Panama Canal 2022

[farmersfight]

8 hours ago, bonvoyagie said:

the locks at Gutan

 

I think you mean the Gatun locks.

[MSUjohn]

On 7/28/2020 at 2:19 PM, farmersfight said:

 Thanks for sharing the video. Interesting seeing the famous fog of SF at the end of the video. I shipped out from SF as a state maritime cadet (Texas) in the summer of 1981. Was on the Letitia Lykes (break bulk freighter) and we sailed to the far east - Japan, South Korea, Indonesia & the Philippines. We returned to Oakland. One of the greatest experiences of my life. Thanks again.

 

no problem. I just wanted top show what cruise I was on.

 

I myself attended the great lakes maritime academy....until I exhausted my student loan allowance.

[farmersfight]

9 hours ago, MSUjohn said:

I myself attended the great lakes maritime academy....until I exhausted my student loan allowance.

 

Cool that you attended the Great Lakes Maritime Academy. Besides Texas Maritime, I was also seriously considering Great Lakes, however, at the time Great Lakes was a 2 year school and only offered an associate's degree (they didn't have the partnership with Northwestern at the time to offer a 4 year bachelor's degree, like they do now). So, I opted for Texas.

 

I have multiple maritime ties up here on the Lakes - my dad sailed as a mate for American Steamship and became a pilot up here, my uncle sailed as captain on the Roger Blough for U.S. Steel and my dad's best friend is a pilot up here out of Port Huron. Hence, my interest in Great Lakes Maritime.

 

I see from your avatar that you're in Michigan. What part? As you can see from mine, I'm in Muskegon.

[MSUjohn]

On 8/5/2020 at 7:27 AM, farmersfight said:

 

Cool that you attended the Great Lakes Maritime Academy. Besides Texas Maritime, I was also seriously considering Great Lakes, however, at the time Great Lakes was a 2 year school and only offered an associate's degree (they didn't have the partnership with Northwestern at the time to offer a 4 year bachelor's degree, like they do now). So, I opted for Texas.

 

I have multiple maritime ties up here on the Lakes - my dad sailed as a mate for American Steamship and became a pilot up here, my uncle sailed as captain on the Roger Blough for U.S. Steel and my dad's best friend is a pilot up here out of Port Huron. Hence, my interest in Great Lakes Maritime.

 

I see from your avatar that you're in Michigan. What part? As you can see from mine, I'm in Muskegon.

 

the GLMA was a bit of a bad choice life choice. I exhausted my student loans, before I could finish...and now debt...lots.

 

I live in Jackson ATM, I lived in Muskegon for a couple of years (down by the old cinema) prior to moving to Jackson. 

[farmersfight]

1 hour ago, MSUjohn said:

 

the GLMA was a bit of a bad choice life choice. I exhausted my student loans, before I could finish...and now debt...lots.

 

I live in Jackson ATM, I lived in Muskegon for a couple of years (down by the old cinema) prior to moving to Jackson. 

 

Thanks for your reply. Sorry you didn't finish GLMA and I sympathize with the debt situation - been there. Fortunately, once I reached 59 1/2, I was able to take a big withdrawal from my 401K without the 10% penalty, so I used that withdrawal to pay off all my debt. I'm recently retired and was just about to spend my new found free time cruising but then Covid 19 hit the fan 😠.

 

I moved to Muskegon from Vermont a little over a year ago. Mainly because I have family here (mom, brothers, nephew). I'm liking Muskegon fairly well - I do like having the Lake Express fast ferry here that connects to Milwaukee. I took it multiple times last summer and went to a few Brewers baseball games. Are you originally from Michigan? I was born in Grosse Pointe and lived in Flat Rock the first part of my life - so, I consider myself a "Michigander", lol.

[MSUjohn]

I'm like a 5th generation michigander. 

The problem was I had to get a bs/ba before going to maritime for a AS. so inexusted my student loan before finishing. 

 

 

I am a prison guard now (that is why I lived in Muskegon and jackson now).

[farmersfight]

17 hours ago, MSUjohn said:

I am a prison guard now (that is why I lived in Muskegon and jackson now).

 

Ironically, my nephew was a prison guard for the state of Michigan. So was his dad.