Yet another day at anchor has passed. Today, at Quarters (our morning muster, meeting at 0710 everyday), we heard news regarding Lifeboat #4 from Captain MacArthur. A replacement part has been found in Norway! Further, he explained that if we left on Saturday then we would be able to still make it to the U.S. Virgin Islands on time if we skipped our port call in Port Everglades, Florida. The hope of potentially being able to be back on schedule was palpable throughout the ship today.
While I was disappointed to be missing the port call in my home state of Florida, I understand that this is the shipping industry, and in turn, practice for my future career. Like myself, a lot of us have found the silver lining in our predicament. Many have been saying “at least we are getting sea days,” “at least the engine room isn’t too hot,” or “at least we have cell reception,” and so on.
To increase morale, our Regimental Wedge Morale Officer, 2/C Miles Bracy, is hosting various activities. We are having game nights, ping pong tournaments, movie nights, and more! This is not only keeping attitudes positive, but bringing us together as shipmates.
On this unexpected sunny day, Alpha Company assigned duty day is “Utility.” This means that part of the company cleans the ship, another part works with Sodexo in the messdeck/kitchen/dishpit, and a select few 4/C work as “yeomen.” Yeoman is an administrative position that helps complete various office tasks, including writing the cruise blog!
Bravo Company has been on “maintenance”. On maintenance days, the cadets fix problems that emerge onboard. Charlie Company is currently on its third training day. On training days there is hands-on practice and also various quizzes. Delta Company has been on watch. They monitor the ship’s conditions.
With the day coming to an end, many midshipmen are excited for movie night! We will be watching The Big Lebowski. I have not seen it but have been told that it is a classic. We are looking forward to any more good news regarding Lifeboat 4 and hope to get off anchor soon.
Posted by: 4/C Robbins Crisp, MTO, Alpha
Latest 2025 Summer TSSOM Cruise
- Ready to Get UnderwayAfter nearly two weeks of preparation and training in port, cadets and staff aboard the TS Kennedy are ready to set sail from Galveston, Texas as part of Summer Sea Term 2025. Since arriving on May 5, the crew has been hard at work conducting drills, stowing supplies, and getting the ship ready for departure. […]
- Happy Mother’s Day!Wishing all mothers a Happy Mother’s Day!
- Ship FamiliarizationGetting adjusted to the ship, but slowly settling in. We have been organizing and cleaning up the utilities for the journey ahead. The first few days have been filled with walkthroughs and ship familiarization. The juniors have started showing the freshmen the expectations of shipboard living. It has been an interesting process of learning and […]
- Student-Athlete at MMAOn May 4th we hosted the NAC Championship game for Men’s Lacrosse. A rematch from 2023, against SUNY Delhi we came from behind and won 14-12. Winning the NAC, lead to a delay on our arrival to the ship, but a campus wide collaboration worked hard to ensure we had the opportunity to play in […]
- Getting the TS Kennedy ReadyIt’s raining today in Galveston, where the TS Kennedy is tied to the pier. Currently, the ship is buzzing with Maine cadets as they begin to find their way around. Texas A&M cadets are still ashore in their academic semester, so MMA 2/C and 4/C are working hard to prepare the vessel for the next […]
- Departure from Galveston on May 18The TS Kennedy is tentatively scheduled to depart Galveston, Texas, on May 18, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. (CDT) to begin its voyage. Please join us in wishing the crew a successful journey, either in person or via the livestream. The livestream will begin at approximately 9:45 a.m. and will include a few prerecorded interviews with […]
