As we pen these final notes after 7 weeks of patrolling the Caribbean, our bow is pointed northward and we are steaming for home. As those of you close to the crew are aware, our port call in Key West certainly offered its fair share of highlights. Most significantly, on the 15th of May, ESCANABA’s crew intercepted a second round of migrants for the patrol. This bunch came while on liberty. As a crowd of ESCANABA crewmembers on a rented boat went out in search of a good snorkeling spot, they found 14 Cuban migrants on a lighthouse marking an offshore reef. They called the on-duty Coast Guard and our off-duty sailors remained on scene until all the migrants could be safely placed aboard a Coast Guard patrol boat.

Having put the sights and sounds of Duval Street below the horizon to our stern, ESCANABA’s crew has since re-focused itself on the mission at hand – which is now getting home to all of you. By the time many of you read this, we will be making our lines off to the pier in Boston, and eagerly looking forward to our reunions with families and friends. It hasn’t been all smooth sailing even at this point, as many crewmembers learned on Saturday morning. While tearing along at over 20 miles per hour, thanks to a push from the Gulf Stream, ESCANABA encountered about 10 hours of the worst weather she’s had to sail through for the entire patrol. The line of crewmembers at lunch time Saturday stretched not from the galley, but from Doc’s office, as many were caught off guard by the sudden shift in the ocean’s mood.

Joining us for the final leg of our journey are three cadets from the Coast Guard Academy, Cadets First Class Lafond, Collins, and DePace. These three young ladies are about one year away from earning commissions as officers in the Coast Guard, and each summer senior year cadets are shipped off to units around the country to participate in a kind of dress rehearsal for the duties they will take on next summer after they graduate. They have quickly assimilated into our crew, and are looking forward to a summer of personal and professional growth aboard ESCANABA.

To those of you who have followed our 7 weeks at sea we say thanks for taking the ride with us this time. We look forward to sharing our next trip with you in a few months, and in the meantime sharing some treasured moments with our loved ones.

BM3 Lopez and his team prepares for the winner's round of ESCANABA's first annual "DC Rodeo."

1/c Cadets Abbey LaFond, Daniela Collins, and Lisa DePace are introduced to the crew in Key West. For the next several weeks they will live among the crew and get a first hand experience of what cutter life is all about.

ESCANABA is moored up next to CGC Mohawk while in Key West.

SNOS Guralnick poses as ESCANABA leaves the pier for homeport.

OS1 Stravinsky smiles for the camera during quarters.

BM3 Baker, BM2 Burke, and BM2 Milliken reminisce after the successful DC Rodeo comes to an end.

SN Hicks keeps the crew of ESCANABA safe with his diligent watch standing.