Fred's Place - The Place To Meet Old Coast Guard Shipmates

Welcome Aboard The CG Barque Eagle
26 August 2005 900 miles southeast of Bermuda "We have officially crossed the halfway point to Bermuda, making way under sail almost the entire distance. The tropical disturbances have been staying away from us, and us away from them. " All photos are credited: U.S. Coast Guard photograph by Officer Candidate Mark C. Dukti and PA2 A. R. Rask.	The Coast Guard Barque Eagle, homeported in New London, Conn.

Captain's Log by OC Dan McQuate for Capt. E. J. Shaw

We have officially crossed the halfway point to Bermuda, making way under sail almost the entire distance. The tropical disturbances have been staying away from us, and us away from them. Although we are not in any kind of immediate danger at the moment, last night we changed our course 30 degrees towards the north to open up some room between our position and one of the more probable paths the tropical disturbance might take across the Atlantic. As always, the crew is continually checking with the officer candidates who are serving as collateral-duty weathermen during the transit for breaking news. We want to keep the sails full with wind, but not too full.

With the exception of the sail stations last night to brace the fore mast to a starboard tack, all sail stations have been "postponed" over the past several days. As it stands right now, we are making perfect speed to get to Bermuda on time. To help learn sailing and nautical terminology better in the absence of sail stations, one of the crew members recommended that the officer candidates might want to each pick a nautical or sailing term to be called by for the rest of the trip. Some of them are really embracing it, calling each other by names such as "stopper," which is a rope tied around a line being hauled to hold the tension so it can be belayed, and "small stuff," which is small-diameter line.

The OC’s ran a damage control drill today, in which about half participated and the other half observed. This drill was designed as a fire in the laundry room, so there was plenty of room on the waist for everyone to observe and discuss what was happening. The OC’s selected to participate in the drill did a good job, considering that they had very little prior experience in such situations.

Last night, the engineering department quickly responded to the signs of a potential problem in one of our generators. The jacket water temperature rose beyond its normal limits. The load was smoothly shifted to the other ship's service diesel generator (SSDG), the first one was secured and the engineers commenced trouble shooting. They found low coolant levels and refilled it. All the while, Eagle's third generator, the emergency diesel generator (EDG) stood by as a silent sentinel, ready to pick up the load in seven second's notice.

Everything else onboard is ops normal as watches are being vigilantly stood and training continues. In seven short days we will be in Bermuda. A week after that, Eagle and her crew will be home in New London following another incredible summer sail, having trained more than 600 future Coast Guard officers.

25 August 2005 by Lt. Amy Florentino

Seaman Jeremy Underwood works from a Bosn's chair while repairing the baggy-wrinkle on the main topmast staysail.

Nine days under royals and steady Northeast trade winds . . . Conditions can’t get much better for sailing the Barque. This, the first journal entry I have felt compelled to write, as I was awestruck last night by the beauty of the night sky. After an exciting climb to the royal with several shipmates, I started my daily 8 p.m. to midnight OOD watch. As the skies darkened, the afternoon clouds dissipated. The bridge watch seized the opportunity to take several celestial sights and fix the ship's position by the stars alone. We were paying such close attention to the sextant readings, lines of positions, and individual stars that for a short time we neglected to see the whole sky. We plotted our position, which turned out to be about seven miles off (not an excellent fix, but not bad for the middle of the Atlantic). I am sure we will take another star fix tonight, hone our skills, and achieve even better results. After plotting the fix, we turned our eyes upward again to check the trim of the sails. As I looked up, the thickness and intensity of the stars was dazzling. The Milky Way was so apparent that it looked like a streak of white paint across the sky. Individual constellations were obscured by the intensity of the other stars. The moon had not risen yet so there was absolutely no light to disturb the view. Several shooting stars were sighted during the watch; some lasted so long that even if you were not the first to see the star, it was still streaming across the sky as you turned your head to look. All I can say is that it is nights like these that compel a sailor to always return to the sea.

25 August 2005 by OC Joel Salgado-Castro

Officer candidates continue the OCS tradition of doing "birthday pushups" for their shipmates while underway.

(L to R) Officer Candidates Cliff Harrison, Stephen Bor, and Alex Bernstein receive instruction from Damage Controlman 1st Class Will Workman.

During this cruise, I have become aware of what underway life is really like, and I have developed a new found respect for those who serve afloat. I have seen a lot of hard work and dedication from Eagle’s crew. I am very grateful for the experience of seeing the open ocean and the privilege of seeing a group of pilot whales racing against us. This time on the Eagle has helped me to appreciate what I have done in my life and helped me to understand how the USCG works. This cruise has shown me the daily life of seemingly average people who are committed to training the future Coast Guard officers.

Crossing the ocean from the Canary Islands to Bermuda is an unforgettable experience and helps us to better understand what we want for our future. For some, this is an experience during which career paths are decided. In my personal opinion, I believe that being underway is a great experience. Everyone at OCS has goals of what they want to achieve in the Coast Guard; being on the Eagle helps us shape those goals. For those that will not go afloat, this is a great opportunity to see what life is like in the afloat community and who the people are that chose this path.

25 August 2005 by OC Wes Geyer

Officer Candidate Kristen Diroma enjoys the view high atop the fore mast royal on her 25th birthday.

Here we are on the 11th day underway in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. This has been quite an experience for all of the OC’s on board as we accompany the crew on the last leg of the 2005 voyage. We’ve stood watch on deck to assist with minor sail adjustments, as operations assistants on the bridge learning about navigation, as mess cooks assisting the staff with the heavy task of serving three meals per day (not including midnight rations) to 135 crew/OC’s, and as the MAA’s (Master at Arms) staff sorting through garbage to separate the biodegradables from the plastics. Needless to say, there is always something to do, whether it is standing one of the aforementioned watches, getting tasks signed off, or catching up on some rest in between.

(L to R) Officer Candidates Mike Turanitza and Collin Santulli prepare to enter the laundry room during the OC's damage control drill.

All of the OC’s have arrived at the general consensus that nobody ever thought we would have the opportunity to sail across the Atlantic. There is nothing to see but ocean in every direction. Wave upon wave, day after day, it would seem that the scenery would become monotonous after a while. However, all you can do is attempt to fathom how infinitesimally small we are as you scan the horizon from atop the royal and try to make out the curvature of the earth.

(L to R) Lt. Cmdr. Chris Reardon and Lt. Aurora Fleming make ditty bags on the foc'sle.

Overall, the trip has been rather exciting. As other OC’s have mentioned in their journal entries, we assisted the crew in a search and rescue/migrant case. A fellow OC, Officer Candidate Harrison, was onboard the deployed MSB to act as translator in the event that those onboard the vessel spoke Spanish. This does not fall within the Eagle’s primary mission of training, but reinforces the Coast Guard's motto of "Semper Paratus," or being always ready. Our hats (covers) go off to the crew for a continued upbeat attitude after a long summer of sailing.

25 August 2005 by OC Tamara Whalen

"Old Glory" flies from the mizzen mast while Eagle is underway.

Today begins another beautiful day on America’s Tall Ship . . . Awesome! Even though we have been underway and out of sight of land for almost 11 days, it is amazing how you never get sick of the incredible view. Last night on watch, I got to view a sunset unlike anything I had ever seen before. Shortly after my watch ended, the crew set up a movie for the officer candidates on the waist of the ship. As I relaxed on the deck, the boat gently rocked back and forth. I couldn’t help but think of how blessed I was to be here. The temperature was perfect, the sky was clear, and I was in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean sailing on the Coast Guard’s pride and joy.

Officer Candidate Marianas Kikiani, an exchange student from the Republic of Georgia, uses a stadimeter to determine the range of a passing ship.

The trip has been a great adventure. Between spending nearly 10 hours on a C-130, a day in the Canary Islands, and several days onboard the Eagle, I have met some of the most intelligent and diverse people ever. The crew spent such a long summer away from their friends and family to train hundreds of swabs (new cadets) and officer candidates, yet they are still work long hours to mentor us. They definitely go out of their way to ensure that each and every individual gets the most out of this unique experience.

Officer Candidate Omar La Torre Reyes stands a vigilant watch as the bow lookout

Yesterday was my greatest day yet. With the assistance of several of my shipmates, I managed to climb to the royal (140 feet above the water). This is a huge accomplishment for me, as I am petrified of heights. On our first day onboard the Eagle, the crew held “school of the ship” and trained us to properly and safely climb aloft. We then did an “up and over” where you climb to the first platform, called the "tops." This task took me nearly 30 minutes. I insisted on clipping in with my safety harness with every step I took. Now, with a little motivation, I am climbing all the way up to the royal almost every day. It is an addicting type of fear, knowing that your sheer body strength and safety harness will keep you safe at these daunting heights while the ship is swaying back and forth with the seas.

Even though I miss my family and my friends (and my kitty Muluchi) very much, and many days I am exhausted from standing watch, performing drills, and training, at the end of the day, I would not have traded this experience for the world.

Finally, my thoughts go home to my little sister, Tracy, her husband, Raymond, and their brand new baby girl (my first niece), Kaylen. I cannot wait to meet her.

(L to R) Officer Candidates Jessica Barbeau and Chris Norton climb the fore mast on the way to the royal.

Officer Candidate Mike Turanitza serves as the nozzleman during the OC's damage control drill.

Seaman Kevin Hampton shines the ship's bell.

(L to R) Officer Candidates Colleen Kovach and Tom Pauser prepare to start the P-100 pump.

The wear of serving underway is shown by the condition of this salty boot.

Officer Candidates Tom Pauser and Eric Taylor take a break on the tops while climbing the fore mast.