As of 0800 this morning, the Patriot State was located at 35 degrees 59 minutes north latitude and 070 degrees 07 minutes west longitude. She was steering a course of 017 degrees true at a speed of 10 knots. The wind was out of the west southwest at 5 knots and air temp was 68 degrees. Visibility was excellent under partly cloudy skies. Seawater temp was 68 degrees, with 2350 fathoms of water beneath the keel.

Captain's Log:

We altered course to steer a more northerly direction at 0715 this morning, shortly after passing the eastern most point in North Carolina. The area off Cape Hatteras is well known to mariners for treacherous weather during the winter months and I am always concerned about it. The confluence of ocean currents and the tendency of weather patterns to break over the coast, coupled with the relatively shallow water along the Continental Shelf, have caused many a ship to suffer. Much improved weather forecasting techniques and modern technology helps predict potential danger. But I choose to avoid the situation as much as possible by staying well to sea.

I distinctly remember passing Cape Hatteras when I was a cadet on the 1971 Sea Term. We were sailing on the old Training Ship Bay State and we ran directly into a huge winter storm. What a serious beating we took! We didn't realize the depth of our peril until after we tied up in Buzzard's Bay, several days later. Then, we learned that the storm had destroyed a large tanker just off the coast of North Carolina. She was broken in half and she sank within twelve hours of our passing.

We worked through a serious mid-watch crisis in the engineroom last night. Never a dull moment. At about 0300, a pipe flange in the sanitary flushing water system let go when a bolt failed due to electrolysis. The escaping water began filling the engineroom bilge with the full force of the flushing water pump behind it. Watch standers quickly controlled the leak and the ship was never in any real danger. The Chief Engineer, the First Engineer, and Cadets Matt Robinson, Grant Page, Mike Manning and Steve Balanger, completed necessary repairs before people awoke at 0600. But, can you imagine the chaos had the toilets remained inoperative until reveille? Another crisis averted.

The seas, influenced by the backside of the low pressure area now over New England, are continuing to be little steep but everyone is tolerating the motion much better now. That and the relatively warm temperatures, are making life pleasant. However, the weather is beginning to change. I suspect that by tomorrow morning, everyone aboard will know that it is winter again. Just two days and a wake up!