Captain's Blog 2/4/12

Provided by guest blogger, Capt. Elizabeth Stevenson Las Bovedes Restaurant in the old city of Panama was the scene of the big alumni event last night. MMA alumni and staff from the Kennedy were greeted by dozens of Panamanian MMA Alumni along the giant sea wall along overlooking the entrance to the canal. Atop the sea wall, panoramic views of the city skyline, canal entrance filled with ships awaiting passage and the Bridge of Americas (which eerily looks just like the Sagamore Bridge!) was the vista as hors d'ourves and wine were served.

The Panamanian contingent were warm and welcoming as we eventually made our way along the seawall, down an ancient set of wide stairs, to the plaza where traditional Panamanian dancers entertained us before we sat at the outdoor patio for an amazing meal of classic cervici, fresh sea bass, a delicious scalloped potato type dish, beef medallions with sauce, rice and more.

The highlight was not the sights or the food (although the flan and rice pudding desserts were amazing!), but our alumni of Panama. With over thirty alumni present including canal pilots, shipping agents, and captains, who accompanied by wives and guests, there was non-stop conversation - many faces were known but for those alumni meeting for the first time, it was like family. Most conversations began with 'Hi, I'm Elizabeth - class of '97' which was then followed by the other persons name, class year and then rolling into what company you were part of, the new buildings on campus, stories of being a cadet, and ending with promises to visit and guarantees to come back to Taylor's Point - soon!

While our Panamanian alumni may be old friends, and others new friends we just met, we will be with our shipmates again today! This morning we are hosting both delegates from the US Embassy and our alumni for a tour of the ship. Cadets volunteered their time to assist with this project and are excited to show off the Kennedy.

This evening, Capt. Bushy is hosting a similar group for a reception aboard the Kennedy. Tonight's event will also include invited cadets (mostly seniors in leadership positions) so while today's maintenance crew is busy getting the vessel in top shape, and the Chartwells staff with Chef Jim and Chef Mike are in the galley preparing what is sure to be a culinary delight - and we will blog about it tomorrow!

NOTE from Captain Bushy: I want to thank Elizabeth for giving me a day off - and tomorrow I will have another guest blogger - you'll all be impressed!

FTV 2/3/2012 A Visit to a Cocoa Farm

A visit to a Cocoa Farm: While in Ecuador, we visited a cocoa farm, where they grow and process chocolate cocoa from the fruit of the cacao tree ((Theobroma cacao). The tree is grown throughout the wet lowland ecosystems near the Mangroves of Ecuador. These trees prefer to be in the shade of taller trees. Its thick trunk supports a canopy of large, leathery, oblong leaves.

The small, foul-smelling, pinkish flowers are borne directly on the branches and trunk; they are followed by the fruit, or pods, each yielding 20-40 seeds, or cocoa beans. Once the fruit is harvested, it is dried and ground into a cocoa powder. At the farm we were treated to a delicious hot cocoa made simply from the ground beans, some water, and a little bit of cinnamon. It was a delicious treat, thanks to the tropical rain forest we can enjoy it anytime.

Captain's Blog 2/3/12

We were at anchor last night and went to bed with no clear understanding of what time we would go in, only a promise from our agent. At 2300, we called the control center as instructed and they acted like our ship was anchored on Mars. A few phone calls later and we had it on track but still with no set time.

At 0400, we were informed that the canal boarding team was coming, here we go again, with another series of forms to complete and they were finished at 0500. Finally, we were told that at 0700 the pilot would be here. So, we shortened chain at 0700 and, sure enough, the pilot boat arrived at about 0715.

The pilot was surprisingly an American that has been working the canal for 40 years and is a Kings Point graduate. When I delicately asked why he was still down here what with the changeover to Panamanian control, he smiled and said 'I like it'. Enough said. He was also accompanied by Leo Icaza, a 1992 grad, who “'just wanted to come along for the ride'. He spent most of his time down in the Officer's Mess talking with his old Professors.

So, we were all finished with engines at about 0930. After another long line of port authority officials, we were granted free pratique at 1040. So, all the crew are heading ashore for an adventure in Panama City but I will be taking a nap. More tomorrow...

FTV 2/2/2012 Mangrove Wetland Ecosystems of Ecuador

Mangroves are large trees that grow in wetlands in Ecuador, These mangroves live on land but they are able to survive with their roots in salt water. Vast forests of mangroves grow along the river shoreline. These trees stand over the dark waters, with their interlocking roots forming a tangle on the damp river edge.

Mangroves trap silt from slow flowing river water to form new land. This helps prevent tidal erosion and traps nutrients that nourish the ecosystem. Migratory waterfowl, wading birds, and small mammals thrive on crabs, mussels, and other tiny creatures that inhabit the waters around the shore. Some mangrove trees filter the salt out of the brackish river water, and other mangrove tree species can excrete salt through special glands, as a result these mudflats are rich in nutrients providing a good source of food for marine organisms.

These ecosystems provide nurseries for fish and marine invertebrates as well as providing shelter for wildlife, and protection from coastal erosion; however this important ecosystem is being threatened by coastal development A typical food web for this ecosystem includes microorganisms that grown in the mud which provide food for larger organism such as shrimps, and crabs. These shrimp and crabs attract birds, mammals, and other small reptiles such as lizards that provide food for larger species such as raccoons, coyotes, snakes and large wading birds.

To learn more about other marine ecosystems try this activity.

Captain's Blog 2/2/12

DATE 2/2 THUR
TIME 0800LT (ZD +5), 1300 GMT ARRIVAL
LAT 8-50N
LON 79-22W
C 011
S 11.0 K
RPM 53
DEPTH 29 METERS
WIND NORTH FORCE 3
SKY 6/8
PRES 1011
AIR 75-68
SEA 73
8 NM EAST OF ISLA TABOGUILLA, PANAMA PREPARING TO ANCHOR

This morning we rose to another cloudy day, a little gloomy as we head into Panama. But today was an anchor drill day, when the first class cadets can hone some skills in shiphandling, anchoring and engine maneuvering. We selected an anchorage spot off in a corner of the anchorage where few ships were, and approached from the east. The weather was perfect for it, very little wind and no discernible currents.

Three watch sections took turns as we anchored, heaved and repeated the process three times. The bridge watch determines the proper positioning of the vessel, the conning cadet calls for course and engine speed changes, the bow detail is handing the anchor windlass, and the engine watch is answering the bells. It is all very interesting, and an invaluable experience for them, as often when those operations are taking place I have the conn and the Engineering officers are working to make sure no mistakes are made.

In the close proximately of docks or other ships, we cannot allow mistakes since the ship's momentum might make recovery almost impossible. So, we are now swinging on four shots of anchor chain with the port anchor -awaiting boarding by the Panama Canal authorities and our agent. We had better rest up because this is a very busy social port.

We have cadets going to visit the Panama Canal Pilots training center where they have a new 360 degree simulator, inclusive of every inch of the Canal and another group will visit the lock systems at Miraflores. On Friday night there will be an alumni sponsored dinner for all alumni and professors aboard.

On Saturday we host a large group from the US Embassy for a tour, and then later on we'll have a media team from the Embassy aboard to interview our Panamanian cadets. Then Saturday night we will host a Ship's Reception, with alumni, Embassy officials, Panamanian Authorities from the government and the Canal, faculty and students from the International Maritime University of Panama (UMIP), as well as our cadets doing an exchange study at UMIP. Sounds like a busy night - and then there is the Super Bowl and the Patriots.

More tomorrow...

FTV 2/1/12 Managing all that Trash

After visiting Guayaquil, Ecuador conservation areas, it makes you want to protect these precious ecosystems even more. While onboard the T.S. Kennedy we do the best we can to help the environment. Every day our trash is sorted into different categories for plastics, paper, rags, metals, glass, food waste, and bio hazard waste. In the mess deck we have three barrels for plastics, paper, and food waste. Obviously, we want to protect our oceans so when we are 3 nautical miles from the nearest point of land we are allowed to throw the food waste overboard. At 12 nautical miles we can throw paper overboard.

At sea, all ships abide by MARPOL (Maritime Pollution) which are the regulations regarding dumping waste over board. Everything that cannot be dumped is offloaded while we are in port. Chief Mate Ford is assisted by the Marine Safety and Environmental Protection Cadets and supervises discharge into the sea. He also keeps a Waste Management Log to document everything that is dumped overboard.

In addition to managing our trash waste we also must manage our sewage. It is very important that our ships sewage waster does not hurt the ecosystems in the ocean environment. Before dumping the sewage from our toilets, it must be processed in our MSD systems to kill bacteria before it is returned to the sea, when we are in port the treated wasted is pumped out into waste containers.

If everyone onboard does their part in contributing to waste management, our impact on the environment will be greatly reduced. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

Try this trash math challenge

Graphing Trash- Are We a Throw-Away Society? 

Captain's Blog 2/1/12

DATE 2/1 WED
TIME 0700LT (ZD +5), 1200 GMT
LAT 4-14N
LON 80-04W
C 012
S 12.2 K
RPM 53
DEPTH 1500 METERS
WIND NORTH FORCE 3
SKY 6/8
PRES 1010
AIR 77/74
SEA 79
150 NM WEST OF PUNTA CHARAMBIRA, COLUMBIA

We crossed the Equator yesterday morning to little fanfare - only a toot of the whistle. Such is melodrama - but we did have a pollywog aboard - our ship's doctor that joined in Ecuador. I had to hold back a few of the new Shellbacks that wanted to have their way with him - but suffice to say - he is none the less for wear.

I'm getting ready for Panama arrival. The past four or five sea terms there were only three ports - but since we converted over to a three division rotation, we now do four ports (one-less day in each port - a total of 12 port days). That in itself adds to the workload of the poor captain as we prepare for port entry - but the Panama Canal is a defacto port as well.

So, at this juncture in the sea term, I am preparing for our fourth port visit - and I've one more to do in St. Thomas - and then the dreaded US entry. The weather was cloudy almost the whole time we were in the southern hemisphere, but when we crossed the line yesterday it cleared up. It was a beautiful afternoon - we had an abandon ship drill and a demonstration of all sorts of pyrotechnic safety equipment - so much fun blasting off parachute flares and the line throwing appliance. But this morning it is cloudy again -and even looks ominously like rain!

More tomorrow...

FTV 1/31/2012 Departing Ecuador

The Galapagos Islands, a remote archipelago off the coast of Ecuador, may be the birthplace of our scientific understanding of evolution. Little did Darwin know waters surrounding the islands would reveal one of the most important discoveries ever made in ocean science. The discovery of life at hydrothermal vents on the seafloor revolutionized our understanding of life on our planet.

Deep hydrothermal vents were first found by scientists using cameras, and sonar, back in 1976 along the coast of the Galapagos Islands. One year later, scientists traveled over 2,900 meters below the surface of the ocean using the manned submersible, Alvin, for the first human observations of some newly found structures on the deep sea floor. The Galapagos Rift, between longitude 86 degrees W and 89 degrees W, is an area where the sea floor is formed in a rift valley by continent-sized geologic plates that are slowly moving apart. As the plates move, magma from deep inside the Earth is pushed upward and is met by the pressure of a mile and a half of Pacific Ocean bearing down upon it. This dynamic interchange between the earth and ocean creates an environment of extreme heat, pressure, and geologic, volcanic and chemical activity.

If you can imagine the inside of a super-huge furnace, at the bottom of the ocean, filled with toxic chemicals and the fury of volcanic heat, then you can begin to imagine the environment of hydrothermal vents. This environment is home to strange sea floor formations, bizarre and undocumented forms of life, and where superheated water jets out of the ocean floor bringing with it a soup of microbial life that flourishes in this extreme environment. Scientists were very surprised and excited to find plumes of aqua-colored shimmering water rising from the seafloor.

Scientists had just discovered the first hydrothermal vent. Near vents, water travels down through cracks in the seafloor and is heated by hot, molten rock far below the ocean crust. Temperatures can reach as high as 400degC. As the water heats up, it reacts with the rocks in the ocean crust. These chemical reactions remove all of the oxygen from the water making the water acidic. The hot water rises to the surface of the seafloor and spews out of the vent openings. The pH of this fluid varies from roughly 3 to 5 and temperatures, at their most extreme, can reach over 350 degrees Celsius. This hydrothermal fluid carries with it dissolved metals and other chemicals, like hydrogen sulfide, from deep beneath the ocean floor.

You might think that such a harsh environment would be devoid of life, yet the areas around hydrothermal vents are small 'oases' in the barely populated habitats of the deep sea. Scientists who discovered the first vent system back in 1977 were quite surprised to see this area teeming with a variety of different life forms. The secret was held in the bacteria that were able to harvest energy from the chemical fluid seeping from the vents! These bacteria use sulfur to create food. This process is called chemosynthesis allow organisms to make sugars from chemicals. These bacteria provide the base of the food chain for hydrothermal vent communities.

Since no light is available to organisms living along vent systems, photosynthesis cannot occur. The bacteria are heat loving. Some of the bacteria can survive temperatures over 100 degrees Celsius! Many animals living in vent communities live in a symbiotic relationship with these, sulfide-loving bacteria within their bodies; the bacteria provide sugar to their host while the host provides a safe refuge for the bacteria To learn more about the unusual organisms that live in hydrothermal vents read this fact sheet.

Try this activity to learn how explorers locate vent communities 

Learn about organisms that live in vent communities.

Captain's Blog 1/31/12

Where did January go? The classic question about time I suppose? The voyage to date has moved along faster than usual from my perspective, not only because of the two ports we have visited, but because of the Panama Canal passage.

From my seat, these ports basically just amount to a mountain of paperwork. One would not believe the vast amounts of paper we prepare to enter a foreign port - and it isn't any less for the USA ports when coming in from foreign. The weather continues to be cloudy and warm - 73 degrees this morning - with no wind whatsoever.

As we push up the coast of Ecuador and Columbia we are encountering hundreds of small fishing vessels - about 20 feet long - out here 12-15 miles off. More tomorrow...

FTV 1/30/2012 Sailing Team Headed to LA

After a great season the MMA sailing team has been invited to compete in the Los Angeles Harbor Club Regatta. On March 9-11 they will raise their sails against Cal Maritime, the Coast Guard Academy, the US Naval Academy, and the University of Michigan Sailing Team. The team is particularly proud of their performance when they competed against the Naval Academy, where they placed third in two of their events. Another accomplishment was taking 1st place in the Hyannis to Nantucket, Figawe race in Spring, 2011.

This year's team brought pride to the long tradition of sailing at MMA. The MMA offshore team sails from the prestigious Beverly Yacht Club out of Marion Mass on 37 foot sailboats with a crew of seven. The seniors went out with a good record for their last year, and maybe the last time they will compete as sailors of these beautiful off shore boats. The team is coached by Head Coach-Chuck Fontaine who is the Director of Boat Donations at MMA, he is assisted by Twice Tougas, who will accompany the team to California.

This year's team consisted of First Class Jeffrey Gawrys who is a Marine Engineering Major; he will remember his senior year sailing season as his best. Jeffrey was been sailing for over 15 years, and comes from Marblehead, Mass. Another senior, Graham Philpot of Laconia NH, is majoring in marine transportation, he has been sailing his since he can remember. He chose Mass Maritime because of the unique training offered by the Academy. Eric Pattison, a 1st class Marine Transportation cadet began sailing, 4 years ago as a freshman at MMA. He chose to attend MMA because he loves boating, and wants to work on water. He is from Woodbury CT, and attributes part of his success as a cadet to the structured instruction he received at the Academy.

Underclassmen team member include, Sean McLaughlin 4th class who has been sailing his whole life, comes from Fairhaven, MA. He chose MMA because of their marine engineering major, and the fact they had a great sailing program. Andrew Gregoire 3rd class Marine Transportation Major from North Carolina chose Mass Maritime in preparation for his life and work the on sea 4th class Marine Transportation Travis Thonus is from East Dennis. He chose Mass Maritime for its excellent reputation, location, and their sailing team.

 Third class Cadet Tim Dexter hails from Vermont where he has been sailing his whole life. Not pictured here is Mike Reney 2nd class marine engineer major, from Duxbury, as a 2nd class cadet he is spending his sea term as an intern on commercial ship. We wish the best to our Sailing team as they head to Los Angeles this March. We will all be cheering them on here at MMA.

Keeping your boat a float is based on a physics concept called bouyancy 

FTV 1/29/2012 Guayaquil Hosptal

Before we left for the Sea Term Cruise, MMA cadets loaded on stacks of boxes of clothing and medical supplies on to the T.S. Kennedy. Among this cargo were 100 boxes of supplies donated by MMA Cadets and other Members of the Mass Maritime Community. This drive was arranged under group collaboration between the First Company Office Doug Page, the ship doctor Jeff Sukor, and over 100 Cadets who helped collect and pack the supplies.

Today they reached their destination, a children's hospital here in Guayaquil, Ecuador. This morning at 8:30 AM the boxes were reloaded along with two buses of about 40 volunteer cadets, who brought their work tools and work uniform to the Ycaza Bustamanate Children's Hospital, where they will use their ships maintenance training to undertake several work projects requested by the hospital.

The cadets were accompanied by Commander Page, Dr. Sukor, Nurse Sharon Sylvia, and Roger Souza, our ships barber, gave kids haircuts. Also on the trip was Captain Bill Tracy who played the fiddle and sang songs with the children, and Father Jim Houston. One cadet said it was a very rewarding experience to spend a day doing work for such needy and loving families they encountered at the hospital.

Congratulations to those Cadets who volunteered their liberty time to serve in this valuable humanitarian effort. One of the greatest concerns of hospitals and medical facilities face today is viral diseases, which can be spread through contact with a person infected with the disease. Some diseases, such as influenza, measles, and smallpox, spread rapidly and are of great concern to public health organizations.

Try this activity that creates a model of how viruses spread among a population.