This summer, Marine Transportation Operations major Isaac Renshaw-Sirimoglu gained hands-on experience aboard The CAT high-speed car ferry, traveling between Bar Harbor, ME and Yarmouth, NS.

Thanks to Bay Ferries not only for providing our students with valuable cadet shipping ...opportunities, but also for allowing us to share a glimpse into Isaac’s journey. Experiences like this help prepare Maine Maritime Academy cadets for their future careers at sea. ⚓️

#CadetShipping #HandsOnLearning #MaineMaritime #BayFerries

Yesterday’s Christening of the TS STATE OF MAINE was a moment years in the making.

In an interview at the ceremony, Capt. Mac MacArthur reflected on joining Maine Maritime four years ago with this milestone in mind—and on the incredible opportunities this brand-new training platform ...will provide for our students.

“It is a fantastic day for Maine Maritime and our student body.” – Capt. Mac MacArthur

#TSSOM #NSMVIII #MaineMaritime #WorldClassEducation #HandsOnLearning

📚🍂 The first day of the fall semester is here!
Campus is buzzing with energy as students take their next big step toward building the knowledge, skills, and experiences that will shape their futures.

Here’s to a season filled with growth, opportunity, and success—welcome ...back, Mariners! ⚓

#FallSemester #mainemaritime #CareerPath #future #HardWork

🚢 Today We Make History – Meet the New TS STATE OF MAINE (NSMV III)!

We’ve journeyed through four incredible vessels in our STATE OF MAINE legacy. Now, the next chapter officially begins: the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV III)—the brand-new, purpose-built TS STATE ...OF MAINE—is being christened today!

These modern vessels are revolutionizing maritime education with cutting-edge training spaces, a full bridge, classrooms, labs, and even a hospital and helipad. More than a training vessel, they serve as vital federal assets—ready to deploy for search-and-rescue and humanitarian missions when needed.

In today’s ceremony, MMA proudly takes the helm of a $350 million legacy, a symbol of our commitment to hands-on excellence and national readiness. With that, we welcome TS STATE OF MAINE (NSMV III) to the fleet—and to our future.

Watch the livestream of the event here: https://mainemaritime.edu/waterfront/training-ship-state-of-maine/.

#TSSOM #NSMVIII #mainemaritime #MARAD

🚢 Countdown to the Naming of TS STATE OF MAINE (NSMV III) — 1 Day to Go!

Today, we look at the fourth and most recent training ship for Maine Maritime Academy: State of Maine (Ex-USNS Tanner).

Originally completed as a fast oceanographic research vessel, Tanner had a short ...Navy career before beginning her MMA service in 1997. Since then, she has been the proud flagship of the Academy fleet, providing generations of midshipmen with the hands-on sea training that sets MMA apart.

Over nearly three decades, she has carried cadets to ports around the world—from Iceland to South America, the Mediterranean, and throughout the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. Each voyage has been a classroom at sea, forging skills, resilience, and lifelong bonds.

📏 Launched 1990 | 499’ 10” | 15,821 tons | 8,000 bhp

Tomorrow, we turn the page to the next chapter in this proud legacy: the naming of TS STATE OF MAINE (NSMV III). The tradition continues, and we can’t wait to celebrate this exciting milestone with you!

#mainemaritime #usnstanner #TSSOM

🚢 Countdown to the Naming of TS STATE OF MAINE (NSMV III)

As we honor MMA’s legacy of training ships, today we highlight the third STATE OF MAINE (Ex-USNS Upshur).

Before her Academy service, Upshur carried thousands of troops worldwide with the Military Sea Transportation ...Service—including evacuating U.S. dependents during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and completing 34 Korean service trips in 1969, transporting more than 85,000 troops.

She went on to serve MMA proudly on 23 training cruises, earning nicknames like the “Gray Ghost of the Maine Coast” and becoming the first American training ship to visit the Soviet Union. Designed with unique engineering features and a reputation for handling rough seas, she left a lasting impression on all who sailed aboard.

Her final MMA voyage came in 1995—a bittersweet farewell for cadets and crew alike. As one recalled: “She just was a heavy ship, big ship, she did well in weather.”

📏 Launched 1951 | 533’ 9” | 17,630 tons | 13,750 hp

#mainemaritime #nsmv #usnsupshure #TSSOM

On Friday, we welcomed our Independent Students to campus! Saturday kicked off with games on Leavitt Lawn, followed by a cookout at Backshore for both Independent and Regimental students. After lunch, all first-year students came together for the first annual Mariner’s Gauntlet—a fun, ...team-based cube puzzle competition that united the class.

#Classof29 #mainemaritime #welcome #CareerPath

🚢 Training Ship Spotlight: STATE OF MAINE (Ex-Ancon)

We’re looking back at Maine Maritime Academy’s proud training ship history.

Originally built as a passenger vessel, Ancon was converted to a troopship in 1942 and earned five battle stars during WWII, serving in key ...invasions from the Mediterranean to Normandy.

After the war, she became MMA’s second training ship, carrying cadets on 13 cruises—south to Brazil and north to Finland and Denmark. During her years of service, the Academy transitioned from a three-year to a four-year program, expanded its facilities, and broadened its curriculum.

Though she always required careful upkeep, TS STATE OF MAINE was a proud symbol of the Academy—famed for having a whistle so loud it could be heard all the way to Bucksport.

📏 Launched 1938 | 493.6’ | 10,000 tons | 9,000 hp

#mainemaritime #ancon #TSSOM

⚓⚛️ Nuclear Dirigo: Leading the Way in Nuclear Maritime Innovation

Did you know Maine Maritime Academy has a long history with nuclear engineering? From training cadets in the 1960s to today’s renewed focus on clean energy, MMA has been at the forefront of connecting nuclear power ...and maritime innovation.

In a new feature article for the American Nuclear Society, Professor Paul A. Wlodkowski, Edward Mossman Endowed Chair of Nuclear Engineering Technology at MMA, reflects on our unique legacy and the exciting future ahead—including the reintroduction of the nuclear engineering minor this year.

Read the full story here:
https://www.ans.org/news/article-7223/nuclear-idirigoi/

#NuclearEngineering #MaritimeInnovation #mainemaritime #CleanEnergy #Leadership

🚢 Training Ship Spotlight: STATE OF MAINE (Ex-USS Comfort)

As we count down to the naming ceremony of TS STATE OF MAINE (NSMV III) on August 26, we’re honoring the proud lineage of Maine Maritime Academy’s training ships—beginning with our very first: STATE OF MAINE.

...Originally launched as the USS Comfort in 1943, this former hospital ship became MMA’s first dedicated training ship in 1954. After a tow from New York and significant preparation by the Academy, she embarked on her maiden training cruise that summer.

⚓ Despite breakdowns at sea (often due to water in the fuel oil), each challenge was overcome—instilling pride in her crew and cadets. Voyages over the years took cadets to the Caribbean, Panama Canal, California, New Orleans, and eventually across the Atlantic to Madeira and Marseilles in 1961.

By 1962, after nine training cruises, her aging power plant and limited space brought her service to an end—but her legacy as MMA’s first STATE OF MAINE lives on.

📏 Launched 1943 | 417’ 9” | 7,000 tons | Two steam engines, 4,400 hp

Stay tuned as we continue the story of the ships that trained generations of mariners.

#usscomfort #mainemaritime #cruise #TSSOM

Scenes from MUG Week 📸 Our newest midshipmen are diving into the challenge, learning the ropes, and making memories along the way. Tradition, discipline, and camaraderie start here.

#MUGWeek #MaritimeTradition #MaineMaritime #RegimentofMidshipmen