SST: May 20, 2009
20 May 2009
The Empire State is underway! In the early afternoon of Wednesday, May 20th, we pulled up anchor from Montauk Point and really began our voyage. The ship moved at a brisk rate and all hands on board were exhilarated. The day itself was beautiful with clear skies and bracing winds. I stood watching the setting sun with a group of cadets on the fantail in the evening. It was a beautiful sight to see the waning sunlight shimmer on the waves in the wake of the ship. There’s a majesty and beauty to the ocean that only sailors know. Next stop is San Miguel, the capital city of the Azores.
I’ve been teaching at Maritime for five years but was only named chaplain in 2008. So, this is my first summer cruise and everything on board is new to me. Although the Empire State was originally built as a freighter, it is not a cargo ship, nor is it a passenger ship or a naval vessel. It is a training ship and has been converted for the training of cadets for a maritime-oriented career. The Empire State is where the lessons of the Maritime College classrooms are applied in practical training.
The ship itself is comprised of a number of decks above and below the main deck. At the top of the ship is the bridge. This is the center of ship operations and where Captain Rick Smith directs the entire operation. The bridge deck consists of the bridge with the helm, chart rooms, and the Captain’s office and quarters. Below the bridge are the cabin, boat, and upper decks. The mates, senior faculty, and regimental personnel have their quarters here. The officers’ lounge is on the cabin deck and their mess is on the boat deck.
The main deck consists of crew quarters, offices, and quarters for first class cadets. Below the main deck aft is the mess deck where the galley and scullery is located, along with cadet and crew messes. There’s also a snack bar on the mess deck. Below the mess deck are classrooms, and below that deck is the library, a computer room for cadet useage, a cardiovascular exercise room, and finally the cadet lounge.
The lower decks follow a different configuration in the forward part of the ship. The former cargo holds have been converted into berthing spaces, holds, for second and third class cadets. The cadets live like mariners have lived for centuries – that is, communally in bunks with personal storage spaces and shared shower facilities. Tight living quarters are part of the bonding process that forms our cadets’ characters into the superb mariners and shipmates for which SUNY Maritime College is justly proud. There are designated holds for male/female, and deck/engine. Below cadet berthing, on what is called the “tank-top,” is the cadet laundry, and main weight room for after hour recreation.
In the middle of the ship below deck is the engine room, which is actually three decks high and contains a myriad of specialized machine and utility rooms. This is the domain of the Chief Engineer who directs the actual physical operation of the ship.
Fr. John Farrell
Chaplain
