News From Fort Schuyler

December 16, 1999 - Volume 3, No. 58

ACT FAST! Here's an excerpt from an interesting EPA Office of Water job posting forwarded from an AAAS List by JOHN MAYER, Class of 1954. Please note - your summary of qualifications is due TOMORROW !

"If you know both contracts management and marine engineering, you may be the next Project Officer for EPA's Ocean Survey Vessel, the PETER W. ANDERSON. This position includes overall management of the ship from scheduling to determining the need for repairs, to arranging for its home port ' as well as contract management responsibilities. The ANDERSON is EPA's only ocean-going survey vessel, and it supports a number of the Agency's ocean and coastal programs along the East and Gulf coasts of the U.S. as well as in coastal waters of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands." The EPA home page for this Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watershed OSV is: http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/coastal/Anderson/Anderson.html

This grade GS 13/14 is in the Oceans and Coastal Protection Division. If interested email Craig Vogt in Washington, DC with a summary of your qualifications by 12/17 at: vogt.craig@epa.gov

MAGNIFICENT ACCESSION - On December 10, the day the college celebrated its 125^th anniversary, JACK SZALLAI, Class of 1969, made a wonderful donation to the Luce Library, the 1798 edition of "The New Practical Navigator" by John Hamilton Moore. Jack and his wife flew into New York from Texas to personally present this old and valuable text, which happens to be the very edition (13^th) that Nathaniel Bowditch helped prepare for a 1799 American version. This edition is really a fine addition to the library collection.

SCISSORBILLS CHIP IN/CADETS SHIP OUT - The Class of 1947, through the Alumni Association, will be awarding 12 full tuition scholarships to eligible cadets for Summer Sea Term 2000. Any cadet who is interested in applying for one of these scholarships should see PROF. ELMO BAUMGART, Class of 1976, in the Engineering Department for details. (Source: Plan of the Week, December 13 - 19)

ROB GOVE REMEMBERED - Every December beautiful poinsettias are sent to the college by CAPT ARTHUR W. GOVE, Class of 1944, and his wife Marjorie, in memory of ROBERT W. GOVE, Class of 1978, who was lost at sea in the disappearance of the SS POET in October 1980. While the plants are transitory, there is a substantial, growing, useful memorial to Rob which the Goves and others have nurtured for years.

A fund to develop The Robert W. Gove Memorial Collection of Professional Literature was established by family and friends in 1981. This circulating collection of nonfiction and fiction titles currently numbers over 500 titles. The books have seagoing themes aimed at stimulating a love of the sea and fostering a better understanding of the seagoing profession and life at sea. During the ashore academic terms, the collection is shelved in a cozy alcove at the top of the stairs in the center of the Reading Room. Each May, the entire collection is transferred to the Ship's Library for use by shipboard personnel on the Summer Sea Term. [Contributions for this collection may be sent to the Luce Library, payable to MCFSF/Gove Fund.]

LOOK UP - For those who appreciate natural phenomena, a rare one is coming. Jack Butler, maritime historian, Mass Maritime '47, and MARHST-L discussion list stalwart, recently posted this item: "The first full moon to occur on the winter solstice in 133 years can be expected to be seen on December 22. Since it occurs in conjunction with a lunar perigee, the point in the moon's elliptical orbit closest to the earth, the moon should appear 14% larger than it does at apogee.....Furthermore, since the earth is several million miles closer to the sun in winter than in summer, sunlight reflecting from the moon should be 7% stronger, which should make it brighter." [Bottom line - if it is clear where you are, you might be able to read NFFS by moonglow.]

LOOK OUT - The other night San Francisco Bar Pilot, CAPTAIN PAUL LOBO, Class of 1969, remembered an unusual experience during his MUG cruise when he was talking with one of the sailors on his pilot boat. He decided to follow up on NFFS. Paul writes: "I was just wondering if anyone on the cruise in 1966 remembers seeing a UFO at sea. I remember it quite clearly. Maybe you could put out the word and get others impressions of what happened. That night I was stern lookout, I believe on the 12-4, when I noticed a bright white light on the port bow that came up very quickly and surprised me. I stared at it for quite a while, when it began to change colors,I assumed it was another ship and was turning, but it was turning very quickly. It then began to change to all different colors, kind of like a police warning light. It stayed in the same place for a while then shot off across the horizon parallel to the horizon at an incredible speed. When we changed the watch I did not bring it up, because I was sure they would think I was daydreaming. One of the other watchstanders said: 'Did you see the UFO?' then I felt better that I was not the only one. This was some experience for a kid on his first trip to sea on a ship." [Question - Does anyone else recall this sighting ?]