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 ship drill monitored by the Coast Guard.

The rain held off just long enough for us to get underway. At 1030 Bravo Company and Alpha 4/C (freshmen) dressed in salt-and-pepper uniforms and lined the rails of the 04-deck aft house. Onshore family, friends, towns people, and the Adam’s School gathered with signs and streamers to wish us farewell. The tugs arrived from Belfast and after President Jerry Paul, Commandant Captain Mark Winter, and Castine Selectman Gordan MacArthur made speech’s, the gangway was lowered, lines were cast, and the Training Ship State of Maine left Castine for the last time.

While everyone is excited for the new ship, we honor the twenty-seven years this ship has served our school and generations of mariners that have trained on it. As I joined my shipmates at the rail and waved farewell to my parents, I reflected on what Captain Mac told us at muster this morning. He too was once a midshipman at Maine Maritime Academy and stood in the same place we now stand. For 4/C cruise is the beginning of an exciting career. For 2/C cruise is a launching point into the real world.

We pulled out of the harbor flying the Hotel flag to signify we had a pilot onboard, and waved one last goodbye to the Castine Fire Department’s siren and hose send-off. Below-decks things quickly returned to normal with lunch, classes, maintenance, and utility projects. Once anchored at Turtle’s Head, Boat Squad was called to start Coast Guard testing and inspections. Lifeboat 2 was lowered with crew aboard and performed some maneuvers before reattaching to the davits and getting hauled back aboard. TSSOM is equipped with four gravity powered lifeboats that can hold a total of 320 people, more than enough for the 248 we currently carry. These lifeboats are designed to go down well but cannot be lifted while loaded, so Boat Squad, the Boson, and Chief Mate were retrieved by our own tug Pentagoet, driven by Captain Derek Chase, and reboarded from the stern. Coast Guard inspections will continue tomorrow, and if all goes well we will depart for New York in the afternoon.

Post by: Bethany Ives, 4/C MTO, Bravo Company