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June 13, 2002
Vessel Data
Status: Enroute to Lanai, Hawaii from Suva, Fiji
Latitude: 23-54.5’S
Longitude: 167-42.0’E
Total Distance: 3071.4 miles
Gone: 813.3 miles
24 Hr. Dist.: 274.2 miles
To Go: 775.3 miles
Current Speed: 11.4 kts.
Engine Setting: 73RPM’s, Port engine
 Weather:
Air Temperature: 84°F
Humidity: 90%
Wind: N/E
Knots: 25.0 kts
Clouds: Cumulus
Sea Temperature: 82°F
Water Depth: 2550 Fathoms
Sunrise: 0532
Sunset: 1806
Aboard the TSGB
Day 54
Daily Log:
Well, cruise is beginning to wind down as we are nearing Hawaii and in our last week. We crossed the equator two days ago at longitude 164° 57’ W and the magnetic equator shortly thereafter. We flipped
the heeling magnet in the compass binnacle and had the crew turn their mattresses over now that we’re back in the northern hemisphere.
The respective training programs are also nearing completion and the students will be finishing
assignments and taking finals this weekend. Of course, watch and day work continues because we must continue operating the ship.
 This includes what we call CSD, or clean sweep down. Every afternoon
at 4PM, the students participate in cleaning their rooms and the ship’s public spaces. Yes, even at sea, or maybe especially at sea, cleaning is an
everyday occurrence. With almost 300 people aboard, things get dirty fast and for the health, comfort and safety of all, we keep the ship in a sanitary condition.
 We also hold a formation every sea day (except Sunday) right after lunch. This is called Quarters and all students are required to attend.
We use this formation to pass important information, as a secondary head count to make sure everyone is aboard, and to monitor uniform and grooming standards.
 Even thought the weather has been poor the last two days, our weekly emergency drill was instruction on distress
visual signaling. These pyrotechnic devices are designed to attract the attention of either a passing commercial vessel,
or search and rescue vessels and aircraft. We pick a time on cruise when we are in the middle of nowhere (like we definitely are now) so that we do not inadvertently attract
the attention of someone who might think we are in genuine “distress”.
 The students are instructed and then actually fire off
several different types of pyrotechnic devices. These include orange smoke signals as well as hand flares (similar to road flares). There are also rocket propelled
parachute flares (students’ favorite), which travel about 1000 feet high before illuminating a bright red light while descending slowly under their own little parachutes.
Finally, you can see Cadet Jennifer Nicole discharging the rocket of a “line-throwing device” which is
designed to carry a small messenger line to another vessel in distress in order to rig a towing line.
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