Does anyone know the requirements and iniation for the ORDER OF THE SPANISH MAIN? It came upo during a morale commite meeting, but we don't have anyone aboard who has that one. Just a few Shell Backs and one Gloden Dragon. We want to issue the certificates, but would like to do it right.

I believe that the requirement is just sailing the Caribbean. We never had any ceremony when they were given to us on the Gallatin. They just handed them to us.

PO1 Kevin Couture

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ORDER OF THE SPANISH MAIN

US Naval Institute (certificate provider) states:

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Commemorates cruising the Caribbean

Roger that, thanks for the help.

Does the OCS cruise to Nassau count?

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Originally posted by LetsGoRedSox:
I believe that the requirement is just sailing the Caribbean. We never had any ceremony when they were given to us on the Gallatin. They just handed them to us.

PO1 Kevin Couture

I never even heard of such a thing during my time onboard the Chase.

I guess those golden tans we got will just have to do.

Don

Gee, I just finished a week long Caribbean cruise. Do I get one?

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Originally posted by joedepilot:
Does the OCS cruise to Nassau count?

Sorry, no. The Bahamas are situated in the Atlantic Ocean!

Cheers

I sailed the caribbean for around 10 years, hit almost every island down there and never got any citations... (well not the one in this post anyway...)

So do Puddle Pirates on 22-foot TPSB "Raider" Boats count? PSUs patrolled Port-au-Prince and Cape Haitien in Haiti in 1994. Same with the cutters re-patriating Haitians there.

I know there's also a Persian Excursion certificate too for PSU types there now and back during Desert Shield/Storm, and the USNI has a Great Lakes certificate, also.

I received it while I was on Spencer. We got it for sailing from one end to the other in the Carribean. We went from west to east, but I don't beleive that matters.

I landed in the water and picked up 5 Cubans just outside Havana harbor. Doe that count ?

Dig into the waters that are usually defined as the "Spanish Main" and it would include damned near all the waters of the 7th & 8th Districts and the Caribbean Sea. All can correctly be called the Spanish Main, the shoreline of the Spanish colonies in the New World.

Here's one certificate for the Spanish Main, not specifcally the Caribbean.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mastersmate,

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Originally posted by FS4ever:
I sailed the caribbean for around 10 years, hit almost every island down there and never got any citations... (well not the one in this post anyway...)

Heck, I guess even a visit to GTMO for REFTRA counts or do the cutters still go there for that training. Nevermind, if that's a sensitive question per OPSEC.

Just the same, the memories and the experiences were more than enough benefit for me. I loved it down there, especially since the Chase was out of Boston at the time and patrols usually meant getting far, far away from the New England winters.

Don

Every ship I've been on has come down here at one time or another, but this is the first to even talk about issuing the certificates.

we got them on the SENECA back in 95' I have no idea what box it ended up in though..

I think if you were on a 110', 210', 370' or 378 in the late 90's during Hatian and Cuban OPS you spent enough time drilling holes in the water of the Caribbean for it!

Can't remeber what it took to get it though, I know I got mine on like my 3rd Caribbean patrol...

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Here's one certificate for the Spanish Main, not specifcally the Caribbean.

And that's the one I received. I also received what was an updated version, with the hair of the mermaid covering her bosom

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Originally posted by 21yrsUSCGUSCS:

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Originally posted by LetsGoRedSox:
I believe that the requirement is just sailing the Caribbean. We never had any ceremony when they were given to us on the Gallatin. They just handed them to us.

PO1 Kevin Couture

I never even heard of such a thing during my time onboard the Chase.

I guess those golden tans we got will just have to do.

Don

Thats because The Chase normally does not go to the Carribean.

When I was on the Venturous, we sailed around the Carribean, we got the certificate, no ceremony required. I have one for crossing the Ditch as well, no ceremony was done for it either.

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Originally posted by Hectorcaliente:

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Originally posted by 21yrsUSCGUSCS:
. . .

I never even heard of such a thing during my time onboard the Chase.

I guess those golden tans we got will just have to do.

Don

Thats because The Chase normally does not go to the Carribean.

When I was on the Venturous, we sailed around the Carribean, we got the certificate, no ceremony required. I have one for crossing the Ditch as well, no ceremony was done for it either.

Just for the record, Chase spent MOST of her illustrious career out of Boston, and did do Caribbean cruises (as did MY old ship, the Sherman). I spent LOTs of time cruising the Caribbean & never heard of the "certificate" in question. It was probably available through the ship's store.

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When I was on the Venturous, we sailed around the Carribean[sic]

There was a time when the Venturous didn't sail the Caribbean, while she was homeported on the West Coast.