Captain's Blog 1/20/13

The Mississippi River is always amazing.  The sheer size and strength impresses me – over a ¼ mile wide and millions of gallons of water flowing by in seconds.  The water tells stories too, as Mark Twain would relate over one-hundred years ago. What flows through New Orleans has often flowed through St. Paul...

Our docking took place at 1600 on a clear and cool afternoon. Our usual accommodation ladder would not make it to the dock because the river level was too low, so it took another hour to rig the gangway we carry on the Helo Deck. But the job was done, and by 1800 our officers and crew were walking up the dock toward Jackson Square in the famous French Quarter. We offered limited liberty to 1/C Cadet Officers, making sure they were back by midnight to permit the normal duties to continue.

This morning we see hundreds of cadets streaming down the gangway embarking on their first real adventure away from home. I hope they have a great time in New Orleans – as the Second Mate said last night after docking, “I’ve never been disappointed by New Orleans.”