On Wednesday, January 14, 1999, Midshipman Erin Fitzgerald, 2 class came to talk with us and answer questions.  She is enrolled in the United States Merchant Marine Academy and came dressed in her uniform.  She brought along pictures of different kinds of ships and explained how different ships were built for different purposes.      Long ago, the first ships included dugout logs, log rafts, and boats made of hides stretched over a frame.  Ancient Egyptians developed some of the most advanced ships.  They also discovered sails and had learned to construct boats of planks of wood.     Today's ships include ships like container ships which are built to carry great weight, aircraft carriers which gives our defense great sea power because it is like a floating airport.  Tanker ships are specially constructed to haul all kinds of liquid cargo.  They are very large and some are almost 900 feet in length.  We also learned about a very important boat in any harbor and that is the tug boat. They help very large ships enter a harbor safely.    We really liked talking about all the different kinds of ships.  Nuclear submarines can carry high powered missiles which can be launched while the sub is under the water!  In addition to missiles, submarines can also fire torpedoes.       We also talked about ships that carry people.  Cruise ships are luxury liners like the Queen Elizabeth II.  Cruise ships carry vacationers and offer them entertainment, recreation, and fancy food.  The fastest passenger vessel is the hovercraft.  It can travel quickly over the surface of the water on a cushion of air at speeds up to 65 knots.  A knot is a measurement of speed that equals 1.85 km per hour.  A fathom and a league are other kinds of measurement used to measure depth.  A fathom equals six feet and a league is about three miles.       Midshipman Fitzgerald also took the time to tell us about some interesting sea legends and traditions.  We share those on our legends page, so take a look and enjoy.     To learn more about becoming a midshipman check out the United States Merchant Marine Academy website.