The weather off Miami Beach in February was very cold and the blue waters of the Gulf Stream passed within a few miles on the beach. some days there was a distinct line between the green coastal water and the warmer deep blue color of the Gulf Stream.  On one particular morning ATR-7 was sailing back and forth in a designated

area waiting to send her motor whale boat after some practice torpedoes.  A newly commissioned light cruiser, USS SPRINGFIELD CL-66 was making practice torpedo runs on her shakedown cruise that morning. ATR-7's job was to snare the practice torpedo before it sunk and then haul it back to the SPRINGFIELD. Things had been going well all morning.

In the steamy Gulf Stream water, the crew in the whale boat picked up several torpedoes. It was a nasty wet job in the cold air and the lukewarm water. At noon, the cook set up chow. For lunch he had prepared succotash. The galley mixed creamcorn with green peas and poured the food into bowls which the mess cooks placed on the tables in the mess hall. Green peas and creamcorn made a sorry bilious colored mixture. If they had used a different shell bean it would at least

appeared more appetizing. Just when all was ready to announce "chowdown", the Captain ordered the helmsman to make some sharp turns and quick maneuvers. As the ship went into an abrupt turn, all of the bowls on the tables slid off onto the deck. There were empty bowls all over the mess hall, greenish-yellow goo everywhere. Above all this, the cook was yelling and swearing while the dumbfounded mess cooks stood silent and looked on in agony. Order was finally restored but lunch was only a sandwich that day.