Captain's Log for Wednesday, 26 January 2000
|
As of 0700 Eastern Standard time, 1200 GMT and 1400 ship time, the Empire State was enroute to Piraeus, Greece and located at 36 degrees 04 minutes North Latitude, 16 degrees 25 minutes East Longitude. We were steering a course of 096 degrees making good a speed of 16.2 kts. That puts the ship approximately 65 miles due east of the island of Malta. The weather was cloudy, winds out of the east northeast at 3 knots. Seas are only 3 to 6 feet and the ship is riding comfortably. The air temp is 51 degrees and the sea temp is 58 degrees. Barometric pressure is 1022 millibars of mercury and slightly rising. Depth of water under the keel: 10,800 Feet. CAPTAIN'S LOG The ship is running very well. The weather has been cool but not too bad. Apart from strong northerly swells that were with us for a good part of yesterday, the seas have been flat. I cannot ask for much more. Sea term continues to run hot, straight, and normal. We are however, approaching the halfway point in Sea Term 2000. That fact, coupled with a layer of dense, dark clouds which greeted us at dawn, seems to have temporarily dampened spirits and altered the mood throughout the ship. Traveling nearly due east for a long distance also has had an impact. Time changes are inconvenient and disruptive to body and soul and tonight we will advance the clock for the seventh and final time when we enter the "Greenwich minus two" time zone. The shipboard environment affects each of us differently but I am always amazed at just how quickly five hundred distinctly different people begin to act as one. That is the chemistry of Sea Term and a large part of what makes it a valuable experience. Another valuable activity is real time decision making practice. For example: the high vessel traffic density in the Mediterranean Sea is definitely an asset for the Deck Cadets. Because of it, we had a very busy day on the bridge yesterday. With more than ten ships on the radar screen at once, the Cadet Officer of the Watch and his assistants had abundant opportunities to get real scared while perfecting advanced radar plotting skills, practicing bridge to bridge communication techniques, and employing general Bridge watch team management practices. With so many ships nearby it is almost impossible for them to tell where the training stops and the real world starts. I love it when a plan comes together. Training is not confined to inexperienced cadets. The professional licensed mates also profit from our travels. Here, east of the Prime Meridian, the Navigator's favorite stars and planets rise and set earlier and the familiar constellations of the Caribbean are gone. The Celestial Navigation refresher training is good, but encountering difficult traffic situations is at the top of their list of useful experiences. Since entering the Straits of Gibraltar a week ago, we have tracked more ships on radar than we saw in all of Sea Term '99. Each vessel that we meet creates a great deal of work. The course and speed of the new ship must be determined and the track plotted. The CPA (closest point of approach) of the target with the Empire State has to be worked out. Radio contact must be initiated for the ones coming close to us. Not only must the Mate on Watch arrive at the correct decisions he/she must then teach and critique the Cadets. It is fair to say that the current weather patterns, sea states, and traffic density have far less influence on our engine room operations. The "snipes" are fond of reminding me that the weather is always the same and the sun always shines down in the engine room! I am glad that they love it so. See you tomorrow.
ANOTHER DAY IN THE LIFE OF 4/C MELISSA DeVALLES ON SEA TERM 2000 Finally, I am outside again...'On the main deck after a full morning below, sitting in class. I pushed my head through the hatch to see the sun brightly shinning upon the backs of many hustling and bustling workers. For the past few days, we have been experiencing cold winds and spurts of light rain. It seems to come from the mountains of North Africa, which lie off the starboard side. I know that cold is relative; wintry weather here is far warmer than that in Massachusetts and we are thankful. Most underclassmen have begun the next portion of the sea term. Some are working on the bridge and are weaving through the busy maritime traffic. Others are having their turns on the noisy needle guns, busting rust and preparing steel surfaces for primer and paint. The ship is really beginning to show the fruits of freshmen labor. The shiny new paint looks as fresh as it smells. My division and I are down below again, tracing pipes in the engine room and learning how systems work in class. Everyone seems to be hard at work and I find that I see familiar faces less and less. People are either at work or sleeping and the cadets in different watch sections only briefly pass each other when they relieve the watch. That makes the confined spaces seem bigger than they really are. Each watch assignment has its own set of perks and I have discovered the very best part about the mid-watch (midnight till 0400). That would be "The Breadman." The baker's name is Juventino Mateus. He is from Portugal, and to know his bread is to love him. Everybody loves it. Believe me when I say it; there is nothing on earth better than the wonderful smell and delicious taste of a piping hot loaf of his fresh bread, right from the ship's oven. Especially at 4 in the morning, just before going to bed. 'Bye for now. Melissa. QUESTIONS FOR THURSDAY 27 JANUARY 2000. GEOGRAPHY: Massachusetts Maritime Academy is located adjacent to the Cape Cod Canal. Greece has three coastal canals; including the Corinth Canal which crosses the Isthmus of Corinth. What two bodies of water does the canal connect? SCIENCE: We have had several questions during Sea Term that had to do with both oceans and seas. What is the difference between the ocean and sea? HISTORY: The Greeks are credited with developing Western Civilization. At 400 B.C. the Greek civilization was at its peak. The concepts of justice, liberty, government, and law emerged during these times. What famous leader lead the Greeks to the powerful and vast empire that allowed for all of the above advances in civilization? MATH: Cadet Gillis average grade on the first five tests that he completed was 88 percent. The first four grades were 78%, 86%, 96%, and 94%. What was her fifth grade? ANSWERS FOR WEDNESDAY 26 JANUARY 2000 GEOGRAPHY: Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. SCIENCE: Numerous instruments and methods are used to study all areas of the ocean for data on waves, tides, currents, sea water content, marine life, and bottom sediments. However, because of weather patterns, satellite images of oceanographic information are at times unclear. So surveys from ships are still the most widely used means of oceanographic data collection. HISTORY: President Konstandinos (Kostis) Stephanopoulos. MATH: 654 square feet. And 2 gallons of paint.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||