L to R: Captains George Linzee, James McEachern (Palm Beach Gdns, FL), Vincent Cassata
(Brightwaters), Michael Devine (Stony Brook) At the Bunker Hill Memorial. Portrait in background is of Captain John Linzee, George's great, great, great grandfather, who was a British sea captain and was in the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Photo Courtesy of Captain George Linzee
For the first time, The Stony Brook School has students who earned their Captain's License as undergraduates. On May 5, seniors James McEachern (Palm Beach Gdns, FL), and Vincent Cassata (Brightwaters), and junior, Michael Devine (Stony Brook), passed their Coast Guard License Exams with flying colors. In a class that included Cadets from both the US Coast Guard Academy and US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Michael and James scored 100% and Vincent scored 96%.
The three captains traveled to Boston with the Director of Marine Programs, Captain George Linzee, to complete the final steps of their licensing process. To obtain a Captain's license, these three sailors have met the 90 day sea time requirement through their participation in the School's sailing program and have had to take drug tests and pass physicals. The application process includes fingerprinting and swearing an oath "to uphold the federal code of regulations and obey the legal orders of their commanding officers." They are now qualified to take passengers for hire on the high seas.
Cassata,
McEachern, and Devine have been employed by The Stony Brook School Summer
Program for this July and August, to work with the keelboats. Several
alumni have earned their licenses as postgraduates and work for the school
as Captains. Possessing a US Coast Guard license opens up many possibilities
for employment.
