MMA Sea Term 2008

Today the freshmen had a meeting with Capt. Rozak, Capt. Bushy and the other staff and cadet officers involved with Sea Term.  They addressed the key times we need to know, making sure we bring important documents like a passport and school ID, and the basic rules and regulations.  The medical staff talked about how to handle medication and injuries at sea.  We also got to talk about some of the details of the sweet trips and excursions we’ll be able to take while in port, such as white water rafting in Costa Rica and canopy tours of the rain forest.

As of today we have about 5 weeks left until we ship out, so there’s a lot to do in that time.  Beyond finishing up our first semester and taking final exams, we have to clean the dorms to an Admirals’ inspection-like standard, move the first of our gear onto the ship, get all remaining supplies we need, pack up and report in on January 6th.  It’s a lot to do, but I’m sure it will all be worth it!

In January and February I will be shipping out on the T.S. Enterprise, Mass Maritime’s training ship, for Sea Term.  Sea Term is Mass Maritime’s hands-on training period, where cadets gain practical experience in working and living on board a commercial ship.  Depending on your major, you will do between one and three Sea Terms.  For example, a Marine Transportation (deck license) major will do three Sea Terms, but an Emergency Management major will do only one.

This year, we will be traveling to the Caribbean and the South Pacific.  We will be going through the Panama Canal, and stopping for a few days in Balboa, Panama.  From there we will cross the Equator in the Pacific Ocean and perform the shellbacking ceremony.  We will then travel to Costa Rica, where we will spend a few days in port.  We will leave from there to go to Aruba, going back through the Panama Canal on our way there.  After Aruba, we will make the journey back to Buzzards Bay, MA at which point Sea Term will be over.

I plan to use this blog as both a record of the experiences I’ll have while on Sea Term, as well as a way to share my experiences with readers, and keep them updated on our progress.  I’ll post information prior to departure in January, and plan to post updates at least every other day during Sea Term.  Please check back regularly for new information, or subscribe to my RSS feed.