As of 0800 this morning the training ship Patriot State was located at 1 degree, 39 minutes north latitude ...and at 084 degrees, 16 minutes, west longitude. She was on a course of 080 degrees true, at a speed of 14 knots. Wind was light and from the east-north-east at 3 knots. Seas were moderate. The air temperature was 88 degrees. Skies were partly cloudy with unlimited visibility. Sea water temperature was 82 degrees. Depth of water beneath the keel - 3000 meters.

Captain's Log:

At 0630 this morning the Patriot State received a distress signal from a vessel 38 nautical miles away. We adjusted course and sped up to respond. At 0810, the distress vessel was contacted by First Class Gabriel Fernandez ...who was able to communicate with them in their native Spanish language. It was his feeling that the crew had reacted to an engine room mishap too quickly. In fact, it turned out to be a false alarm. However, it was a tremendous learning experience for the cadets involved. Answering a distress signal in a timely fashion is a professional obligation for all men and women who go to sea!

Following this incident we returned to our base course and headed for Costa Rica. Beyond the excitement of the distress call, life on board was quiet and uneventful. I believe our cadets and crew were are still shaking off the effects of the Shellback Ceremony...so the solitude of the day was clearly not unwelcomed.

Last night we pushed our clocks back one-hour. To accommodate our watch schedule we made the transition in twenty-minute intervals. This assures that a cadet will not have to stand a five-hour watch. There was one little snafu... our Chief Engineer, a crusty old salt, but the best in the business, was awakened one hour late. He was not a happy sailor... and the cadet responsible for the wake-up call is still having his ears cleaned out.

The heat and humidity continue to accompany us. Some of our cadets handle it quite well ...however, there are others who long for the crisp and chilly days by the canal. The latter group is not in the majority, however.

Three days and a wake-up and we will dock in Costa Rica ...the second leg in what has been a wonderful 1998 Sea Term!