FTV 2/7/11

There are little facts and treasures on this island that one really needs to dig for. The most interesting things are the things that people often pass by or ignore. Walking around Barbados has caused the cadets to learn a lot about the history and talent that has come from the island. Barbados is home to Sir Garfield Sobers who is globally said to be the greatest cricketer the game has ever seen. Cricket is the country's passion and one of its oldest pastimes. He is called the greatest athlete that has come from the island as well. He started when he was 17 years old in 1953 and continued to successfully compete and break records until he retired from the sport in 1973. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1974 for his devoted contribution to sports. He was also recognized as a National Hero in Barbados in 1999. Barbados is also where Rhianna, the pop singer, is from and resides.

There is also something a little less pleasant that resides in Barbados. It is called the Manchineel Tree. It is a large leafy tree that is known to grow on the west coast of the island along the beaches. This tree has fruit that resembles small green apples that are extremely toxic. Just touching the leaves and bark of the tree causes distasteful blisters. Also people are advised against sheltering under one of these trees from a rain storm because the raindrops that have touched the leaves can also be irritant to sensitive skin. These trees are usually blocked off with warning signed and red tape. They are dangerous trees to humans but are not cut down because their roots prevent erosion on the beaches.

Black spiny sea urchins are also on the island and are known to lurk around shallow sea bottoms and near reefs. They have sharp spiny skin that is harmful to people. They sting and have been known to pierce through wet suits so divers have to exercise caution. There is so much to learn about this island. Everywhere you go, there is history, scenery and adventure.

Questions:

• How many people inhabit the island of Barbados?
• What is the native language of Barbados?
• Where was the first English settlement on Barbados?

Captain's Blog 1/6/11

Barbados offers a great port visit and always delivers. We received a premier docking assignment – deep in the port, which requires us to only walk about 300 yards to the gate and taxis. We have been surrounded by passenger ships, so as they disgorge their thousands of passengers, the Barbados Port Authority opens the red carpet for them. Every shop and restaurant in the Port Duty Free building is open, and about one million taxi cabs are waiting to take as few as three, but many can handle 15 people in one lift to the far corners of the island.

The downtown area is the same as four years ago, a bustling shopping area, offering any consumer good you would need. There are many high-end jewelry shops here too. I don't know if there are any deals to grab-no big anniversaries coming in my house this year! I think the St. James area to the east has changed a little, in that where the public beaches used to be lined with small fishing skiffs; it now has given way to beach chairs and umbrellas. The beach is beautiful, so the restaurants lining Bay Street have expanded their businesses to renting the chairs. I think this captures the segment of the cruise ship crowd that does not want to ride a taxi or bus the 30 -60 minutes to get to the great beaches like Crane.

Tonight is the big Super Bowl, Packers against the Steelers. I can't predict a winner, but I think the men from Green Bay have been on a steady rise in skills and determination, so?

FTV 2/6/11

Our second day in Barbados was just as amazing as the first. Instead of relaxing on the beach for the full three days of liberty, some cadets signed up for a tour or two to explore the island a little better. One of the tours offered is the Atlantis Submarine Tour. This tour is a 45-minute exploration of the wrecks and reefs as much as 150 feet below the surface of the water. On a 50-foot submarine, tourists get to see the vibrant fish and other sea life that are usually shy and hidden from the land-based world.

There are bike tours to see the scenery, an Island Safari tour of gullies and forests in a 4X4 Land Rover, windsurfing, and golf clubs to take advantage of. There are also countless hiking paths, surf and dive shops, restaurants, boat and Jet Ski rental facilities, shopping centers and great fishing opportunities to experience on this beautiful island. Fishing is a popular sport in Barbados. Whether it is deep sea fish such as marlin, sailfish, and tuna, or more local fish such as wahoo and barracuda you will not be disappointed. After a second day with sand between their toes, the cadets are loving every minute of their time spent in this breathtaking country. The next two days have nothing but opportunities for fun and relaxation.

Questions:

What winds affect the eastern coast of Barbados which results in excellent surfing conditions?

Barbados is part of the Caribbean islands, but the islands are broken up into subsections such as the Leeward Islands. What subsection does Barbados belong to?

What is the proper term for the name of the people that live on Barbados?

FTV 2/5/11

We are finally in gorgeous Barbados. As we enter the port of Bridgetown, we can look over the rails of the ship and see the crystal blue water beneath us. On our dock and the docks adjacent to us, there are five massive cruise ships full of people from all over the world who are just as anxious to venture off as we are.

There is so much to do and see here, the weather is beautiful and the sun is shining for our first day in port.. In the distance, we can see the white sandy beaches and palm trees flowing in the breeze. Looking out onto this island is like looking at a postcard.. All of the cadets on liberty are exploring and getting a feel of what they can do with their three days of liberty.

National Heroes Square is definitely a worthwhile place to visit as well as many beaches and shops. Another place where mariners like us are expected to flock is the Careenage, a natural harbor full of luxury yachts and excursion boats lined by a boardwalk.

An historical site to see is the George Washington House which is located on the southern part of the island. Here, is the only place outside of North America where George Washington ever lived. He resided here in 1751 for 2 months while his older half brother sought treatment for Tuberculosis on the island. Barbados is truly a Caribbean gem that shows great promise for four fun filled days of sun, memories, and friends.


Questions:

• After leaving Barbados, George Washington went on to become what?
• What is the currency in Barbados?
• What is the exchange rate?

FTV 2/4/11

We said our goodbyes to Vera Cruz ten days ago and here we are, the day before our second port. Everything remains business as usual but it is readily evident that the cadets are excited about the next liberty port. We will have our second Captain's Inspections tonight as well as our pre-port briefing. The inspections are the most thorough inspections we have during Sea Term, they are held the night before every port.

After the inspection, all cadets will report to the helo deck where everyone will be informed on what is expected of a cadet while on liberty in Barbados. The plan is to tie up in Bridgetown, the capital city of Barbados at 0700 tomorrow morning. Liberty will be granted as soon as the ship completes customs. We are docking on the south side of Barbados where the white sand beaches beckon to all cadets and crew alike.

It is expected that the weather combined with the breathtaking beaches will aid to the enjoyment of all concerned. Everyone is looking forward to seeing what Barbados has to offer. We are more than halfway done with Sea Term and the cadets are excited about each port as well as returning home.

Questions:

• How many Captain's Inspections do we have on Sea Term?
• What is the eastern most island of the Caribbean?
• What country was Barbados founded by?

Captain's Blog 2/4/11

We docked in beautiful Bridgetown, Barbados this morning. MMA has made port calls here seven times in the past 30 years. That is pretty close to a record. The people are friendly, the beaches are among the finest in the world - reference Crane's Beach to the Travel Channel's Top Ten.

The island has strong British roots, but gained independence from Great Britain in 1966. Today a strong economy built on tourism, rum and sugar cane has yielded a high affluence rating in the per capita basis. High life expectancy and literacy for its nearly 300,000 residents compares favorably to the US and Canada.

I look forward to taking a walk downtown myself.

FTV 2/3/11

When someone is on land, they can know exactly where they are by the countless roads, building, and landmarks. On the sea, it is an entirely different story. There are no skyscrapers or roadways to help you figure out where you are. The ocean isn't broken up into cities and streets either. The ocean is divided up into large parts such as; the Caribbean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean. There are subparts such as the Gulf of Mexico or the Strait of Gibraltar, but saying you are located in one of those places is like saying you are somewhere in Nevada. This is why Merchant Mariners adopted the use of GPS.

GPS stands for Global Positioning System and was originated by the United States Government for military purposes. GPS is made up of three parts: space, control, and user segments. The space segment includes 21 operational satellites and 3 emergency satellites. The satellites orbit the Earth once every 12 hours on 6 different orbital planes. This allows at least 4 satellites to be seen from any location on Earth at any time. However, it is possible for a satellite to develop error which is why there is a control segment. The control segment is composed of a Master Control Station, several monitoring stations and ground antennas. Since these stations do not move in retrospect to the Earth, they can be used to correct any error a satellite may develop.

They send signals to the satellites to make sure they are relaying the proper location to the users. The users make up the user segment. Every navigational GPS device whether it is a phone, car, or a simple GPS is part of the user segment. It takes all three of these segments to find a location. The user can be anywhere in the world. At least three satellites are needed to create spheres of position of that user. The three spheres of position all come together at exactly one point. That one point is the location of the user. The control segment makes sure that the satellites are actually displaying the proper information in order to avoid false locations from being sent out. Our ship has a couple of GPS devices on board; this allows us to check the accuracy of each device against the others.

Currently the T.S. Kennedy is bound for Bridgetown, Barbados our ETA is 0800 Friday morning. It won't be long until the cadets are under the hot sun on the tropical beaches that Barbados has to offer.

Questions:

• What is the GPS location of Massachusetts Maritime Academy?
• What was the name of the first satellite ever launched? (Hint: The Russians launched it.)
• What other function could the GPS provide? (Hint: Every satellite has an atomic clock onboard)

Captain's Blog 2/3/11

Oops, I missed a day. A few days ago I received some directions from the agent in Barbados that a new entity, the Joint Regional Security Task Force (which apparently has jurisdiction throughout the eastern Caribbean Islands) has imposed new reporting requirements for ships entering their ports. Boy was I stressed - you may interpret that word differently if you like.

Anyway, we had to access each and every cadet and crew's personnel files and extract information that had previously not been reported. Then we had to reformat existing data lists to match the form that was required. Then it was supposed to be transmitted to them in advance of arrival. I was only successful in getting the advance disclosure to them waived, but once at the dock they wanted the whole enchilada.

Monday was spent mining the 693 files, then on Tuesday we had six cadets with their laptops sitting in my room entering the data. I felt like I was a conductor of an orchestra. It was funny really, and actually pretty painless. One cadet was in charge of music - although I am afraid my selection was not to everyone's liking - and another was in charge of making the coffee, tea or hot chocolate in my K-Cup system. By noon time the data entry was done. In less than another hour I had fine-tuned the format and made sure the data fields were all populated. All done before the fire and boat drill at 1600!

Last night the cadets held their annual Talent Show. I was impressed with some of the talent too. A duet on guitars doing an original song - a woman doing modern dance (on a very slippery Helo Deck) - another cadet doing a rather dark rendition of a Johnny Cash song - a cadet close order drill with a rifle - a small group doing rap - a standup comic - and the winner, a cadet playing his head, where his fists were the sticks, and his cranium the drum! Of course we were treated to one of our engineers - Bill Tracy - doing a sea ballad sing-along with enthusiastic fiddling.

FTV 2/2/11

Everyone has seen a motor boat speed by, but what makes that boat move? Well, there is a propeller that is powered by a motor that makes it spin in order to move the boat forward. On our ship, the concept isn't too far from a motor boat. Our ship has a large propeller with four blades that is connected to a large shaft. This shaft runs all the way to the engine room where it is connected to a number of gears. These gears are turned by the turbines which are powered by our steam engine.

In a way, our steam ship is very similar to many smaller boats you see every day. On ships as big as ours and even bigger the concept stays the same. Some ships are powered by giant diesel engines and others by gas turbines. Whether they are powered by steam, diesel or gas, each ship has a propeller connected to a shaft leading to the main engine. All propellers range in size and number of blades, but the angle of the blade relative to the shaft determines how far the propeller turns in one revolution. This revolution is what propels the ship forward through the water. The amount of revolutions per minute determines how fast the ship will move. For example, at full speed our shaft turns at 90 RPMs which results in about 19 knots.

There is no gas pedal on the ship for the bridge to use to speed up or slow down. Instead, there is a telegraph machine in which those on the bridge can send a message to the engineers requesting certain speeds. This machine is called the Engine Order Telegraph (E.O.T). Our speed changes every day based upon the sea state, weather and times we need to arrive. When we left Vera Cruz for Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, we moved at a cruising speed of around 16 knots for basically the whole way.

Looking ahead: We are not too far from Barbados now, and we can feel fun times coming our way. It won't be long until we are enjoying the white sandy beaches and tropical culture that Barbados is known for.

Questions:

1) What are the two main types of propellers?
2) Why are more modern ships using diesel engines instead of steam?
3) If our ship turns 15 rpm's for 24 hours how many rotations has the shaft made?

Captain's Blog 2/1/11

I was having breakfast and searching my mind for a topic for today's log - the weather seems to be a redundant topic now - the cadet's routine is well known - and no festivities or activities outside of the ordinary to report. So, what to do...?

I step out of the ladder way on the Cabin Deck and there is a long line of cadets - presumably waiting to talk to the Second Mate - who is directly astern of me. I catch a 4/c cadet image in my eye that isn't quite right - nice clean boiler suit (not that too unusual), but he is wearing sneakers. Bright white, new sneakers. Now that is both unusual, and out of the standard work uniform. So, I ask innocently - "Where are your work boots?" and the reply came back, "One fell in the ocean, Sir."

I stop, back down a little; this is a story I have to hear. "I was on the Helo deck, and I wanted to kick off my boots as I relaxed in the sun, and well, I guess I kicked a little too hard, and it fell in." "You mean you kicked your boot into the Caribbean Sea?" I counter. "Yes, sir, you could say that". First time I ever heard that one. Funny, but his poor Uxbridge toes are now in harm's way! I'm sure a shipmate will take care of him.