On his final 1785 cruise sailing from France to Philadelphia, Ben continued a letter he had started in 1784 in Paris to his friend Julien-David LeRoy. This very long letter eventually morphed into a 1786 paper called “Maritime Observations” and was published by Franklin’s own American Philosophical Society[ii] in their publication Transactions[iii]. In this mega-letter, Franklin predicted the propulsion of ships using steam instead of wind. He added additional data to his earlier research of the Gulf Stream’s water current temperature variability and its effect upon vessel speed and navigation.
Ben’s Cruise Checklist
But on a lighter note, Franklin also gave travel tips to future voyagers thinking about taking a transatlantic cruise, the average length of time being six weeks. Franklin stated that no matter what the ship’s captain said he had on board for food and drink supplies, like a frequent flier in today’s world, Franklin listed[iv] fifteen items “Passengers” should always bring with them:
Good Water, that of the Ship being often bad. You can be sure of having it good, only by Bottling it from a clear Spring or Well & in clean Bottles.
Good Tea.
Coffee ground.
Chocolate.
Wine of the sort you particularly like, & Cyder.
