Number of the Day

90	A shot of anchor chain is measured either in fathoms or feet. Each shot is 15 fathoms or 90 feet long.
3,928	Arizona has 3,928 mountain peaks and summits. That is even more mountains than any one of the other Mountain States -Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, or Wyoming.
6,400	6,400 hotdogs were loaded onto the TS Kennedy for Sea Term 2020.
50	A Styrofoam cup tossed in the ocean will take 50 years to decompose.
45	The TS Kennedy burns about 45 gallons of fuel per mile when steaming at 15 knots.
800	800 pounds of American cheese was loaded onto the TS Kennedy for Sea Term 2020.
240	The maximum capacity of the TS Kennedy's Cadet Mess Deck is 240 cadets.
2,503	The TS Kennedy may carry a maximum of 2,503 tons of fuel.
130	Approximate 130 miles are saved when a vessel passes through the Cape Cod Canal instead of traveling around the outer shores of Cape Cod.
60	A fathom is a unit of length in the U.S. customary systems equal to 6 feet. It is used especially for measuring the depth of water.
1,260	1,260 pounds of butter were loaded onto the TS Kennedy for Sea Term 2020.
1964	In 1964, building began on the vessel now known as the TS Kennedy. The name of the ship at the time was Velma Lykes.
119	The height of the TS Kennedy from the keel to the radar mast is 119 feet.
540	The length of the TS Kennedy is 540 feet.
30	The length(in minutes) of slack tide, the time that there is no tidal current before the direction of the tide reverses.

Welcome aboard the T.S.Kennedy! The cadets, crew, and I are thrilled that you are participating in the 2020 Follow the Voyage program. We are bound for many exciting ports of call. I know that there will be miles of learning ahead. Please watch for new entries to my Captain's Log. I welcome your comments and questions.

Most sincerely,
Captain Michael J. Campbell

Nautical Terms

Aft - The back of a ship. If something is located aft, it is at the back of the ship. The aft is also known as the stern.

All Hands - Entire ship’s company, both officers and enlisted personnel.

Aweigh - The position of anchor as it is raised clear of the bottom.

Bow - The front of the ship is called the bow. Knowing the location of the bow is important for defining two of the other most common sailing terms; port (left of the bow) and starboard (right of the bow).

Bridge - A structure above the weather deck, extending the full width of the vessel, which houses a command center, itself called by association, the bridge.

Deck Hand, “Decky” - A person whose job involves aiding the deck supervisor in (un) mooring, anchoring, maintenance, and general evolutions on deck.

Forward - The front of a ship. If something is located forward, it is at the front of the ship. This is also known as the bow.

Knot - A unit of speed: 1 nautical mile (1.8520 km; 1.1508 mi) per hour. Originally speed was measured by paying out a line from the stern of a moving boat. The line had a knot every 47 feet 3 inches (14.40 m) and the number of knots passed out in 30 seconds gave the speed through the water in nautical miles per hour.

Port - Port is always the left-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow. Because “right” and “left” can become confusing terms when used in the open waters, port is used to define the left-hand side of the ship as it relates to the bow, or front.

Rack - The term to describe a bed aboard a ship.

Starboard - Starboard is always the right-hand side of the boat when you are facing the bow. Because “right” and “left” can become confusing sailing terms when used out in the open waters, starboard is used to define the right-hand side of the boat as it relates to the bow, or front.

A shot of anchor chain is measured either in fathoms or feet. Each shot is 15 fathoms or 90 feet long.

Arizona has 3,928 mountain peaks and summits. That is even more mountains than any one of the other Mountain States -Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, or Wyoming.

6,400 hotdogs were loaded onto the TS Kennedy for Sea Term 2020.

A Styrofoam cup tossed in the ocean will take 50 years to decompose.

The TS Kennedy burns about 45 gallons of fuel per mile when steaming at 15 knots.

800 pounds of American cheese was loaded onto the TS Kennedy for Sea Term 2020.

The maximum capacity of the TS Kennedy's Cadet Mess Deck is 240 cadets.

The TS Kennedy may carry a maximum of 2,503 tons of fuel.

Approximate 130 miles are saved when a vessel passes through the Cape Cod Canal instead of traveling around the outer shores of Cape Cod.

A fathom is a unit of length in the U.S. customary systems equal to 6 feet. It is used especially for measuring the depth of water.

1,260 pounds of butter were loaded onto the TS Kennedy for Sea Term 2020.

In 1964, building began on the vessel now known as the TS Kennedy. The name of the ship at the time was Velma Lykes.

The height of the TS Kennedy from the keel to the radar mast is 119 feet.

The length of the TS Kennedy is 540 feet.