Inside The Wire

The past two weeks we've enjoyed some much-needed downtime, but that doesn't mean we haven't been busy. From Cape Verde we sailed north for four days toward Madeira Island. En route we began wrapping up our pending work for the Navy and focused on preparing for an upcoming inspection. 

Liberty in Madeira (Complete With McDonalds)

Legare moored in the port of Funchal, Madeira, as seen from the botanical gardens above the city.

Funchal, Madeira, provided a much-needed opportunity to relax—this was our first real liberty port. We moored downtown and the heart of the city was only a five-minute walk. Cobblestone streets lined with little shops, sidewalk cafés, old churches and modern stores. An old European town with modern comforts. Yes, even a McDonald's. As you can imagine, the local merchants did a healthy bit of business that day. Crew members took cable cars to the top of the mountain, tasted wine at the Madeira Wine Company or simply sat in sidewalk cafés and watched the people walk by. The city was preparing for its upcoming flower festival and all the lush plants were in bloom. What a great transition from the African ports we were used to; a place that resembled home.

1-800-Parts Department

The streets of Funchal, Madeira, prepared for the annual flower festival.

After four days in port, we left port heading home but encountered a problem with one of our engines shortly after departing. The engineers rigged an ingenious temporary repair that allowed us to use the engine at lower speeds, but we still needed to replace the broken part before beginning the Atlantic Ocean crossing. We slowly made our way toward the Azores, where we would pick up the part that was shipped from the United States. When we were a few hours away, another shipmate had a medical problem, but our medical team was able to treat him until we could get him ashore to a hospital. 

This put us into Ponta Delgada, Azores, a day and a half before our part was scheduled to arrive. We continued to knock out some work…but couldn't pass up the opportunity to explore. We granted liberty to check out the local town, which was relatively small so it could be covered quickly. The Azores, like Madeira, are autonomous Portuguese islands, but Ponta Delgada had a rural feel to it with gently rolling, pasture-covered mountains, unlike Madeira's steep mountains and dense forests.

The church at the center of town in Ponta Delgada, Azores.

Mission Complete, Homeward Bound

The part arrived the next day. It was installed and we departed port without a hitch. With our mission complete, we set a course west and headed home. It's hard to believe our patrol is almost over. It seems like we've been aboard the cutter for an eternity. The last time we were at home we were wrapping up from the holidays, and now it's warm and sunny outside. We're all excited to get home and looking forward to some well-earned time off. We're on schedule to return as planned.

The crew of USCGC Legare.

Hope to see you on the Pier!!

Photos courtesy of LCDR Holly Harrison, USCG

About the Author: For her service as Commanding Officer of USCGC Aquidneck in Operation Iraqi Freedom, LCDR Holly Harrison became the first woman in Coast Guard history to receive the Bronze Star medal. She has also served on Coast Guard cutters Storis and Kiska, as the Protocol Officer for the Commandant and as the Executive Officer of the Coast Guard's Maritime Law Enforcement Academy. She is currently the XO of USCGC Legare, a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter stationed in Portsmouth, VA.