United States Merchant Marine Academy - Midships Yearbook (Kings Point, NY)

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W ifta i r » grounds. laying idle at a New Bedford wharf awaiting itfittcd and crewcd for a voyage to distant whaling i he mate sings out forward Anchors avveigh— man the star- board watch and the voyage begins. The entire ship ' s company is in a dither and men are running hither and yon trying to accom- pHsh things at the last minute. Back aft by the helm, the captain stands braced against the list as the sails fill with wind and bend the ship towards the sea. He is the master of this vessel, one of many whalers setting sail from the whaling capitals along our New England and Long Island coasts during the golden era of whaling, and is quite capable of assuming this position of esteem and respon- sibility. Five voyages ago, he set sail on the bark Wanderer as a green hand and now at the age of thirty-one, he is captain of the schooner rigged Anne B. for his second voyage. If fate dealt him as good a hand as it did last voyage, he would be retiring after this trip. Last voyage, he earned over twenty-two thousand dollars and was only gone for a little less than three years. With a good voyage now, he should be able to retire at the age of thirty-five with no difficulties for the rest of his life. The captain that he had replaced retired after four voyages as skipper, but he was not a family man and wasn ' t as prone to settle ashore as he. Amid all the excitement and confusion, the cabin boy is detailed to run forward and deliver a message to the boatsteerer that was brought to the ship by launch. Looking in both direc- tions. Skip, the young cabin boy, finds his sense of direction and scampers off to discharge his duties. The envelope is heavy with the smell of perfume and, while the lad is of a young and tender age, he knows only too well that the en- velope contains a message of love wishing this brave and gallant man a safe voyage and a speedy return. Speaking of Skip, he is fourteen years of age and is putting out to sea from Williamstown, Vermont for the first time. He is young but of a