Defiance Sail Charters

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Throwback to July 11, 2000. Under es**rt into Boston Harbor, USS CONSTITUTION led the Sail Boston parade of Tall Ships, welcomed by thousands lining the waterfront and watching from the deck of USS JOHN F. KENNEDY. It was a powerful reminder that this ship still commands the harbor it has called home for more than two centuries.

Looking ahead, On July 11, 2026, “Old Ironsides” will once again take the lead as the Tall Ships return to Boston for America250. The harbor. The crowds. The pride. And the ship at the front. Mark your calendars.

📸 USCG by PA3 Brent Erb, 2000. Courtesy US Navy

An interesting story....
A solo sailor crossing the Atlantic noticed his boat was being followed by a large whale for three days straight.
The whale stayed exactly 20 feet off the stern,.....read more below

A solo sailor crossing the Atlantic noticed his boat was being followed by a large whale for three days straight.
The whale stayed exactly 20 feet off the stern, surfacing at regular intervals, as if deliberately es**rting the vessel through a storm-prone stretch of ocean.

The voyage took place in June 2025 aboard the 35-foot sloop Wanderer, sailing from Las Palmas in the Canary Islands to English Harbour, Antigua. Sailor Marcus Hale, 52, a retired software engineer from Bristol, England, was on day 19 of the solo Atlantic crossing when the 45-foot humpback first appeared astern. The whale maintained a precise parallel course, diving for 8–10 minutes then blowing in perfect rhythm with the boat’s 6-knot speed.

On day 21, a sudden Force 8 squall hit from the northeast. The whale moved to the windward side of the Wanderer, creating a natural breakwater that reduced wave height by roughly 40 percent around the cockpit. Marcus recorded 47 minutes of footage on his deck-mounted GoPro; the whale never approached closer than 15 feet and showed no signs of aggression or entanglement.

After the storm passed, the whale continued es**rting until dawn on day 22, when the boat crossed into calmer trade-wind waters. It then sounded deeply and was not seen again. Marine biologists at the Whale and Dolphin Conservation organisation analysed the footage and GPS track. The behaviour matched two previously documented cases of humpbacks providing temporary “es**rt” to small vessels during heavy weather, possibly interpreting the hull as a distressed calf or instinctively reducing drag for a fellow traveller.

Marcus arrived safely in Antigua on schedule. He later fitted a low-frequency hydrophone to the hull and now listens for whale song during passages. The Atlantic crossing remains one of the most remote stretches of ocean on Earth, yet for three days in June 2025 a lone sailor was not entirely alone.

Happy Halloween!
https://www.mytripjournal.com/travel-941581

Sandy Hook, NJ to Ft Monroe, VA
*Photo - Green water spray over the dodger
Got some gusts...and “Windfall” was bouncing, as the seas turned to be more off the STB bow & sprayed over the dodger
Lots of wind has followed us since leaving Gloucester 2 weeks ago!
All is well aboard "Windfall."
Hoping that all is well with you & yours.
Lisa and Raffi
https://www.mytripjournal.com/travel-941503