Maine Maritime Academy - Tricks End Yearbook (Castine, ME)

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W ssxkz THE DECKMEN The deck department of the Maine Maritime Academy, consisting of four deck sections, Dl, D2, D3 and D4, have industriously spent the time between July, 1942, and October, 194-3, intensively studying all those subjects which go towards the making of a master mariner - navigation, seamanship, cargo, mathematics, rules and regulations, communications, naval science, ship construction, first aid, and ele- mentary engineering are all necessary to attain this goal. These subjects were at first a mystery and seemed far beyond our grasp, but under the capable and untiring efforts of our instructors, we have become familiar with the intricacies of a mariner's life. Navigation, supplemented by mathematics, is the principal deck subject. For it is by means of a 'thorough knowledge of this art that the ships of our Merchant Marine safely and eco- nomically ply the oceans of the world. No man is a sailor until he has finally mas- tered the practices of common seamanship - a study which ranks next to navigation in im- portance at this academy. Naval Science, to those of us who upon grad-' nation intend to accept commissions in the Navy and go on active duty as Ensigns, U. S. Es E . gsm W' 1 s s s is W ii L as is E ,. 5? N. ll., is of importance, for in this course Naval caslcnis, gunnery, drills and Naval Regulations .. c studied in detail. 'L he subjects embraced by this course can be me e app.eciated for their importance when one .considers that our curriculum has been :he tened from three years to sixteen months. Our academic studies are not entirely depend- ent on theory alone for six months of our course is spent on practical work aboard ship. It is during these months that we learn to apply the theories taught in the classroom. It is during this time that we are first indoctrinated to the new environments of a mariner's life. The dramatic clamor of the General Alarm calling us to abandon ship, collisions a11d Hre stations, and General Quarters is never to be forgotten. Nor will be the many evenings spent in sailing, swimming, attending the movies, or just ushoot- in' the breeze with our fellow shipmates. Now as the time for our graduation approaches and with this graduation the taking on of the responsibilities of an officer in our Merchant Marine or Navy, we can look forward to the future with conlidence that comes from the knowledge that we have received here at the Maine Maritime Academy the finest education obtainable to start us on our 116W careers.

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foundation of a life's work had been laid, and, with their aid, another cornerstone was firmly embedded. Since that day in July, 194-2, the engineering department had taken many ad- vancing strides, and was now fully prepared to carry 011 its training program, and to continue on its trail of development. .0 ,I '- fl fm 9 ,. Wu 4 ff WS t x: . W lf! K I Z f ll - iv by 'i' N Upon returning to Castine, three courses were added to the program, Diesel engines, turbines, and machine shop work. One afternoon a week was spent in the basement of the administration building, operating lathes and doing practical work. As the winter months rolled by, the en- gineering department continued to take firm and steady steps forward. In the classroom, new texts were acquired and a system of monthly exams was set up. ln the machine shop, a sim- plex pump, a one-cylinder engine, and numerous valves and fittings were acquired. To the eye, these additions were slight, but to Mr. Murry, who was constantly striving to garner useful equipment, they were a stepping-stone to the future. By June, the class, which now numbered only f orty-one, was ready to put their months of study to practical application on the training ship '4American Pilot. They were upperelassmen now, the eight seniors had graduated to their positions in the Navy and Merchant Marine, and in their place were fifty-five ufI'CSlllllCll.,7 To aid the growing department, Lt. Kilby was added to the stall' as auxiliary machinery in- structor.

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SIDOIQTS I With a 32-month course cut down to half its size, proper time and at-tention could not be given to Athletics, however, the Academy has always been represented by a varsity baseball team in the spring and a basketball team in the winter. Besides these, an intermural program has been set up which allows every member of the Academy to take place in one of the many sports offered, crew, tennis, golf, sailing, and soft ball. The basketball season opened about the first of the year, and lasted for about two months, with the team managing to play one game a week. The team opened the season in Castine at the Academy gymnasium with a semipro team from Bucksport, before a large local gathering, including the Superintendent, the Executive ofiicer and the entire corps of middies. Much to the enjoyment of tl1e crowd, the boys in the blue and gold carried oil' a decisive victory which launched the season well. This was fol- lowed by four or five home games as well as trips to Ellsworth, Bangor, Bucksport, and Orono to the University of Maine. The highlight of the season was the game at the University of Maine, where the team was given a banquet and the entire Midshipman corps was given a dance in their honor follow- ing the game. The only letdown in this program was that the middies were turned back by a strong freshman team on the spacious Maine floor. The varsity team was made up from the following men, Richard Morse, Bill McPhee, Barney McDonough, Bud Conley, Arnie Saun- ders, Bill Grant, Milt Gross, Frank Hall, Bill Melaugh and Don Collins. The baseball season consisted of a few games played on the old diamond situated inside of picturesque Fort George in Castine. The season was continued down in New York during the Hrst cruise, when the boys from Maine proved that they could stand up the city slickers from the New York State Academy by defeating them in a late rally. This game of rivalry was con- tinued a year later on the second cruise, when the New York cadets took a one-run decision from our own men. Wfe expect that this will be a rivalry that will continue in years to come. Crew, which is without a doubt a terrific man- building sport, has been stressed both on the .cruises and in Penobscot Bay at Castine. Wihile on the ship, crew races were practically a daily event and were finally built up to a large final race consisting of three boats, Maine engineers, Maine deckmen and the New York State cadets. The course laid out was approximately a mile, and was situated in Smithtown Bay, L. l. All three boats stuck fairly close together until the last three hundred yards, when the Maine Deck crew turned on the power to take an easy victory by two boat lengths. They were followed in by the Maine Engineers, who nosed out the New York crew. Crew has proved, as it will at any seafaring academy, to be one of the best liked and enjoyed sports. Sailing proved to be more of a pastime for the midshipmen than a sport, as there was very little time during the day for such activities. However, the men always took advantage of the nightly breezes to go for a sail and enjoy the thrill of handling a small boat under sail. The days of sailing ships is definitely in the past, but it is sti.ll the true desire of any sea- going man to know the operations of such a vessel. The site of the Academy makes it perfect for any man who is interested in pursuing the arts of golf or tennis, due to the fact that the Castine Country Club is situated directly off the main campus of the school. The Club has opened its gates to the members of the Academy, and on any pleasant day, midshipmen can be found making the rounds of the links or engaged in a friendly game of tennis.