As we’ve embarked on our journey aboard the Kennedy, it’s been a great experience watching everyone settle into shipboard life. As a junior, I’ve been focusing on celestial navigation, taking on senior-level watches, and experiencing significant personal growth as a leader. These experiences have helped unite the Maine and Texas communities on board.
A few nights ago, many seniors gathered to take sunset azimuth readings and observe evening stars using sextants. Having practiced celestial navigation in the northern hemisphere before, identifying new stars presented a fun challenge. While this trip has introduced plenty of new experiences, like giving helm orders as conning officers, some tasks remain familiar, such as food grinding in the scullery on the TSSOM. It’s a routine task that’s essential despite its less glamorous nature, and I find satisfaction in it.
Meadow Hughes
Marine Transportation Operations
Latest 2025 Summer TSSOM Cruise
- A Day in Belfast IrelandHello! Belfast Ireland is unique in that all of the second class Maine students came here our freshman cruise, and while I thought that would be a negative… I was so wrong! I thought I had exhausted things to do freshman year, and I was wrong again. I had heard about some people doing a […]
- Stronger Ties FormedCadets aboard the TS Kennedy spent the past 10 days underway, sailing between New York City and Belfast, Northern Ireland. Students enjoyed calm seas for most of the leg but were stuck under overcast skies, much to the chagrin of the upper-class deck cadets who are actively trying to complete their celestial navigation project. This […]
- Running Smooth in Belfast: A Cruise Check-In from the Cadet Chief EngineerI’m Jacob Nowalsky, the cruise Lead Engine Cadet from Maine, and Maine’s Cadet Chief Engineer. Things have been going pretty well onboard! After being in port in Galveston, everyone was excited to finally get to sea, and now that we’re wrapping up our 2nd leg and are here in Belfast, people are fully into the […]
- Switching to the Engine RoomOur second leg of our Summer Sea Term 2025 cruise has been really fun! During this leg to Belfast from New York, we saw a lot of whales, flying fish, and other marine life. We also recently just hit our halfway point, which means Maine Maritime cadets switched deck/engine focuses on cruise. From 5 May […]
- From Hesitation to Hands-On Learning: Life at Sea on the KennedyMy experiences on the Training Ship Kennedy have been phenomenal so far. I came onto the ship with adverse thoughts, with the ship being from the 1960s, and cruising with another maritime academy. However, the Kennedy proved me wrong! I have met a lot of new people with different experiences and shared different aspects that […]
- From Engines to Charts: An Unexpected Journey Into NavigationSo far, the most memorable part of this experience has been standing night watch. There’s something incredibly peaceful and almost surreal about being out on the open ocean after dark. The calm of the water paired with the vastness of the star-filled sky creates a sense of stillness and wonder that’s hard to describe and […]
