Date: Sunday, June 11, 2017 – morning
Position: 190 nautical miles east-southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts

Almost 48 hours of sublime sailing.

Since Friday afternoon, following the early Friday gale, Pride has been sailing under full sail or all sail (meaning the recent addition of top-gallant and studding-sail over the top of mainsail, foresail, staysail, jib, main-gaff-topsail, square fore-topsail, and jib-topsail). It is now Sunday morning.

Life aboard Pride is a world of difference from the period of the favorable gale with its heavy squall and bouncy, jerky sea-capped by a windless period with the big sea remnant heaving us around a great deal.

Even with a smoother sea, it is still possible to be taken by surprise by a lurch or a heave. Meanwhile, the angle of heel is around 5 degrees or less and Pride has been gliding along almost effortlessly with wind ranging between 5 and 10 knots from the west since Friday evening, through the day yesterday, and into the night with promise of strengthening today to 10-15 knots from the southwest. As we crossed the Gulf Stream yesterday (Saturday), Pride sailed north across latitudes of 37.5 north and 38.5 north and the color of the water turned a cobalt blue enhanced by a sunny sky. Now the sunlight merely shows an ordinary, but still beautiful Atlantic blue.

With this morning’s sublime conditions, the first at-sea wash-down was performed. On deck, Pride now looks clean and shipshape.

The forecast indicates a freshening of SW’rly winds between Sunday midday and on into Monday to around 20 knots. With increased speed as the wind strengthens, timing of arrival to the first waypoint off the east end of George’s Bank looks to be pre-dawn Monday. The course change to the northwest and the second waypoint will likely mean a reduction in sail – at least the kites. My sense is also the jib-top and main-gaff-topsail. Another robust ride seems to be in the offing due to a beam to close reach in a beam sea. Hmm…

Signed,

Captain Jan C. Miles