The first full day out to sea after a port visit sometimes grows a hectic. We
catch up on our long-term planning, and the application over the short-term
before the next port. The Department heads meeting, which can take a little as
20 minutes, stretched to over an hour. Tactical response is discussed on
unforeseen issues, yesterday was a poorly performing air-handler in the aft
house upper deck, and a depleting ice supply. There's never a dull moment
aboard a ship with a population of a small town.
One very serious issue we were dealing with yesterday was a sick cadet. He was
ashore and was swimming at a beach at night. Unfortunately he was was
repeatedly stung by the tentacles of a jellyfish he did not see in the dark.
1/C James Riccardone was on the beach and recognized that the attack was
affecting him and rushed him back to the ship. Our medical team evaluated him,
seeing very acute changes to his vital signs. After administering proper
medicines to him, they monitored him for over eight hours. After
another eight hours the cadet was awake and showing normal vital signs. The
quick evaluation and response by James was the key to their successful
treatment.
I received a very nice email from the Dean of the Caribbean Maritime Academy,
Capt. Devron S. Newman, complimenting the Kennedy for being wonderful host to
his cadets, and the opportunity we gave his cadets to witness personally
equipment and procedures that are often vague when simply presented in the
classroom. His kind words were extended toward me, but the actual hosts were
our cadets. I would like to acknowledge 1/c Lauren DiNapoli and Josh Lamm, who
lead the team, assisted by 3/C John Albani, Kyle Butler and Richard Alyward.
Like the CMI cadets that I mentioned on my Blog while in Jamaica - how
impressed I was with their questions and appearance - our cadets also make the
specific schools shine. So my thanks to Lauren and Josh for organizing an
experience for our guests that was worthwhile and memorable.
We are south of Dominican Republic this morning with a brisk easterly wind and
partly cloudy skies. I've had some questions about our 'ship tracking' and
inconsistent posting for readers of the Blog and FTV. Please understand that
except for our MMA web page where daily latitude and longitude is posted, we do
not control others. Our four-times daily weather observations are sent to NOAA,
and our passive Automatic Identification System (AIS) just transmits away. It
is working without question. Occasionally weather and geographic interference
take space, and might affect the ability for a land-based station to receive
it. I hope the readers will understand this explanation.
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