Coast Guard's Eagle returns to New London

New London — The Eagle has landed.

The U.S. Coast Guard Academy's training barque pulled into Fort Trumbull this morning with a gleaming gold Eagle figurehead, a fresh coat of paint and new rigging. The barque spent the past four months at the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore undergoing repair and maintenance work, a $5 million project.

Capt. Eric C. Jones, the commanding officer, said on the pier that the Eagle looks great.

"The crew and the yard workers did a fantastic job," he said. "We're thankful for the mild winter. If it had been worse, we would have been there longer."

A light snow fell as the crew tied up Eagle's lines. Jones said the storm wasn't a problem. It's much harder to handle the ship in heavy winds, he added.

"A little snow is not a big deal," Jones said.

Several families braved the wintry weather to greet their loved ones at the pier.

"I can't wait to see daddy," Seth, 5, told his mother Jana Barnes. Chief Shawn Barnes is the chief machinery technician and assistant engineering officer, as well as the command chief on the Eagle.

Barnes said that seeing his family waiting for him puts his job in perspective. He said he is helping to keep the water safe for his family, and for other families.

The Eagle leaves again in just eight weeks for the summer training cruise.

j.mcdermott@theday.com