mouth of the Delaware Bay. After some moderation Saturday afternoon & evening, another bout of 25-30 knots winds from NW as PRIDE made her way by New York Harbor Commercial Vessel Traffic Lanes. With this morning’s wind, the sea grew to 6-8 feet. Very irregular. Making for deep rolling. Throwing both the prepared & the unprepared around on deck as well down below. This afternoon winds are easing as per the forecast. So too the sea. But still irregular. So the rolling goes on. However, less abruptly.

Figuring out where to point PRIDE as I reviewed marine forecasts has not been obvious. Heading directly for Lunenburg was not going to be desirable, recognizing PRIDE does not perform nicely with the wind & sea directly behind, at least not with a lively sea. And there would not be just one weather cycle. There would be two in close order. It all started with soft southerly winds Friday, replaced by strong northwest gusts Saturday morning, followed by backing to west. Then softening & backing further to the southwest during Saturday afternoon. Then veering & additional softening to west again during the evening, plus a renewed risk of thunderstorms. Followed by further veering to the northwest, bringing strong near gale force winds around midnight Saturday. Followed this Sunday afternoon by backing to west again while softening slowly.

Keeping winds to the port side or port quarter, PRIDE was steered toward the north-northeast along the New Jersey Coast. Carrying on along the New Jersey Coast toward New York would mean being in a good position for the Northwest gusts due late Saturday. Not going north, but heading east more directly toward Lunenburg, would mean more downwind sailing after departing Delaware Bay. And would mean the second set of northwest winds would be from more forward of PRIDE’s beam than I desired. As a result of going north, when the new northwest winds arrived, PRIDE was in a position to be turned more to the east to keep the northwest winds on the quarter.

Considering PRIDE’s crew for this 2025 season had not sailed PRIDE on the ocean together, I kept sail area moderate. Only the fore staysail for the stronger gusts of Saturday morning. Adding the foresail when wind reduced. And also the square topsail & jib with the even softer southwest winds coming up from the port quarter as PRIDE sailed along New Jersey.

As Saturday night approached the southwest winds all but died out with the approach of new thunderstorms coming from the New Jersey Shore. Engines were turned on & crew stowed the square topsail & jib as well brailed in the foresail, to avoid any surprise strong winds from the thunderstorms. At midnight, with the second northwest winds, turned eastward & stopped engines & let the fore staysail take PRIDE forward. However, the rolling started in earnest with the rising sea. And remained till only recently. Now that the sea has reduced as the wind has softened this afternoon.

So, off to the Great Lakes. And what a great Bon Voyage sendoff!

Thanks to all for sending off your PRIDE OF BALTIMORE II with your best wishes.

And yes the square topsail was set. By the three women that make up A-Watch, First Mate Shevawn Innes, & Deckhands Tanith Anhaiser & Katie Moore. All by themselves with the diligent use of mechanical advantage. They set the 1,000 square foot sail. Pulling out the clews. And hoisting the yard 12 feet. All this after climbing to tie-loose the furl in a rolling sea.

Signed,

Jan C Miles, Senior Captain