Time: 0756 Stand by Engines

0813 Away from the dock

0836 Depart Ft Lauderdale, FL

Estimated Time of Arrival in Cape Cod Bay: 0800 Saturday,21 February 1998

Back to sea, back to work... goin' back home.

Captain's Log

Our visit to Ft Lauderdale was great, as always, even if the weather was cool , windy, and cloudy. (Some on board say that the bad weather was due to all the "el Nino" water we have stored in the hold.) Even tornado warnings in the area all day didn't keep any of the cadets from pegging their "fun meters" and enjoying all that this beautiful area offers. We leave the "Spring Break Capital of the World" with mixed emotions. Left behind are palm trees, beaches, bathing suits, Disney world, and warm weather. Ahead is a tough passage up the East coast , Cape Hatteras in the winter, ice and snow....and "HOME". Maybe the decision isn't that tough after all. One thing I do know, it will be hard to keep everyone's mind on their work today.

Two interesting side bars while in Florida:

Saturday, of course was Valentines day. As most of the cadets and crew of the ship were making our way to available phones to call home, it was obvious that all the restaurants in the area were booked solid. As it turned out, Patriot State was docked at pier #22, next to one of the most famous restaurants in South Florida; "Burt and Jack's", co-owned by Burt Reynolds. All day long, in keeping with the ostentatious nature of this city, stretch limos motored in and out, delivering couples to the eatery. In a classic case of one-ups-man-ship though, two couples arrived in REAL style; they were delivered to the restaurant by helicopters! Now that is something you don't see every day in Buzzards Bay.

But the big news was what happened on board the Patriot State on Saturday evening . While at brunch early Saturday with some of the other officers, a man and woman in the next booth overheard our "ship talk". They asked us what we were doing in the area. After the usual explanation of the Academy, the sea term and the ship, the conversation turned to them. It seems they were both professionals living in the area . One had moved down from Connecticut and the other was a native of Pennsylvania. Both were out celebrating Valentine's day. When asked if they had plans to get married, "Nessie" said she would get married today "If he asked me." That's when things began to get out of hand . Before I knew it, we were talking about how " Captains can marry people ". I explained that while that may work in Hollywood, it really isn't true. Nessie said the details didn't matter, "To be married on a ship on Valentine's day would be incredible."

At that point, The man proposed and plans for the "wedding" were underway. While the prospective bride and groom hurriedly called people on their cell phones, the officers and I returned to the ship to make plans. By 1900 (7PM) we were almost ready. Nessie was dressed in a long dress (borrowed from the ship's nurse), the groom wore a sport jacket (borrowed from the Deputy Commandant) and Chartwells, our food service company came up with a wedding cake as if by magic. The Ship's baker was the photographer, the Radio Operator "gave the bride away". At 2000 ( 8 PM) a brief, non-denominational "wedding" took place on the bridge of the Patriot State and, following the ceremony, the guests went into the Captain's Day Room for a reception. Although the service had no legal validity, I am sure we gave them a Valentine's day gift they will long remember.