Update 1/8/00
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UNDERWAY FOR THE MILLENNIUM SEA TERM! The early morning winter chill proved no match for the warm feelings generated by hundreds of family members and friends eager to wish a fond farewell to the 486 cadets and 84 officers and crew sailing on the Massachusetts Maritime Academy annual sea term. Sea Term 2000, The Millennium Cruise, no matter that the name sounds like a new adventure movie, this is non-fiction. The real challenges began at midnight last night when Captain Bushy ordered "Set the regular underway watch, section two." and the final pre-underway checks were initiated. Many Cadets rushed up the brow in the last minutes before liberty expired and were greeted by T/S Empire State fully prepared for sea. That fact seemed to dramatically increase the stress and renew the sense of urgency that has been building all week. The first watch standers were tasked with meaningful work that gave purpose to being awake all night. By 0500 this morning though, the mess deck was abuzz with wide-eyed, animated cadets pacing the decks and anxiously awaiting 0951. Early arriving well wishers joined the anxious cadets and several were on the pier at 0515. They were reportedly delivering last minute items forgotten by departing cadets-any excuse will do when clearly in the grip of pre-departure excitement. By daylight the campus was awash in brightly colored coats and scarves. The crowd grew steadily through out the morning. Multi-colored banners, mylar balloons, and soap bubbles sparkled in the bright sunshine and floated on the breeze. At 0800 all the cadets were back onboard and the gangway was taken in. Shouts of "We love you!" and "We miss you!" cut through the cold winter air. Signs dotted the blue sky as well. The messages ranged from the traditional: "We are very proud of you Scott" to the unusual: "Hey Shaun, Don't ask for any more money!". Then, to add a new dimension to the carnival atmosphere and the happy chaos that is the start of sea term, the ring of omnipresent cellular phone: cadets calling home to parents who have yet to depart the pier. Could they be out of money already? Time will tell.
The actual departure was flawless. Tugs pulled on her starboard side. The lines were slacked and taken aboard. The ship's whistle split the air-one long blast- and the lumbering ship finally began to move away from the face of the pier. The T/S Empire State is definitely underway to Funchal, Madeira and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Regiment of Cadets and the Officers and Crew welcomes you to the new millennium and our Sea Term Y2K. Some things have clearly changed since our first voyage in 1891, but one fundamental fact remains - the future of America's maritime business is secure because of the dedicated men and women cadets that sailed today.
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