| Office of Public Affairs U.S. Coast Guard Seventh District |
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| Press Release |
Date: July 22, 2004 Contact: Teri Fowle 281- 455-1971 or LTjg Eric Willis |
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TEXAS CLIPPER II VISITS SAN JUAN Public tours availalble SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The Texas Clipper II, a "floating classroom" used by maritime students at Texas A&M University at Galveston, Texas will make a port call at Old San Juan Friday, July 23, arriving at approximately 9 a.m., and will be available for public tours Saturday, July 24. More than 20 Puerto Ricans have graduated from Texas A&M University and are employed as officers in the United States Maritime Service on tankers, container ships, as ship agents, engineers and harbor pilots.
The ship will dock at Tourism Berth (Pier One) in Old San Juan and will depart Monday, July 26.
The Texas Clipper II is a 394-foot training vessel used by cadets who each summer take a two-month voyage. Cadets who complete the training earn credit toward their U.S. Maritime Service officer's license in addition to their degrees from Texas A&M.
Visitors are invited to tour the Texas Clipper II Saturday, July 24, to see how the cadets live, work and learn on the ship. Cadets will conduct free tours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The first 100 high school students who visit the ship Saturday will receive a gift from the Unviersity.
The summer voyage this year included port calls in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Cork, Ireland, and Falmouth, England before arriving in San Juan. The ship will make port calls in Corpus Christi, and Freeport, Texas before returning home to Galveston August 7.
Cadets receive valuable training during their sea cruise including practical experience in operating and maintaining the ship as well as courses in navigation, seamanship and safety.
The Texas Clipper II is one of only six state maritime academy ships currently in use in the United States. ### The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the |
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