thedrifter
10-27-06, 01:18 AM
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego (Oct. 27, 2006) -- Lt. Cmdr. Eleanor M. Bracken retired at the depot chapel after more than 20 years of service in the Navy on July 7.
She, her husband and their two children made their last Permanent Change of Station move to their new home in Jacksonville, Fla., but left their boat, the Sapphire, behind in San Diego.
The Sapphire, hand-built and designed by Matt Bracken, Eleanor’s husband, was more than just a boat to the family. The 48-foot cutter was a form of transportation from duty station-to-duty station, and the Brackens actually resided on the vessel at one time while Eleanor was stationed at the naval hospital in Charleston, Va.
Three weeks ago, Matt returned to the docks at the Anti-Submarine Warfare Base, San Diego, to prep the Sapphire for her last PCS move from San Diego to Jacksonville.
"We had to leave the boat here because this voyage can only be made certain times of the year," said Matt. "Mid-October through November is the best time to get good sailing conditions from the Panama Canal to the Key West."
Although the chances of tropical storms and hurricanes pose a threat to his journey, Matt says he is not too worried about the trip.
He plans to sail out of the San Diego Bay before heading down through the Panama Canal and into the Caribbean. This area of the ocean is heavily guarded by Navy and Coast Guard ships, limiting the occurrence of criminal activity.
The Sapphire has traveled with the Brackens since it was completed in 1993. It has passed through the Panama Canal once before on a trip to Guam from Charleston, and it has provided Matt with countless sea stories.
"I first went sailing as a kid with my father, and when I got older and had kids, I took my son sailing," said Matt. "When he was seven, I took him from Guam to San Diego on our boat, just the two of us."
Now, after more than 13 years since its completion, the Sapphire is on its way to close the final chapter of a military career.
"The feeling of knowing this is our last PCS is kind of bittersweet," said Eleanor. "Although this is the last time Matt will cross a major ocean, we will finally get to use the boat more often now that I am retired."
Plans for trips to the Bahamas are in store for the family as the Sapphire approaches Florida. Although Matt will not arrive until mid-December, Eleanor and their two children anxiously await his return as he makes his way across the Gulf of Mexico.
The arrival of the Sapphire will end a military story for the Brackens, but they won’t forget the memories that lie within the steel walls of their cutter. Finally, after 13 years of owning a boat, they will be able to enjoy it for more than just transportation.
Ellie
She, her husband and their two children made their last Permanent Change of Station move to their new home in Jacksonville, Fla., but left their boat, the Sapphire, behind in San Diego.
The Sapphire, hand-built and designed by Matt Bracken, Eleanor’s husband, was more than just a boat to the family. The 48-foot cutter was a form of transportation from duty station-to-duty station, and the Brackens actually resided on the vessel at one time while Eleanor was stationed at the naval hospital in Charleston, Va.
Three weeks ago, Matt returned to the docks at the Anti-Submarine Warfare Base, San Diego, to prep the Sapphire for her last PCS move from San Diego to Jacksonville.
"We had to leave the boat here because this voyage can only be made certain times of the year," said Matt. "Mid-October through November is the best time to get good sailing conditions from the Panama Canal to the Key West."
Although the chances of tropical storms and hurricanes pose a threat to his journey, Matt says he is not too worried about the trip.
He plans to sail out of the San Diego Bay before heading down through the Panama Canal and into the Caribbean. This area of the ocean is heavily guarded by Navy and Coast Guard ships, limiting the occurrence of criminal activity.
The Sapphire has traveled with the Brackens since it was completed in 1993. It has passed through the Panama Canal once before on a trip to Guam from Charleston, and it has provided Matt with countless sea stories.
"I first went sailing as a kid with my father, and when I got older and had kids, I took my son sailing," said Matt. "When he was seven, I took him from Guam to San Diego on our boat, just the two of us."
Now, after more than 13 years since its completion, the Sapphire is on its way to close the final chapter of a military career.
"The feeling of knowing this is our last PCS is kind of bittersweet," said Eleanor. "Although this is the last time Matt will cross a major ocean, we will finally get to use the boat more often now that I am retired."
Plans for trips to the Bahamas are in store for the family as the Sapphire approaches Florida. Although Matt will not arrive until mid-December, Eleanor and their two children anxiously await his return as he makes his way across the Gulf of Mexico.
The arrival of the Sapphire will end a military story for the Brackens, but they won’t forget the memories that lie within the steel walls of their cutter. Finally, after 13 years of owning a boat, they will be able to enjoy it for more than just transportation.
Ellie