Almost Home

Update from the ship's librarian, Rich Delbango:

It's been over a week and a half since any of us has stepped on dry land.  The mini city that is the Empire State VI keeps humming along towards home. As finals draw near, everyone is getting anxious. Supposedly we are to reach Montauk on Saturday afternoon and anchor there for some last minute drills.  On Sunday, we will move south and west along Long Island to Sandy Hook where we will anchor again overnight. Monday morning we will take the pilot on board and begin the last part of the voyage through New York harbor and up the East River. The ship is scheduled to dock at 10 AM to be greeted by loved ones welcoming their sailors home.  The adventure that was the Summer Sea Term 2015 will be over.

Richard Delbango

Ship's Librarian

Sailing Along

An update from the ship's librarian, Rich Delbango:

It's been five days since we left our last port and the cadets and crew have been working hard to finish all of their duties in the few days that remain.  We hit the Azores on Tuesday and lingered there for two days, sailing around the beautiful blue waters that the islands' name reflects.  Unfortunately, we had to drop off an ill cadet for medical treatment.  We left the Azores last evening and are sailing along in calm seas with beautiful blue skies.  The weather on this cruise has been spectacular.  Other than a few sprinkles in Belfast and some cloudy days sailing to the Mediterranean, it has been nothing but sunshine.  Today in the mid-Atlantic, it is absolutely gorgeous. Light seas, warm temperatures and an unlimited view to the horizon. Everyone tries to get out as much as they can to enjoy the fresh air.  Yesterday, a school of marlin was sighted off the port side. A spectacular sight! As we draw closer to home, we are regaining the hours lost on the eastward bound part of the cruise.  Every 2 days we are hitting a new time zone and resetting the clocks back an hour. The extra hour each time is welcome for some additional rest.  Eleven days to go.

Richard Delbango

Ship's Librarian

Sailing Around

Update from the ship's librarian, Rich Delbango:

Since we departed Mallorca harbor last Saturday, we haven't gotten very far. Actually, only about two miles or so away, still in sight of Palma.  The Captain decided to take advantage of the calm seas around here to have 3 days of practical seamanship ship drills.  These include damage control exercises, boat drills, equipment operation and man-overboard maneuvers. We anchored for 2 of the nights, but otherwise we've been just leisurely sailing around in circles at a very slow pace. The cadets love the fact that we are still in cell phone range and the decks have been full of them calling and texting home in their spare time.  We started moving west this morning toward our next destination which is Cadiz, Spain on the Atlantic coast. On the way, we are scheduled to stop for fuel at Gibraltar at the mouth of the Mediterranean.

Richard Delbango

Sailing to Split..err, Somewhere Else

News from the ship's librarian, Rich Delbango:

 Sailing to Split..err, Somewhere Else

There has been no land in sight since Sunday.  The seas south of Belfast have been mildly active.  The ship has been constantly rolling, but nothing too bad other than one or two rough jolts.  The food locker in the Officer's Mess was more than a little messy on Wednesday morning when all of the salad dressings and yogurt spilled. I haven't heard of anything worse.  The sun eluded us the whole way until it finally showed itself on Wednesday afternoon. Thursday remains sunny as we near the Mediterranean.

The cadets and crew have settled into a busy routine of classes, work and some rest and relaxation where they can get it. The Library has been busy in the evenings. Everyone was looking forward to arriving at Split, Croatia next week.  That is until Wednesday afternoon.  The Captain informed us that, despite months of planning, Croatia doesn't want us.  There has been some disagreement between the U.S State Department and Croatia over our berthing rights.  Captain Smith, resourceful as usual, has been scrambling to find us another port to keep us on schedule. It looks (about 99% certain) that we will be going to Majorca, Spain instead. This means our last two ports will both be in Spain.  At least we won't have to deal with any leftover Croatian Kunas (money) as we will have the Euro in both ports. I'm sure the cadets won't be disappointed with Majorca as it is a lively, cosmopolitan island with lots of entertainment and great beaches. So as we push on toward the Strait of Gibraltar, we have to remember that a training cruise is all about the journey, not the destination.

 Rich Delbango 

Here are a couple of photos:

Belfast!

Click Here for More Photos

Update from the ship's librarian, Laurel:

6-21

Hello from the port of Belfast! It’s been nothing but a flurry of activity for the last couple of days as we’ve finished off final exams, sent in grades, and prepared for the change-over between cruise A and cruise B. Many of us will be saying goodbye for now to all who will continue on for the full 90-day cruise, heading to Split, Croatia and Cadiz, Spain. We’re jealous of your upcoming adventures and we’ll miss you all until the start of the school year! As for now, Belfast is amazing and there’s been much excitement about having a break here.

Lots of us plan to head to the new Titanic Museum, located in the shipyard where the famous ship was built. The museum, which opened in 2012, charts the history of the world’s most famous ocean liner and tells the story of Belfast as a maritime industrial port. I’ve also heard a cadet or two thinking about taking a ‘black taxi tour,’ which can be arranged through local cabbies. For an agreed upon fee, Belfast cabbies will take visitors on a tour of the city’s historic murals, which began during ‘the troubles’ of the 1970s. During the past decades, peace and political stability have returned and brought with it the positive impact of tourism dollars.

We hope you’ve been enjoying the pictures we’re sending home and plan to send you lots more from cruise A in the coming week! Cadets heading home will be traveling on AirPlanning charter flight (#7611), scheduled to arrive at JFK Terminal 4 at 9:55 am on June 24th. Please remember that it takes at least an hour, on a good day, to clear customs!