Admirals Journal: June 9, 2010
Dear Faculty, Staff, Parents and Friends,
After sailing throughout the Aegean Sea for three days, we arrived in beautiful Andros harbor on Andros Island for a day of sightseeing for the cadets and staff, and a full day of tours of the ship for locals from Andros Island. In spite of a steady drizzle, we hosted about 350 people from the island aboard the ship. Ashore, we toured the small town of Andros where we were warmly welcomed! In the evening, there was an official welcome reception ashore where the island government officials and mayors of the island towns thanked us for visiting. After returning to the ship and as we were preparing to depart the harbor we were surprised by a massive fireworks display in our honor. It was a spectacular conclusion to a special day made possible by an alumnus of the College, Dimitrios Kokkinis, class of 2003 whose family is from the island!
We left Andros around midnight and arrived in Piraeus, Greece, the port of Athens early Sunday morning. While in Athens our crew and cadets took full advantage of the tours offered. The Athens city tour included historic and cultural sites, including the Acropolis, Parthenon, original Olympic Stadium, and the Acropolis Museum. A second tour included a boat trip to three nearby Greek islands (Hydra, Poros, and Aegina), each with its own unique charm and character.
The cadets had several opportunities to participate in various events held onboard and ashore, at which they distinguished themselves and made us all very proud. The first was a large reception held aboard the day we arrived for Greek and American officials, including the Acting Administrator of the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD). Other guest included ship owners, representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Greece, Maritime alumni, and friends of the college. Several guests commented as they were departing how impressed they were with the ship and our cadets. While we are proud of our ship and cadets, it is always nice when we hear comments from those outside the college, particularly from those in the shipping industry.
On Tuesday several bus loads of cadets and staff visited the Posidonia Exhibition, which is a huge, week-long gathering of international shipping and maritime industries and companies held in Athens every two years. There are more than 1,500 exhibitors at the exhibition from around the world, including, SUNY Maritime. The exhibition provides an excellent opportunity to promote the college, recruit prospective students and it gave our cadets a chance to see the full range of employment opportunities available to them following graduation.
On Wednesday, the ship will get underway for more at sea training as it transits back across the Mediterranean, out through the Straits of Gibraltar to the Atlantic and then northward through the Bay of Bisque, off the western coast of France, then on toward Dublin, Ireland.
Regrettably for me, Wednesday also is the day I depart the ship to return to New York to attend to campus business. As with previous Summer Sea Terms, leaving this wonderful environment is not easy. This is such a rewarding and special time during our college year. Seeing the theory our students learned or sometimes struggled to comprehend in the classroom finally make sense, in a practical way, aboard Empire State is extremely satisfying and rewarding. As a parent, I wish every parent could see what their sons and daughters are learning and how they are maturing during their time on this wonderful ship. Needless to say, they I have never seen greater professionalism, a stronger work ethic or a greater level of eagerness to learn. I am truly proud to be associated with them!
Equally impressive are the officers, mates, engineers, and academic training officers aboard Empire State. It has been a pleasure to listen-in, as they have mentored, advised, and explained the intricate details of executing a maneuver or the coordination and myriad adjustments involved in responding to “bells” from the bridge. Keeping a ship of this age in peak operation condition is not an easy task, but our superbly skilled and knowledgeable crew makes the difficult appear easy.
To all aboard the Empire State, you are doing a superb job whether on the bridge or in the engine room, on deck or in a classroom and for that I thank you for making this Summer Sea Term such an incredible experience and wish you continued smooth sailing. It has been an honor and a delight to share some of it with you. I look forward to rejoining you and the ship prior to your return on August 7th.
Sincerely,
John Craine
John W. Craine, Jr.
President
