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Coast Guard's tall ship Eagle to dock in Astoria (OR)
The Oregonian ^
| June 11, 2008
| Stuart Tomlinson
Posted on 06/12/2008 7:51:11 PM PDT by jazusamo
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Update June 12, 2008Tall Ship Eagle docks in Astoria
Stuart Tomlinson, The Oregonian
Tall Ship Eagle Thursday morning on its way to Astoria. Public tours last today through Sunday.
ABOARD THE TALL SHIP EAGLE -- We caught our first glimpse of the U.S. Coast Guard Barque Eagle after it crossed the Columbia River. Like a vision from the past, it rounded the sharp rock outline of the south jetty and hove into view.
Even under motor power, it cuts a fine figure. Under sail, it can speed up to 17 knots, and carries a permanent crew of six officers, 54 crews and about 150 cadets.
It's main mission is to build leadership and following skills for Coast Guard and Naval Academy cadets, a floating classroom for weeks and sometimes months on end.
Coast Guard and U.S. Navy cadets hone their navigation
and team building skills on the Tall Ship Eagle's bridge.
For Tim Steiner, a Corvallis native whose finishing up his second year at Annapolis, the 33-days he spent aboard were eye-opening.
"We went through a pretty big storm and nobody got much sleep -- you have to jam yourself into your coffin bunk,'' Steiner said. The tight quarters -- nine to a berth in Steiner's quarters -- helps cadets, future officers all, to get along in trying conditions.
They also learn to climb rigging, stand watch, take the helm, navigate, haul lines, set anchor and polish seemingly acres of brass.
Cadets at the three-wheeled helm of the Tall Ship Eagle
At 295 feet long, with a mainmast at 147 feet, the ship was hard to miss as it steamed into Astoria Thursday for four days of public tours at the Maritime Museum.
According to the skipper, Capt. J. Christopher Sinnett, the ship is the pinnacle of sailing technology.Built in 1936 by the Germans and commissioned as the Horst Wessel, it was seized as a prize of war after German's defeat in World War II. It is the largest tall ship in the U.S. fleet, and the seventh ship to bear the name Eagle going back to 1792.
Early Thursday, family and friends of crew members and cadets and others, piled onto about four Coast Guard motor lifeboats at the Hammond Marina and ferried to the ship as it steamed into port. We transferred to the gleaming white, steel-hulled ship while it was underway; not as scary as it sounds, but not for the faint of heart.
Eric Gimple, 11, of Warrenton, takes the helm, really, a fourth wheel that's not connected
to the ship's rudder. His dad is a crew member on the Coast Guard's ship Steadfast.
Even with nearly 300 people aboard, there was plenty of room to explore the teak wood weather decks; watch the cadets spin the triple wheel at the helm; and hear them bark navigation commands as they worked the ship upstream to Astoria.
The Coast Guard Cutter Barque Eagle will be open for free public tours at Astoria
Thursday from 2 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Saturday
and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
1
posted on
06/12/2008 7:51:12 PM PDT
by
jazusamo
To: 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub; smoothsailing; freema
2
posted on
06/12/2008 7:58:45 PM PDT
by
jazusamo
(DefendOurMarines.org | DefendOurTroops.org)
To: jazusamo
I’m going to try make it there this weekend. Thanks
To: Salvation; sionnsar
Oregon & Washington Ping!
4
posted on
06/12/2008 7:59:53 PM PDT
by
jazusamo
(DefendOurMarines.org | DefendOurTroops.org)
To: jazusamo; 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub
That is a beautiful ship.
5
posted on
06/12/2008 8:01:03 PM PDT
by
hedgetrimmer
(I'm a billionaire! Thanks WTO and the "free trade" system!--Hu Jintao top 10 worst dictators)
To: Cold Heart
It’s a beautiful ship and worth seeing, wish I could make it.
6
posted on
06/12/2008 8:02:38 PM PDT
by
jazusamo
(DefendOurMarines.org | DefendOurTroops.org)
To: jazusamo
Beautiful! Thank you for posting this, especially the photos!
7
posted on
06/12/2008 8:03:55 PM PDT
by
skr
(I serve a risen Savior!)
To: jazusamo
8
posted on
06/12/2008 8:04:11 PM PDT
by
Old Sarge
(CTHULHU '08 - I won't settle for a lesser evil any longer!)
To: jazusamo
Indeed, my first thought(wiping tears away)~
My second thought...can I enlist : )
9
posted on
06/12/2008 8:08:25 PM PDT
by
freema
(Proud Marine Niece, Daughter, Wife, Friend, Sister, Cousin, Mom and FRiend)
To: Old Sarge
Thanks for the link, Sarge, that’ll be interesting reading.
10
posted on
06/12/2008 8:12:36 PM PDT
by
jazusamo
(DefendOurMarines.org | DefendOurTroops.org)
To: jazusamo; smoothsailing
2005
11
posted on
06/12/2008 8:12:46 PM PDT
by
freema
(Proud Marine Niece, Daughter, Wife, Friend, Sister, Cousin, Mom and FRiend)
To: freema
Hi Ma, when I saw this I had to post it. I’ll just bet you could make em let ya enlist! :)
12
posted on
06/12/2008 8:14:54 PM PDT
by
jazusamo
(DefendOurMarines.org | DefendOurTroops.org)
To: jazusamo
13
posted on
06/12/2008 8:17:13 PM PDT
by
L,TOWM
(If the GOP is this desperate to lose, who am I to stand in their way?)
To: L,TOWM
Didn’t know who Capt. Alston was, thank goodness for Google. :)
14
posted on
06/12/2008 8:24:11 PM PDT
by
jazusamo
(DefendOurMarines.org | DefendOurTroops.org)
To: Old Sarge
Horst Wessel was a young Nazi killed by Communists in 1930. The Nazis glorified him as a hero and named their fight song, the Horst Wessel-Lied, after him. He wrote the lyrics before he was killed. And, they named this training ship after him.
15
posted on
06/12/2008 8:26:48 PM PDT
by
FFranco
To: jazusamo; smoothsailing
I bet I could, too, jaz : ) Family thinks I'm in 'pause', more tears lately so it could be true. I've held an awful lot of them for too long, though. Tonk owns some of them. While I say I've gone past the full mark and there's just now more storage room so they leak out now- THEY say they wish I was like an old VCR and they could just hit me on the head to make me play : ) I will never forget 'losing' him. I don't know what I thought would happen, but it was almost as bad as losing my dad and in some instances it was worse because I was in much difference place ....at war. I don't know if you and smooth know how much I appreciate the fact that you're part of my life. A couple of good ol' buoys LOL in the sea of life. I love youse, men. This bud's for you.
16
posted on
06/12/2008 8:37:44 PM PDT
by
freema
(Proud Marine Niece, Daughter, Wife, Friend, Sister, Cousin, Mom and FRiend)
To: jazusamo; GodBlessUSA
Great post!Beautiful.
Pinging a Coastie mom
17
posted on
06/12/2008 8:38:04 PM PDT
by
MEG33
(God Bless Our Military)
To: Kathy in Alaska
Thought you might like to see this, Kathy.
18
posted on
06/12/2008 9:02:08 PM PDT
by
jazusamo
(DefendOurMarines.org | DefendOurTroops.org)
To: freema; jazusamo
Tonk is still with us, Ma, as long as we remember....
(Beautiful post, brother Jaz)
To: smoothsailing; freema
Tonk is still with us, Ma, as long as we remember....Amen, Smooth and Ma, and thanks.
20
posted on
06/12/2008 9:17:49 PM PDT
by
jazusamo
(DefendOurMarines.org | DefendOurTroops.org)
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