News From Fort Schuyler

May 12, 2008 - Volume 8, No. 17

GRADUATION - There was a graduation in St. Mary's Pentagon on Sunday 4 May. A total of 313 undergraduate and graduate diplomas were awarded at the ceremony (compared with a total of 148 graduates just 5 years ago.) The Valedictorian for the Class of 2008 was VIRGINIA FERRITO. She accumulated a 4.0 GPA while earning a B.S. in International Trade and Transportation. Two Chancellor's Awards for Excellence went to students: CADET MACKENZIE HOUGH and LT CHRISTIAN KAPEY. Chancellor's Awards for Excellence also went to members of the faculty and staff: DR. WILLIAM MASSANO, Science Department, for Teaching, DR. JULIE WOSK, Humanities Department, for Scholarship and Creative Activities, and to MS. PATRICIA SABATINO, Purchasing Manager, for Excellence in Professional Services. This year's recipient of the college's honorary Doctorate of Science degree was NASA Astronaut CDR SCOTT KELLY, USN, Class of 1987. According to the college website, "Commander Kelly said that the education and training that he received during his undergraduate days at Maritime played a large role in his success in career [sic]."

ANNIVERSARY - May 21 marks the 70th year since Fort Schuyler became the first permanent land base for the Maritime College. On that date, May 21, 1938 the WPA Administrator for New York City, Colonel Brehon Somervell, presided at the dedication ceremony of the recently restored Fort Schuyler as the first shore-based campus of the New York State Merchant Marine Academy. Today Brigadier General Somervell is best know as the man who, in 1941, conceived the idea of building the Pentagon building in Washington, DC. and later as the commanding general for the logistics during World War II.

COMMUTING NYC BY WATER - A new ferry service goes into effect today if you happen in live in the New York City area. According to the New York Times, a 2-year pilot Rockaway Service will run twice a day from Riis Landing in Queens via the Brooklyn Army Terminal to Pier 11 at Wall Street. New York Water Taxi will also restart its East River Ferry service in June, running from Pier 11 and 34th Street in Manhattan and to Long Island City, Queens and then to Schaefer Landing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. More at www.nytimes.com

NOT ON MY WATCH, PLEASE - A series of photos that has been making its way around the internet, showing the disastrous delivery of a motor yacht due to faulty rigging, was forwarded to NFFS via CHARLIE BURNS, Class of 1970. The pictures were sent to him by classmate JOHN BALLETTO, along with captions in a familiar style, i.e., "65' custom-built motor yacht complete with 4 staterooms, a state-of-the-art galley, GPS system and radar for navigation, twin supercharged diesel engines, etc. $4,500,000.00 - Champagne, chocolate covered strawberries with cream and music dockside for the excited 'soon to be owners' and a small group of friends. A mere $500 - Two corporate representatives, crane and rigging complete with faulty turnbuckle. $2,500/hour - Watching your dreamboat nose dive into the harbor, accompanied by two corporate representatives just prior to 'inking' the final paperwork"; concluding "Oh Bob, will you be writing up this delivery report???"

Charlie Burns writes: "I guess these 'corporate types' never had the luxury of being a half-sick mug in a rolling and pitching forepeak rigging locker. Remember that cramped, ill-ventilated space which a blind man could identify by its constant dank 'fragrance'? That strange admixture of brackish East River water, wet manila rope, turpentine, and maybe the remnants of a classmate's vain attempt at maintaining control of his last lunch, is one that stays with one forever."

"Remember that? Trying not to regurgitate while some old salt like CAPT. PETE OLSEN, CDR FRED BIDGOOD or HAP PARNHAM taught us the basics... little things they now nostalgically refer to as 'marlinspike seamanship'? Maybe it was the advice to take the precaution of checking the SWL (safe working load) on the shackle or turnbuckle, maybe taking an extra turn in the eye of the pin with a marlinspike or 'mousing' a hook or the pin ... maybe inspecting the bridle to make sure the spreader didn't exert too many compressive forces on the hull but still being sure your lift was secure... maybe even cutting up an old fire hose to slip over the wire or chain that encompassed the hull - not 'protecting the air' ..especially in our world of high tech 'soft slings'...are they chains I see being used on a new fibreglass hull with chromed rails?? Anathema!"

"Can you imagine the disappointment of those people who were paying 5 million for a boat?? All lost over a few undersized and poorly placed slings??? I wonder what the builders reps will be doing for a living? In closing all I will say is: aaa.) God save the world from amateurs, and bbb.) thank you Pete, Fred and HAP." [You can see some of the pictures at: www.crmgonewild.com/crm-pic10.htm ]

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Richard Corson - Forest Hills, NY

Latitude 40.716N Longitude 73.85W

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++