The journey's end

The sailors have returned home from the sea. We arrived back at Fort Schuyler right on time this morning at 10:00. Captain Smith, with the guidance of the pilots and the tugs, brought us back home to the spot we left what seems like so long ago. The day was perfect, warm and sunny. The trip through the harbor and up the river was beautiful.

The only thing to mar the day was a fire on the Throgs Neck Bridge that prevented many loved ones from getting to the Fort on time or at all. My sons, Scott and Ryan had to turn around and head home because the traffic on the Queens side made it impossible to get to the Bronx on time.

After docking, I had to supervise the transfer of 50 boxes of materials that had to return to the shore library. Thanks to the hard working cadets, I did not have to do the lifting myself. My lifting was reserved for getting all of my belongings out of my cabin and to the end of the dock where my girlfriend Pat waited patiently to give me a ride home. By the time I left the Fort about 4:30 pm, the TS Empire State was a ghost ship. Many cadets and most officers had gone home or off to some relaxation. It certainly was no longer the crowded, noisy, lively ship it was just hours before, until next year.

I'd like to say "Thank you" to all my readers for letting me share this unique and wonderful experience with you all.

I will be posting pictures of the trip here after I return from the American Library Association Convention in Chicago next week. You see, I'm not done travelling yet. Stay tuned.

The last leg

Friday morning we will be making the last leg of the voyage. The trip
through the harbor and up the river will be impressive. All cadets and
officers will be dressed in their formal uniforms. The ship, freshly
cleaned and painted, will be sparkling. We will enter the harbor under
the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, blowing the Ship's horn as we do. Like so
many other voyagers from the past, we will be welcomed to the harbor by
the Great Lady, the Statue of Liberty. We will pass Ellis Island where
so many of our ancestors entered this country. We will sail past the
Battery and Manhattan's formidable skyline and enter the East River. As
we traverse under each of the 7 East River crossings from the Brooklyn to
the Whitestone, we will again blow the horn. Well wishers will wave at us
from the River's promenades. Finally, after the Whitestone Bridge, we
will round the point and the College will be in sight. There will be
hundreds of people there to greet their loved ones returning from the sea..
Banners and flags will be everywhere. The College's band will play us in
as we dock. Fireboats will spray us a watery salute. The tugs will ease
us to the dock, the lines will be cast and attached and the mighty ship
and her crew will be home.

Officer Appreciation Dinner

Tonight the food service crew prepared the annual end of cruise Officer
Appreciation Dinner for us. It was wonderful; prime rib, giant lobster
tails and crab cakes and a huge chocolate layer cake. It makes up for the
four nights of meatloaf dinners. All in all, the food has been excellent..
It's going to be hard to get back to my usual fare although I am going to
head right to White Castle and the Corona Lemon Ice King on Friday night.
I've had an unfulfilled hankering for both since a week into the cruise..

Smooth sailing

As the cruise comes to an end, I can't help but note the fantastic weather
that we had for the entire voyage. Except for about 30 hours off Portugal
while heading to Iceland, the seas have been remarkably calm. There was
very little rolling which obviously held seasickness down to a minimum.
We had some morning fog for a couple of days off the north coast of
Scotland heading to Belfast and a full day of rain and fog that ruined our
last Sunday at sea. Otherwise there was lots of sunshine almost every day
(and nights in the Arctic).

I've heard about storms and rough seas on previous cruises. All I can say
is that we have been blessed on this one. I just hope I haven't jinxed us
for the last two days

1000 miles to home

As I write this (Monday July 6 @ 10:30am) we are about 1000 miles north
east of New York. After yesterday's Independence Day/Sunday at sea
washout, the weather today is gorgeous. Go figure!

It is the last day I am keeping the Library open. For the next several
days I will be packing up all of the items that have to return to shore
and writing my final report of the voyage.

From what I've gathered, the plan is for us to reach Montauk sometime
Thursday and anchor to await Admiral Craine, the College's President, and
make the ship presentable for the return celebration. We will then move
on, sailing south of Long Island to the mouth of NY harbor and anchoring
again early Friday morning off Staten Island. There, we will be met by
the new Chancellor of the State University of NY and some other
dignitaries who will accompany us into the harbor and up the East River
for the final leg of the voyage, our grand journey home.

Best laid plans

As I said in my last post, the idea was to combine the 4th of July
celebration with the last Sunday at Sea and celebrate on the 5th. The 4th
was absolutely beautiful as everyone had to work a full day. Today, the
5th, is crap. Rainy, windy and cloudy.

The Barbeque for both lunch and dinner has been cancelled, but we're going
to get the burgers, steaks and franks anyway cooked in the galley. It's
just not the same. Hope everyone ashore had a good holiday.

4th of July, Atlantic Ocean

Happy Independence Day to all. Unfortunately for me it's just another
full day at work 10:00am to 10:30pm. They decided that since tomorrow is
our last Sunday at Sea that we would postpone the celebration until then.
Sundays at sea are short work days for me (only 8 1/2 hours instead of 10
hours) and most others anyway. We will have our last sea barbecue then;
steaks, burgers, franks, corn, salads, etc. and maybe lobster tails. mmmm..

I hope everyone at home is enjoying their holiday weekend.

Yes Sir

I still can't get used to having students call me "Sir" all of the time.
Though not as strict as Marine Corps basic training, the cadets are
supposed to be deferential to officers as part of a paramilitary
lifestyle. They're supposed to step out of our way and address us
formally. This is quite a change from working with the students at a
Community College. Not that there aren't a few wise guys in the bunch,
but there aren't many.

Exam Time

It's almost the end of the voyage and that means the end of classes and
final exams. The cadets have been studying diligently in the library, in
the classrooms, in the mess and on the deck (when the weather permits);
anywhere they can find space to lay out their books and notes. They are
also scrambling to finish assignments, some due now and some that were due
weeks ago. The Library has been busy all day but especially so in the
evenings. They don't want to leave, but I can't stay open all night.
I've got to get some sleep. Everyone is under pressure to do well. You
can feel tension in the air. After investing two months in the Summer Sea
Term, no one wants to screw up in the last few days.

Eight more days to go!

Expresso Love

I am in love, with the expresso machine in the Officer's Mess. It is so
easy to use that I'm drinking them all day. Got to have something to stay
awake for all the hours I keep the Library open. Singles, doubles,
lattes, I love them all. It is amazing, so easy to use. No need to fill
up with water since it's connected to the water pipe. No measuring. Just
pop in a pre-filled Seattle's Best disc, load it up and press the button.
To steam milk, just put it in the pot and turn a knob. We even have
vanilla and hazelnut syrups to add. If I've got to feed this addiction at
Starbucks when I return, I will be broke.