Benjamin Franklin found something very odd about the North Atlantic. When he sailed between America and Europe he noticed that the sea during part of the voyage was a different colour and had more seaweeds; and when wine was served it was often warm because the sea was warm, as the bottles were stored below the waterline against the hull. This was caused by the Gulf Stream and in 1762 Franklin made the first written mention of it in a letter, in which he described “a strong Current called by Seamen the Gulph Stream”.
Franklin grew more interested in the Gulf Stream when he was the deputy postmaster general of America from 1764 to 1775, in charge of the mail for the colonies. He found