EAGLE Seamanship Aboard America's Tall Ship
USCG Barque EAGLE
The American Sail Training Association (ASTA) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) are working together to offer EAGLE Seamanship, a sail training program for young people aboard the United States Coast Guard barque EAGLE, sailing August 17 – 20, 2008.
Up to 24 participants age 16 – 19 will embark in San Pedro and sail to San Diego CA, living and working alongside the ship’s crew to learn the ways of the sea aboard America’s Tall Ship.
Bert Rogers, Executive Director of ASTA, said “EAGLE Seamanship is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the excitement and traditions of seafaring life and ‘learn the ropes’ from veteran sailors of the US Coast Guard. Cadets from the USCG Academy sail aboard EAGLE as regular part of their training. EAGLE Seamanship provides a rare opportunity for young civilians to get an insider’s glimpse of the many rewards and inspiring challenges to be found in a career of service in the United States Coast Guard.”
ASTA Education Director Otto Loggers will be on board to lead participants through explorations in navigation and seamanship skills. Mr. Loggers said, “EAGLE Seamanship participants will be fully immersed in the life and operation of the vessel. Each will have duties as part of a watch group, and take their trick at the helm and as ship’s lookout. There will be training and drills in ship’s procedures and safety, including the chance to be trained to climb aloft.
ASTA and the USCG offer the EAGLE Seamanship program as part of ASTA’s TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® (TSC) events, a series of sailing races, parades of sail and maritime festivals organized by ASTA in cooperation with US and Canadian ports. EAGLE will sail in company with many other tall ships to each of TSC host ports.
Mr. Rogers said, “The USCG Academy is an ASTA member, and when Captain Sinnett proposed hosting 24 youth for a sail between San Pedro and San Diego, we embraced the idea. ASTA suggested selecting youth from all the US host ports of the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® series: Tacoma, WA; San Francisco, CA; Oxnard, CA; Los Angeles, CA; and San Diego, CA. The participants and their families will all be able to board the EAGLE in their home ports during the Tall Ships® celebrations.
American Sail Training Association (ASTA)
The American Sail Training Association is the national sail training organization of the USA. ASTA’s mission is to encourage character development through sail training, support programs of education under sail, and promote sail training to the general public. ASTA provides scholarships to make sail training more affordable for young people, funds programs for youth-at-risk, publishes a directory of ships and programs, assists crew financially to meet the rising costs of professional development, and organizes annually the TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE ® series of races and rallies. ASTA’s membership includes 250 tall ship and sail training member vessels, hailing from more than 20 countries and sailing all oceans of the world.
The United States Coast Guard (USCG)
As a military branch of the United States, the United States Coast Guard is involved in maritime safety and regulation, mariner assistance, search and rescue, homeland security and many other duties related to safety of navigation and maritime commerce. One of the seven uniformed services of the United States (and the smallest armed service), its stated mission is to protect the public, the environment, and the United States economic and security interests in any maritime region in which those interests may be at risk, including international waters and America's coasts, ports, and inland waterways.
EAGLE
The USCGC EAGLE is the only active square-rigger in U.S. government service. At 295 feet, she is a three-masted barque carrying square sails and fore-and-aft sails. The ship was built in 1936 in Germany, and commissioned as HORST WESSEL. At the close of World War II, HORST WESSEL was taken as a war reparation by the United States, recommissioned as the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter EAGLE, and sailed to her new homeport of New London, Connecticut. Today, EAGLE trains future officers of the U.S. Coast Guard in leadership and the traditions of the sea. The challenges of living aboard and working a large square-rigger at sea build the teamwork, character, and leadership skills necessary for success in the Service.
Captain Joseph C. Sinnett
Captain Chris Sinnett is EAGLE's 25th and current Commanding Officer, responsible for the safety and security of the vessel and 230 people aboard including ship’s company and guests. Captain Sinnett reported to EAGLE after completing service in Virginia as Chief of the Operations Oversight Branch, which assigned operational cutter and aviation forces to prosecute the full range of Coast Guard missions. Captain Sinnett’s previous afloat assignments include many USCG vessels, such as USCG Barque EAGLE (WIX 327) and USCG Cutter SPENCER (WMEC 905). Captain Sinnett is a 1983 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Engineering. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from Florida International University in Miami, and a Master of Arts in National Security & Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.
LINKS
American Sail Training Association (ASTA)
http://www.sailtraining.org/
U.S. Coast Guard Academy, U.S. Coast Guard barque EAGLE http://www.cga.edu/display.aspx?id=2558
The United States Coast Guard (USCG)
http://www.uscg.mi
