- Castine, METime: 1404 Position: Castine, Maine Good Afternoon, Between some technical difficulties and end of semester exams I have been crazy busy, but now safely alongside in Castine, I have some time! We cruised back across the Atlantic at 11 knots. Last I wrote, we were heading into some weather creating 3.5 meter seas. I definitely […]
- Return to CastineThe TS State of Maine is quickly approaching the East Coast of the United States and is due back in Castine on July 19th at 6:30 am. Livestreaming of the return is scheduled to start at 6:15 am and is accessible either below or at live.mainemaritime.edu.
- Leaving IrelandTime: 2315 Lat: N 53º 05.4 Long: W 005° 24.6 Good Evening! Ireland was fantastic and has made its way up the list to my favorite port! Let’s start where we left off. Last we checked in, we were rounding the southernmost tip of England and heading north toward Belfast, Ireland. We saw Wolfs Head […]
- Underway to BelfastTime: 2305 Lat: N 49 56.4’ Long: W003 32.9’ Good Evening, We gained an hour last night to sync up with Belfast, Ireland. Capt. MacArthur changed our course to go down through the English Channel and then up to Ireland rather than the planned route up and over Scotland. We left Kiel a couple of […]
- The past week and Kiel!The Past Week and Kiel! Time: 2030 Position: Lat: 55° 20.1′ Lng: 011° 02.7 We have been busy in the last week, and I was on watch for most of it, so let’s pick up from where we left off. The very popular ping pong tournament took place last week, with 4C Cleaves taking first […]
- Underway to GermanyTime: 14:35 Lat: 44 42’59 Long: 9 36’51 Good Afternoon, We are cruising along toward Kiel. The water we are cutting through is glassy and the weather is very nice. The only turbulence is the wake off our bow and stern. I am writing this from the berthings, two decks below the main deck. Maintenance […]
- Vigo!Time: 23:30 N 40º 02.4 W 010º 47.1 Good Evening! What a perfect three days on the Spanish coast. Students spent their time ashore exploring the historical monuments, iconic architecture, and incredible food that Vigo has to offer. I went to the beach on both days and enjoyed the refreshing ocean. The time to truly […]
- Back to Gibraltar.Time: 1200 Position: 36° 20.8’ N 002° 44.8’ E We are headed back to Gibraltar and then on to Vigo. Before each port, there are “port briefs” to bring students up to speed with key features or things to expect in each port. My company just had theirs this evening, so we must be close! […]
- Through the Straights of Gibraltar!Time: 14:15 Lat: 36° 55.2′ N Long: 001° 12.2′ W Good Afternoon! We passed through the Straights of Gibraltar last night. The whole experience was completely surreal. On our starboard side was Morocco and the rest of Africa, and on our port was Spain and the rest of Europe! I spent my free time in […]
- The Azores!Time 1200 Lat: 37° 35.5’ N Long: 029° 03.7’ W Good Afternoon! We are currently making way for Gibraltar. The Azores were unbelievable! The islands were dramatic and brilliantly green. The people were incredibly kind and helpful as students explored the island. I was on deck maintenance on the morning when we came into the […]
- We made it to the Azores!Time: 1900 Lat: N 38° 33.8′ Long: W 028° 11.4′ I used to think of the TSSOM as an endless maze. The last few days it has been a little Alice and Wonderland-y with the time change and never-ending close proximity. There are over 250 people onboard, and it is starting to feel a little […]
- More than halfway to the Azores.Time: 10:07 Latitude: N 39° 36.234′ Longitude: W 040° 48.000′ We are now more than halfway to the Azores! We have 2.9 miles of water beneath us! The sea state has stayed consistent, leaving the ship in a constant rolling motion. The texture of the ocean surface is so incredible and infuriatingly impossible to capture […]
- Q and A! and our current locationTime: 15:34 Lat: N 39º 36.365′ Long: W 051º 14.623′ (Plug these coordinates into google maps) Cruise Blog Questions I have been getting some questions over email! If you have any questions about the cruise experience/cadet’s everyday life that you would like possibly answered in a blog post, please send me an email with your […]
- Across the Atlantic!Time: 19:10 Latitude: 39° 36.369′ N Longitude: 063° 42.117′ W I have realized saying good morning/ good evening is no longer relevant. I’m asking around about the ship tracker, but our current lat/longs are included. We have begun adjusting to the Azores’ time zone. Cpt. MacArthur’s time adjustment schedule is as follows; “Azores observes GMT […]
- A Day in the Life/ NorfolkGood Afternoon, We are pounding through growing seas on our way to the Azores! We made a quick trash stop in Norfolk, Virginia (anchorage G). I was a team member on most of the operations today, so I thought I would write a post on my day from start to finish. Some background information, the […]
- Up the River to Penn’s LandingGood Morning! I have been busy around the ship doing my freshman activities, so here is what we have been doing. We left Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia, Saturday morning after an exciting couple of days along the pier. The pilotage up the Delaware River was very long; the pilots (all MMA alumni) boarded at 04:30 and […]
- Bunkering in NYCWe took on fuel yesterday in NYC! It was a full day of bunkering in which we took on 1400 tonnes of fuel, and are now sitting 24 inches lower in the water! It was sunny and students were taking advantage of some free time and an incredible view. Deck cadets dropped the anchor and […]
- Photo SubmissionsStudents and Staff have been taking photos! Take a look!
- Happy Mothers Day!We may be busy, but we would never forget Mothers Day! Sending love and gratitude from NYC anchorage, TSSOM Cruise 2023!
- We are Underway! Thursday May 11Welcome back to the Cruise Blog, Everyone aboard the TSSOM has been very busy getting the ship ready for a safe, productive, and fun 2023 European Cruise. So much has happened since the last post. I am currently sitting looking aft on the 03 enclosed deck where students muster every morning. Student report at 0710 […]
- Cruise Departure and LivestreamThe TSSOM will depart Castine Harbor on May 10, 2023, with the last line being release from the dock at approximately 9:00 am. Please join us in wishing all aboard a safe and successful training cruise either in person or via the livestream.
- Cruise 2023 Has Started!Yesterday, May 7th, at 0800, boarding the TSSOM for Cruise 2023 started with check-in. LCDR Gualtieri and Warrant Officer Kowalski ensured that every cadet had their paperwork, passports, TWIC card, and juniors had their Merchant Mariner Credentials. Then CMDR Christian and LT Willette reviewed the cruise agreement and conducted bag searches for unapproved items. If […]
