Second MARAD Training Ship Patriot State Set for First Cadet Voyage

Massachusetts Maritime Academy announced the inaugural schedule for the second of the Maritime Administration’s new training ships which are being dedicated to the state maritime colleges. The TS Patriot State was delivered to the Academy last fall, and today they announced she will depart on January 11 for a training cruise to the Caribbean which is expected to last till the end of February.

“The campus has been abuzz since the Patriot State arrived this fall, and as we get closer to her first Sea Term, the excitement is palpable,” said Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, USMS, president of Massachusetts Maritime Academy. “Sea Term has always proved to be an invaluable learning opportunity and a window into careers in the shipping and maritime industries for our students, and this new vessel will provide an immeasurable return on investment. The whole range of opportunities associated with a maritime life will be on full display, and our cadets have the true benefit of being immersed in all of it.”

Sea Term is an Academy requirement for all freshmen and sophomore cadets majoring in Marine Engineering (Engine) and Marine Transportation (Deck) and freshmen majoring in Energy Systems Engineering, along with senior Deck and Engine majors. During the voyage, cadets participate in laboratory training, routine maintenance, ship operations, deck and engine watches, and emergency drills. Sea Term participation also helps cadets fulfill the days at sea requirement needed to sit for the United States Coast Guard exam.

 

Patriot State at her homeport at Mass Maritime (Steve Heaslip photo courtesy of Mass Maritime)

 

The cadets will prepare for the trip during Alongside Week (January 6-10), a traditional time spent loading the vessel with all the food, supplies, and training equipment needed for the voyage. Sea Term will be led by Captain Michael J. Campbell, Master, T.S. Patriot State, and an MMA graduate from the class of 1987, and during the trip, they are scheduled to make ports of call to include San Juan, Charleston, St. Thomas, and Tampa.

Departure is scheduled for the high slack tide on Saturday, January 11. The ship will head toward its first training exercise outside Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, on Friday, January 17. The marine transportation cadets will take part in anchoring drills, during which time they will practice dropping and picking up the anchor, while engineers will practice maneuvering operations in the engine room. 

This Sea Term marks the first extended voyage for the TS Patriot State, which arrived on campus on October 10, 2024, as part of the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) program designed to provide a state-of-the-art training platform that ensures the U.S. continues to set the world standard in maritime training. The ship is outfitted with numerous training spaces, including eight classrooms, a full training bridge, lab spaces, and an auditorium. The NSMV has space to train up to 600 cadets at sea (with another 100 or so staff, crew, and personnel), maximizing the capability of the ship and its mission to provide cadets with a world-class education.

The TS Patriot State replaces Massachusetts Maritime Academy’s previous training ship, the TS Kennedy, a 1967 converted cargo vessel, and is the second of five training ships commissioned by MARAD. She is 525 feet (160 meters) long and has a range of 10,000+ miles at 18 knots. It has diesel-electric propulsion with 16,800 kW of total installed power plus a 900 kW emergency generator. 

The first of the ships in the program, Empire State for the New York Maritime College conducted her inaugural cruise a year ago. The third vessel of the program, State of Maine, is scheduled to be delivered in 2025 and work is underway on the fourth ship for Texas and the final ship of the program will go to California.