- Meredith Spotts’ Cruise ReviewAs cruise comes to a close, seventy-odd days after our departure from Castine, I am left to reflect on one of the most unique experiences I have been through- and a quick apology for my lack of updates during this portion of cruise (sorry, Mom!) The ports we visited were beautiful, but incredibly busy, with […]
- Day 72: Arrival to PortlandGood morning, Cruise Blog fans. Today, the State of Maine made its arrival in Portland. It was a peaceful transit from Boston to Portland. We moved slowly under the power of the electric motor, supplied by 3 of our diesel generators. As far as I know, this has been the first time it has been […]
- Day 71: Almost HomeThis morning the Training Ship State of Maine made its arrival into Boston. It was an exciting day because this was the closest glimpse to home that many of us have had in almost fifty days. The excitement began at around 0700, just after our morning muster when we took on a Boston Harbor pilot. We […]
- Cruise Return to Portland and LivestreamThe TSSOM will arrive in Portland, Maine, on July 16, 2024, at the Portland Ocean Terminal. This is the final stop of the 2024 Summer Training Cruise, and students will begin disembarking on Thursday, July 18, starting at 12:00. Please join us in welcoming back everyone aboard after a successful voyage, either in person or […]
- Day 69: Finals and FlashlightsBetween having our two written final exams and our engineering system assessment called “flashlights,” training day 13 was a day that everyone dreaded, juniors and freshmen alike. Alpha company was the last company to have their final assessments, which some may have viewed as a luxury. As a member of Alpha company, I can assure […]
- Day 67: Goodbye CanadaIt was a cold and dreary day when we departed from St. John’s this morning. It was a bittersweet departure just as the gray skies and the rain sprinkling on the deck might’ve suggested. Our departure left everyone with a feeling of completion, a terminus, because St. John’s was our last foreign port before our […]
- Day 66: A Canadian ExcursionAs I have outlined in my past blog posts, the excursions altruistically assembled by Chief Warrant Officer Kowalski have been a hit. Each one has had the perfect duality of joyful, unrequited tourism and encompassed the essence of the area, demonstrating its unique landscape, history, and culture. Leaving Newfoundland, after participating in the last excursion, […]
- Day 64: Arrival to CanadaToday was an exciting day for the Training Ship State of Maine. That’s because today marked the arrival of the TSSOM and her crew to Saint John’s, Newfoundland after an arduous 9-day Atlantic crossing. Needless to say, tensions among cadets had grown high with it being 2 months into cruise with the same people and […]
- Day 63: The Horn Strikes AgainTo some people of the shore, the sound of a distant ship’s foghorn may be a soothing reminder that life exists beyond the confines of their landlocked labyrinth. To the crew and cadets of the TS State of Maine, it is a reminder that we are almost home. That foghorn is the same one we […]
- Day 62: Fan Room FiascoThis morning, those of us who reside in any one of the 27-person single-room living spaces below deck affectionately called “the berthings” were awoken to a symphony of wet vacuums. When I finally crawled out of bed at 0600 in the morning, a team was working on the fan room adjacent to the berthings. It […]
- Day 60: Happy 4th of July from the TSSOMToday’s Fourth of July celebration aboard the TSSOM exceeded everyone’s already high expectations. For most of us, the day began with our normal responsibilities–maintenance, watch, or studying in the classroom. For days now, the juniors had been teasing that we only work half of the day for the Fourth and fortunately their rumor came true! […]
- Portugal Cruise: Excursion AdventuresFor every port, Chief Warrant Officer Kowalski plans out terrific excursions for the students, staff, and crew to attend. In Porto, the excursion was a walking tour around the city, then a boat tour on the Douro River, and, lastly, a tour of a winery. I went on the tour with my dad, who is […]
- Day 49: Palma de Mallorca excursion was a hitOur TSSOM, with its beloved crew, has departed Mallorca, exited the Straits of Gibraltar, and put the balmy Mediterranean Sea in our wake. We are pitching and rolling in the Northern Atlantic Ocean yet again. While enjoying our port stay in Palma, some of us embarked on an excursion, altruistically assembled by Chief Warrant Officer […]
- Day 48: Back through the StraitToday, we are headed back through the Strait of Gibraltar and the Pillars of Hercules. While I’m on yeoman duty today, the first time we passed through here I was standing watch on the bridge. After experiencing the excitement of steering, witnessing the 2/C muster up the confidence to navigate us through, and seeing us […]
- Day 41: Greetings from the MediterraneanAfter departing Santa Cruz de Tenerife on Tuesday, we made our way up the coast of Africa and through the Straight of Gibraltar during lunch yesterday. Many people came out on deck to get pictures of Morocco on our starboard side and Spain on our port. Passing through the Pillars of Hercules gave the deck […]
- Day 37: Puerto de Santa Cruz de TenerifeThe TSSOM finally made it to our first international port of call, and first port of call besides our unplanned one where we started in Castine and sailed for several days. Arriving to Tenerife was an interesting process as Delta Company was on watch. This proved to be a fantastic learning opportunity for the junior […]
- Canary Island Wildlife and Landscapes in Photos
- Day 38: Back to SeaToday marked our first full day at sea following our departure from Tenerife. The tourist island arose much fanfare amongst the students aboard the Training Ship State of Maine. Since we left, students have been sharing stories of their excursions and experiences throughout Santa Cruz and Tenerife. The tales of their misadventures were often met […]
- Day 37: Adventures in Santa Cruz de TenerifeThe TSSOM finally made it to our first international, and first port call besides our unplanned one where we started in Castine. Arriving in Tenerife was an interesting process as Delta Company was on watch. This proved to be a fantastic learning opportunity for the junior deck cadets as we boarded a pilot early in […]
- Day 34: We See Land!
- Day 33: ShipmatesToday marks 33 days that we have been onboard and the 11th straight day of being in the middle of the ocean with no land anywhere in sight. To say I am proud of the development and leadership-building practices I see would be an understatement. As the RC (Regimental Commander), I can get bogged down […]
- Day 32: One Whole MonthIt has been officially over a month since we boarded TSSOM for our freshman and junior cruise. As these daily updates have informed it has been a month full of ups and downs, but today for sure will stand out as one of the ups. Like mentioned on our day 30 blog post, I was […]
