Dear Jonathan, many thanks for this simple but great obituary, which certainly comes from heart.

My training ship was sold to China a 30 years ago, and I believe it didn't have a better faith meanwhile :-(


that was she under my time:

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=141881

and later:

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=49255

brgds
Captain Peter
Beaumont, TX

Seeing the old State of Maine cut down like this, about to disappear for good, sure hit me like an unexpected punch. She was my training ship at Maine Maritime Academy from 1978 to 1982, and a damn good ship she was. But what ship isn't a good one when you're young? This picture shows her main mast still standing, but the big jumbo boom is gone. In December of 1981 a classmate and I cut down a fir tree, lugged it aboard, and secretly worked through a cold, icy Maine night to get that tree lashed to the tip of the topped up jumbo boom. It looked great and none of the admin or faculty ever figured out who did it. She was a great ship, much better looking than any of the current training ships and she produced a lot of great ship's officers. Farewell, Gray Ghost of the Maine Coast!