MMA Sea Term 2012 - Follow the Voyage

Mangrove Wetland Ecosystems of Ecuador

2012-02-02T18:29:00.000-08:00

Mangroves are large trees that grow in wetlands in Ecuador, These mangroves live on land but they areable 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 riveredge.

Mangroves trap silt from slow flowing river water to form new land. This helps prevent tidal erosionand traps nutrients that nourish the ecosystem. Migratory waterfowl, wading birds, and smallmammals 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 speciescan excrete salt through special glands, as a result these mudflats are rich in nutrients providing agood source of food for marine organisms.

These ecosystems provide nurseries for fish and marineinvertebrates as well as providing shelter for wildlife, and protection from coastal erosion; however thisimportant ecosystem is being threatened by coastal developmentA typical food web for this ecosystem includes microorganisms that grown in the mud which providefood 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

2012-02-02T18:23:00.001-08:00

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 intoPanama. But today was an anchor drill day, when the first class cadets canhone some skills in shiphandling, anchoring and engine maneuvering. Weselected an anchorage spot off in a corner of the anchorage where few shipswere, and approached from the east. The weather was perfect for it, verylittle wind and no discernible currents.

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

In the close proximately ofdocks or other ships, we cannot allow mistakes since the ship's momentum mightmake 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 hadbetter rest up because this is a very busy social port.

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

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

More tomorrow...

FTV 2/1/12

2012-02-01T10:07:00.000-08:00

After visiting Guayaquil, Ecuador conservation areas, it makes you want to protect theseprecious ecosystems even more. While onboard the T.S. Kennedy we do the best we can tohelp 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 barrelsfor plastics, paper, and food waste. Obviously, we want to protect our oceans so when we are 3nautical 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. Everythingthat cannot be dumped is offloaded while we are in port. Chief Mate Ford is assisted by theMarine Safety and Environmental Protection Cadets and supervises discharge into the sea. Healso 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 veryimportant 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 killbacteria before it is returned to the sea, when we are in port the treated wasted is pumped out intowaste containers.

If everyone onboard does their part in contributing to waste management, our impact onthe 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

2012-02-01T10:04:00.000-08:00

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 Shellbacksthat 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 portdays). 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'veone 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 allsorts 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...

Departing Ecuador

2012-01-31T08:18:00.000-08:00

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

Deep hydrothermal vents were first found by scientists using cameras, and sonar, backin 1976 along the coast of the Galapagos Islands. One year later, scientists traveled over 2,900meters below the surface of the ocean using the manned submersible, Alvin, for the first humanobservations 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 thesea floor is formed in a rift valley by continent-sized geologic plates that are slowly movingapart. As the plates move, magma from deep inside the Earth is pushed upward and is met by thepressure of a mile and a half of Pacific Ocean bearing down upon it. This dynamic interchangebetween 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 thebottom of the ocean, filled with toxic chemicals and the fury of volcanic heat, then you can beginto imagine the environment of hydrothermal vents. This environment is home to strange sea floorformations, bizarre and undocumented forms of life, and where superheated water jets out of theocean 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 waterrising 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 theocean crust. Temperatures can reach as high as 400degC. As the water heats up, it reacts with therocks in the oceancrust. These chemical reactions remove all of the oxygen from the water making the wateracidic. 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, canreach over 350 degrees Celsius. This hydrothermal fluid carries with it dissolved metals andother chemicals, like hydrogen sulfide, from deep beneath the ocean floor.

You might think thatsuch a harsh environment would be devoid of life, yet the areas around hydrothermal vents aresmall 'oases' in the barely populated habitats of the deepsea. Scientists who discovered the first vent system back in 1977 were quite surprised to see thisarea teeming with a variety of different life forms. The secret was held in the bacteria that wereable to harvest energy from the chemical fluid seeping from the vents! These bacteria use sulfurto create food. This process is called chemosynthesis allow organisms to make sugars fromchemicals. 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 ofthe bacteria can survive temperatures over 100 degrees Celsius! Many animals living in ventcommunities live in a symbiotic relationship with these, sulfide-loving bacteria within theirbodies; the bacteria provide sugar to their host while the host provides a safe refuge for thebacteriaTo 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

2012-01-31T07:36:00.000-08:00

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

From myseat, these ports basically just amount to a mountain of paperwork. One wouldnot believe the vast amounts of paper we prepare to enter a foreign port - andit 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 nowind whatsoever.

As we push up the coast of Ecuador and Columbia we areencountering hundreds of small fishing vessels - about 20 feet long - out here12-15 miles off.More tomorrow...

Sailing Team Headed to LA

2012-01-30T14:20:00.000-08:00

After a great season the MMA sailing team has been invited to compete in the Los Angeles Harbor ClubRegatta. On March 9-11 they will raise their sails against Cal Maritime, the Coast Guard Academy, theUS Naval Academy, and the University of Michigan Sailing Team. The team is particularly proud of theirperformance when they competed against the Naval Academy, where they placed third in two of theirevents. 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 sailsfrom 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 competeas sailors of these beautiful off shore boats. The team is coached by Head Coach-Chuck Fontaine who isthe Director of Boat Donations at MMA, he is assisted by Twice Tougas, who will accompany the team toCalifornia.

This year's team consisted of First Class Jeffrey Gawrys who is a Marine Engineering Major; he willremember his senior year sailing season as his best. Jeffrey was been sailing for over 15 years, andcomes from Marblehead, Mass.Another senior, Graham Philpot of Laconia NH, is majoring in marine transportation, he has been sailinghis since he can remember. He chose Mass Maritime because of the unique training offered by theAcademy.Eric Pattison, a 1st class Marine Transportation cadet began sailing, 4 years ago as a freshman atMMA. He chose to attend MMA because he loves boating, and wants to work on water. He is fromWoodbury CT, and attributes part of his success as a cadet to the structured instruction he received atthe 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 factthey had a great sailing program.Andrew Gregoire 3rd class Marine Transportation Major from North Carolina chose Mass Maritime inpreparation for his life and work the on sea4th class Marine Transportation Travis Thonus is from East Dennis. He chose Mass Maritime for itsexcellent 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 isspending 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 cheeringthem on here at MMA.

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

Guayaquil Hosptal

2012-01-29T06:21:00.000-08:00

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

Today they reached their destination, a children'shospital 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, wherethey will use their ships maintenance training to undertake several work projects requested by thehospital.

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

Congratulations to those Cadets who volunteered their liberty time to serve in this valuablehumanitarian 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. Somediseases, such as influenza, measles, and smallpox, spread rapidly and are of great concernto public health organizations.

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

FTV 1/28/12

2012-01-28T17:12:00.000-08:00

We docked in Guayaquil, Ecuador's biggest city and the nation's main sea port. Guayaquil is on the westside of the Guayas River, which flows into the Gulf of Guayaquil in the Pacific Ocean. Guayaquil is at 2.21degrees south of the equator, and 79.9 west. Guayaquil is the capital of the Guayas province of Ecuador.

Here the T. S. Kennedy cadets Adam Labranche and Libby Buck welcomed group of 25 students from anEnglish speaking high school in Guayaquil. This outreach program is sponsored by the Consulate Generalof the United States of America, and is open to students who want to learn English so that they mayattend colleges, and work in a Global economy. Some of these students have an interest in the shippingindustry, because they have grown up in this large port city.

The students were given a tour of the ship from bow to stern, here they are visiting the bridge, to seethe high level of technology that the MMA cadets are trained to use to navigate ships around the globe.

These students are going to 'Follow the Voyage' for the remainder of your sea term when theyreturn to their classroom, and we hope that they enjoyed getting a taste of a Mass Maritime Sea termexperience. We enjoyed meeting them, and wish them well as they plan their futures after completingtheir last year of high school in Guayaquil.You can learn about the layout of the T.S. Kennedy, and learn about the names given to the parts of aship by doing the following activities.

Captain's Blog 1/28/12

2012-01-28T17:08:00.001-08:00

Day one in Guayaquil was uneventful- we sent about 450 cadets ashore forliberty, and 449 were back aboard by 0200. The one person missing was anemployee that often grabs a hotel ashore one or two times a cruise, so we don'tworry too much about him.One of a few problems we have encountered is currency.

The Ecuadorian economyruns on the US dollars- literally. (Funny anecdote, Captain Rozak had justexplained to the cadets in the pre-port brief that the use of the US dollar wasprevalent, when not two minutes later a cadet asks 'What's the exchange rate?'I think Captain Rozak's cute response was drowned out by cadet laughter.)

Anyway, there is a counterfeiting problem here too- so restaurants and taxiare very reluctant to take anything over a 20 dollar bill. I don't carry enough20's to help that cause, as matter of fact, I cause the problem for somebecause when they get money 'wired' to them aboard, I tend to give only $100worth of 20s to each payment- even if it is $1,000.

So, I awaken at 0300 thismorning and say 'hey, you've got all the money from the pre-paid email cards'.So I get up and count out over $6K in twenties- and the ship's clerk is downin ship's office right now breaking large bills on a first come, first servedbasis. I hope that alleviates the problem for some.

Another problem is the distance from the dock to the down town center-although it measures about 5 kilometres on the map, but it takes about 40minutes by bus, and maybe 35 in a taxi. But this problem persists in many portswe go to- it's all part of the seagoing experience I suppose.More tomorrow...

The Equator

2012-01-27T13:40:00.000-08:00

Here we are crossing the equator it is about 9AM, January 26, but without street signs, highway,markers, buoys, or land to determine our position, you might wonder how we even knewwe were there. For sailors throughout time, finding their way through the ocean has been achallenge.

In the early 1800's Midshipmen's education on board a vessel like the Constitution includednavigation; how to determine the ship's location at sea. How do you determine your location ifthere is no land in sight? Each day at noon, Midshipmen measured the sun's position above thehorizon using a sextant. Then the ship's position was calculated using the measurement takenwith the sextant and mathematical equations. The sextant was a tool that was used consistentlyfor navigation.

Today, it is still being used to navigate the most difficult conditions.Thanks to modern technology, the current tool used for finding ships location is a GPS. TheGlobal Positioning System (GPS) is a constellation of navigation satellites that orbit the Earthat an altitude of about 12,000 miles (20,000 kilometers). At this altitude, the satellites completetwo orbits in a little less than a day. Though originally designed by the U.S. Department ofDefense for military applications, the federal government made the system available for civilianuses and lifted security measures designed to restrict accuracy to 10 meters. This made the GPSthe ideal tool for the marine shipping industry, and boat captons of pleasure boats as well. Theoptimal constellation consists of 21satellites with 3 operational 'spares.'

The system is designedto ensure that at least four satellites are visible at least 15deg above the horizon at any given time,anywhere in the world.Engineers and scientists are always coming up with new applications for established technologies such asGPS! For example, during the recent H1N1 FluOutbreak, the GPS system was used to create immediatemapping of cases of the flu as they were reported.

Try this activity to make and use your own sextant

Try this one to learn more about GPS

Captain's Blog 1/27/12

2012-01-27T13:36:00.001-08:00

DATE 1/27 FRI
TIME 0224 LT (ZD +5), 0724 GMT ARRIVAL
LAT 2-46S
LON 80-30W
C 078
S 15 K
RPM 60
DEPTH 17.8 METERS
WIND LT AIRS
SKY 7/8
PRES 1012
AIR 75/73
SEA 79
12 NM WEST OF DATA DE POSORJA

FWE 0742 LT, 1242 GMT

Guayaquil is 50 miles up the Chaga River - low lying marshes and shrimp farmsall along the way. Of course the pilot was telling us how beautiful it was, butyou don't see too much when it's 3:00 in the morning.

We made it to Guayaquilshortly after seven, were granted free pratique at 0800, but did not get thecadets off until nearly 1030 as we needed to give them a lecture on the uniquesafety and security concerns of the port.

We had the privilege of having arepresentative from NCIS out of Quito, and an Associate Counsel for the USConsulate in Guayaquil. The words were foreboding, but the risks are no greaterthan when we call at places like Piraeus, Greece.The weather is hot, but there has been an overcast cloud layer that made itbearable.

We chartered a bus, but as we send so many cadets ashore on the firstday of liberty, there was a backup. But we expanded choices for the cadetswith a reputable cab company, and before you knew it the dock was clear ofcadets. I hope they all have a safe and enjoyable port visit in this port.More tomorrow

Fresh Water at Sea

2012-01-26T13:08:00.000-08:00

This is the Kennedy’s evaporator; it makes fresh water out of salt water. The process of making fresh water out of saltwater is called desalination. We need fresh water for our boiler and to drink. We only make fresh water to drink at sea because the water in port is too dirty to make drinking water, but we can make boiler water at either sea or in port

Desalination/Distillation is one of man's earliest forms of water treatment, and it is still a popular treatment solution throughout the world today. In ancient times, many civilizations used this process on their ships to convert sea water into drinking water. Today, desalination plants are used to convert sea water to drinking water on ships and in many arid regions of the world, and to treat water in other areas that is fouled by natural and unnatural contaminants. Distillation is perhaps the one water treatment technology that most completely
reduces the widest range of drinking water contaminants.

Solar desalination is used by nature to produce rain which is the main source of fresh water on earth. All available man-made distillation systems are duplication on a small scale of this natural process.

In nature, this basic process is responsible for the hydrologic cycle. The sun causes water to evaporate from surface sources such as lakes, oceans, and streams. The water vapor eventually comes in contact with cooler air, where it re-condenses to form dew or rain. This process can be imitated artificially, and more rapidly than in nature, using alternative sources of heating and cooling.

Although desalination is a simple process, extracting fresh water from seawater on a large scale is very costly; however the scarcity of fresh water resources and the need for additional water supplies is already critical in many arid regions of the world. New technologies will have to be developed for desalination if we are to meet the growing need for fresh water worldwide.

In this activity your will make a simple model of a desalinator.

Here is desalinization lab experiment

Captain's Blog 1/26/12

2012-01-26T11:12:00.000-08:00

DATE 1/26 THUR
TIME 0700 LT (ZD +5), 1200 GMT
LAT 0-10N
LON 83-13W
C 180
S 7.5 K
RPM 30
DEPTH 3474 METERS
WIND S FORCE 4
SKY 1/8
PRES 1011
AIR 76/74
SEA 79
158NM NW OF CABO SN LORENZO, ECUADOR

Shellbacking Day - The Pollywogs and Tadpoles were awoken at 0600 and served a sumptuous breakfast from the sea; all with names that were nastier than the real food such as fried kelp, fish eggs and Octopus Juice. Then off to theirquarters where, while sequestered, the loyal Shellbacks set the stage for the grand initiation into the Deep.

King Neptune's Royal Court, with the Queen and Royal Baby, lead the entourage to the Helo Deck. 630 Pollywogs were initiated and I believe that every single one of them did so with the biggest smile on their faces even when standing in torrents of saltwater flowing over their heads, crawling to meet King Neptune himself, and to swim with the creatures of the sea. King Neptune was so pleased with the response by the Pollywogs that he asked me to give them a special privilege so I have suspended Captain's Inspection tonight.

Hundreds of cadets are now lined up to start chowing down on the cook-out on the Helo Deck. Meanwhile a small army of Cadets and crew are hard at work bringing the ship back into a presentable condition before we enter port tomorrow morning.Next port is Guayaquil, Ecuador, which MMA has not visited in over 40 years. Thatâ€™s the sea term - one adventure after another.More tomorrowâ€¦.

Engine Room Visit

2012-01-25T12:41:00.000-08:00

Avisit to the Engine Room is an awesome sight as we see the actualmachines that work to make us sail through the ocean. It is here thatwe see how energy can be converted from one form to other toaccomplish the tasks need to get the job done.

Thisis a picture shows the actual fuel oil burners going into ourStarboard (one on the right side of the ship) boiler. We have 2boilers that make all of the steam that we use to make some of ourelectricity as well as some of our fresh water out of salt water. Itis also used to turn our propeller.

Thisis a picture of our main shaft that runs from our engine gears allthe way to the back (“Stern”) of the ship and out to ourpropeller. This is made up of eight sections which are boltedtogether. They are supported by bearings that have lube oil in them

Theseare our throttles that are in the engine room. These are opened orclosed to put more or less steam to our engines to give the speedthat the office on the bridge wants. The big one is the “Ahead”throttle to go forward and the small one is the “Astern” throttleto go backwards. The Red and Green dial at the top of this pictureshows how fast the propeller is turning. The Red and Green dialbelow that shows us what the Bridge wants for speed.

Asyou work through this activityyou will learn an important law of the universe that is the law ofthe conservationof energy,which states that energy cannot be increased or decreased, but energycan change from one form to another even as the total amount remainsconstant. Energy can be found in many forms here are some examples:

Mechanical
Electrical
Thermal (heat)
Chemical
Radiant (light)

Useyour new learning to complete this worksheet

Captain's Blog 1/25/12

2012-01-25T06:56:00.000-08:00

Missed a day - I guess I can blame it on a 15-round fight with the emailservice. We hope that we have worked out a fix with the provider, and it seemsto be working better at this time. Out on board IT guy, and honestly it isn'this full-time job aboard, has been working very hard - telephone calls for longperiods of time as he worked with software engineers in France and Germany. Everyone wants to make it right, so as frustrated as we all get over it, theyare honestly trying to make it right.

Tonight we stepped too far into the Royal Domain of King Neptune. He sent hisRoyal Scribe, Davy Jones and some rough looking Shellbacks to board theKennedy. He abruptly surprised the bridge watch in a cavalcade of explosionsand demanded to see the Captain. Upon arrival on the bridge Davy challenged myright to bring mere pollywogs and tadpoles into the Realm. I told him I hademailed King Neptune, and was quickly reminded that the 'The email ain'tworking Cap'n!'

Shortly thereafter I had all the unworthy assembled on the Helo Deck - as Davymade a fine arrival, flying up to the Boat Deck from the Fantail. He proceededto chastise the pollywogs on their crimes- then read a proclamation dictatingthat they stand before the King himself in the morning.

So, as quickly as hearrived he was gone, but not before commanding his shellback to 'wash themdown!' In a matter of minutes all 630 pollywogs were drenched in the water ofthe Seven Seas - and now await their trial in the morning.More tomorrow...

FTV 1/24/12

2012-01-24T11:18:00.000-08:00

Golfito, Costa Rica was definitely the cure for everyone's case of cabin fever. Everyonegot to get off and explore the surrounding area. Some cadets went on hikes and found waterfalls,laid out in the sun on exotic beaches, scuba dive at world renowned reefs or went on a horsebackride through the rain forest.Throughout the cruise, the school sets up tours where cadets can participate.

Costa Rica'stour was Zip-lining through the rain forest's canopy. Costa Rica is the world leader in canopytours which allow travelers to explore the rainforest canopy more than 100 feet above the junglefloor. Ziplines are made of steel cables that run between trees, giving the rider a feeling offlying, even though they are securely attached by a harness. The tour consisted of 10 runs thatall had different views of the breathe- taking rainforest . Some cadets even made a new friend, asa sloth wanted to join them on the zip line.

There are many beaches in Golfito, but the Zancudo was the beach that everyone ravedabout as a must see. Zancudo is on the eastern shore of Golfito Dulce bay. The beach is a fourmile sand spit that projects from the shore and is covered with a gray sand. For many cadetsit was the first time swimming in the Pacific Ocean. After a fun day in the sun, cadets foundthemselves sitting by the waterside and enjoying the fresh, local food or enjoying the night lifewith their friends.

All in all it was a great start, now it is one port down and three more to go!Zacundo beach, like most beaches is a marine aquatic ecosystem where the land meets the sea,it is called the intertidal zone because it is exposed to the air at low tide and submerged at hightide. To learn more about the ecosystems of the intertidal zone ecosystem try this activity

Captain's Blog 1/24/12

2012-01-24T11:14:00.000-08:00

DATE 1/24 TUE
TIME 0700 LT (ZD +6), 1300 GMT
LAT 5-49N
LON 83-10W
C 180
S 7.5 K
RPM 30
DEPTH 3078 METERS
WIND LIGHT AIRS
SKY 3/8
PRES 1012
AIR 78/73
SEA 81
120 NM SW OF ISLA JICARON, PANAMA

We are definitely in the Doldrums of the equatorial region - very lightbreezes - occasional cloud formations - but just out and out hot. Thethermometer says 88 degrees, but it sure feels hotter without any wind.We are on day 12 of the training schedule, which means we are at the 50%mark in the training.

Tomorrow the cadets that have finished theirtraining assignment will be examined. That will take up most of the day.For those cadets the remainder of the sea term will be dedicated towatches and maintenance, which is a relief I am sure. Whether it is thehot sun or the examination preparation, there are very few cadets out ondeck. Those working maintenance in their blue boiler suits are moving kindof slow, and the ice machines are working overtime.

There is an underlying tension too as we approach the Equator, Everyoneknows that the loyal Shellbacks are making preparations - oddcontraptions of pipes are being built here, a plywood platforms elsewhere,and long lines run from unusual locations. It is all in the preparationfor the ceremony that will be conducted on Thursday, but the unknown forthe Pollywogs is real.More tomorrow...

Captain's Blog 1/23/12

2012-01-23T10:09:00.000-08:00

DATE 1/23 MON
TIME 0900 LT (ZD +6), 1500 GMT DEPARTURE
LAT 8-36N
LON 83-12W
C 227
S 9 K
RPM 30
DEPTH 80 METERS
WIND LIGHT AIRS
SKY 0/8
PRES 1013
AIR 80/75
SEA 80
3 NM SW OF GOLFITO, COSTA RICA

Nothing beats watching NFL football at an open air restaurant, overlooking a marina on Banana Bay in Golfito. It was about 90 degrees and hot but the shade worked wonders. The game proved to be a real nail biter. There must have been over 50 Cadets and crew watching from the restaurant that we were at. The response to good and bad plays is always fun when the crowd is for one team and the excitement builds.

Finally, we won! I guess a little luck always helps. A spontaneous celebration occurred, shouts for a celebratory swim were called for and I was selected to lead the charge. So,we went down about 100 feet of dock and right into the warm waters of Banana Bay. There had to be 30 people in the impromptu swim call- all laughing and cheering. Whether it was the swim or the Patriot's victory, I guess it didn't matter too much. Everyone had fun and we allclimbed out safely.

This morning we called for slow astern, heaved on the anchor and gently pulled away from Golfito. It is always a little sad but our next adventure is aheadof us. Of course, we have much more training to accomplish before we can put this trip in the can. But first, we'll have to deal with King Neptune!More tomorrow...

FTV Birds of Prey

2012-01-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

Buzzy chillin with Cadet Gianetti

One afternoon we noticed a new visitor on board ship. Heintroduced himself as Buzzy of Buzzards Bay Mass. Buzzy is a turkey buzzard, a common bird found in England. Whenthese settlers arrived at the Massachusetts coast they saw ospreys flyingoverhead, and thought they were the vultures they

knew from home. They called the area which is now the home of MassMaritime, Buzzards Bay, when in reality it should have been called Osprey Bay.The turkey buzzard and the osprey both are members of the bird family calledRaptors. Here is Buzzy, as he relaxes on the ship with Cadet Gianetti. When welanded in Golfito, Engineering Professor Murray decided to take him on a tourof the port. We will hear more from Buzzy later as we continue on our trip.

Raptors, also called birds of prey, have several similarbehavioral and physical characteristics. They are carnivorous; have strong,hooked bills for tearing flesh; have powerful feet with long talons (claws) for grasping prey; andforward-facing eyes for acute long-distance vision. There are many kinds ofraptors, including ospreys, owls, hawks, eagles, falcons and vultures. Each has characteristics that distinguish it fromother raptors. Ospreys are large, fish-eating hawks that plunge into the waterfrom high above to catch

fish with their talons. Osprey feet have a pivoting outer toe andsharp scales, which enable them to catch and grasp slippery fish. Owls aresilent, mostly nocturnal (nighttime) hunters. They have large eyes that gather large amounts of light,enabling them to hunt in darkness. They also have cup-like facial disks aroundtheir eyes, which help focus sound and improve hearing. Falcons have narrow, pointedwings that help them to fly fast and maneuver skillfully. They have black eyes,hooked talons and conspicuously notched bills (tomial teeth). Vultures arescavengers (carrion eaters). They have unfeathered heads, which is an importantadaptation for carrion-eating birds that poke their heads into carcasses to feed. Strong feet andsharp talons are not as important to carrion eaters because they don’t catch andtransport live prey. Accipiters are woodland-dwelling hawks.They have long, squarish tails and short, rounded wings thatenable them to maneuver through trees as they hunt for small birds. Thesecharacteristics are adaptations that enable raptors to survive in their unique environments.

Turkey Buzzard

Ospreys

Click on picture for full view

AddLearn more about Raptors

Captain's Blog 1/22/12

2012-01-22T14:02:00.001-08:00

Sunday is kind of like every other day in port - one division works while twodivisions go out on liberty. Most of the day workers get the day off. So, it isa lazy day really. But I look around there are still painting parties, thefast rescue boat is down on the water for routine maintenance, and the trashtruck will be here at 1300. Work goes on.

The Academy Chaplain, Father Jim Houston joined us in Panama, and has beencelebrating mass every night since. Today, as we always do on Sunday, we havethe mass up on deck. This morning at 0900 about 50 men and women joined Fr.Houston in the bright sunshine, really hot temperatures, and not a hint ofwind. It was really nice, as always, to celebrate the mass out of doors, but itwas warm.

So, today the crew can go ashore and watch the Patriots take on Baltimore. GoPatriots! Tomorrow we'll be underway for the Raging Main - the Royal Domain ofKing Neptune.

FTV Docking in Golfito

2012-01-22T12:14:00.000-08:00

Golfito is a very old port without the technology, andguidance that we experienced when we passed through Panama. For that reason itwas up to Capt. Bushy and his team on the bridge to use their seamanship andexperience to dock the T.S. Kennedy. The docking was executed perfectly, usingour anchor, steering, and very slow speed. We were greeted at the dock and gota helping hand from the dock workers in Golfito to tie our lines to their dockside.

Next the cadets used a crane to lower our checking stationto the dock, by using a computer check in system; the ships officers know whois on ship in case of an emergency, and who has not returned to the ship fromtheir shore liberty. By lunch time we were all set up and were able to go downthe dock to the little town of Golfito.

Golfito is located on Costa Rica's South Pacific coast,about 340 highway kilometers from San José. This small port city is a narrowstrip along Golfito Bay backed against steep green hills covered with pristinerainforest, with the Golfo Dulce lying seaward outside Golfito Bay. Golfito wasthe main port on the South Pacific Coast of Costa Rica in the days whenthere was little except huge banana plantations. Diseases which infectedthe bananas and massive strikes by the workers contributed largely tothe United Fruit Company's decision to leave the area. Beautifulbeaches such as Playa Zancudo, and the surfing paradise Pavones are within easyreach from Golfito by car, boat or bus.

As we make our journey south to the equator, it is evidentfrom the plants and animals that we see that we have crossed into a new biome.A biome is a type of ecosystem on land. Ecologists recognize seven differenttypes on the earth. Two major factors contribute to the type of biome a regionwill have, they are temperature and precipitation.

In this activity you will make a graph of the temperatureand precipitation of the earth’s biomes
This word search will get you familiar with important rainforest terms

Captain's Blog 1/21/12

2012-01-21T08:55:00.001-08:00

NOTE: We are having difficulties with the on board email system, and we areworking with the service provider to determine the problem and the correction.Email is going out, but receiving is the problem - please be patient as we workthrough the problem - thank you.

I've been sitting here looking at the keyboard for five minutes and am totallyempty. No words, not great experiences to relate - nothing! I know that nearly400 cadets went on liberty yesterday, as well as majorities of the crew aftertheir duties were finishedâ€¦but I've no reports on anything. I heard a pipe (PAannouncements) that the Zip Line tours were to muster on the dock at 0730...see,I'm struggling principally because everything is peaceful. Probably a conditionof people hanging out in Golfito?

More tomorrow if there's something to write about.

FTV 1/21 Marine Engineering Lab

2012-01-21T08:02:00.000-08:00

Al Gillis, Engineering Training Coordinator

The Engineering Department is in charge of performing all maintenance on the ship including cleaning and repairing of machinery, plumbing, electricity, refrigeration, and fuel oil. Engineering Training Coordinator Gillis supervises the marine engineering training of all cadets on board. This includes 8 days in the marine training classroom, 8 days of marine maintenance duty, such as scraping the rust off and repainting the metal parts of the ship’s deck, and 8 days of engineering watch duty.

After graduation from MMA, Gillis worded for the department of defense, where he was an engineer developing systems for ships to conserve energy. He returned to MMA 12 years ago, and he is currently on this 10^th Sea Term Semester. His favorite part the Sea Term Cruise, is getting to really know his cadets by working side by side with them every day.

Michelle Paré 2^nd Refrigeration Rate

Michelle Paré is from Holyoke, MA and is currently aSenior Marine Engineer on this cruise. She is the 2^nd RefrigerationRate. She oversees the air condition andrefrigeration systems along with the other Refrigeration Rates. She also has to work on air handlers, whichis the air system that runs throughout the ship. She has to make sure it isworking to its full potential by constantly checking the temperatures andchanging air filters. She must completerounds of all the systems she is responsible for, write up a report, and submitit to the 1^st Assistant Engineer and the Chief Engineer.

She’s looking forward to down time once we get intoport since she’s been so busy. She can’t wait to just relax on a beach with herclosest friends and go zip-lining in Costa Rica!

When asked why she wanted to come to Mass Maritime,she said “I knew I wanted to go into engineering, and I thought Marine Enginewould be very interesting so I went for it. I’m glad I did it!”

Engineer a New Machine Activity

Captain's Blog 1/20/12

2012-01-20T08:56:00.000-08:00

Arrival in Golfito, Costa Rica was early but rewarding. The seas were smooth
due to virtually no wind – only what we call “light airs”. We had to cope with
some small fishing boats working the entrance to Golfito Bay which is the
sailfish capital of the world – so I guess no surprises there!

Golfito is rural in a word. It has inspiring hills right up to the sea, and
they are overgrown with tropical vegetation. I am sure if you climbed up the
hills you would encounter monkeys. The town is essentially one road, the same
road that runs along the entire west coast. There are paths inland toward the
hills, but not any roads to speak of up there. I guess most of the people walk
down the hill and catch the bus that runs the coastal road. But they can’t go
too far. We are not permitted to travel more than 25 kilometers from the ship,
staying in Golfito Province, and we are told that a drive to Quepos, only 50
miles away, takes five hours. Things move slowly down in the south of Costa
Rica.

Our docking was really cool. Four years ago we came and made a right gradual
turn into the dock, port side to, using the bow thruster, engines and rudder.
Today we came in, turned right and moved ahead of the dock. At this point the
pilot dropped the port anchor and we worked around on it until we were headed
for the dock. Then we dredged the anchor toward the dock, giving us great
control of the bow as we moved in to a starboard side to docking. As we got
close a line boat took our heaving lines ashore, then once the mooring lines
were run, we heaved in the bow and stern to the dock. No bow thruster this
time, where the anchor and lines did the rest. No tug boats, just good old
fashioned seamanship.
More tomorrow…

Marine Engineering Classrooms

2012-01-20T07:28:00.001-08:00

Today I went down to the Ships Engineering Classroom and Lab, even during sea term the cadets havetheir daily classes to attend. In the engineering department students learn to solve problems that arefaced everyday on a ship. The topic of this class is steam engineering, and students learn about thehow the ships engine room works, and what the functions are of the different machines located in theengine room.

It is important that the cadets learn about this machinery not only to pass the courseand graduate, but also to pass the license tests given by the US Coast Guard. While in class, the rockingof the boat caused Dr. Bausch's computer table to slide, so as a good engineer does, he found animmediate solution to the problem using materials that were readily available in the engineering lab.

Next I visited the marine engineering lab where the students are learning to use the tools ofengineering. There are several tables and each one has all the supplies needed to learn to use andthe procedure for each of the tools. In the following pictures you will see students learning to use thesoldering gun, and tools to thread and fit pipes.Which phase of the design process do you think these students are in? Why?

From Atlantic to Pacific

2012-01-19T12:36:00.000-08:00

Today we travelled through the Panama Canal, which consists of 3 locks. TheGatun Lock allowed us to be lifted up from the Atlantic Ocean into the GatunLake. The next lock was the Pedro Miguel Lock which took us to the MirafloresLock that lowered us into the Pacific Ocean. Once inside the lock the gates wereclosed, and the lock was filled with enough water to get us to float up to the nextlevel.

Small pilot boats guided us into the lock, were we were hooked onto tinyengines called locomotives, on each side of the ship. As we moved through thelock these locomotives communicated with each other with bells and buzzers ateach stop to make for a very smooth ride.The Panama Canal is currently adding a third set of locks that will not onlyaccommodate more ships, but also wider and larger ones, that cannot currentlyfit through.

The project which began in 2007, is currently still in the design andengineering stages.Some Interesting Facts:

During Canal Construction Days, over 200 million cubic meters of materialwere removed. If this material was placed on railroad flat cars, it wouldcircle the globe four times.
On August 15, 1914, the first ship sailed through the Panama CanalIn May of 1963, florescent lights were installed in the three locks, allowingthe canal to operate around the clock.
The New Panama Canal locks will be 427 meters long 55 meters wide, thesize of about 4 football fields.

Canal Engineering:In order for the canal to work it must be built on an even level. To cope withuneven land engineers had to design a way to pass boats up or down a small hill.In order to do this they had to build a lock, which was a set of large gates to holdback the water in a space big enough to fita canal boat. These locks were built so that a canal boat could be raised to a higher level ofwater. In some parts of a canal the uneven shape of the land meant that manylocks were needed. If a canal had to go up a steep hill several locks were joinedtogether to form a staircase.

Today's canal passage took us from the Atlantic ocean to the Pacific Ocean, onedifference between the Atlantic and Pacific is their salinity, to learn more aboutwatch this video, then try this activity.

Captain's Blog 1/19/12

2012-01-19T12:32:00.001-08:00

After enduring the strong trade winds of the Atlantic and Caribbean just a fewdays ago, it is wonderful to wake up to 3 knots of light airs, and a smoothocean with only a hint of a swell. I guess this is what the explorer Balboa sawwhen he declared it 'Pacifico'. The skies are clear, and we can expect rain inmaybe May or June. It's the dry season, and we'll take it!

Tomorrow we'll dock in Golfito, Costa Rica. This will be our second port visitthere, when we were there in 2008. It is a small, sleepy little tropical city,once one of the ports serving the banana trade to the USA, but having beenout-dated by larger ports with better infrastructure. But small or not, I knowthat our cadets are looking forward to some liberty - after all - they willhave been aboard for 12 days when we dock, and at least 17 days since they hada day away from the ship.But before they go on liberty they have two important events - one is Captain'sInspection tonight when all berthing and public areas in the cadet world areinspected, with a close personnel inspection.

After this the cadets will all bemustered on the Helo Deck, and be administered a pre-port briefing by CaptainRozak and Commander Kelleher - they providing the does and don'ts of libertypolicy, as well as stern warnings on the ramifications for poor decisions.Let's hope they all listen.more tomorrow...

FTV 1/18/12

2012-01-18T10:44:00.000-08:00

Today, we reached the opening to the Panama Canal; before we can cross the canal we must make radiocontact with the Panamanian Officials to get our instructions and clearance for passage. We were givena passage time of about 7AM tomorrow, January 18 and were advised to anchor in the zone marked byyellow buoys. Later in the afternoon the boat was boarded by Panama Officials to verify that we had allof the necessary equipment needed to make the trip through the canal.

Extending across the Isthmus of Panama, it connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It is about 51 mi (82km) long from deep-water to deep-water, with a minimum width of 300 ft. (91 m) and a minimum depthof 41 ft. (12 m). Panama granted the U.S. the Panama Canal Zone and the rights to build and operate acanal. Work began in 1904; the construction continued from 1907 until the canal opened on August 15,1914. Panama took control of the canal 1999. No large vessel can pass through the canal under its ownpower. Ships are towed by electric locomotives, and it takes 15-20 hours to complete the passage.

Thecanal allows ships sailing between the eastern and western coasts of the U.S. to shorten their voyage byabout 8,000 nautical miles.Often referred to as the greatest engineering feat of all time, the Canal was constructed by buildinga dam on the Chagres River. The dam created a massive lake 85 feet above sea level, and three lockchambers at each end of the lake were installed to raise and lower the ships to sea level.

The view from our anchorage shows that many ships are waiting in line to enter the canal; these shipsdisplay their country of origin. Flags have been used by navigators for generations as a method ofcommunications before technology introduced electronic communication tools.

Click here to learn more about ships flags

Captain's Blog 1/18/12

2012-01-18T10:27:00.001-08:00

DATE 1/18 WED
TIME 0830 LT, 1330 GMT
LAT 9-15N
LON 79-55W
C AT ANCHOR
S
RPM
DEPTH 17 METERS
WIND NE FORCE 4
SKY 1/8
PRES 1011
AIR 77/73
SEA
AT ANCHOR IN GATUN LAKE JUST AFTER GATUN LOCKS

The day started at 0400 as we prepared to get underway for our Panama Canaltransit. Pilot ladder rigged, our engines ready and gear tested - the pilotwas aboard at 0445. Captain Isaiah Chang, MMA'89 climbed aboard. He broughtalong his wife Lili Beth and (second son) Miguel. I was happy to see Isaiah,one of the grandfathers of the modern era of Panamanians that attended theAcademy - and nice to see his wife again. (I asked her as we proceeded towardGatun how many times she has done this, and she said it was the first time everriding on a transit - over 20 years together!)

So with the anchor away at 0530 we turned to the south out the anchorage andstarted the passage through. I just re-read David McCullough's 'Path Betweenthe Seas', and it is so very insightful of the whole process of canal historyand engineering that is should be required reading for anyone making thetransit. But as we moved toward the Gatun Locks, and I saw the lighted stepsahead, I was awed once again at the genius that went into the Canal. Andknowing they are digging new locks just 400 yards to the east using modernexcavating equipment, it is unimaginable the level of effort it took by thelaborers in building just this one set of locks ahead of the Kennedy.

We have now lifted the three chambers - up 86 feet in all - to the level ofGatun Lake. We had to go to anchor to use up some time as the northbound shipscleared from the narrow sections south of the lake. So, I've written this shortreport, I'll send it off, and write more later after we finish our transit...

UPDATE

We heaved anchor at 0900 and off we went - leading the southbound convoy. Notbecause we are fast or particularly good looking - but because we arerelatively small, we can meet the big 'daylight transit only' Panamax ships inthe narrow reaches before Gaillard Cut. The transit was filled with the visualappreciation for tropical beauty, punctuated with the sudden passing of largecontainership and bulk carriers. Our speed was adjusted down several times asthe day's delays sneaked into the schedule.

Arriving at Gamboa, the beginningthe narrowest land cut, originally was to be 1140, and somehow stretched to1230. Then Pedro Miguel locks were extended to 1340. All said and done, wefinished the transit just over one-hour late.When we approached the Pedro Miguel lock (singular, only one chamber) there wasa small group of people shouting from the fence near the nearby road.

We havefour Panamanian citizens aboard as cadets, so it was easy to assume that wasthe connection. As we passed they jumped into their cars and started drivingsouth, I knew toward the Miraflores locks. As we entered the first chamber youcould see a large crowd of people standing on the exposed decks - threestories. The Pilot turned to me, the relief pilot, a California Maritime grad,says to me that he wants to blow the horn because there are many pilots upthere.

As we moved into the second chamber, and the horn sounded, the cheeringwas deafening. Hands waving, shouts and smiles on everyone - of course ourcadets on deck returned the favor.So, we have taken departure from Balboa and are on our way out of the Bay ofPanama into the Pacific Ocean. First time for so many cadets aboard!

Captain's Blog 1/17/12

2012-01-17T10:37:00.000-08:00

DATE 1/17 TUE
TIME 0730 LT, 1230 GMT ARRIVAL
LAT 9-35N
LON 79-55W
C 180
S 12K
RPM 55
DEPTH 260 METERS
WIND NE FORCE 5
SKY 4/8
PRES 1015
AIR 78/74
SEA 80
12 NM DUE NORTH OF CANAL ENTRANCE

FWE 0942 LT, 1442 GMT
AT ANCHOR INSIDE THE BREAKWATER AWAITING ARRIVAL OF CANAL OFFICIALS

We were notified last night of a ship in distress - right on our track toPanama. But as we moved forward it went away.'Rescue cancelled' was all wereceived. Then at 0500 the approach to Panama began. As you know, were rollingall day yesterday and it persisted right up to the breakwaters of Cristobal.

Ships coming into the Panama Canal never arrive from sea and head straightthrough to transit. Some we must anchor outside, and then are told to move intothe inner anchorage, which is more work, especially since there were over 30ships at anchor outside - just finding a spot can be problem - let alongmaneuvering to it. But when we called Cristobal Signal Station we weredirected to proceed into the inner anchorage - to Anchorage B - way in on thewest side.

So we entered the breakwater at 0842 with a westerly set (steeringcourse 165 to make good 180), then once inside, turned sharply to the right.Our spot was right between a heavy lift ship and a tanker. So we were forcedto point straight in, get to our spot and drop the hook. We then backed downand filled to bring Kennedy broadside to the wind and then nature took itscourse.

At 0942 we were FWE (Finished with Engines) in the exact spot assigned- a tribute to the smoothly operating bridge team headed up by the SecondMate.So, now we sit and await the ACP (Authoridad del Canal de Panama) authoritiesto do the ship check and a sanitation inspection. We are told by our agentthat the transit is scheduled for tomorrow morning, which will be good. So,more later as the process continues...

OOPS-Oil Spills

2012-01-17T04:00:00.000-08:00

The Gulf Coast oil spill is the "worst environmental disaster the US has faced", according to White House energy adviser Carol Browner. The spill was by far the largest in US history, almost 20 times greater than the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Factors such as petroleum toxicity, oxygen depletion and the use of Corexit dispersant are expected to be the main causes of damage. Eight U.S. national parks are threatened.

More than 400 species that live in the Gulf islands and marshlands are at risk, including the endangered Kemp's Ridley turtle, the Green Turtle, the Loggerhead Turtle, the Hawksbill Turtle, and the Leatherback Turtle. In the national refuges most at risk, about 34,000 birds have been counted, including gulls, pelicans, roseate spoonbills, egrets, terns, and blue herons.

A comprehensive 2009 inventory of offshore Gulf species counted 15,700. The area of the oil spill includes 8,332 species, including more than 1,200 fish, 200 birds, 1,400 molluscs, 1,500 crustaceans, 4 sea turtles, and 29 marine mammals. As of November 2, 2010, 6,814 dead animals had been collected, including 6,104 birds, 609 sea turtles, 100 dolphins and other mammals, and 1 other reptile.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, cause of death had not been determined as of late June. According to NOAA, since January 1, 2011, 67 dead dolphins have been found in the area affected by the oil spill, with 35 of them premature or newborn calves. The cause is under investigation.

Click here explore how a oil spills are cleaned up.

Captain's Blog 1/16/12

2012-01-16T06:47:00.000-08:00

DATE 1/16 MON
TIME 0700 LT, 1200 GMT
LAT 13-51N
LON 77-42W
C 209
S 12K
RPM 55
DEPTH 3900 METERS
WIND NE FORCE 6
SKY 1/8
PRES 1017
AIR 78/74
SEA 80
240 NM NW OF BARRANQUILLA, COLUMBIA

We had a very nice Sunday-At-Sea yesterday. A great deal of food, plenty ofsunshine and only one passing shower. The ship's ride could have been better,but we are encountering the winter trade winds, and those easterlies juststand up the swell. The KENNEDY is a good riding ship as it goes, but does notlike the quartering swell. Add to that our reduced speed, and it'll cause youto bump into a bulkhead occasionally, and learn to hold on.

The NFL Playoffs this past weekend were a hit. About 14 years ago the Boardof Trustees authorized the President to buy a satellite TV system for thetraining ship. I recall that it was over $25,000 at the time! But is has beenvery useful in keeping the cadets and crew entertained while at sea. We oncethought that it would attract crew so as to watch 24-hour news, weatherchannels and movies - yet I have observed that it is under subscribed until asporting event is on. Honestly, you can walk by any of the five TVs that haveservice and often no one is watching.

We are at our 24-hour notification point for the Panama Canal. When we arriveat Cristobal tomorrow, we will be subject to a thorough inspection by theadministration to make sure that we are carrying no cargo, nor have we changedany configurations that would modify our gross tonnage. Then we wait -although we will be informed as to the approximate time of transit, it isalways a waiting game. We are hoping for a daylight transit one way or theother, as this does allow a better appreciation of the beauty of Panama, aswell as the marvel of engineering that it is.

To see the massive earthen stepsbordering each side of Gaillard Cut in Culebra is amazing, or the new bridgebuilt ten years ago with a 270 vertical clearance. And the most exciting thingto see in daylight will be the new excavations at Gatun and Miraflores wherenew 'modern ' locks are being built - over 1200 feet long and 160 feet wide!By late 2014 some much larger ships will ply the Panama Canal.More tomorrow.

Sunday Funday!

2012-01-16T06:41:00.001-08:00

Sunday Fun-Day! Yesterday was our Sunday at Sea. Basically, it's a time for everyone to get a tan ona 'steel beach' and have a good time without worrying about classes. Unfortunately there were a fewpeople still on watch, but once they were done they joined in too.

Chartwells food service put on acook-out on the Helo-Deck. Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Sausage for everyone, what that means is that theKitchen cooked 300 lbs. of burgers (they were big 1/3 pounders), 500 sausage, and three hundred hotdogs. There was also an inflatable jousting competition and lots of music.

That will be our only Sundayat Sea since all the rest of our Sunday's we will be in port. Everyone made the best of it and soaked upsome rays.Try this Barbeque Challenge:

How many hamburgers where cooked in total?
How many buns were needed for that many pieces of meat?
If we have 600 cadets, how many hamburgers can each one have?How many sausages? How many hotdogs?
For desert there was ice cream: 10 gallons of each flavor. A chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, peanut buttercup, and mint chip.How many totals gallon did the cadets have?
How many 1 cup servings did all of the ice cream make?

Captain's Blog 1/15/12

2012-01-15T16:18:00.000-08:00

DATE 1/15
TIME 0700 LT, 1200 GMT
LAT 17-37N
LON 75-22W
C 209
S 15K
RPM 70
DEPTH 800 METERS
WIND NE FORCE 4
SKY 6/8
PRES 1020
AIR 78/72
SEA 80
36 NM EAST OF MORANT CAYS

Sunday at sea is a tradition at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Only thosepersonnel assigned to essential tasks like watch standing or sanitarymaintenance have to work. Everyone else gets to sleep in, wear MMA leisuregear, enjoy a Helo Deck cook-out - just about anything they desire. We'vebeen at it for two weeks now, one week out of Buzzards Bay, which isn't allthat long, but everyone will enjoy the day nonetheless.

Our satellite TV system met the challenge yesterday - as everyone was able towatch the Patriots overcome Tebow-Time in Foxboro. We were pretty unsureabout the system, as we found ourselves coincidentally between continentalUSA DTV and Caribbean DTV - which involves changing out a receivingcomponent, contacting the company, and getting the black boxes 'activated'.

It looked like it was going to fail on Saturday morning, but we took a chanceand changed everything on Friday - and it worked! But come yesterdayafternoon the signal was lost. Not knowing why, we speculated that Cuba'smountains might be mixing it up. So, we speeded up the ship a little, andmade the turn at Windward Passage at a little after 1900 - once we weresteering 180 degrees- bingo, we had the signal. The 49'ers fans got to seethe final quarter, and everyone got to see the Patriot's win.Tomorrow I'll report on the activities during the Sunday at sea.

Cruise Commander

2012-01-15T05:51:00.000-08:00

On campus Jack Gomes is our Regimental Commander, and while at sea he is our Cruise Commander.Mr. Gomes' job is to run a leadership team and help maintain structure and discipline with 1/CGreenland, Cruise Discipline Officer.

Mr. Gomes works with ComCad as 'the middle man' whilerepresenting the cadets during department head meetings. He also helps out the business rates byteaching two of the business classes. One class is based on his Co-Op experience with General Electric.Why MMA? Mr. Gomes says the affordability and convenient location persuaded his decision since helives in New Bedford.

What really caught his eye was the high job placement rate after graduating.When asked what he is looking forward to on cruise, without hesitation he said "Zip-lining in CostaRica!"Mr. Gomes also wanted to say, "Being Regimental Commander back at school prepared me to be CruiseCommander. The experience has taught me how to successfully manage a team."

Fueling Up

2012-01-14T06:56:00.000-08:00

Did you know that everything you do takes energy? Even while you are sitting still, your body is usingenergy to breath, to keep your blood circulating and to control many different processes, like digestion,and waste removal. It is not only living things that need energy everything that moves or changes inany way need energy to move.

For a ship machines like motors and engines need energy to move. Theneed for energy is so great because almost everything that happens on Earth involves energy,Energy resources can be put into two categories, either renewable or non renewable. Resources thatare nonrenewable are used faster than they can be replaced.

Renewable energy resources are thosethat can be replaced quickly after they are used. Fossil fuels which include coal, oil and natural gas arethe most common examples of nonrenewable energy resources. Fossil Fuels are made from materialsthat began forming about 500 million years ago. As plants and animals died, their remains settled onthe ground and at the bottom of bodies of water.

Overtime, these remains formed layer after layer.Eventually, all of these layers were buried deep enough, that they the earthâ€™s mass heat and pressureturned into chemicals compounds known as hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are substances formed fromcarbon and hydrogen chains. Hydrocarbons can be solids, liquids or gases. The liquid form of thesehydrocarbons is petroleum, or crude oil. The crude oil is a thick liquid that is usually dark brown or black.

Oil is formed mainly of by small organisms like plankton and algae, when these organisms die theirremains settle to the bottom of the sea and over a period of millions of years, the heat and pressure ofthe earth turn them into to liquid oil.Once oil is taken from the well, it is sent to an oil refinery to separate it in several useful productssuch as gasoline, diesel, and heating oil.

Crude oil currently provides about 90% of the energy usedfor transportation around the world. The T.S. Kennedy uses a special form of diesel oil called DieselFuel Marine. When we were anchored in South Carolina a large fuel barge tied up along our side anddelivered 8,500 barrels of this fuel.Here is some information that you can use to solve the challenges below:

1 Barrel of oil = 42 gallons
1 mile = 1.15 nautical miles
To travel 1 nautical mile 1 barrel of oil is used.

Learn how to make Unit Conversions like a Scientist.

Practice solving conversions problems

Here is the Challenge of the day

Position Report 1/14/12

2012-01-14T06:49:00.001-08:00

DATE 1/14
TIME 0700 LT, 1200 GMT
LAT 21-45N
LON 77-01W
C 113
S 14K
RPM 70
DEPTH 2200 METERS
WIND E FORCE 4
SKY 1/8
PRES 1020
AIR 75/70
SEA 76
9 NM NE OF CAYO SABINAL, CUBA

A Whale of a Tale

2012-01-13T15:46:00.000-08:00

Now that we have safely passed the protected waters of the Atlantic Right Whale we
were able to pick up some speed as we head south from South Carolina after a fuel stop.

The right whale got its name because it was the “right” whale to hunt. It is a slow
swimmer and spends most of its time in easily reached coastal waters. When it dies, its
thick layer of fat keeps it floating at the surface. About half of the recorded deaths have
resulted from collisions with ships or entanglements in fishing gear. Also the whales
absorb mercury and other toxins from all of the rivers that flow into the Atlantic

Scientists can identify the whales’ likely locations through the year, as a result they
have been able to work cooperatively with government and the shipping and fishing
industries. In 2000, the U.S. began to require that every ship alert the Coast Guard
when it comes into a habitat. More recently, the U.S. and Canadian governments
designated three habitats as “areas to be avoided” by ships when the whales are there.

We passed through the North Atlantic habitat which lies within fifty miles of the East
Coast of the United States and the Canada Maritimes. These waters have heavy traffic
by the shipping and fishing industries, which have been blamed for the slow recovery
rate of endangered right whale populations.At the center of the new Sant Ocean Hall at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History is a life-sized model of one of the largest creatures that ever lived, the North Atlantic right whale. More than a representation of a species, it is a faithful portrait of an individual whale, a female named Phoenix. Born in 1987, Phoenix is still plying the waters between Florida and Nova Scotia. Like the mythical phoenix, she has risen from an ordeal: in 1997, she became entangled in commercial fishing gear—a common cause of death for right whales—and carried pieces of a heavy line with her for more than a year. She has two scars from the incident, on the lip and the tail, which the model includes in exact detail.

Phoenix is officially known as #1705 in the North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog, a database maintained by the New England Aquarium. The four-digit number represents a bit of hopeful thinking about the future. Though an international treaty gave protected status to the world’s three species of right whales in 1935, the North Atlantic whales are today on the brink of extinction: there are fewer than four hundred of them.

Do these activities to learn to identify whales like scientists do.
Here are the pictures to help you solve the whale activity
Learn some amazing whale facts

Capian's Blog 1/13/12

2012-01-13T06:48:00.000-08:00

DATE 1/13
TIME 0700 LT, 1200 GMT
LAT 26-13N
LON 79-57W
C 188
S 11K
RPM 70
DEPTH 145 FATH
WIND NW FORCE 3
SKY 7/8
PRES 1019
AIR 69/65
SEA 70
10 NM NE OF FT. LAUDERDALE

'Rich man's weather'! When I first started going to sea the sailors wouldcall particularly good weather that name. I don't know where it came from,but is certainly can be descriptive. We have enjoyed it since sailingBuzzards Bay. I sure hope there are no paybacks or repercussions connectedto it, but I'll take it. I know everyone aboard will too. Yesterdayafternoon the southwesterly wind died down, the sun came out, and thecadets and crew were out on deck enjoying it. I saw the first 'sunbather',and the traditional gallon jug of sunscreen was lashed to the rail on theHelo Deck.

This morning, as I look west at the Hotels lining the coastlineof Miami, it is 75 degrees, light wind, slight seas and partly cloudy. Itreally is pleasant.Plan, plan, plan and then plan again. That is the rule we apply to the seaterm. This year we went back to a three divisional rotation for cadets.When we had four division we did three port calls (four days each) andcadets were universally following a two day cycle of assignments betweentraining, watch, maintenance and alternate. Under the three divisionrotation, we call at four ports (three days each) and cadets see onlytraining, watch and maintenance. The upper classes follow a four dayrotation while the Fourth Class do a two-day rotation- solely because theymust complete five training elements as opposed to the upper class thathave two.

So, our planning involves many short term supervisory deviationsfrom the traditional four divisions- and not without some hiccups. But,the team led by the Commandant of Cadets, with the training coordinators,have coped and adapted by the day. Everyone is getting where they aresupposed to be, but with effort. Perhaps in another three or four days allthe changes will become automatic, and I know they will, and we'll be inbalance once again.Today we'll leave the continental USA, head southeast toward Cuba, andfollow the Old Bahama Channel into the Caribbean. More tomorrow.

Captain's Blog 1/12/12

2012-01-12T16:29:00.001-08:00

We have come and gone from Charleston, SC, and I missed a day of the log. I was called yesterday afternoon by my administrative assistant in Buzzards Bay, she asking Where is the Captain's Log. Well I responded, I've been busy, but I don't think anyone will miss it because at least 97% of the ship's complement are out on deck talking on the cell phone! It is really amazing how the human being in us wants to get in touch with loved ones and friends so quickly, even after just three days at sea, but it is nature, and not too much anyone can do about it. But we do impose regulations about telephone use â€“ you may not use the phone while on watch, nor when on maintenance duty. Otherwise, it's progress! So, we arrived in Charleston yesterday at 0630, and anchored at 0936. The bunker barge was alongside shortly after 1100, and the bunkering began at Noon. The Chief Engineer and the First Assistant Engineer, along with their assistant engineers and cadets, successfully loaded 9,100 barrels of fuel, finishing up at 1836.

During the day we also accepted a launch delivery of some stores we needed, and sent three technicians and our Maritime Administration Marine Surveyor Jeff Brown home. The installation and tuning of the new boiler combustion control was successful, so it was time for them to depart. We thank them for the hard work, and look forward to smokeless stacks and significant fuel savings.
We left anchorage last evening, vying for position before two post-Panamax containerships. And with all their size, 1000 feet long and 150 beam, they were pushing this little steamer. We had to swing out of the channel to let the pilot off due to pretty strong winds, but getting back into it was problematic because of one of the big box boats. Finally they inched ahead of us and we were able to get back in line, all of us honoring the mandatory right whale speed reduction zone. This environmental protection initiative extends out 20 miles from the port's entrance, thusly requiring our outboard transit time to take nearly two times than otherwise. But we finally cleared it at 2230, and were at sea speed and on our way to Panama at 2236
.
This morning we have a force six Southwesterly wind which is creating some jerky motion of the KENNEDY. Not a large roll, nor deep pitching, just quick little motions between the two. But the skies are clear and the temperature is up as we steam against the Gulf Stream. Speaking of environmental protection, in about thirty minutes we will cross into the Special Area for Trash Dumping- Caribbean Sea. In this area absolutely nothing but food waste is discharged into the sea. That is when our trash compactor starts earning its keep. More tomorrow, I promise!

Stranded along the Coast

2012-01-12T06:39:00.002-08:00

As we leave our seacoast home we meet the border between two worlds-the land and the marine. From the coast we can observe marine animals that inhabit the shoreline and tidepools. We can observe how the ocean's currents, waves, and winds sculpt the shoreline, alternately carrying off and depositing sand. From the air, you can actually see the waves create a perfectly scalloped beach on Nantucket Island. Not only do these forces shape the land, they affect the living populations.

Sometimes animals that inhabit deeper water are thrown off course. They come close to the shoreline and may actually be found on the beach. They may be injured, sick, or disoriented and soon become cold, hungry, or dehydrated. Such is the case for various species of dolphin, porpoise, seal, whale, and turtle that become stranded along the Atlantic coastline. But there is help for some animals. In many locations, when beached animals are sighted, professionals and volunteers are on the scene. Sick, cold, or injured animals are immediately placed in a rehabilitation program with the intent of getting them well enough to be returned to their natural habitat.

Often the animals are tagged with a transmitter for future tracking. Some of the large marine animals that are regularly tracked along the Atlantic coast are cetaceans, pinnipeds, and sea turtles. Cetaceans are marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises; pinniped refers to seals and walruses. Every acknowledged animal sighting is assigned a number and becomes part of the database for that species. Sea turtles can become stranded along the Atlantic coast. The causes are many, including water pollution, disease, an attack by a predator, or entanglement in fishing gear.

On our northeast Atlantic coast, animals are sometimes found close to the beaches, especially in the winter months. Scientists believe they may be driven toward the shore by the cold Labrador current in Cape Cod Bay, or the northwest winds along Long Island's north shore may pin the turtles against the shore or trap them in bays. These animals become "coldstunned"-chilled to the point where they are unresponsive and unable to eat to get their metabolic rate going.

Coldstunned turtles must be gradually warmed, given warm fluids intravenously, and then force-fed to give them the nutrition they need. When their body temperatures have increased, they are placed in tanks and fed and cared for until they are sufficiently recovered to be released.

Stranding Worksheet

Shoreline Puzzle

Position Report 1/12/12

2012-01-12T06:39:00.001-08:00

DATE 1/12
TIME 0700 LT, 1200 GMT
LAT 30-46N
LON 79-29W
C 180
S 12K
RPM 70
DEPTH 410 FATH
WIND W FORCE 6
SKY 2/8
PRES 1011
AIR 63/59
SEA 70
100 NM E OF ST MARY'S RIVER GA/FL LINE

DEPARTURE CHARLESTON
1/11 2236 LT, 1/12 0336 GMT
23 NM SE OF CHARLESTON
694 POB'S
BUNKERS LOADED 9,100 BBLS

Cadet Blog 1/11/12

2012-01-11T13:22:00.000-08:00

The T.S. Kennedy is now officially in Charleston, SC. We are currently 'bunkering' in Charleston Harbor. Bunkering is when the ship takes on fuel. For a rough estimate, 1 barrel of fuel equals 1 nautical mile. We will stay here until the ship is all fueled up and is ready to go. Then soon we will be on our way to transit through the Panama Canal.

The cadets are easing into their routine and getting used to living with at the most 80 other people in one hold. Freshmen are beginning to realize why back at school there are so many musters and inspections. At sea musters are important because accountability needs to be known at all times and inspections are to make sure that their holds are clean, since cleanliness helps stop the spread of germs.

It is also a very exciting day because today is the first day we have cell phone service since we left Buzzards Bay. Be expecting some phone calls from your cadets!

Position Report 1/11/12

2012-01-11T10:28:00.001-08:00

DATE 1/11
TIME 0630 LT, 1130 GMT (ARRIVAL)
LAT 32-36N
LON 79-33W
C 299
S 9K
RPM 40
DEPTH 10 FATH
WIND LT. AIRS
SKY 8/8
PRES 1011
AIR 62/60
SEA 71
17.5 NM SE OF CHARLESTON, SC
FWE 0900 LT, 1400 GMT

Ocean Waves

2012-01-11T09:21:00.000-08:00

This picture from the ship’s deck this morning shows the view as far as the eye can see, the ocean water rippled with waves

Wind blowing provides the force or energy to make the rolling movements called waves. The water inside a wave moves around in a circle as seen in the photo above.

When we see the waves at the shoreline the circular motion is squashed, and tips over when it hits the beach. Surf is caused when the waves pile up to a great height before they break, this happens on beaches with a shallow slope. Where do you think the best beaches for surfing would be?

You can learn more about how wave travel by trying this wave simulator activity

Here are the worksheets to complete the assignment: Create Waves 1 Create Waves2 Wave Trials

Try this: Where does the Energy Go activity with your classmates

Thanks to Maryrose Flynn these student activities

Communications on Sea and Land

2012-01-11T07:30:00.000-08:00

Today, with instant messaging, we can hardly imagine that 150 years ago it might take months for
word of the outcome of a presidential election to spread. But Morse's invention tapped into the
potential the electronic communication that is so prevalent today. On May 24, 1844 the U.S.
Democratic National Convention was held in Baltimore, Maryland. Van Buren seemed the likely choice, but his opponent, James K. Polk, won the nomination. This news was telegraphed immediately to Washington, but
skeptics refused to believe it. Only after persons arrived by train from Baltimore to confirm the reports were many convinced of the telegraph's value. Now we've come to trust electronic communication, and to even take it for granted! But…did you know that until 1999, International Morse Code, tapped out on a telegraph key, remained the international standard for long-range maritime communication.

What happens when the telephones areall down and we can't get spoken messages through? We turn to radio where morsecode is a universal language. Morse Code is used to communicate in lotsof other circumstances as well. Ships at sea can communicate with it. Kids cando it for fun. Lost hikers can use it for distress signals.

Morse Code can be transferred by sound or by light. Sound ispreferable. It can be done with a flashlight, an airhorn, any object that makes sounds or produceslight.

Morse Code is divided into longs and shorts. A long is a longcontinued sound or burst of light (about 3 seconds) while a short is very quick(1 second). I will denote a short with the . and a long with the _ Between eachshort or long is a second of silence (darkness).

To learn about electronic communications click here
Make an electronic communications tool

Captain's Blog 1/10/12

2012-01-10T13:16:00.000-08:00

This morning we still have overcast skies, 65 degrees and northwesterly wind. Kennedy is riding easy. The forecast is for good weather, but a west to east front may push down over Charleston tomorrow. Maybe some rain, maybe partly cloudy? The boiler control job is completely tuned up. Yesterday the technicians tweaked the components at all speed ranges.

Unbeknownst to most cadets - those not on the bridge or in the engine room â€“ for over an hour the ship operated at 39 nozzles. The nozzles deliver steam to our turbine at various strategic points along the many rows of blades, and in perspective, when we operate at maneuvering speeds when entering or leaving port, we have only 13 nozzles open. When the 13 nozzles - or on the block as the engineers call it - are at maximum steam delivery, we make 68 RPM, and about 15 knots.

The nozzles are opened successively as more speed is required. When we reach 39 nozzles, we're turning nearly 98 RPM and pushing through the water at about 20 knots! Of course you can imagine how much more fuel is required to make that much steam for the extra five knots. Clearly we rarely ever approach that speed, as the fuel budget simply cannot allow it! Tomorrow morning we'll be taking a pilot at 0700, and head into Charleston Harbor, where we'll anchor a few cables from Fort Sumter. Readers may recall that this historic army fort was the site of the first battle of the Civil War on April 12, 1861. Then we'll load 8,500 barrels of fuel for the upcoming voyage. More tomorrow.

Communicating like a sailor

2012-01-10T07:30:00.000-08:00

Communicating like a sailor

Finding it was likely to overblow, we took in our sprit-sail, and stood byto hand the fore-sail; but making foul weather, we looked the guns were allfast, and handed the mizzen. The boat lay very broad off, so we thought itbetter spooning before the sea, than trying or hulling. We reefed the fore-sailand set him, we hauled aft the fore-sheet; the helm was hard a weather. Theboat wore bravely. We belayed the fore-down haul; but the sail was split, andwe hauled down the yard, and got the sail into the boat, and unbound all thethings clear of it. It was a very fierce storm; the sea broke strange anddangerous.
--Gulliver's Travels--Jonathan Swift, 1726.

If you're reading Gulliver's Travels or Moby Dick, you couldbe at a loss as to what the narrators are describing if you don't know basicsailing terminology. Our language is peppered (or rather, salted) withexpressions derived from life at sea. Thinking of the sea, you may picturewhaling boats off Nantucket or Hawaii, warships during the Civil War, ormerchant vessels carrying fertilized soil from the tropics to enrich thegardens of wealthy English farmers. However, much of the sailors' jargon thathas entered and endured in our language came from the British navy. In theeighteenth and nineteenth centuries, British naval and merchant ships dominatedthe oceans, developing their own culture with its own customs, practices, andlanguage.
In these centuries of global exploration and commerce, boys and men, many ofthem illiterate, went off to sea and spent years away from home under dangerousconditions. Order and discipline were important in minimizing risk as wascommunication aboard ship, which had to be crystal clear. For example,different pitches of the boatswain's whistle meant different things: a call forattention, dismissal, or "piping" someone aboard. Shoutedinstructions often did not carry well against the noise of wind and waves, butvoice commands to change the direction of sails had to be carried out immediately,whether to avoid collision with other ships in naval battles, to sail through atyphoon, or to stay on course. Also important to the orderly life of a ship wasproper naming, accounting for, stowing of, and using gear.

Many terms remain in our language as a colorful legacy of the great sailingeras of history. Weekend sailors on the Chesapeake Bay and competitors in theheat of an America's Cup race use the same terms. And what teacher has nottried to get a classroom "shipshape" or commanded, "Pipedown?"

Use your research tools to complete this activity
Play this game to test your sailoring ability

Ocean Gifts

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

As we sail along and watch the ocean waves, it reminds us daily of how the ocean is the source of many materials, from ores mined from its depths to relaxing mineral salts for a bath. Exquisite mother-of-pearl inlay, decorative shells, and pearl jewelry are found in gift shops worldwide. And whether your tastes run to the exotic, like yellowfin tuna sushi,or the mundane of fast food milkshakes, products from the sea are probably in your diet. Many species of vertebrate and invertebrate marine animals as well as marine algae are important sources of food worldwide.

Examine the foods in your own kitchen and you may find the terms “alginate” and “carrageenan” on the labels.
Carrageenans are compounds extracted from red algae that are used to stabilize and jell foods and pharmaceuticals. Brown algae contain alginates that make foods thicker and creamier and add to shelf life. They are used to prevent ice crystals from forming in ice cream. Alginates and carrageenans are often used in puddings, milkshakes, and ice cream. The commonly used color additive beta-carotene often comes from green algae as well as many vegetables, including carrots. On the grocer’s shelf and in the pharmacy,
in industry and in the arts, the ocean is a resource without equal. However, exploitation of these natural resources carries with it the responsibility to use them wisely and preserve them globally.

This activity will help us realize just how much the ocean contributes to our lives on land.

Ocean gifts activity pages
Use this activity to learn how we can protect ocean life with sustainable fishing.

Captain's Blog 1/9/12

2012-01-09T05:23:00.001-08:00

As we run the east coast, 150 miles off Maryland, the weather continues to surprise us. Although cloudy this morning the temperature has climbed to 46 degrees, and the winds and waves remain slight. Steaming at 60 RPM and making 14.9 knots, this morning we will hand over the speed control of the Kennedy to the engineers as they work with the boiler control technicians to fine tune the components installed last month.

Every day of our voyage has been pre-planned to maximize our goals, and today is the first day of training this sea term. Training is conducted over 24 days, with two exam days â€“ one midway, the other at the end of the trip. For this, as well as other required disciplines aboard, we divide the cadets into three divisions. Training, watch, and maintenance assignments are spread out over four day cycles. This is very confusing to the fourth class cadets, and as many times as we explain it in pre-cruise meetings, nothing prepares them to having to find their training assignment when you are coping with 68 roommates, vying for a shower or sink basin, turning to at cleaning stations and queuing up for breakfast. To assist them, and to make sure we maintain accountability, we have all the cadets muster at a morning formation, and then have the cadet officers from appropriate divisions lead them to where they are supposed to be.

The watch assignments continue 24/7 throughout the sea term and maintenance is conducted from 0800-1630 every day and they both also rotate every four days. Yes, it is confusing, but before too long they become acclimated to reading divisional rotation matrix postings, as well as the plan of the day. I am looking forward to the warmer weather each day as my old bones are getting creaky, and the warmth feels better! More tomorrow.

Today's Departure

2012-01-08T08:16:00.000-08:00

Well we are ready to set sail, many parents, friends, and well wishers will be on Taylor's Point this morning to see the Kennedy as it departs for its Sea Term 2012 voyage to Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, and the St. Thomas.

During the voyage remember to check the Follow the Voyage blog at www.maritime.edu/seaterm
each day for updates and photos from cadets, ship personnel, and me. Be sure to try some of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) activities and then share your results and learning on the blog post comments.

Here is a video tour of the T.S. Kennedy that will help you get familiar with the inside of the ship and the importance of the ship to the Cadets Maritime Education.

Captain's Blog 1/8/12

2012-01-08T05:23:00.000-08:00

What a great morning! The weather was perfect for an October day so for a January day it bordered on super-natural. I was called at 0500 and told the temperature was 41 degrees, and at 0800 it had climbed to 44. Not too bad for this time of year, especially when I can recall many years when we sailed in snow storms! (BTW, for the record, this is my 27th sea term but I'm still short of the Second Mate, the present record holder). But it was crazy between 0600 and 0730 when we had many escorted guests aboard and maybe another hundred cadets ashore. I was stressed and the disembarkation of the guests coupled with the embarking cadets looked like it was going to stretch into our departure operations. So, for the parents that witnessed my 'take charge actions', I apologize, but we needed to have time to muster the cadets and crew for accountability checks, and be ready to sail by 0820, which is 20 minutes before the predicted high water slack current.

Finally at 0836 we cast off our last mooring lines, telegraphed slow astern to the engine room, and the tug boats pulled us off the dock as the whistle sounded. This was a little ahead of schedule. We enjoyed a weather perfect transit down Buzzards Bay; at 1245 we disembarked a service technician off Narragansett Bay. We are now steaming south at 9 knots through the Right Whale protection zone and at 1800 will be accelerated to 15 knots. Next stop will be Charleston SC for bunkers. More tomorrow.

Get Ready to Log

2012-01-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

The ship sets sail at 8:41 tomorrow, so it is time to begin collecting data for your log book. On the FTV Blog in the lower right corner you will click on ship tracker

The Ship Tracker Screen will appear, you will see a map of Buzzards Bay with little red dots around it. These dots are the ships location for a given day. Beneath the map are links to data you need to record. For example: the tides, temperature, and visibility readings.

Beneath those links you will see the name of the ship and its current position (longitude & latitude) Using the new position plot the ships new position. Draw a line between the two dots. This is the new distance.

Measure the distance between the previous location and the current location (using the map key) to get the distance traveled for that time period. Using the distance and time period you can calculate the average velocity for the day using the formula Velocity= distance/time.

Alternatively, you can calculate the distance using this online calculator

Next return to the blog entry and perform the activities suggested.

Captain's Blog 1/7/12

2012-01-07T05:25:00.000-08:00

The T.S. Kennedy is fully prepared for the annual Sea Term – loaded with 594 cadets and 100 officers and crew. This past week has been hectic, but we did not encounter any show stoppers. Our big concern was the finishing touches on a new boiler automation system installed over the past few months. This new system brings the boiler operation up to a modern level – an operating system that graduating engineers will likely encounter. The old system worked, but it was designed in the sixties, and required a large amount of manual operation. This new system automates management of the fires as the steam demand changes – and promises significant fuel savings. That is something I look forward to, as we normally burn over one barrel – or 42 gallons of fuel – for every mile we steam.

We are sailing with nearly 320 fourth class cadets, and the remainder of the 594 is Third Class and First Class cadets. (Our Second Class cadets are all fulfilling their sea time requirements aboard US merchant ships – plying every ocean of the world.) This year our familiarization of the Fourth Class was made easier as they all shipped out aboard the Kennedy in August during the Orientation Mini-Cruise to Boston. All the cadets aboard will fulfill roles in watch standing and maintenance, as well as complete a rigorous training experience that merges the theoretical with the practical operations of the ship.

Our voyage this year will depart on Sunday, 8 January. We will head south and stop in Charleston, SC for fuel – about 8,500 barrels will be loaded from a barge. Then we’ll head off to the Panama Canal where will transit into the Pacific Ocean. Once there we’ll turn north and visit the port of Golfito, Costa Rica for three days, then off toward the equator crossing. After the initiation of the cadets (and some crew) into Shellback status, we’ll track into Guayaquil, Ecuador for a port visit. Then we’ll steam to Panama City for another three day port stop. The ship’s visit to Panama is always exciting because we have a very large alumni contingent working the Canal. Off we’ll go into the Caribbean Sea and our final port visit in St. Thomas US Virgin Islands. The Kennedy will turn north and return to Buzzards Bay on 19 February – with a well-trained, tanned and seasoned cadre of knowledgeable mariners.

I will post logs on most days throughout the trip – and will be assisted by our Follow-the-Voyage coordinator, Mrs. Meredith Emery, and her cadet assistant, Libby Buck. I’m looking forward to this voyage, and I hope all the cadets and crew feels the same. Casting off the lines after months at the dock always makes a seafarer smile – and we hope we can bring some of that joy to you through this blog.

Packing up to ship out

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I am loading my bags on the Kennedy that will be my home for the next 6 weeks. In order to prepare for the trip I used the same check list as the cadets to make sure I would be fully provisioned. Click here to see the list, would you make any additions or subtractions to it?

The cadets have packed their their bags for their voyage on the Kennedy. Can you think of what kind of travel bag you would need to hold and protect your laptop computer, cellular phone, and other essential items for your travel and still be light enough to carry? If you could design your bag to meet the needs of this trip, what kind of bag would you have? Does it have to be water resistant? In this activity you will use the engineering design process to generate research questions, brainstorm ideas, design, build, and test a prototype of your travel bag.

See how this engineer built his

Try to design your bag, will it work?

Practice Makes Perfect

2012-01-05T18:04:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone,

My name is Libby Buck and I am a senior cadet that will be reporting for Follow the Voyage 2012. I was born and raised on Cape Cod and graduated from Chatham High and I’m currently studying Marine Safety Environmental Protection at the academy. I also have prior experience of being a freshman on the ship because I was one on Sea Term 2009.

Today was a thrilling day we had two fire boat drills one at 1000 and the other at 1300. This was practice for everyone to make sure they know where to go and what to do in the event of an emergency. All cadets and staff were given billet cards before moving on to the ship. When the general alarm and the ship whistle sounds these cards have what lifeboats each person is assigned to and their duties. This makes sure that everyone understands and is capable of evacuating the ship if there was an emergency. Tomorrow the U.S Coast Guard will come aboard and inspect our fire team and our emergency procedures. The fire team is made up of senior cadets and officers and the Coast Guard will check to make sure they can find and extinguish a fire on the ship. After those practice drills we are definitely ready for the Coast Guard's inspection.

Besides the boat drills the cadets are getting to know what will be their new home for the next 50 days. There are still some questions of where everything is located or what to bring for watch and maintenance but these should be asked since it’s only the first week. Once we get underway, I guarantee that everyone will figure out the ship’s cycle and what they need to do. With this being said I can tell everyone is getting excited to start our voyage.

Loading Up The Ship

2012-01-04T18:13:00.000-08:00

Today is the first full workday for the 600 cadets and theirofficers after reporting to the ship yesterday, they have stowed all theirgear, received their assignments and participated in an emergency training inthe pool. The 600 cadets began the taskof loading the T.S. Kennedy with the food and provisions that are needed forthe 2012 Semester at Sea Trip to Costa Rica, Ecuador, Republic of Panama and StThomas in the US Virgin Islands.

All day at Taylor’s Point huge trailer trucks dropped offfood supplies such as mile and boxes of cereal that were loaded onto the shipby the cadets who worked in shifts to carry on the cases and cases of groceriesto the ships galley.

For some of the extra large crates crews of cadets on deckcoordinated with the cadets on the dock to us a crane to handle the over-sizedcargo. This hard work is part of the training that the Cadets receive as partof their sea term experience.

Whaling ship Captains had similar problems when it came to feeding their crew.
Here's a Challenge:
Can you figure out how much food the Captain would have to bring for his voyage?

Properties of Water

2011-12-20T17:41:00.000-08:00

I want to give a shout out to the Raynham Middle School students I visited a couple of weeks ago. We spent the afternoon exploring the properties of water by doing some fun experiments. You may want to try them in your classroom.

How Many drops of water can you fit on the top of a bottle cap experiment
Can you make pepper run away from your finger experiment
Can you make metal float experiment
Learn more about water properties

FTV 11-28-2011 Building Big

2011-11-28T09:57:00.001-08:00

Take a quick look around campus and you can easily see three engineering feats that have been built by engineers to make our life and work easier.


Cape Cod Canal

Learn about how the Cape Cod Canal was built.

Building Canals Challenge

Canal Bridges

Create a fact sheet about the three canal bridges

Learn about how engineers build bridges by completing this activity.
This Webquest will make you a bridge expert.
Here's the worksheet to complete it use this website

MMA wind turbine.

Wind energy fact sheet

Wind energy challenge
Testing wind turbine designs experiment

FTV 11-14-2011 Finding the Way

2011-11-14T16:37:00.001-08:00

MMA Bridge Simulator

We have had a busy two weeks here on the MMA campus, in all five middle schools from Plymouth visited our campus. On the visit we got to see the new Information Center, inside the building is an amazing Bridge Simulator, which gives the Maritime cadets real time navigation practice. The simulator is like a giant video game that teaches how to navigate a ship in any part of the worlds oceans, it felt just like a ride at Epcot Center.

The T.S. Kennedy docked at its Home Port

Next, we got to see the T.S. Kennedy, up close it looks much bigger than it the pictures. All MMA freshman cadets get to spend a semester at Sea, and then return again as upperclassmen to further their training.

After lunch we were treated to a special presentation by Admiral Gurnon and Josh Lam. They explained how ships navigate the oceans using latitude and longitude to determine their position. They told some interesting stories about how sailors in the 1800's used the stars and a sextant to determine the latitude, and how longitude was finally formulated using a clock called a chronometer.

Click to see inside

For a great read, try this
Have you ever been tempted to give up because a task was difficult or seemed just impossible to do? Instead of getting frustrated, think about the life of Nathaniel Bowditch, a famous nineteenth century mathematician and navigator. When he met an obstacle in his life, he learned to “sail by an ash breeze,” a shipping term that referred to using the oars for power when there was no wind to move the ship. For Nathaniel Bowditch this meant not allowing obstacles to keep him from pursuing his dreams.

Learn more about Latitude and Longitude

Try these activities
        Find the North Star
        How to Build a Sextant
  Measuring Latitude
Solve the puzzle
Share your results: memery@maritime.edu

FTV 11-3-2011 Follow the Voyage with ME

2011-11-03T15:32:00.000-07:00

Followthe Voyage

Hi, I’mMrs. Emery

I havebeen a science teacher for a long time.

I use science,math, and engineering to find answers to problems.

My new job this year is to write a blog about my trip on theT.S. Kennedy as it travels to Ecuador and the Panama Canal. On my journey, I want tolearn how a big ship like the Kennedy operates, and what life on the ocean islike. When we stop in the ports, I want to explore the new environments that Ifind, so I can compare them to our ecosystems here at home.

I hope your class will read my blog and help me answer some ofthe problems I am trying to solve, if you try some of the experiments that thecadets will do on board you can send in your results. I will send you somephotos and some interesting facts of the usual environments that I will beseeing in my travels. You can communicate with me by email, or responding to myblog.

Join Me for a great adventure.

Captain's Blog 2/25/11

2011-02-25T07:26:00.000-08:00

The T.S. Kennedy completed her eighth annual Sea Term from 2 January 2011 until 23 February 2011.

In summary the annual sea term was conducted without significant personnel or mechanical problems. The Kennedy sailed on 9 January 2011 and returned to Buzzards Bay on 20 February 2011. Of significant achievement to the cadets and crew, it should be noted that 596 cadets sailed, and all 596 returned, representing a very effective 99.3% lift. In one instance a cadet was discharged as a precaution to a health issue, but once cleared by his family physician, returned at a subsequent port and finished all academic requirements so as to earn credits. The Kennedy carried crew or 99, and including the change out of some observers, finished with 98.

The planned itinerary was fulfilled without incident, calling at the following ports:

Charleston, SC (bunkers) 12 January
Tampa, Florida (anchor drills) 15-17 January
Veracruz, Mexico (four hour wind delay) 21-25 January
Mayaquez, PR (anchor drills) 30-31 January
Bridgetown, Barbados 4-8 February
San Juan, PR 10-14 February

Total steaming distance was 7,947 nautical miles, burning 10,065 barrels of IFO 180 fuel. Slip averaged 6.7%, and the overall barrels per mile were 0.98. 3,589 tons of water was made utilizing all water makers. After purchasing 9,039 barrels of fuel, the ship returned to Buzzards Bay with 6039 barrels.
Significant achievements in vessel performance were noted:

Raytheon steering stand, tested on sea trial in September 2010, performed flawlessly;
Reverse osmosis water makers were extensively used, resulting in voiding our needs to purchase local water;
Black water holding tanks were utilized effectively, and after testing in Veracruz and Barbados, determined the ship could operate successfully for three full days in port with only minor operational constraints in water use; and
Bow Thruster problems noted in Barbados were successfully repaired by ship's engineering staff after departing San Juan, allowing full, uninterrupted use upon docking in Buzzards Bay.

The next voyage of the T.S. Kennedy will be the Orientation Mini-Cruise, due to sail on 31 August 2011. The next sea term will be in 2012, when cadets report on 3 January.

Captain's Blog 2/20/11

2011-02-20T09:54:00.000-08:00

Last night Chartwell's Dining Services layed out an unbelievable dinner spread - Crabmeat Stuffed Sole, Shrimp Scampi, and Prime Rib. The meat was carved to about one inch slices, and it was tender beyond belief. The meal was finished off with pies - apple, pecan and blueberry and tons of ice cream. A great send off to the cadets and crew. Thank you Bob and Jim and the whole galley crew!

Our morning was a little stress-filled as we wondered about the wind, but once the pilots arrived aboard we were given a green light by the Army Corps of Engineers to dock. Captain Sean Bogus (MMA 1999) worked in piloting us through the Canal, and Captain Howie McVay (MMA 1978) docked the ship in the slip. Captain Arthur Fournier and three of his tugs provided the push and pull to work Kennedy into the slip - and we were all done. Sea Term 2011 ended at exactly the same place it started.

We brought home exactly the number of cadets that we sailed with - and the crew actually grew by two. So, no major injuries, no serious illnesses, no dischargeable discipline cases and no plain old 'I wanna quit' departures took place. That is a measure of a successful sea term I think. I do know that it is only possible by the joined effort of all the ship's crew, and the 1/C cadet leadership - planning, planning and executing the voyage plan. My thanks go out to all those cadets and crew, and my best wished to all the cadets that completed the sea term.

FTV 2/19/11

2011-02-19T09:23:00.000-08:00

Today is Field Day. After a long voyage, the ship needs to be cleaned. Cleaning the ship is part of the required maintenance until it sets sail again. Everyone who is not on watch has been very busy cleaning and organizing every space on the ship. Desks and chairs are secured and stored neatly, offices are being packed up to be offloaded, and bulkheads and decks are being washed down. Not to mention the enormous amount of trash that is being compacted that is stored for offload. During our journey home we traveled through the North Atlantic. While in the North Atlantic we are allowed to dump almost all our trash over the side. There are certain regulations of course that only allow us to dump and discharge certain things.

Most of these regulations pertain to where dumping is allowed. For example, nothing can be dumped within three miles of any land. Also there is no dumping in Caribbean and Greater Caribbean oceans.. One of the items that cannot be dumped anywhere is plastic. Plastic is harmful to the environment. This is because all other trash that is dumped can break down to its natural element, plastic does not do this. Plastic only breaks down into smaller pieces; these small pieces never break down. We do our best to prevent plastic from entering the ocean. We store our un-dumped or non-dumping trash in a large container that sits on top of the two hold hatch. In the end, our trash is either dumped over the side or stored until it can be offloaded in port.

We are currently anchored in Cape Cod Bay, not too far from the entrance to the Cape Cod Canal. Everyone is eager to start our trip down the canal and reach home. It will be an exciting trip down the canal, as family and friends line the canal and academy for our return.

Questions

Why is our time of arrival (1042) so specific? (Hint: We are waiting for a certain time of day.)

Why is plastic considered harmful to sea animals?

Captain's Blog 2/18/11

2011-02-18T09:26:00.000-08:00

Cold and windy, that's what we got this morning. I woke to a brilliant setting full moon as we headed west, north of Race Point. Soon we were blowing tubes and turning south. We should be at anchor no later than 1100.

Tomorrow will be a busy day - but first, I have weather facts that might help parents and friends planning on viewing the ship's arrival tomorrow. Right now the wind is blowing at 30 knots out in Cape Cod Bay - and at the same time it is blowing 15 in Buzzards Bay. This dramatic difference is caused by land friction, and how it slows and interrupts wind. And, we see the most significant drop in wind velocity when it blows north or northwest. So we can expect the wind to be moderate tomorrow morning as we dock at 1040. It will still be cold - at least for those of us not acclimated to the New England weather.

Tomorrow we will heave anchor about 0830, pick up the pilot and head toward the Canal breakwater at Scusset Beach, passing at about 0915. The Canal will take just about an hour as it includes taking up tugs after the Bourne Bridge. We should be off the Academy at just about 1030, ready to make the move into the slip at slack water.

Parents should be patient as it takes a little time to get positioned and moored before we hoist the gangway into place. Then the cadets will be released based upon inspection of their berthing spaces passing inspection. Who will be the first person off the ship? Cadet 1/C Benjamin Boudrow placed the highest bid with Vegas Night funny-money for the privilege - hope he doesn't trip!

2011 Annual Master's Awards

Each year I ask the department heads to survey their members and give me a short list of those cadets that have gone above and beyond. I know there are many cadets that just do the minimum, and as long as they stay out of the way, I suppose that is OK. I know we have the real goldbrickers too, and they tend to stand out in afternoon extra duty musters. Yet we have many, many cadets that just want to strive - they want the best grades and they want to do the best job on maintenance - and for these cadets we honor them with a Master's Award. For the remainder of their time at the Academy they will wear a ribbon, blue and gold stripes on a grey field. The following cadets have earned this honor, and I offer them my congratulations!

First Class: Joseph Connor, Marshfield, MA (3); George Cornelius, Annapolis, MD (2); Patrick Dannaher, Arlington, VA; Christine Egbert, Meadowbrook, PA; Kevin Ferranzzani, North Reading, MA; Paul Frempong, East Hartford, CT (2); Peter Gels, Boston, MA; Benjamin Johnson, Dover, NH; Jared Horey, Ledyard, CT; Daniel Kelley, Bradford, MA; Brian Maniglia, Pennsville, NJ; Rory O'Donnell, Somerset, MA; Kevin O'Sullivan, Quincy, MA (2); Brian Reske, Duxbury, MA (2); Adam Silvis, Dayton, PA; Elizabeth Strunk, Lexington, KY; Michael Surette, Lynn, MA; Thomas Stralka, North Kingstown, RI; Devin Tetzlaff, Forestdale, MA (2); Maxwell Whitney, Middletown, RI; Ronald Varrichione, Medway, MA; and Andrew Willard, Underhill, VT.

Third Class: Kristen Donnell, Indianapolis, IN (2); Ryan Joyce, Milton, MA; Sarah Knott, East Sandwich, MA; Nicholas Mazurkiewicz (2), Peabody, MA; Christopher Meoli, Northboro, MA; Douglas Neal, Hampstead, MD; Andrew Pfister, Burke, VA; Mark Price, Woods Hole, MA (2); Benjamin Schaff, Sagamore Beach, MA (2); Anna Whittimore, Weatogue, CT; and Christopher Wright, Mattapoisett, MA.

Fourth Class: Christopher Affannato, Haverhill, MA; Lauren Bateman, Newbury, MA; John Bradford, Rockport, MA; Kelsie Brien, Methuen, MA; Thomas Dindy, Marshfield, MA; Hillary Doucette, Manchester, MA; Stephen Ellershaw, Michaela Garrity, Tiverton, RI; Brett Igo, Hingham, MA; Robert Krupa, Acushnet, MA; Stephanie Lee, Acton, MA; Elliot Lewis, Bennington, VT; Stephen Lindsey, Attleboro, MA; Brian Mason, Plymouth, MA; Torey McGilvray, Plymouth, MA; Ian Memmi, Hershey, PA; and Karen Parker, Fairhaven, MA.

Note, those cadets with (#) indicate previous Master's Awards.

FTV 2/18/11

2011-02-18T09:25:00.000-08:00

All of the classes for freshmen are complete. Sophomore and senior deck cadets are done with their sea term projects. The sophomore and senior engineers have their sea projects completed as well; all that is left academically are finals. Today is exam day throughout the ship. Cadets have been busy studying for these final exams which will be a part of each cadetâ€™s final grade.

All freshmen will take the remainder of their exams covering: engineering, marine safety, environmental protection, international maritime business, emergency management, and marine transportation. For sophomore and senior deck cadets, an exam that covers their training days will be taken along with STCW assessments and qualifications. Sophomore and senior engineering cadets have an exam as well as a plate exam, for which they will need to draw one of the systems in the engine room. Most of the assessments and qualifications have already been completed however some still need to be done. For example, sophomore deck cadets have qualifications on splicing three strand manila rope and stoppers for mooring lines.

We are steadily heading north along our course for home. By the end of tomorrow, we will be anchored in Cape Cod Bay in preparation for our arrival in Buzzards Bay. Before we anchor, we must travel around Cape Cod to enter the bay. This will provide an excellent view of the Massachusetts coastline and to cadets, a great site of familiar land and home.

Questions:

In cases involving the Nautical Rules of the Road, is Cape Cod Bay considered international or inland?

What two bodies of water does the Cape Cod Canal connect?

FTV 2/17/11

2011-02-17T09:28:00.000-08:00

We are steaming north and each day the weather is getting colder. Today, we were blessed with a gentle breeze and calm seas. Yesterday, there was a fire drill along with an abandon ship drill. They are not the most exciting part of our voyage but definitely the most important of the voyage. We need to know exactly where to go and what to do in case of an emergency.
In the case of an abandon ship alarm, everyone would report to their respective life boats and rafts and prepare to abandon ship. The lifeboats on our ship come in two sizes and are painted orange to fit regulation. In each boat, there are many of different items that are necessary for the cadets and crew of the lifeboat to survive. Some of these items are a bailer, boat hook, compass, food rations, fresh water, emergency radio, flares, oars, and heaving line. In addition to lifeboats are life rafts and these rafts can be lowered over the side with ease. If our vessel were to sink, any remaining life raft canisters on board would detach automatically after reaching a certain depth. From there, they open would float to the surface.

There are more than life boats and rafts that we have on board in the case of an abandon ship. Immersion suits are issued to all the officers and crew. These suits are designed to keep someone warm and dry in case they need to enter the water. Freshmen cadets put these on and jump into the frigid December waters every year as a part of their vessel familiarization course. Similar to immersion suits, are thermal protection aids (TPA). TPAs are essentially a large solar blanket, but designed as a suit. These donâ€™t keep the body dry but are able to provide warmth to the body while in the water. These were tried on as part of the cold water survival segment of orientation. In the rare chance of a man overboard situation our ship has a fast rescue boat. This boat can be launched quickly off the port side and sent to rescue the person in the water. Other items around the ship are life rings fitted with white flashing lights that allow them to be seen at night.

Questions:

As mentioned before that there are two different sizes of life boats. What are these two different sizes? (Hint: Size refers to the number of people each boat can hold. Also try looking in the ship schematics.)

What shade of orange are lifeboats painted?

What convention came as a result of the sinking of the RMS Titanic?

Captain's Blog 2/16/11

2011-02-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

The voyage plan to skirt the major depression has been working out well, as we enjoy a smooth ride with a very gently roll. Sleeping weather as they say. But for the cadets there will be little time to kick back and relax - tomorrow is the final training day, and Friday heralds the final phase of examinations. To add to the stress, for the first class cadets, deck and engine, are the oral and practical assessments that must be completed while on the senior cruise. Sadly, if they fail to complete them on sea term, they simply have no other opportunity between now and graduation.

Nothing more too exciting to talk about, least wise for landlubbers, but for me we have an exciting milestone this afternoon at 1400 when we (finally) depart the Wider Caribbean Special Area. At that time we will be able to dump biodegradable trash into the ocean once again. Ah, the seafarer's life can be made more exciting by the apparently least exciting events!

FTV 2/16/11

2011-02-16T09:58:00.001-08:00

Some people ask what it is that steers our ship. Automobiles have a steering wheel connected to the two front wheels: ships have a slightly different system. Our ship has a steering wheel, but we call it the helm.. Instead of wheels to turn us, we have a rudder. The rudder directs water in a different direction as it passes over the surface. We can move our rudder left and right depending on the direction we want to go. The faster we move the rudder over to one side, the quicker the ship will turn.

Our helm is on the bridge, the rudder is at the stern just aft of the propeller. There is a signal sent from the helm all the way to the steering machinery which moves the rudder. This steering machinery is more commonly called the steering gear and is made up of a series of hydraulic pumps that move the rudder. There are two main pumps, one port and one starboard. These are our two main operating pumps. We alternate between each of them evenly to make sure that the wear on each is equal as to can keep them in good working order. In case one pump was to fail, we could switch to the other pump.

In the unlikely case that our helm could not operate the pumps there is a series of backups on the steering gear that allow us to steer directly from the steering gear room. The rudder is very big and doesn't move as fast as the wheels on a car. When the helmsman moves the helm one way, it takes a few extra seconds for the rudder to register the command and reach that position. The rudder is essential for the maneuverability of the ship.

Questions

Are small rudders or large rudders more effective?

Does the shape of a rudder effect how it turns?

FTV 2/15/11

2011-02-15T09:51:00.001-08:00

San Juan, Puerto Rico is now behind us. As we watched the last piece of land disappear over the horizon, the chatter over the last day in port filled the air. Soon after, thoughts of home and loved ones took over. Everyone is excited to return home after a long time at sea. We still have to get home first before we can get off the ship. It will take us all the way until February 20th to get to Buzzards Bay. Until then, everyone has jobs to do.

The usual cycle of watch, alternate, maintenance and training will still be occurring. In addition to that, final exam day and field day are the last two days of sea term. Field day is when the entire ship is cleaned and prepared for our arrival in Buzzards Bay. This week, we will be having Casino Night in the mess deck. Casino Night is a chance for cadets to gamble. These cadets aren't gambling their money away, but are gambling for other things instead. Prizes will include gift cards, gift packages, regimental perks, and arrival privileges. One of these arrival privileges is being first off the ship in Buzzards Bay. Some of the games involved will be roulette, blackjack, and poker. Everyone is excited for a fun night of games, laughs, and good times.

Questions:

Puerto Rico is a territory of the United States, what is the most recent territory turned state of the United States?

Our propeller has a pitch of 22.9 which means the ship moves 22.9 feet with every turn. If we ignore outside forces how many feet do we travel in 24 hours at a constant speed of 55 rpm's?

How many nautical miles did we travel in the previous question? (Hint: 1 nautical mile = 6076.1 feet)

Captain's Blog 2/15/11

2011-02-15T09:49:00.001-08:00

Steaming on a course of 319 true at 17 nozzles, we are clicking off nearly 17 nautical miles every hour. Our track is taking us well to the west as we try to avoid deep low that is coming off the Carolina today. As I write a little late today, the wind has backed around a little, coming more from the north than yesterday's easterlies. The skies are partly cloudy and the temperatures are still in the 70's.

Not a lot going on, as we are in the 11th cycle of the 12 cycles of training. The Mate has teams of deck cadets out and about the ship finishing up painting projects. Yesterday morning we stopped off San Juan to try and re-align the bow thruster controller. The project required extensive testing that might have been problematic at the dock. But the engineering team pulled out the rabbit in the hat, and the thruster worked normally during tests. By 1400 we were on our way.

Captain's Blog 2/14/11

2011-02-14T12:23:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day! That is one of those dates for sailors at sea to reflect specifically on their loved ones - not just family like traditional holidays. I know I always try to buy a card well in advance, and have it all set to send from port that I know will allow it to get there in time. Sometimes, it isn't always possible, so an accomplice is engaged to mail it at just the right time. Kind of like the accomplice that makes sure your wife or husband gets the flowers on anniversaries and birthdays. I never liked that job, because it involves way too much responsibility - what if I forgot?

That reminds me - I have a birthday present waiting in my room to give to a cadet in a day or two. I better check the date!

So the annual dance with the weather begins. Throughout most of the sea term we can expect the weather to remain pretty constant, usually only watching for that highly unusual weather pattern that breaks the routine. But now we are definitely moving toward less predictable weather - or certainly weather that is predictably worse than the last month. We have analyzed weather maps, and tracked a voyage that will bring us further to the west than our planned voyage. This means we will add some miles, but more often than not, we tend to use up extra miles anyway once we get wrapped up in the heavier seas, so we may as well shoot for the smoother route first. We won't know how successful our planning will be until Wednesday.

San Juan is astern of us. It was a very good port for everyone.

FTV 2/14/11

2011-02-14T06:21:00.000-08:00

Our last day in port is here and although we will miss the warm weather, we are anxious for home and family. Just like the previous two ports, excursions are available for cadets in San Juan. Horseback riding on the beach and sailing adventures are only two of the exciting activities that we have enjoyed during our stay in Puerto Rico. The excursions are exciting and are sure to be a great time, and the cadets are free to go off and experience the island's many site seeing opportunities.

There is so much to do and see in Puerto Rico. Sailing, jet skiing, snorkeling, fishing, scuba diving and surfing have been some of the activities. Surfing is very popular and Puerto Rico is sometimes called "the Hawaii of the Atlantic." There are over 70 surfing spots with waves anywhere from 3 feet to 20 feet. It doesn't matter what experience level surfer you are, there is a beach for you and all are properly labeled for beginner, intermediate, and advanced surfers.

There are also biking and hiking paths with beautiful scenery, boating, kayaking, windsurfing and kite surfing if you want to try something new. There are breathtaking rainforests that people can walk through to view the numerous animals and plants.

There are many shopping centers as well to get anything from clothes to souvenirs. Our last day in port is sure to be exciting as we experience all we can before we head back home.

Questions

What are the four shapes of surf boards?

What does SCUBA stand for?

FTV 2/13/11

2011-02-13T06:25:00.000-08:00

In case cadets find themselves tired of the beaches, the history of Puerto Rico and San Juan specifically is incredibly rich. Old San Juan is where much of the rich history comes alive. The city was founded by a Spanish explorer in 1521 and the 16th century cobblestone streets around the city are a beautiful site as well as proof that this vibrant city is directly tied to its past. The city is full of narrow ways and one-way streets that slope north and uphill. One can simply walk in any direction to see something interesting.

Some wonderful attractions that cadets will be visiting are Casa Blanca and Casa de Ramon Power y Giralt. Casa Blanca is a wooden house built for the founder of San Juan, however he never lived there. His descendants lived there for 250 years. After that, it was home to the U.S. Army commander for Puerto Rico, from the end of the Spanish-American War to 1966. There are also two incredible fortresses: Castilla San Cristobal, Castilla San Felipe del Morro. Castilla San Cristobal was built between 1634 and 1785 and was used to guard the city from eastern land attacks. Castilla San Felipe del Morro was built by the Spaniards between 1540 and 1783 rising 140 above sea level. This massive fortress was used to protect the harbor entrance. Casa de Ramon Power y Giralt is the restored home of a naval hero of the 18th century, Don Ramon Power y Giralt. Presently, it is the headquarters of the Conservation Trust of Puerto Rico.

There are dozens of museums and churches to visit such as the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico. This is one of the largest museums in the Caribbean. The city itself used to be completely surrounded by la muralla, the city wall. The 3.4 mile long sandstone wall is still there however the city has since expanded. The wall was built between 1539 and 1641 is 20 feet thick in some areas. Our third day of liberty is sure to be interesting and doused with San Juan's history.

Questions

Who was the Spanish explorer that founded San Juan?

What year did the Spanish-American War end?

Captain's Blog 2/12/11

2011-02-12T10:23:00.001-08:00

Today we are hosting nearly 150 high school students from San Juan aboard the ship. This is not an unusual effort on the part of the Academy's admissions department, as we often do this in our Florida port if we go there. But the effort here in San Juan will present a higher ratio of potential cadets of ethnic diversity and minorities.

As a prelude to the tours today we had the pleasure of the Honorable Jorge Santini, the Mayor of San Juan, joining us for lunch. Also included was the Deputy Maritime Administrator from Washington DC, Mr. Orlando Gutay; and from the US Coast Guard Sector San Juan - Captain Marc Stegman, Deputy Sector Commander and CDR David Berliner (MMA 1991), the Chief of Prevention Operations; and our dear friend here in San Juan, Mr. Paul Simpson, graduate of MMA in 1960- a local marine salvage expert. These gentlemen joined about six officers and six cadets for lively discussions on a broad range of topics from education to homeland security. We had a wonderful time, and it was certainly worthwhile for us to meet one another and exchange our ideas - not to mention to showcase Massachusetts Maritime Academy.

I would be remiss in mentioning that two of our cadets, 3/C Gabriel Bermudez and 4/C Jonathan Aponte, have been willing participants in the luncheon and serving as tour guides. They have represented their island very well. Thanks to them both!

FTV 2/11/11

2011-02-11T10:26:00.000-08:00

The weather is warm with an ever present gentle breeze, so most cadets are headed to the beaches that are close to San Juan. There are 365 beautiful beaches in Puerto Rico to choose from when deciding where to have fun in the sun. Many of the beaches are in close proximity to where our ship is docked in San Juan.

Four of the many beaches have been designated by the Foundation for Environmental Education as being the top four most beautiful beaches in Puerto Rico. These beaches are called "Blue Flag" beaches. They are chosen based on a checklist of 27 criteria that need to be met which include: water quality, trained staff and availability of public facilities. Balneario de Carolina is one of the beaches that is considered one of the top four. It is a government-maintained beach that is lined by tropical palm and almond trees. Another beach to consider would be Balneario de Escambaron which is also on the list of Puerto Rico's "Blue Flag" beaches. This is a popular surf beach where the waves wash up on the honey-colored sand.

There are coconut palm trees that surround the beach as well. Two more beaches that are in the area are Playa de Ocean Park and Playa del Condado. These beaches are fantastic as well. The surf is a little more intense than the previous two but swimming is still encouraged. No matter what beach cadets decide to spread their towels down on, relaxation and enjoyment are a guarantee.

Questions

How do you say "beach" in Spanish?

What side of Barbados was the surf too intense to swim (east or west)?

Captain's Blog 2/10/11

2011-02-10T06:01:00.000-08:00

We docked in Old San Juan this morning - quite breezy outside the harbor, but very nice once alongside. Our pilot was a graduate of Maine Maritime Academy, and was great working with the deck watch coming in. As a matter of fact, he extended the opportunity for additional deck cadets to "ride" with him over the next few days. Of course the opportunities were snapped up like tickets to Fenway - and I know they will learn more on that one day with a pilot then they will learn on our bridge all cruise.

Our berthing assignment in Old San Juan is the premier dock - right on the Plaza Darcenas - where some of the footage in the Martin Short's movie "Captain Ron" was filmed. The old port has restaurants, famous ones like the Parrot, and not-so famous ones with great local food. A short cab ride or a bus ride will take anyone to the Condato and Santurce regions of San Juan with world-class hotels and wonderful beaches.

We were cleared in record time by the local Customs and Border Patrol - less than one hour to visibly check 692 passports. So, by 1100 this morning the waves of crew and cadets were walking up the dock into a great experience.

We were met by Vice President of Student Services Ed Rozak, and one of his staff, Eddie Pinero, who will assist in the high school visitations on Saturday. We will bid farewell to our Chief Steward, Fritz Fritzinger as he heads north to prep his campus team for the spring semester.

FTV 2/10/11

2011-02-10T05:52:00.000-08:00

Our short voyage to Puerto Rico is almost over. Tomorrow morning we will be arriving in San Juan, our last port. San Juan has old world charm in keeping with its Spanish heritage. Cadets are excited to see what San Juan has to offer. Tomorrow, we have what is called a passport parade. This is a part of the U.S. Customs check that our ship and all on board have to complete. Last night, all cadets and crew filled out a Customs Declaration so the U.S. Government knows exactly what is coming back to the United States. They do not want any food, especially exotic fruits and vegetables, to come back in case they are invasive.

A U.S. Customs Inspector will be on board, typically in the ship's library, where he or she will be checking to make sure that everyone on board has a United States passport. A passport is essential for getting into the United States for obvious identification and security reasons. This inspection will take a few hours in the morning but it is absolutely essential so the lost time in port causes no hard feelings. Upon completion, we will be heading off to explore San Juan for four fantastic days.

There are many places to go in 'both San Juans'. There is a great deal of history in Puerto Rico that is very interesting not to mention the shopping areas and beaches. Also, there are quite a few excursions that cadets could sign up for ahead of time in and around San Juan. Some of these excursions include horseback riding on the beach, catamaran/sailing trips and other tours. The weather as always will be warm and the days will be easy and relaxing..
Tonight is our pre-port Captain's Inspections and briefing. Tomorrow through Sunday, we will be in San Juan then we are headed back home. 11 Days until Buzzards Bay.

Questions:

What will we have to do with our clocks after San Juan to synchronize them with Buzzards Bay?

What is the official language in Puerto Rico?

What is meant by there being '2 San Juans'?

Captain's Blog 2/9/11

2011-02-09T07:40:00.001-08:00

A strong easterly wind has churned up the Caribbean and given us a steady swell. So as to make the ride a little more comfortable the Second Mate re-charted the voyage so as to bring us closer to the western side of the West Indian Islands - so we are taking the scenic route of last week in reverse.

As we approach Puerto Rico, I am reminded of the great time we had there just two years ago. We were surprised when the cadet representatives on the Sea Term Council pushed to return there. But, it was a great port visit - we tied up deep into Old San Juan where restaurants, shops, museums, churches and old forts were plentiful. We have been confirmed to dock at the same place this year. We are also planning on hosting over 120 high school students on Saturday. This is a joint effort between the US Department of Transportation Maritime Administration Workforce Development Office and MMA Admissions. We are rounding up the Spanish speaking cadets to help act as tour guides.

On this voyage, we have had aboard Mr. Tom Piascik of our food service provider, Chartwell's Dining Services. Tom tries to make a leg of every cruise, offering cadets and crew alike the opportunity to comment about the shipboard food hospitality. As he plans to depart in San Juan we wish him safe travels heading home.

FTV 2/8/11

2011-02-08T09:32:00.000-08:00

As we mentioned before, the beaches of Barbados are exquisite. The island is divided into three main sections, south, east, and west. The northern tip of the island forms a point in which there are no beaches. The southern end beaches are broad and breezy, with delicate white sand, and speckled with tall palm trees for shade. These beaches are protected by reefs; this provides excellent swimming and snorkeling opportunities.

The surf can range from medium to high and the winds are a little stronger to the east, this is very appealing to the windsurfing cadets. The east coast of the island is the windward side of the island. This coast takes in all the force that the Atlantic Ocean has to offer. These beaches are long with crashing ocean surf and high cliffs. Swimming on these beaches should be avoided as the currents are strong and the bottoms rocky.

If surfing is your fancy than this is the place to be, it is the east coast of the island that offers the best environment for surfers. When the local inhabitants choose to vacation, they make their way over to the east coast to enjoy the less touristy part of the island. The leeward side of the island, also known as the west coast offers a gentler touch of Caribbean waves. These beaches offer great chances for swimming and other water sports. The western beaches are considerably narrower, during the storm season the erosion can make the beaches slim down even more. The west coast is littered with luxury villas and resorts; this luxurious touch gives it the name 'platinum coast'. No matter where the cadets travel, the beaches will be excellent, beautiful, and definitely different from back home.

Questions:

What beach on the southern coast of the island is considered one of the top ten most beautiful beaches in the world? (Hint: rated by the Travel Channel)

How many beaches are on the southern coast of Barbados?

Captain's Blog 2/8/11

2011-02-08T09:30:00.000-08:00

We sailed out of Bridgetown this morning under partly cloudy skies, a freshening easterly breeze and one tired crew. The cadets seemed to put their all into this port, grabbing as much liberty time as possible. The port visit was not without some problems however. Nothing serious, no injuries, just some nagging problems with a few cadets that don't seem to understand that their behavior in port matters. Well, they made their choices, and the punishments will be doled out equitably.

We've found ourselves in an easterly trough here in the Caribbean Sea, driven by a week's worth of strong easterlies. The 8-12 foot swell is catching us right on the starboard quarter - which seems to be the Kennedy's sweet spot for rolling. We are experiencing steady 10-15 degree roles. Not a problem really, but an inconvenience in that we have had it so smooth nearly the whole trip.

Busy few days ahead, as we have to do the pre-USA arrival stowaway and contraband search tonight, we have to get 692 custom declaration forms completed, and we have to do another round of Captain's Inspections before we arrive in San Juan on Thursday morning.

FTV 2/7/11

2011-02-07T06:46:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-06T06:50:00.000-08:00

Barbados offers a great port visit and always delivers. We received a premier docking assignment â€“ 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

2011-02-06T06:43:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-05T17:03:00.001-08:00

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

2011-02-04T11:32:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-04T11:30:00.001-08:00

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

2011-02-03T11:02:00.001-08:00

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

2011-02-03T10:59:00.001-08:00

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

2011-02-02T11:21:00.001-08:00

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

2011-02-01T06:34:00.001-08:00

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.

Captain's Blog 1/31/11

2011-01-31T06:52:00.001-08:00

Whoa, the end of January already? I know I often comment about how fast these trips go and that may be in direct contradiction to reports from cadets you may know aboard. However, I have always been an optimist about shipboard life - which can be grueling if you have to endure a lengthy voyage or extreme weather. It's easy to feel the anxiety of doing a five month work tour aboard a crude carrier shuttling between Saudi Arabia and Ain Suhkna, Egypt - hot beyond belief (the ice machines can never keep up) and no shore leave. So a six week voyage to the Caribbean with all the ice cream you can eat doesn't sound so terrible.

Yesterday's all-day cook-out was a great day off. The weather was absolutely superb, and besides nearly a ton of hamburgers, hot dogs and spare ribs consumed - I think everyone got a bit of sunburn, and talked on the cell phone to their families and friends at least once, maybe ten times. Chartwell's Dining Services did a great job.

Last night's Mayhem in Mayaquez was a real success. I know that our cadet correspondents will make a full report. Of course, besides some friendly recreation, the event was a fundraiser for Wounded and Disabled Veterans. I know that CDR Kelleher and his staff are quite pleased, and I think the cadets and crew aboard who bought raffle tickets, participated in the auction and bought ringside seats, can be proud of their spirit to give - and to give to such a meaningful charity. Off toward the beautiful island of Barbados later today.

FTV 1/31/11

2011-01-31T06:36:00.000-08:00

Sophomore cadets studying Marine Transportation are required to create a voyage plan as their project for Sea Term. A voyage plan is a lot more complicated than it sounds. In order to sail internationally, a voyage plan is required by the IMO. If you are sailing from a U.S. port to another U.S. port, a voyage plan is not required but it is still commonly used to ensure a safe trip. Sophomores have to pick one leg of our current Sea Term voyage and plan it out using nautical charts, informational publications, and the knowledge that they have acquired since freshman year.

Cadets are split up into groups of four or five in which they will pick a leg of the voyage to focus on. For example, if a group was to plan the voyage from Barbados to San Juan, they would need to look up both ports in the necessary publications. Some publications you would need to complete a voyage plan would be; tides and current tables, chart catalogs and Notice to Mariners. Two additional publications needed for a voyage are Sailing Directions and Coast Pilot.

These essentially do the same thing; you would use Sailing Directions for Barbados and Coast Pilot for Puerto Rico. In these two publications, mariners can find all of the port information needed such as; tides, currents, entrance buoys, pilot information, depths of water, channel information, regulations and any other important information a mariner would need to have in order to tie up in any port. There is a great deal that needs to be taken into account in order to complete this project and a massive amount of work and effort goes into it.

Last night's Mayhem in Mayaguez brought on epic battles as cadets competed against one another to be the best in their category. Winning the division battle was 4/C Tom Dindy from division three. Our Marine Transportation and Marine Engineering adjutants faced off as well. Bringing in the win was 1/c Jared Horey on the Marine Engineering side. Next up was the Cadet Chief Mate vs. the Cadet Chief Engineer.

This time, the Marine Transportation major was on the winning side as 1/C Rory O'Donnell rose up as champion against the Cadet Chief Engineer, 1/C Andrew Willard. Our main event featured the two biggest cadets on the ship, 3/C Steve Moore and 1/C Ronald Varrichione. Blow after blow each man stood strong, but in the end 1/C Varrichione was the last man standing. It was a fun filled night for everyone.

Questions:

What does IMO stand for?
What is the difference between Sailing Directions and Coast Pilot? (Hint: Sailing Directions would be used for Barbados and Mexico and Coast Pilot would be used for Puerto Rico and Buzzards Bay.)
When making a voyage plan to enter a harbor, what type of scale should be used? (Hint: reference the blog for 1/29)

FTV 1/30/11

2011-01-30T06:45:00.000-08:00

Many people have been curious as to what Mayhem in Mayaguez entails. It is held on the second Sunday at Sea as a celebration of our Sea Term so far. During Mayhem in Mayaguez, we have our regular Sunday at Sea cookout however we dust off our inflatable, jousting equipment. This equipment features a large cushion with two giant, three foot wide pedestals to stand on. From here, cadets will try to knock the other off the pedestal with large 'Q-tip' like instruments.

First, each of the four divisions picks one person to represent them, they battle it out and the division that wins gets bragging rights for the rest of Sea Term. We have a main event as well. One sophomore against one of the Chartwells employees will battle it out for the second time. There is also a raffle that happens during this event, each ticket is $5. The prizes are all regimentally appealing; such as inspections off, extra days in port and excused watch/offloading for back in Buzzards Bay.

The prizes are tempting however buying a raffle ticket is not just about the prizes that the buyer might receive, but more of what the buyer gives. The proceeds from the raffle tickets go towards the Wounded Warriors Charity which assists disabled veterans. These funds will help our disabled veterans enjoy a better life as they return home wounded from military operations overseas. Last year, the proceeds from this raffle went to the Haiti Relief Fund.

Questions:

If every person on the ship bought a raffle ticket, how much money can we give to the Wounded Warriors Charity?
When did the Haiti earthquake occur last year?
How many days are between Vera Cruz and Barbados?

Captain's Blog 1/30/11

2011-01-30T06:42:00.000-08:00

The Kennedy is heading into Bahia de Mayaquez in Puerto Rico this morning. At 0500 it was so beautiful out: with the sky so clear, it looked as if you could reach up and touch the Southern Cross, Venus and the crescent moon from the starboard bridge wing.

Guest writer today is CDR Steve Kelleher and his report is as follows:

Last night, Saturday January 29th at 2000 was the official weigh-in for the third annual 'Mayhem in Mayaguez' jousting competition. The event, to be located on the Helo deck, will take place tonight. In addition to the weigh in, a charity raffle and auction was held to raise money for disabled veterans. Tickets for the raffle went on sale shortly after the TS Kennedy departed Buzzards Bay.

To the cheers and applause of their divisional shipmates, cadet 4/c 'Mean Jesse Green' of first division, cadet 4/c Kevin 'just call me Grif' Griffin of second division, cadet 3/c Thomas 'The Danger' Dindy of third division and cadet 1/c Kevin 'Filthy McNasty' Ferrazzani of fourth division weighed in for a combined weight of 850 pounds. All four combatants are vying for the title 'Divisional Champion - Cruise 2011'.

Weighing in on the undercard and in the grudge match category was the Cadet Chief Mate Rory O'Donnell versus the Cadet Chief Engineer Andrew Willard, and Cadet Deck Adjutant Michael Gately versus the Cadet Engine Adjutant Jared Horey.

Finally the Super heavyweights: cadet 3/c Stephen 'The Mountain' Moore and cadet 1/c Ron 'The Truth' Varrichione weighed in. These two giants of the Caribbean tipped the scales at a warping 600 pounds.

Regarding the charity raffle and auction, raffle prizes awarded included (among other things) inspections off, extra liberty in port and first off the ship in Barbados and San Juan. The auctioned off items also included inspections off during the spring, first off the ship in port plus 3 friends, extra liberty, TS Kennedy jackets, caps, t-shirts and pens.

The event was well attended by the cadets and there were numerous moments of humor and laughter, especially during the weigh in and auction. The charity raffle and auction combined raised in excess of $4,000 to include many straight donations from the officers and crew.

Captain's Blog 1/29/11

2011-01-29T09:50:00.000-08:00

Really, really nice weather - finally! Yesterday was the best day yet, and today shows signs of a repeat. As a matter of fact, I'm thinking that we should get similar weather until we leave San Juan on St. Valentine's Day. Light winds from the east, 85 degrees, just a few clouds, and a slight sea. It's like a seagoing heaven.

Not necessarily because of the fine weather, but more because we are required to demonstrate certain lifesaving equipment, we did our annual demonstrations of pyrotechnics yesterday. The ship and all our lifeboats are equipped with three forms of pyros: parachute flares, hand flares and orange smoke bombs. Additionally the ship is equipped with a 'line throwing appliance'. Of course, like any piece of equipment involving renewable substances, they expire. So one day each cruise we usually have the younger mates - they're expendable (it's a joke!), put on fireman's jackets and blast off the expired pyrotechnics.

The hand flares (designed to assist rescue from aircraft) are the least exciting. The the parachute flares (designed to assist rescue from surface ships) are pretty cool as they shoot up about 300 meters and slowly float to the sea surface. We don't actually light off the orange smoke because it might be visible to aircraft outside our communications realm, so it could be interpreted as an actual emergency signal.

We save the rocket line throwing equipment for last. These canisters are loaded with a rocket that has a line attached. Once activated, the rocket blasts at least 1,000 feet away. This would be used to make a line connection between our ship and another, or from a stranded vessel to the shore. 99% of the cadets and crew witnessed the demonstrations, and I am pleased to report we still have all three of our young third mates!

FTV 1/29/11

2011-01-29T09:39:00.000-08:00

During our voyage, all of the senior and sophomore cadets studying Marine Engineering and Marine Transportation have assessments to complete. These assessments are designed to test the knowledge of the cadets as to whether or not they are retaining the information provided and can perform the tasks required. These assessments also signify that the cadet understands the material that will be required upon entering the field of their choice after graduation.

For example, sophomore Marine Transportation students recently had an assessment on chart selection. This involved picking the proper charts for a voyage. One would think that just any chart of the area would work. Exactly the opposite in fact, some charts are a larger scale showing smaller areas but greater detail. In other cases smaller scale show larger areas. The sophomores are tasked with picking the proper charts for the voyage.

For the assessment to be complete, they needed to choose at least 10 correct charts out of the 14 possible correct options. The answers for the assessment come from the officer who is someone that has mastered the field and topic. For cadet engineers, one of their assessments could be tracing out one of the systems in the engine room.

One of these systems could be the main steam cycle. This assessment would involve an engineer telling the assessor about the system as they followed each part from the beginning to the end. These assessments can be challenging as they are designed to make sure that every student that receives a Coast Guard license is competent in their field.

During the regular semester, some courses for license majors require assessments to be done along with the course as well.
Looking forward, tomorrow is Sunday at sea. Everyone is eager for a nice day off which will be sure to involve sleeping in, good food, and great fun.

Questions:

What does STCW stand for?
How many Navigation labs are there on the T.S. Kennedy?
What is the Steam Cycle?

FTV 1/28/11

2011-01-28T06:41:00.001-08:00

As we mentioned earlier, the ship has recently crossed into a new timezone that required us to turn the clocks an hour forward. The concept of timezones was created in the late 19th century to end confusion around each communities' local time. As means of travel increased and became faster, the need for standardized timezones increased as well. In 1883 a number of railroads adopted the timezones, but not until thirty years later did the U.S. declare the timezones official.

Today there are 24 different timezones across the world. These zones were separated equally at first, over time the inhabitants have caused the zone boundaries to shift around. Each zone is divided at the center longitudinally at every 15 degrees. For example the center of our current timezone is 75 degrees west. This gives it a Zone Description of ZD +5. ZD +5 means that the zone is 5 hours to the west of the central timezone. The central timezone is located on the prime meridian. The central zone is known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). For example, if we were to travel east the zone description would be ZD-5.

Another consideration is daylight savings time. If a zone is on daylight savings time, it means that the zone description is +1. For example ZD+6 goes to ZD+7. Keep in mind that not every country recognizes daylight savings time. As mariners we change timezones very often. This requires us to have extensive training in navigating the timezones and understanding the boundaries. The different zones also help us calculate our estimated time of arrival for each port. Only one more timezone before we reach Barbados.

Questions:

1) What are the four timezones that are in the United States?
2) During what months does daylight savings occur?
3) What zone description is Barbados in?

Captain's Blog 1/28/11

2011-01-28T06:39:00.000-08:00

The voyage from Veracruz, Mexico to Bridgetown, Barbados is over 2,000 miles. About two thirds through we will stop off in Puerto Rico to do some anchoring drills and a Sunday at sea.
Having the stop-over more than half way means we have to move fast at first, then slow the final leg. I know I write detailed stuff about navigation, and rarely about engineering, but here goes:

We boil water to make steam, and then it is passed through a main engine turbine that drives the propeller. Simple, but at the same time we are making steam to spin turbo-generators, pumps, boil salt water for fresh water, provide heat to rooms and steam to the galley. Our boilers can only make a finite amount of steam, but we can manage all the above at a slower speed - less efficient, but it offers better control in the engine room.

However, when we need to go faster, we complicate the system by sending nearly all the steam made to the main engine turbine, which uses the energy from the steam, then we send the exhaust steam to the secondary needs equipment. Called extraction, it increases our efficiency significantly, but it is harder for the engine room staff to balance.

I'm probably going to get some critical comments from my engineering brothers, but believe me, that's how it works.