Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Giovannie de Sadeleer

Quote by Giovannie de Sadeleer

Author

Giovannie de Sadeleer

Browse famous quotes and profile details for Giovannie de Sadeleer. more

You May Also Like

“Throughout the year we worked at maintaining and painting the vessels secured at the Academy waterfront. The school had lifeboats, running boats, sailboats, a wooden-hulled “Submarine Chaser” and the “Training Ship.” During the years that I was at the Academy, most of these ships and boats, being holdovers from World War II, were hardly new. They were in constant need of maintenance and repair, which, of course, fell to us midshipmen. Most of the other academies had the funding to hire a permanent maintenance staff, but not us. At MMA we took pride in what we did and we were the ones who took care of almost everything. Every winter, for all the years that I was at Maine Maritime Academy, we sailed from Castine, Maine, to the warm waters of the Caribbean in January. In The Tricks End, our yearbook, the Caribbean was called our third home. It gave us something to look forward to, and it gave us the practical, seagoing training we needed to become officers in the United States Maritime Service.”

“Half running, with my thumb out, I eventually got to the bridge crossing the Raritan River. Starting across it, I saw a stake-sided farm truck pulling over, and then stop ahead of me. “Where you go’n, sailor?” the driver asked. When I told him “Toms River,” he said that he was going right through there. The truck driver had a rough look about him, but he seemed friendly enough when he asked if I was in the Coast Guard, knowing that USCG sailors travel this way to their Boot Camp in Cape May. “No Sir,” I answered and explained that I was late getting back to Admiral Farragut Academy. “No problem,” he answered. “I’ll get you there!” It wasn’t the nicest truck, or the fastest, but it was a ride. We rumbled through Toms River and Beachwood and then on to Pine Beach, with only minutes to spare. Thanking him, I jumped out of the truck and ran towards Dupont Hall to check in. “Who was that?” one of the cadets asked, as I opened the door. “Oh… Just an Uncle who came to see me,” was the answer I gave as casually as I could….”