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

Sunday 15 February

"How happy is the sailor's life,
From coast to coast to roam;
In every port he finds a wife,
In every land a home."
-Isaac Bickerstaffe (c. 1735-1812), Irish playwright

0800 ET/1300 GMT Position
In Port, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, USVI
USTS Kennedy's updated track: Sailwx Track

Air Temperature 28.0 C
Sea Temperature 24.3 C
Sea State
Barometric Pressure mb and
Wind @ kts
Visibility miles.

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

Here is a LINK to a story about the TS Kennedy's visit in the local St. Thomas paper: St. Thomas Source

Living It Up
by Cadet 1/C Peter Beuth

For those that have had liberty the last few days, St. Thomas has been all that we expected and much more. The water is a clear turquoise, the sun has been out virtually all day, and beaches and drinks go quite nicely together. Cadets have been spending much of their time on the beaches such as Sapphire Beach, Hull Bay, Magen's Bay, and numerous others. St. John is only a short ferry or sail ride away and numerous cadets have found their way over already. The size and number of mega yachts is astounding, with the fourth largest yacht in the world currently docked a half mile from the ship. All I can tell everyone is that St. Thomas has, so far, been the best port of our sea term, hands down. Cadets for the most part have been well behaved and I've heard of no major incidents thus far. We are two days in with two to go, and I hope it continues.

On that note, I'm off to go sailing on a catamaran for the day...please enjoy the following advertisements:
A caramel vanitte (?) and tuna bagel at an internet cafe: $12
A 6 pack of beer: $8
Hanging out with your best friend, going to the St Thomas Yacht Club and partying the night away: PRICELESS...Waking up at 0800 to start it all again: PRICELESSSSS

Sunny Skies and Virgin Beaches
by Cadet 1/C Peter Beuth

Nary a soul was stirring as I slipped off TS Kennedy this morning. After two whole days in St. Thomas, many of the cadets were sleeping off the effects of the previous two days' high level of activity. Quickly and quietly, a few of us made our way to Hull Bay, a popular beach destination on the north side of St. Thomas. After a few hours it was decided that a sail in a catamaran to a small island would be a great way to spend an afternoon. Friends, a small fast catamaran, and 80 degree water made for a memorable afternoon on the water around St. Thomas. While I can only speak of my particular experiences, I am sure that others have found great adventure as well. So far lapses in judgement have been few and far between and it appears that the cadets are making the most out of their stay in the Virgin Islands. Many cadets and crew have also taken part in the kayak/snorkeling tour and I have heard good reviews coming from those that went on the tour. They described it as, "...extremely relaxing with water was as warm as bath water." I can attest to that, as the water was a balmy 81 degrees this afternoon on the east end of the island. One more thing...I can now check off one more item on the 'list of things to do in life,' and that is #143 - climb a palm tree, get a couple of coconuts, crack one open, and drink the sweet coconut mile inside!

For those of you who haven't had the opportunity to visit St. Thomas, I present to you the view of Charlotte Amelie, with TS Kennedy at the pier, as seen from the top of the island. Please enjoy the few other photos of Saint Thomas. The mega yacht in the night time picture is purportedly the fourth biggest in the world and approximately 400 feet long with a crew of between 40 and 50 people.

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...

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