Picture of the Day

Up on the foc’sle of the USNS CARL BRASHEAR, two members of the Helix High School bagpipe troupe “pipe-out” the ship as she departs for her maiden voyage yesterday.

We asked the Captain if this was some sort of maritime tradition of which we were previously unaware. The Captain shrugged his shoulders and said he just started doing it on a whim whenever the cable ships he served on would leave Scotland.

Fair enough. Here’s to the CARL BRASHEAR on her maiden voyage – fair winds and following seas. And here’s to being “piped-out” and the possibilities of a newly-minted maiden voyage tradition.

(please click on picture to enlarge)

P.S. We took this next door, on the 05 level of the WALLY SCHIRRA which is setting pierside and is the next ship in the T-AKE EXPLORER Class.