Posted on 06/12/2008 7:51:11 PM PDT by jazusamo
If you've ever wanted to tour a tall ship, now is your chance.
Starting Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard will sponsor free tours of the only square-rigged sailing ship in the U.S. fleet when it docks in Astoria at the Maritime Museum, 1792 Marine Drive.
The tall ship Eagle, also known as the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Barque Eagle, has been under way for the past two months, serving as a hands-on classroom for Coast Guard cadets at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.
According to Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Adam Davenport, the Eagle's permanent crew of about 55 has spent the past 33 days training more than 130 Coast Guard Academy cadets and Naval Academy midshipmen. The Eagle has served as a floating classroom to future Coast Guard officers since 1946 offering fundamental leadership, teamwork and seamanship skills.
The 295-foot ship was commissioned by the German Navy in 1936, and used to train cadets. After World War II, the ship was seized as a war prize by the United States. For more details on its history, click here.
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.
Tall Ship Eagle docks in Astoria
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.
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.
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.
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.
Remembering you Tonk!
I’m going to try make it there this weekend. Thanks
Oregon & Washington Ping!
That is a beautiful ship.
It’s a beautiful ship and worth seeing, wish I could make it.
Beautiful! Thank you for posting this, especially the photos!
Indeed, my first thought(wiping tears away)~
My second thought...can I enlist : )
Thanks for the link, Sarge, that’ll be interesting reading.
Hi Ma, when I saw this I had to post it. I’ll just bet you could make em let ya enlist! :)
Didn’t know who Capt. Alston was, thank goodness for Google. :)
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.
Great post!Beautiful.
Pinging a Coastie mom
Thought you might like to see this, Kathy.
(Beautiful post, brother Jaz)
Amen, Smooth and Ma, and thanks.
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