Today 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 with the booming laughter of their shipmates. Many enjoyed the opportunity to see the volcano Teide, which looms large over the island, even from the distant port where we landed. Others enjoyed the opportunity to rip around and explore Santa Cruz on the town’s many electric scooters. Suffice to say, I think all of us agree that our visit to Santa Cruz was much needed and much enjoyed.

The past couple of days have offered other reasons to be excited too. Yesterday marked the halfway point through cruise. This means that freshmen who stood watch and maintenance in the engine room would now carry out their duties with the deck department and vice versa. That means that those of us who have been washing the deck, inspecting fire extinguishers, and driving the ship will trade places with the cadets who have been operating the main engine, keeping the ship’s plumbing flowing as it should (this is your reminder NOT to flush wipes down the toilet!) and maintaining the TSSOM’s other equipment. This swap is designed to make us better mariners in our respective disciplines, deck or engine, by delivering an appreciation of the nuances of each. Regardless, I can say that the change of pace from calling out, “whale three points on our starboard,” on watch is a welcome one.

So far, the ship has begun to be tossed around in some waves so as to punish those of us who accidentally left our sea legs in Tenerife. Everyone’s looking at least a little greener. Thank goodness we brought Dramamine! Fortunately, Captain assures us that it’s going to get better once we make our way through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean. All of us are excited for the opportunity to learn, grow and see cool places along the way on this second half of cruise!

Post by: Cooper Parlee, 4/C MSE-5, Alpha Company