Free tours of the vessel, built in Germany in 1936, are available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday at the Canadian Coast Guard pier in James Bay.
The largest tall ship in the U.S. arrived in Victoria on Tuesday, ready to offer tours to anyone interested in earning their sea legs.
The 89-year-old USCGC Eagle might look like a floating museum, but she’s actually a classroom for U.S. Coast Guard officers in training. Up to 150 cadets at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy call the Eagle home for six weeks at a time, under the supervision of officers and enlisted personnel who show them the ropes of the majestic ship.
Third-class cadet Olivia Spada, who had never been to Canada before, got the chance to climb the rope ladders of the masts Monday night as the ship arrived from her last stop in Seattle.
“Seeing Canada from a bird’s eye view was super cool,” said Spada, who has two more weeks aboard the EAGLE before heading home to Long Island, New York, for a three-week break.
She said her favourite time of day on board the Eagle is at sunset.
Spada said her older brother Will, now in his final year of coast guard training, inspired her to join last year. “Seeing him has helped me learn and develop into the kind of leader I want to be,” said Spada, who is studying marine environmental science at the coast guard academy, and said she loves learning about aquatic animal protection and spill response.
Kris Ensley, who has been captain of the Eagle for the last three weeks, was a cadet on the ship 25 years ago and got the chance to sail across the Atlantic without the use of GPS navigation, relying on sextants and the stars.
The old-fashioned technologies aboard the Eagle are still valuable teaching tools, he said, noting the emphasis in sail training is on leadership, teamwork and risk management.
Ensley acknowledged recent tensions between Canada and the U.S., but said the two coast guards continue to work together.
“We have a close and integral working relationship with our Canadian partners,” he said, adding that he’s “excited to be here to help build that partnership.”
Derek Moss, assistant commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard western region, said he’s happy to welcome the EAGLE and her crew to B.C.’s waters.
“This is a symbol of friendship and partnership,” he said, adding that it’s his first time on board the ship.
Moss said the Canadian Coast Guard training process doesn’t involve serving on a traditional tall ship, but students at the Canadian Coast Guard College in Nova Scotia have the chance to complete exchange programs with the U.S. Coast Guard and can even spend time on the Eagle.
The ship was built in Hamburg, Germany, in 1936, and served in the Kriegsmarine before being given to the U.S. as reparations after the Second World War. The Eagle has been a training vessel for the coast guard since 1946, and last visited Victoria in 2008.
The 295-foot-long barque is visiting as part of a 14-week journey around North America, from her home port of New London, Connecticut.
The Eagle is set to leave Victoria on Thursday, stopping in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Panama City before returning to her home port on Sept. 18.
Those curious about the ship are encouraged to join a tour for free from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday at the Canadian Coast Guard pier in James Bay.
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