Photo provided by Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Credit: Jake Belcher.
BUZZARDS BAY – The transfer of the new Massachusetts Maritime Academy training ship has been completed.
The school took custody of the ship from the federal government, specifically the United States Maritime Administration, on October 10th. A ceremony was held the following day.
U.S. Maritime Administration Rear Admiral Ann Phillips officially signed over the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel to Mass Maritime and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The 525-foot-long Patriot State was built from a group of state-of-the-art training vessels for America’s state maritime academies by Philly Shipyard.
According to MMA, the Patriot State includes eight classrooms, a full training bridge, lab spaces and an auditorium. It can train up to 600 cadets at sea.
“These amazing vessels will train the next generation of mariners, and the next generation or two after that. They will directly impact today’s mariner shortage, helping our nation’s economy in times of peace and our nation’s ability to project force abroad in times of conflict, and they will stand at the ready to support those who have fallen in harm’s way as they are deployed in emergency response,” said Rear Admiral Francis McDonald.
“The marine industry represents 90% of our global trade, and in the U.S. represents 650,000 jobs,” said Congressman William Keating. “This ship, and this program, ensures we have what we need to stay competitive and excel worldwide.”
Mass Maritime’s former ship, the T.S. Kennedy, was extended for one Sea Term this past spring. The school originally anticipated the new ship last winter, but it did not arrive then because of shipyard delays.
Launched in 1967, the Kennedy was previously known as the Enterprise and replaced the original T.S. Patriot State that went out of service in 1999.
By Jim McCabe, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
About Jim McCabe
