An avid yachtsman, Blair was named Commodore of the New York Yacht Club in 1910.
During World War I, he turned over his 254-foot steel yacht, Diana, to the U.S. government and gave up yachting.
At the outbreak of the war in 1914, Blair was on the SS Kronprinzessin Cecilie, a North German Lloyd ocean liner, sailing from New York City to Plymouth, England.
Nearing Plymouth, news of hostilities forced the ship to turn back.
Blair took the helm and safely piloted the ship to Bar Harbor, Maine, where his family had a summer home.
The ship was carrying $10 million in gold and $3.5 million in silver.

Blairsden, Ledyard Blair's opulent 38-room mansion in Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey, was built between 1898 and 1903.
Blair threw lavish weddings for each of the Blair daughters, all held at Blairsden.
 He also owned a mansion in New York City, now known as C. Ledyard Blair House.
In addition to Blairsden, he had a residence in Newport, Rhode Island (Honeysuckle Lodge) and another in Bermuda (Deepdene)."
An avid yachtsman, Blair was named Commodore of the New York Yacht Club in 1910. During World War I, he turned over his 254-foot steel yacht, Diana, to the U.S. government and gave up yachting. At the outbreak of the war in 1914, Blair was on the SS Kronprinzessin Cecilie, a North German Lloyd ocean liner, sailing from New York City to Plymouth, England. Nearing Plymouth, news of hostilities forced the ship to turn back. Blair took the helm and safely piloted the ship to Bar Harbor, Maine, where his family had a summer home. The ship was carrying $10 million in gold and $3.5 million in silver.
Blairsden, Ledyard Blair's opulent 38-room mansion in Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey, was built between 1898 and 1903. Blair threw lavish weddings for each of the Blair daughters, all held at Blairsden.  He also owned a mansion in New York City, now known as C. Ledyard Blair House. In addition to Blairsden, he had a residence in Newport, Rhode Island (Honeysuckle Lodge) and another in Bermuda (Deepdene)."
C. Ledyard Blair