June 14, 2026

It has been another eventful few days as we are now sailing 66 nm southeast of Sandy Hook, NJ. Our stay in Portland was time well spent as we finished up some deck projects, rested the crew, and reprovisioned with the help of family and friends. The support we receive in each port makes a huge difference in completing the many tasks required while alongside, so thank you to everyone who lent a hand.

After departing Portland, we had a great sail down to the mouth of the canal. The plan was to pick up our new 3rd Mate at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy docks, so we delayed our transit until about 1030. With 3.7 knots of favorable current behind us, Bowdoin rocketed through the canal in about 45 minutes, making around 9.5 knots.

Just after the Bourne Bridge, we launched Bowdoin’s inflatable tender and sent it in to pick up the mate while we continued ahead. Once we had enough room in the channel, we spun Bowdoin around and held position against roughly 4 knots of current while awaiting the small boat. Right on time, with the 3rd Mate aboard and the boat hoisted, we continued into Buzzards Bay as a fresh southwest breeze filled in.

The crew spent the rest of the afternoon short-tacking out of the bay, making speeds of 8–9 knots. Once clear of Sow and Pigs Reef at the southwest end of the Elizabeth Islands, Bowdoin cracked off a few degrees and set course for the massive wind farm ahead. At sunset, the horizon became littered with what seemed like hundreds of blinking red lights marking each turbine—an eerie scene that required close monitoring. We chose a gap through the eastern side and watched the radar fill with contacts as we passed through.

The crew is doing well and has acclimated to life at sea. With each watch, they give their captain more confidence. New skills being learned include plotting positions on the chart and putting a reef in the mainsail. We reefed in preparation for a cold front expected overnight. With heavier winds forecast in the squalls, extra care was taken. The crew was briefed and told to keep foul-weather gear close at hand. In the end, we dodged the worst of it, seeing only moderate rain and flashes of lightning illuminating the night sky.

Food, as always, has been excellent thanks to our veteran chef, Marry. The menu has included French toast with blueberries and real maple syrup, egg sandwiches, scrambled eggs, and pancakes for breakfast. Dinners have featured shepherd’s pie, homemade mac and cheese with kielbasa, baked haddock, pasta with sausage, and more. The fact that all of this cooking comes out of a galley that can feel like an anti-gravity chamber remains impressive.

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