EAGLE, the largest Tall Ship flying the Stars and Stripes and the only square-rigger in U.S. government service, is the seventh Coast guard Cutter to bear the name in a proud line dating back to 1792. The ship was built in 1936 by the Blohm Voss Shipyard in Hamburg Germany, and commissioned the HORST WESSEL, one of three sail training ships operated by Nazi Germany to train cadets for the growing German Navy. Early in World War II it was converted to a cargo ship, transporting men and supplies throughout the Baltic Sea, but continued to perform a training mission as well. The ship is said to have downed three aircraft in combat during this period. Following World War II, it was taken as a war prize by the United States and a Coast Guard crew-aided by the German crew still on board-sailed the tall ship in 1946 from Bremerhaven to its new home port in New London, Connecticut

Eagle now serves as a seagoing classroom for the future officers of the U.S. Coast Guard. A seasoned permanent crew of five officers and 30 enlisted personnel maintains the ship year round and provide a strong base of knowledge and seamanship for the training of up to 150 cadets or officer candidates at a time. It is on the decks and in the rigging of the EAGLE that these men and women get their first taste of salt air and life at sea. The experience helps them to develop skills of leadership and teamwork, as well as a healthy respect for the elements, that will serve them for a lifetime. They are tested and challenged, often to the limits of their endurance: working aloft, they meet fear and learn to overcome it. The training they receive under sail has proven to be a valuable asset to generations of Coast Guard officers throughout their careers.

To maneuver EAGLE under sail the crew must handle more that 22,000 square feet of sail and five miles of rigging. Over 200 lines control the sails and yards, and every crew member, cadet and officer candidate must become intimately familiar with the name, operation, and function of each line

 

 
   

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