Canary Islands, Here We Come!
By Luke Whipple, First Class Engine Cadet
Today the TS EMPIRE STATE pulls into the Canary Islands! After over a month of sailing around the Mediterranean, we are finally back out in the Atlantic Ocean. The Canary Islands is a small chain of islands off the western coast of Africa. Despite being hundreds of miles away from Spain, it is a Spanish territory.

All 3 divisions of first class Engineers finished their final Engine license seminar Exams. Studying for these difficult exams nearly consume almost all of the free time of the first class. After our stay at the Canary Islands there is a series of re-take exams for students who didn’t meet the minimum grade requirements. This is one of the last requirements to sit for the USCG 3rd assistant engineer exam.

The underclass are assigned various tracings of the ship. They can be caught running around the engine room with a notebook and pen following piping around corners and in-between decks. This helps them understand the layout of the system and a multiple components contained in it. When drawn on a piece of paper, it is easier to visualize the numerous machines and how they work in sync with each other. All of the underclass are assigned a big “brother” or “sister”. The big brother or sister is an upperclassman who helps their little on the tracing teaches them things specific to our ship.

The weather out here has been colder than the med. People are breaking out the jackets and wool watch caps instead of the beach chairs and sunglasses. The ship and crew are excited to step off for our last port, and even more excited to be home in New York. After the Canary Island stop it’s a long trip across the Atlantic Ocean back home.
