sent over a select few in an inflatable rescue boat. After a short
When the MMA midshipmen returned to the State of Maine,
climb up the pilot ladder, the guests from the Golden Bear were
it was clear from the smiles on their faces that they'd had
whisked away to the bridge where they were greeted by Captain
a wonderful time. Thankfully, Miss Fouquette had taken a
Les Eadie `76, Master of the State of Maine, and Captain Jeff
number of pictures on their tour, which she was happy to share
Loustaunau, Commandant of Midshipmen.
with the rest of us who were dying to know
While training officer Bill Schmid '78 (MMA
what it was like on our sister ship. She
alumnus), photographer Roxanna Andrews,
described being aboard the Golden Bear as
and the three cadets, Cody and Jesse Rongo,
eerie. The MMA cadets knew where things
and Daniel Than were getting a brief tour of
were, which passageways to take, and how
the State of Maine, a few of our own were off
to get around what is generally thought to
to the see the Golden Bear.
be a fairly confusing layout. Though things
MMA Deck training officer Captain
were never exactly the same aboard the
Richard Allard (Cal Maritime alum) along
two vessels, and there have certainly been
with Regimental Executive Officer Angela
years' worth of changes, the bones of the
Fouquette, Cadet Master Kevin Lees, and
two ships really are fundamentally the
Cadet Chief Engineer Logan Douston, were
same.
the lucky few who got to see first hand just how
Finally, it was time for the ships to go
different the two vessels had become over the
Captain Les Eadie, T.S. State of Maine,
their separate ways. Students again lined
years. After their photos were taken on the
meets Training Officer Bill Schmid `78,
the rails to wave goodbye as our California
bridge (which was practically identical to our
T.S. Golden Bear
brethren turned north to Haiti, and the
own), Allard and Lees were shown around the
State of Maine resumed her course south
bridge simulator (an addition that Cal Maritime has made to
towards Curaçao. As we watched the Golden Bear shrink on
their Deck Training program), while Douston and Fouquette
the horizon, we were all glad that these were not two ships that
were taken down to the engine room by Cal Maritime's Cadet
had passed in the night.
Chief, Nicco Lagen.
23 MARINER / FALL 2012