Today my alarm went off bright and early at 4:15. A few students were selected to assist the permanent crew in deploying the pilot ladder as we headed into New York City for bunkering.  Bravo Company is on maintenance and that means standing anchor watch for our arrival to New York! It was definitely fun and a great learning experience to compare what the great Training Ship State of Maine does during those situations compared to what I learned during my cadet shipping experience. After we fetched up the anchor in port, our fuel barge the Stevie Dann arrived.  Once again those on maintenance as well as those in Shiprate positions assisted in the bunkering.  I assisted in tying up the barge to the ship and making sure the lines were tight for refueling to begin. For about 8 hours we pumped 1207 tons of MGO into the ship in preparation for the long crossings and travel again.

New York City was extremely busy.  With the holiday and the addition of Fleet Week, there were many vessels in the harbor, plus the regular “traffic.”  We were anchored off Staten Island in Stapleton.  The fog from the night before seemed to follow us in to anchor and throughout the day we had moments of clarity combined with the fog and down pouring rain.

Now that we have finished bunkering, another pilot boarded and we are finally headed out for Summer Term!  I am so excited to visit Spain, Portugal, and Newfoundland. The culture, the people, and the much needed rest time. As for the rest of the ship… it is really awesome to see the freshman fit into their own style and craft. They are truly talented and working extremely hard to prove themselves not only to the juniors but to themselves. As we depart for our 12-day journey to Tenerife I am looking forward to watching the freshman continue to learn, assisting in that process, and further developing my skills as a mariner.

Post By: 2/C Oscar Gonzalez, MTO Bravo Company