SCHOOL SHIP BLUES - Thanks to ERHARD KOEHLER, Class of 1987, you can now see the new blue hue of the TSES VI at the Alumni website- http://www.fsmaa.org/TSES/ This should please Europe-based graduate, ANDREAS ISELI, Class of 1999, who recently requested that photos be posted to the web: "I am having a hard time imagining the 'White Pig', as we called it, in dark blue. I am sitting here in Northern Europe working in a shipyard building a 61m small mega yacht, eager to see the EMPIRE STATE in a dark blue hull." He continues: "What about the sayings that a blue hull in not a lucky color for a ship ? Please see the remarks about this in 'The Perfect Storm' where it is mentioned that a serious fisherman and sailor would always paint his boat white or green but never blue ! Also, from my side of the business of building large yachts and pleasure boats, another point: In my industry the naval architects always get worried when a client wants a dark blue hull for his motor yacht, as that color harbours the most problems regarding insulation and air conditioning. There are big boats where the entire inside of the hull is ventilated to get the additional heat off the hull and vent it out, otherwise the metal gets too hot and the nice dark blue paint bubbles. Would be interested to see if the Training Ship suffers from any different A/C loads during next year's cruise ... just a thought !" [Sounds like a good research project.]

Finally, a note from FRANK DUFFY, Executive Vice President of the Maritime Industry Museum and professional ship photographer 'par excellence,' that he ".. just learned that the TV STATE OF MAINE also changed the livery of their training ship and is calling it "HAL" blue. I had my aerial photo of the ship, taken last June when it came to NY, on the cover of their alumni magazine." [Back to that helicopter, Frank.]

JOIN THE TOUR - Check out the new campus Virtual Tour at the Maritime College website. It has good photos, interesting text and even a whistle to wake you up. You can start the tour by clicking on the campus map. Go to http://www.sunymaritime.edu The website's news section, Maritime Watch, is greatly improved and up-to-date. Posted are a number of informative articles relating to today's Maritime College. For example, there is a story on the fact that the Naval ROTC program is now at an all-time high in enrollment, and there is another item about the expansion of the college's Small Vessel Operations Program." It is well worth taking a frequent look at the college website. If you like what you see, let their webmaster know.

EBB TIDE - Moments before press time, NFFS received news of the death of RICHARD CULL, Class of 1954 from his classmate, ROGER P. WESSEL: "Our classmate, an always on the go - fun guy, good skier, mediocre golfer Salvator Richard Ciulla '54, known to some as Cy, Sal, or Sixty and to most as Dick Cull, passed away Aug. 31, 2002, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Dick was a resident of North Hampton, N. H. and a retired executive of GE Corporation. After graduating NYSMC, Dick did a hitch in the Navy, then joined GE and had a 40 year career, largely in gas turbine sales. Prior to retiring, Dick was responsible for GE's Asian sales headquartered in Hong Kong. Dick is survived by four loving children Carlton, Brian, Diane, and Jeffrey, nine grandchildren and a lovely companion, Sheila Doyle of San Clemente, CA. Since retiring, Dick and Sheila were great worldwide travelers and regulars at the annual Class of '54 reunions."