A Proud Lady Laid to Rest

[RedneckDyke]

My folks just told me that my old ship, the USTS Texas Clipper, was sunk off the Texas Coast for a reef and a dive site.
The Clipper was born in conflict as the USS Queens, an attack transport ship in WWII. After the war, she sailed for pleasure as the Excambion, one of the 4 Aces, the first 4 air-conditioned cruise liners.
Later, she served 30 years of cadets at Texas A&M at Galveston and the Texas Maritime Academy. I worked, lived and sailed on her summers as a student at TAMUG from 1989 to 1994. At her retirement, she was the oldest active vessel in the US merchant marine fleet.
I learned so much and worked so hard on that ol' girl. Saw both the Southern Cross and the Northern Lights in the sky from her decks. I watched dolphins ride her beautiful rake bow. I stood on her giant anchor with a paint brush and a bucket of paint, painting her anchor and chain. I climbed high on her masts, and descended into her bilge. I stood at her helm, polished her brass, and loaded Blue Bell Ice cream into her reefer hold.
She'll always be part of me.

There's good photos of her if you Google her.

[u-dog]

My folks just told me that my old ship, the USTS Texas Clipper, was sunk off the Texas Coast for a reef and a dive site.
The Clipper was born in conflict as the USS Queens, an attack transport ship in WWII. After the war, she sailed for pleasure as the Excambion, one of the 4 Aces, the first 4 air-conditioned cruise liners.
Later, she served 30 years of cadets at Texas A&M at Galveston and the Texas Maritime Academy. I worked, lived and sailed on her summers as a student at TAMUG from 1989 to 1994. At her retirement, she was the oldest active vessel in the US merchant marine fleet.
I learned so much and worked so hard on that ol' girl. Saw both the Southern Cross and the Northern Lights in the sky from her decks. I watched dolphins ride her beautiful rake bow. I stood on her giant anchor with a paint brush and a bucket of paint, painting her anchor and chain. I climbed high on her masts, and descended into her bilge. I stood at her helm, polished her brass, and loaded Blue Bell Ice cream into her reefer hold.
She'll always be part of me.

There's good photos of her if you Google her.

Our condelences at the loss of your home away from home. How wonderful that she has been given one more important job to do and not just cut-up for scrap!