Scuttlebutt has it that the Summer Sea Term is not going to happen because the NMSV will not be available on time. Anyone have any insider knowledge?
They sent first class cadets needing seatime to Texas to sail the Kennedy with them. As far as this year’s sea term a friend of mine who applied said they are aiming to sail July 15th now.
Of course… all that can change. Sending the VI for scrap so soon was a big mistake. They should have waited until August/September to do that.
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News from the President, not a surprise…
Dear Cadets, Faculty, and Staff,
The College has been informed by the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) that the delivery of our new training ship Empire State will be further postponed from late June to late July (or later) due to delays in outfitting, system integration, and testing and commissioning. It is imperative that our new ship, the first of five training ships under construction, meet all safety standards and is ready for the embarkation of Cadets. As such, we now need to execute a Summer Sea Term contingency plan for all licensed Cadets.
We have arranged for all First Class Cadets to complete their summer training onboard the TS Kennedy and return to Maritime College on or about August 8, 2023. This will fulfill the sea time and academic requirements for most Cadets planning to sit for the August license examination. For Cadets sitting for the examination who are short sea days, arrangements will be made for them to accumulate the additional required sea time on alternative vessels where possible. Summer Sea Term bills for all 1/c Cadets will be adjusted accordingly.
The College is committed to providing a Sea Term this summer for all Second Class and Third Class Cadets. We are working closely with MARAD to identify an alternative training vessel for all Second and Third Class Cadets should TS Empire State be unavailable until late July or early August. Reporting instructions will be forthcoming once a training ship is confirmed. We understand the need for Second Class and Third Class Cadets to adjust their summer schedules and make travel arrangements for returning to Maritime College. We are working diligently with MARAD to finalize plans for this summer and will communicate dates for the Summer 2023 Sea Term as soon as possible.
Since this will be a short SST, the College plans to have a three-week winter cruise over the winter break (January 5 – 25). With this plan, most Second and Third Class Cadets will be back on track to accumulate the required sea time prior to sitting for their license examination.
The College realizes this is an inconvenience and disappointment, but the delivery of the new ship is beyond our control. Our primary goal is to provide all Cadets with a quality at-sea learning experience that will ensure they pass the USCG license exam, graduate on time, and are successful in their careers.
We will provide weekly updates as plans continue to be developed and finalized. Please continue to monitor your email for additional details.
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Behold, my shocked face.
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Yea. You and me both.
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But I thought these shipyards were subsidized so they are available to effectively and efficiently build large ships when needed for moar war…???
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It could have been kept intact somewhere else.
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Considering that one plan was to bus cadets to Philly and grab the ship/start the sea term from there they could have easily done the same and bussed them down to meet the VI there or somewhere else (even Mass, using their pier.)
And from what I’ve been told, the pier wasn’t rebuilt — just renovated. And that project is actually ahead of schedule.
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I steam by the pier once a week at least. It’s definitely a renovation. It looks like some new fendering is being installed.
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All Hands, please see the current Sea Term guidance from RADM Alfultis.
Dear Cadets, Faculty, and Staff,
This past week, we have been in close discussions with the Maritime Administration (MARAD) and State Maritime Academies (SMAs) on Summer Sea Term arrangements for all our license program Cadets. I wanted to provide you with an update on where we stand.
First Class Cadets
The instructors on board TS Kennedy are finalizing an end date for SST-2023 based on completing all academic requirements and remaining assessments as outlined in our USCG-approved license program. We expect to be able to provide a date for the end of SST and travel back to SUNY Maritime College by next week. Once the dates are finalized, Summer Sea Term bills for all 1/C Cadets will be adjusted to account for fewer sea days.
Unlimited License Second and Third Class Cadets
We are excited to learn that MARAD has identified the TS Golden Bear as the ship that unlimited license Second and Third Class Cadets will embark for the first part of SST 2023. The current plan is to have all 2/C and 3/C Cadets report to SUNY Maritime College on/or about July 12 and then fly to California to embark on Golden Bear at Cal Maritime Academy in Vallejo, California. SST 2023-A will commence on/or about July 13 at Cal Maritime and end on August 20. Possible itineraries being considered by MARAD for SST-A include a west coast/Hawaii transit or a Panama Canal transit into the Gulf of Mexico and up the east coast. More detailed reporting instructions and an itinerary will be forthcoming.
Since SST-A is only 39 days, the College plans to have a three-week winter cruise (SST 2023-B) on TS Empire State over the winter break (January 4–26). With this plan, most Second and Third Class Cadets will be back on track to complete all academic requirements and required sea time before sitting for their license examination. Note: SST is an academic course, not just sea days. Therefore, Cadets going on SST-A must also go on SST-B to complete MT/ENG 510 or 520.
We are working with MARAD to determine the itineraries and costs for SST-A/B. Once the costs are determined, information regarding billing and payment schedules will be provided.
Limited License Third Class Cadets
We are pleased to announce that plans for Third Class Cadets in the limited license program have been finalized. These Cadets will report to SUNY Maritime College on July 10 to fly to Michigan to embark the State of Michigan, which will transit the Great Lakes. This will allow them to participate in the Cadet Shipping Program in January 2025, per their USCG-approved program. More details regarding reporting instructions, cruise itinerary, cost, and bills will be forthcoming.
We appreciate your patience as we work with MARAD to finalize SST plans. Please continue to monitor your email, the SST webpage, and BAND App for updates.
RADM Michael Alfultis, USMS, Ph.D.
President
State University of New York, Maritime College
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Yeah they also reinforced it for the RORO ramp, since apparently that will be left down year round. Great parking spot for the permanent crew, like the ROS guys do!
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I wouldn’t junk my truck until I have a new one in my driveway.
They should have put the TSES at the Staten Island Homeport until the new ship was actually ready.
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Did the front fall off?
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SUNY loves to do stuff like this. Like when they sold the gravity davit on the pier. Before building the new ones.
So they had to give like 3 semesters worth of kids incomplete grades in the lifeboat class.
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Or when they decided to acquire the Stalwart when it was in the process of being scrapped.
Yeah… a small vessel with an empty room for a wheelhouse. Great find, fellas.
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Then they pay a guy to steal the remaining fuel it had on board.
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I like to think of the Philly yard, at least, as a Build-A-Bear workshop, where yardworkers assemble ships from a small number of precut and preshaped parts using simple instructions to idiot-proof the process.
Now imagine if the 16-year old Build-a-Bear clerk gets handed a bolt of cloth, a sewing needle and thread and a box of cotton batting and is told to build a bear from scratch.
you mean “assembled in USA of mostly foreign and maybe a few domestic parts”?
And even then, over budget, missed schedule, and likely quality issues?
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What the hell does this even mean? I believe you just described shipbuilding in any yard in the world. If you have to make a dig at this yard I wouldn’t bring up that process. Make up something about worker skill, labor shortage, poor production planning or infrastructure or customer changes or something you can blame on them specifically.
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