“All the ship’s work shall cease,” Mobile Mayor Sandy Stimpson decreed on Friday, in remarks addressed to the crew of the guided missile destroyer USS McFaul. “Sweepers will store their brooms. Serious matters will not be discussed. Problems will not occur. And most importantly, celebration and revelry shall dominate all the ship’s plans of the day while in the city of Mobile.”

It’s traditional for a Navy ship to dock in Mobile during Mardi Gras. This year it’s the McFaul, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer built by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula. It was windy and, by Mobile’s standards at least, briskly cold as the ship was secured at a dock just north of the Arthur R. Outlaw Mobile Convention Center.

Crewmates from USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park tossed beads to sailor lined up at the rails; Azalea Trail Maids took Cmdr. Rusty J. Williamson’s arms as he came ashore. Music was provided by members of the Davidson High School Marching Band, and members of the U.S. Naval Cadet Corps and Navy League Cadet Corps presented the colors.

The guided missile destroyer USS McFaul passes LCS 26, the future USS Mobile. The McFaul docked in Mobile on Feb. 21, 2020, to maintain the Navy's traditional presence at Mardi Gras. (Lawrence Specker | LSpecker@AL.com)Lawrence Specker | LSpecker@AL.com

Williamson took Stimpson’s decree in good spirits, and told onlookers “it is the warmest day that we’ve seen in a long time.”

Williamson said he’d brought 330 citizen sailors to Mobile. “I’m excited for you to meet them,” he said. “I’m excited for you to show them your town and this wonderful event … I guess we can’t do any work, you heard the mayor.”

The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Gannet will begin its own Mardi Gras visit on Monday, Feb. 24, docking at the GulfQuest Maritime Museum. Both ships will be open to tours during their visits. The following information was provided by the Alabama State Port Authority and the Navy League of the United States:

USS McFAUL (DDG 74) Public Tours Info

· Public Tours: Feb. 22-25, 8:30 am- 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. (CST) Pier 2 Terminal, downtown Mobile, Ala.

· The gate entrance is located on the north side of the Mobile Convention Center on Water Street.

· The public is welcome, but all visitors are required to wear closed toe/heel shoes and carry valid identification. All guests will undergo security screening prior to entry to the facility.

USCGC GANNET Public Tours Info

· GANNET will moor at 9 a.m. (CST) on Monday, Feb. 24, at the GulfQuest Maritime Museum, 155 S. Water Street, in downtown Mobile, Ala.

· Public Tours: Feb. 24 between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. (CST), and Feb. 25-26 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. (CST).

· The public is welcome, but all visitors are required to wear closed toe/heel shoes and carry valid identification.