The Voyage of the MIDNIGHT SUN
1996
Picture of Midnight Sun and Crew

Gian Criscitiello teaches third grade at the Smith School in Lincoln, Massachusetts . He and a crew of five left Boston Harbor on the 23rd of June headed for Cork, Ireland aboard the 44 -foot sloop "Midnight Sun ". The captain-owner is an English teacher at the White Mountain School in Franconia NH.
The trip took about 21 days, but you can still join Gian and the crew on this exciting voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. Gian will share in the observations and experiences with you from the Atlantic Ocean and the Midnight Sun via email and WhaleNet.

Log of the Midnight Sun

MAP - Click here to view a map of the Midnight Sun's voyage!

6/23 AT NOON EST MIDNIGHT SUN DEPARTED NEWPORT

6/23/96 -41N,70.41W AT 2330 GMT.

NO MARINE LIFE SIGHTED SO FAR. WILL KEEP YOU POSTED.

6/24 - 40 49N, 68 01W, AT 2207 GMT

SEA TEMP - 57O F
WILDLIFE: BIRDS - PETRELS, SHEARWATERS
5 - 6 COMMON DOLPHINS
1 MINKE WHALE

MESSAGE - HELLO TO ALL, WE ARE 185 MILES AWAY FROM NEWPORT. SO FAR THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE OR NO WIND SO WE MOTOR SAILED A BIT. WE ARE FALLING INTO THE RYTHYM OF OFFSHORE SAILING. WE SAW SEVERAL FISHING BOATS AS WE CROSSED GEORGES BANK FISHING GROUNDS. SOMETIME TONIGHT WE SHOULD PASS OVER THE CONTINENTAL SHELF INTO DEEP OCEAN WATER.

6/26/96, 1343 GMT, 41 27N, 62 37W

WIND NW AT 20, BAR. 1013 RISING
WILDLIFE - COMMON DOLPHINS (15-20) PETRELS AND SHEARWATERS

HELLO FROM THE NORTH ATLANTIC. OUR LOCATION IS APPROX. 200 MILES S. OF HALIFAX NOVA SCOTIA AND 450 MILES E. OF NEWPORT. WE PASSED OVER THE CONTINENTAL SHELF YESTERDAY AND ARE NOW IN 14000 FEET OF WATER. WEATHER OUTLOOK IS GOOD. HAD RAIN, FOG, AND STRONG WINDS YESTERDAY. MIDNIGHT SUN CURRENTLY SAILING WITH REEFED MAIN, AND STAYSAIL AT 7.5 KNOTS. LUMPY SEA STATE MAKES IT HARD TO SPOT WHALES. WELL ABOARD WELL WILL KEEP YOU POSTED.

6/27/96-POSITION 40 47N, 59 41W

SEA TEMP 64 F, CLEAR WEATHER NW W 15-25 KTS, SPECIES PETRELS,
SHEARWATERS, 30-40 COMMON DOLPHIN, 1 UNKNOWN WHALE SPECIES, 15-20 FT GRAY BACK WHITE BELLY, BREACHED THREE TIMES IN FRONT OF THE BOAT. GREAT SAILING OVERALL AND ALL IS WELL.

6/28/96- POSITION 40 54N, 56 05W

SEA TEMP 66 F, PETRELS, SHEARWATERS 10-15 SPOTTED DOLPHINS BOWSLIDING/RIDING OUR BOAT. APPROACHING A NORTHERN MEANDER IN THE GULF STREAM. BIG LOW CHASING US NEXT COUPLE DAYS.

6/29- POSITION 39 38N, 53 56W

78 DEGREE SEATEMP, CLEAR, WIND S AT 25-30, WARM, SAW SOME MORE PETRELS, SHEARWATERS, ONE TROPIC BIRD, ONE PAIR COMMON DOLPHIN IN GULF STREAM. SOME FLYING FISH.

6/30- 40 25N, 49 25W

WINDS SOUTH AT 20-25, PETRELS, SHEARWATERS, 10-12 COMMON DOLPHIN, ARE CURENTLY PUNCHING THROUGH GULF STREAM WITH FAVORABLE CURRENT.

7/1/96 - 41.13N 46.45W

67'F SEA WATER, CLEAR, SSW 10-15
SHEARWATERS, PETRELS, PORTEGES MAN-O-WAR, NO CETACEAN.

7/2/96 - 41.49N 44.34W

76'F SEA WATER, CLEAR WSW 8-12 KTS
SHEARWATERS, PETRELS, PORT M-O-W, TERN, NO CETACEANS, SMALL TURTLE

7/3 - 44 50N, 42 43W

SEA TEMP 66F, CLEAR, WSW WIND ?10, LOW FOG, PETRELS, SHEARWATERS, 10-20 COMMON DOLPHIN BOW RIDING

7/4- 46 37N, 41 33W

SEA 62'F, CLEAR WSW ?10 LOW FOG, SHEARWATERS, PETRELS, 1000S OF PURPLE RED GRAPEFRUIT SIZE JELLIES, 7-10 COM DOLPHIN BOWRIDING ? FEEDING ON SMALL FISH AT 0300.

7/5 - 48 20N, 38 38W

SEA 57'F, THICK FOG, WSW 15-20KNTS, SHEARWATERS, PETRELS, 8 COMMON DOLPHIN BOWRIDING, 8-14 PILOT WHALES SWIMMING WEST. APPROACHING MID ATLANTIC RIDGE, CREW FINE, GREAT SAILING

S/V FIRST LIGHT EXPERIENCED A BUNCH OF SPERM WHALES OF WHICH ONE NUDGED THEIR BOAT AT A POS A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH THAN OURS.

7/6 - 49 16N, 34 21W

SEA 57'F, OVERCAST, THICK FOG, WNW ?10 KNTS, 4 DIFF GROUPS OF COMMON DOLPHIN, 2-4 EA TIME, BOWRIDING. SHEARWATERS, NO PETRELS, TERNS.

7/7 - 50 02N, 31 20W

SEA 57'F, OVERCAST THICK FOG, W 10-15KNTS, LOTS OF FULMARS, 2 PETRELS, SHEARWATERS, 4 COM DOLPHIN BOWRIDING.
POOR VISIBILITY MAKES IT HARD FOR SEEING WHALES. CROSSED MID ATLANTIC RIDGE AT FARADAY SEAMOUNT 371 FATHOMS

7/8 - 50.2N 28.1 W

SEA 58'F, THICK FOG, SW AT 15KTS, HAD THIRTY PILOT WHALES FOLLOWING THE BOAT FOR ONE HOUR THIS MORNING,. WE COULD EASILY HEAR THEIR SONAR INSIDE THE HULL OF THE BOAT. FULMARS AND SHEARWATERS PLENTIFUL.

7/9 - 50 41N, 23 26W

SEA 59F, 100?CLOUD COVER, SW WIND 18 KNOTS, FULMARS, 1 PAIR COMMON DOLPHIN BOW RIDING

7/10 - 50 51N, 19 20W

SEA 60F, 100% CLOUD COVER, WSW WIND 15-20KNOTS, 12 STRIPED DOLPHINS BOWRIDING, FULMARS, ONE PETREL, 4 COM DOLPINS BOWRIDING.

7/11 - 51 19N, 15 03W

SEA 59F, DRIZZLE, FOG, COOL, WSW WINDS 15-20KNTS, 8-10 COMMON DOLPHINS BREACHING NEAR BOAT, FULMARS, TERNS, SOME UNKNOWN BIRDS LIKE SHEARWATERS, SOME UNKNOWN BIRDS LIKE GANNETS.

7/12- 51 22N, 11 18W

SEA 60F, FOG, COOL, CLOUDY, NE WIND ?10KNOTS, 7 COM DOLPHINS BOWRIDING,, FULMARS, 1 SHEARWATER, PETRELS, GANNET LIKE BIRDS, UNKNOWN GULLS, SAILED ONTO CONTINENTAL SHELF THIS MORNING, LOTS OF FISHING BOATS, 500 FEET OF WATER, SHOULD MAKE FASTNET ROCK AT MIDNIGHT, IN KINSALE HARBOR TOMMORROW.

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