CASTINE — The Training Ship State of Maine (TSSOM) will depart Castine on Tuesday, November 16, for the third training cruise of the year.
Winter cruises were once commonplace at MMA. However, over time, the college’s training evolutions were condensed to allow for a single summer voyage to locations in North America, the Caribbean, and Europe. Recent disruptions caused by the pandemic required a reimagination of cadets’ training schedules. The upcoming cruise will be the third this calendar year. Two additional cruises were completed over the course of the spring and summer and collectively allowed most unlimited license students to recapture training and sea time lost in 2020.
“The advent of the COVID pandemic essentially caused three class years to miss their respective summer sea experiences in 2020. Adjustments to the academic calendar, three cruises, and two cadet shipping evolutions allowed Maine Maritime to recapture that lost summer. The unique schedule is only possible due to the dedication of the ship’s professional crew, MMA’s faculty, staff, and the students who adapted to compressed schedules, significantly increased sea-time, and disruptions to their lives to get us back on track,” says John Cashman, Commandant of Midshipmen. “We are excited to wrap up this final cruise of 2021 and for the opportunities it brings for our students to complete their training and earn their degrees and licenses.”
On Tuesday, 146 MMA students along with 50 faculty and crew set sail for their first stop in Charleston, South Carolina. They will be joined by 30 cadets and staff from the US Merchant Marine Academy. The trip’s itinerary includes a transit through the Caribbean with additional port calls in the US Virgin Islands and Florida before returning to Maine in December.
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