On the radio we could hear our sister sailing ships traveling the same route including TallShip Rose, Schooner Harvey Gamage, Fisherman Sherman Zwicker and the Schooner Spirit of Massachusetts.

As dawn broke today, the wind freshened from the SE and we could stop the engine, set the jib and jib topsail and sail steering well off the wind. We call steering to keep the sails full and as far off the wind as comfortable "By and Large."

The images to the right show people out on the bowsprit in harnesses and clipped in. The bow dips and rises as we roll along on a following sea. The coils of line on the foredeck are the halyards ready for striking the sail if the wind rises later in the day.

By 0930 this morning we had traveled 200 nautical miles from Liverpool. We're about 13 miles off Jeffreys Bank now hoping to see some whales by noontime. The Xs are the planned track over banks and peaks where we might have an increased chance to see some marine life.

Update at 1500:
We are closing on Three Dory Ridge and Platts Bank just off the traffic lanes into Portland. The wind is rising and veering to the SE as logkeeping, student presentations, shark and plankton activities and, of course, lunch continue.

Update at 1900:
The wind has risen to a Force 5 or 6. We struck the jib topsail and Mains'l in building seas... Not an easy job that gets pretty exciting. We were glad to have all that sail stowed and motorsail now under foresail, jumbo and jib making 9.5 knots at times across Platts Bank. You can see in the lower chart image the 90 degree turn we took at the gybe. We steer now for the entrance buoy to Portland with lookouts harnessed in watching from midships.

We'll be entering and anchoring soon off Long Island in Casco Bay. Details in tomorrow's log.

Wind: E'ly Force 4 shifting SE'ly and increasing to Force 6.
Barometer: 30.32 and steady until 1300 when it begins to dip.
Visibility: Fair with occasional patchy fog and rain.

Captain: Gregg Swanzey
Program Coordinator: Crista Mellican