Exactly 84 years ago today, Dorade was taking on day five of the 1931 Transatlantic Race. What follows are excerpts from the boat’s logbook* from July 7-9, 1931.
7 July 5:00 am: School of porpoises from 4 to 4:30
7 July 10:00 pm: Sea smooth. Steering beautifully
8 July 6:00 am: Practically sailing herself.
8 July 7:00 am: Sighted 3 whales, 1 big, 2 small.
9 July 7:00 am: Commodore** reading detective stories*** to the watch.
*The log is part of the Roderick Stephens (Jr.) manuscript collection at the G.W. Blunt White Library, Mystic Seaport. It includes data of time, course, wind, barometer, temperature, average speed, and sails set and doused, it also contains remarks and anecdotes regarding the crew’s life at sea.
**Commodore was Rod and Olin Stephen’s father, Roderick Stephens
***The book they brought on board was The Oppenheim omnibus: clowns and criminals by E. Phillips Oppenheim; a compilation of stories published in Red Book and other magazines