#UStrainingShips -Today been the 4th July, the United States celebrates its Independence Day where patriotic events take place also overseas and on board a pair of training vessels in Irish waters, writes Jehan Ashmore.
As previously reported on Afloat.ie, the two US training ships visited Cork recently, SSV Corwith Cromar and TS Empire State (1962/14,557grt) though the latter vessel this morning arrived into Dublin Bay.
As part of her annual Summer Sea Term, she is scheduled to visit several European ports and among them the next port is call is understood to the Danish capital of Copenhagen.
The arrival into Dublin Bay of the cadetship with students from the Maritime College of the State University College of New York (SUNY) is somewhat surprising, though for the last three days she undertook training exercises held off Cork Harbour with overnight anchorage taken offshore.
It remains to be confirmed if the former general cargoship which has visited Dublin Port previously is set to make an un-scheduled call.
Or this could merely be a 'sail-past' of Dublin as part of the route taken of the Empire State during her passage through the Irish Sea, past Scotland and onward to Scandinavia.
Also following a transatlantic sail from the US East coast, the other training vessel, the steel-hulled 1988 built SSV Corwith Cramer which made her first visit to Cork. She remains berthed at Cork City Marina where she was open to the public last Sunday.
On Tuesday a talk "One Ocean: Lightening Talks on Ocean Discovery" was held on board with researchers from the US and Ireland. She is due to depart on Sunday.