Sea Term 2009: Captain's Blog

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February 2009 S M T W Th F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Jan 2009

Monday 02 February

"The test of an adventure is that when you're in the middle of it, you say to yourself, "Oh, now I've got myself into an awful mess; I wish I were sitting quietly at home." And the sign that something's wrong with you is when you sit quietly at home wishing you were out having lots of adventure."
-Thornton Wilder

"It was a love of the air and sky and flying, the lure of adventure, the appreciation of beauty. It lay beyond the descriptive words of menwhere immortality is touched through danger, where life meets death on equal plane; where man is more than man, and existence both supreme and valueless at the same time."
-Charles A. Lindbergh after his first parachute jump

1000 ET/1500 GMT Position
In Port, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Pier One - West side

USTS Kennedy's updated track: Sailwx Track

Air Temperature 83 F
Sea Temperature 72 F
Sea State
Barometric Pressure 30.07" Hg and falling
Wind E @ 15 kts
Partly cloudy. Visibility 10 miles.

Division I Liberty
Division II Liberty
Division III Watch
Division IV Liberty

Puerto Rican Adventures
by Cadet 1/C Peter Beuth

Nearly everyone is thoroughly enjoying their well deserved time off in Puerto Rico. As we are now in our third day, everyone has had at least two days off in which to enjoy themselves and has one more day of liberty on order. The catamaran/snorkeling adventure tour has been a hit, as I have overheard several cadets talking about sailing on the boat, and then snorkeling in some incredible near shore reef areas. Of course, they didn't forget to mention the obligatory free drinks they received while on board as well.

The other tour that has been organized for cadets is the horseback riding tour into the foothills of the El Yunque rainforest. I went on this tour myself and had a great time. Our guides were extremely knowledgeable regarding the horses and the rainforest, they were very friendly, and the horses were about as well trained as can be. For anybody that knows horses, these horses were what are known as "push button" horses, meaning that they will do exactly as you command them to do and are particularly suited to beginner horseback riders. The horses were Paso Fino horses, a type of breed known for being a little bit smaller in size, but with a very natural gait while walking and trotting that makes it easy for the rider to move their hips and torso with so as to minimize any uncomfortable motions. The 35 or so guys and girls along with a few staff members from the ship were able to learn quickly, and before we were two-thirds of the way done with our ride we were allowed to trot and even canter our horses a few different times. About halfway through the ride a quick dip in the El Yunque rainforest river ensued, and then it was back on the horses and back to the stable.

The tour itself was quite interesting. The guides told us the rainforest receives over 250 inches of rainfall a year, that it rains an average of 4 times a day for about 19 to 20 minutes each time, and total rainfall is about a tenth of an inch each time it rains. Sure enough, while we were at the river it clouded over and it rained about a tenth of an inch for about 20 minutes. Our guides were spot on. We saw several unique birds, including the Puerto Rican parrot, and we also saw several Iguanas - one of which was a massive lizard which one of the local dogs chased up a tree. We all had a good laugh at that one.

I have heard from a bunch of other cadets that they have enjoyed themselves at the beaches including El Condado and Playa Aviones. For those that have been able to rent a car, the beaches in Rincon and Aguadilla in northwest Puerto Rico are within striking distance. With the surf on the rise for our last day in San Juan a few of the guys are going to be heading there to catch some waves on our last day in port. With the drinking age at 18 in Puerto Rico, many of us have spent the nights roaming around Old San Juan bar hopping from one place to the next, checking out the local scene. Such places include Los Ninos and Caya San Sebastian, each serving drinks to a mostly younger crowd which tends to show up around ten o'clock each night. Also, located about 200 yards from the ship is a travelling exhibition by a renowned French photographer (Yann Arthus-Bertrand) known for his photographic work in depicting the natural beauties of the earth and explaining how man made causes are leading to their potential destruction. One example was of a tiny village in the Philippines, shot from the sky looking down upon it one can see that this village is completely built upon stilts in the middle of a shallow coral reef with one narrow channel dug out to allow the fishing boats to come and go. Subsisting entirely on fish for their livelihood, rising ocean levels and ocean temperatures are threatening their way of life and, in 30 years, may flood their fishing village permanently. All of the photographer's shots portrayed incredible beauty, yet each photo has a piece explaining the imminent danger that each subject faced.

So far most cadets have been well behaved, a few have found themselves in some trouble as a result of over indulging in alcohol, but that happens every year and, for them, it will simply have to be a life lesson. When they are restricted in liberty time in St. Thomas, they will have plenty of time to think about the decisions that they made that put them in such a position and hopefully they will learn from it. This is a training cruise, not only in the classroom, but in society as well, and the past few days have just that - training.

Follow the Voyage
Here are today's questions:
History: What volcano in North America seems about to erupt? Name a recent (within the last thirty years) eruption in North America.
Math: On a recent bicycle ride, Matt rode part way up the Beartooth Highway towards Yellowstone Park. Leaving Red Lodge, MT, he rode fifteen miles up a 5% grade (gradient). How many feet did he climb on the ride?
Science: What stellar constellation includes the star Polaris?
Geography: What is the highest point of land in Puerto Rico? Its height? What is the highest point of land in North America? Its height?

LINKS:
Official MMA Photography

Christiaan Conover Blog Page
Buzzards Bay Weather
MMA Parents Association

Departure Photos
Cape Cod Times Online Departure Photos
217 Photos of TS Kennedy's Arrival in Tampa

Should you have an emergency and need to contact someone at MMA regarding your cadet or a crew member, please contact Commander Stephen Kelleher:
Commander Stephen Kelleher
508-830-6485 (daytime)
508-364-6217 (Evenings/Weekends)
seaterm@maritime.edu

If Commander Kelleher is not available, you may contact me at any time:
Captain Allen Hansen
508-269-0925
ahansen@maritime.edu

Parting Shots...Views of Puerto Rico