Maintenance in Preparation for Cruise
An essential part of preparing students for summer cruise is gaining practical skills that are utilized every day. From replacing a valve in the engine room to exercising the mooring winches, students spend a couple of hours a week working with the ship’s permanent crew to keep the TSSOM looking its best. Maintenance is in full swing, loading stores and finalizing the refit of new lifeboats to the Training Ship. The new lifeboats required more deck space for wire falls, so contractors came aboard to install a new watertight door and window. Cruise is just around the corner!
Latest 2024 Summer TSSOM Cruise
- Day 6: A Geomagnetic Storm…!!I woke up last night to banging on my door. It opened gingerly and there was another cadet, “Come out and see the lights!” I rolled out of my rack so fast I nearly smashed my face into the desk. Still half trapped in my sleeping bag, I geared up in warm clothes as fast […]
- Day 5: Anchored in SearsportToday is Friday, May 10th, 2024, day 5 of our planned tropical cruise to the Mediterranean. We are still anchored in Searsport, however, morale is high. As I woke up to my alarm at 0550 this morning, I was greeted by an orange sunrise lighting up my stateroom. This is the first time we have […]
- Day 4: Training at Anchor…Today, I woke up with zeal and tenacity. Though I was energized to start the day, I fumbled getting out of my rack. I have yet to figure out the proper strategy to effectively emerge from the lowest bottom bunk! Lately, I have been executing a loose roll. While this method works well and I […]
- Day 3: Departure Day is Here…This morning began with reveille at 0600, followed by breakfast and muster at 0700. After muster everyone reported to cleaning stations and then each company turned to their assignment for the day. Alpha had classes, Bravo on utility, Charlie on maintenance, and Delta on watch. Morning operations were interrupted for a fire drill and abandon […]
- Day 2: Stores, Stores and More Stores…Today, on Tuesday, May 7th, Alpha company was on utility. Usually, this means that cadets spend a few hours cleaning before getting a day of much-needed rest. This was not the case today because TSSOM was taking on supplies, which we call stores. Stores were met with mixed anticipation in the Alpha berthing because although […]
- Day 1: Drills, Drills, and More Drills…Today, May 6th, marked our second day on the ship and our official start of the cruise. The TSSOM is docked in Castine, preparing to set sail. We began with a morning muster followed by thorough cleaning and maintenance tasks. The highlight of our day was conducting three drills. First, an abandon ship drill where […]