The Training Ship Empire State is moored port side to at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. She is operating on her own power (STEAM) and receiving minimal services from the pier. The weather is unseasonably warm, overcast and raining, the air temperature is 43 degrees F (5 degrees C), winds are from the SW at 15 knots (17.26 miles per hour), and the barometric pressure is 29.74 inches and falling.

CAPTAIN'S LOG

"Because a thing seems difficult for you, do not think it impossible for anyone to accomplish." - Marcus Aurelius

I was not concerned about the lifeboat crews and the fire party passing the Coast Guard drills today. They are highly motivated men and women and have been literally training for years for this opportunity. I have the utmost confidence in their ability. They were anxious, of course, worried that they might somehow screw-up in front of the examiners and jeopardize the trip. What did surprise me (and the U.S.C.G. evaluators), however, was how OUTSTANDING they were. The examinators threw two difficult fire drills at the fire team, including a galley fire with a flash over and simulated casualties. The cadets took it all in stride and excelled. All musters for the follow on abandon ship drill were accurate and completed in only 15 minutes. We passed with top grades and the sincere compliments of the Coast Guard Officers. As the Marines say: we are now "good to go!"

Meanwhile, work on the ship continues unabated. Over 590 people moved all their personal gear aboard on Sunday and Monday. Food and stores for the whole gang for 50 days was loaded on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Through the rain, ice and snow, thousands of feet tramped sand and salt up the gangway onto the decks. Drills involving hundreds of people ran every day for the last three days. Needless to say, there has been a lot of cleaning up going on. The ship shows the effort.

Today, after the drills were over, we hosted 120 students from Whitman middle school to a tour of the ship. They will be following the voyage through the world wide classroom, plotting the position, answering the daily questions, graphing the weather and depth of the water under the keel. Science, math, geography, and history can actually be fun if you "ride along" on the Empire State. Our thanks to Mrs. Karen Holmes at Whitman, Mrs. Sue O'Donnell at Hanson Middle School, and Ms. Maureen Holden at Bourne Middle School who have been long time supporters of the World Wide Classroom and do a wonderful job involving their students in the project.