Coast Guard Eagle Gets New Wind in Her Sails by PA3 Susan Blake U. S. Coast Guard February 23, 2005 NEW LONDON, Conn. - As the Coast Guard Cutter Barque Eagle prepares to get underway for its 2005 winter training cruise, the 66-year old square-rigger stands renewed, refreshed, and ready for high winds and heavy seas. The Eagle, the largest Tall Ship flying the Stars and Stripes in government service, serves as the seagoing classroom for the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Cadets. Every future Coast Guard officer, at one time or another has served on this vessel honing their skills in teamwork, leadership, and seamanship. Since October of 2004, the Eagle has been going under extensive renovation and rehabilitation at the Coast Guard YARD in Baltimore, Md. The YARD is the official shipyard of the U.S. Coast Guard. While in dry-dock at the YARD, the 295-foot cutter saw the renovation and restoration of its 147.3 foot maintruck or forward mast including the rigging. "Each year when we come to the YARD, we work on one mast," according to Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Richard D. Kitchen. "Two miles of line on the foremast will be replaced along with all the blocks and fittings." Kitchen is one of 60 permanent crewmembers charged with maintaining the vessel year round and executing training in seamanship while underway. Keeping this ship in shape in the off-season is an awesome task for the permanent crew. Food Service Specialist 3rd Class Sonja N. Dyer polishes the brass on deck when not in the galley. "During the summer we usually have an additional 25 crew members in addition to our permanent crew of 60," said Dyer. While at the YARD cadet berthing was renovated. The Eagle accommodates up to 150 cadets and officers during a typical training cruise. Also, sophisticated electronics were added, including a stand alone UNIX based navigation system. The YARD made additional upgrades and improvements to the auxiliary propulsion shaft and propeller, ballast, air conditioning systems, and topped it all off with a fresh coat of paint. The vessel is the seventh Coast Guard Cutter since 1792 to bear the name Eagle. Its origins trace back to a shipyard in Hamburg, Germany where it was built in 1936. It was commissioned by the German Navy as the Horst Wessel. During World War II the Germans converted the vessel to a cargo ship and it is credited for downing three allied aircraft. After the war the United States took possession of the Horst Wessel. In 1946 this prize of war was moved to its new homeport at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn.

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