Maine Maritime Academy students, faculty participate in keel-laying ceremony for new training vessel

PHILADELPHIA, PA (WABI) - Maine Maritime Academy is getting ready to welcome its new training vessel which will also be named State of Maine (TSSOM) to Castine.

The goal is that this new ship will set sail in the summer of 2025.

This week MMA celebrated the first significant milestone in the life of the ship, which is being built in Philadelphia, with a keel laying ceremony.

A keel laying is one of the most symbolic events in the construction of a new vessel.

“A Keel laying is one of the most symbolic events in the construction of a new vessel, soliciting good luck during her construction and for her passengers and crew on future journeys,” said Maine Maritime Academy President Jerry Paul, who attended the ceremony. “It is fitting and a wonderful moment for Maine Maritime Academy that we are joined today by the cadets who will sail on her first training voyage in the summer of 2025. This is an important milestone in the life of the ship that will soon be calling Castine its homeport. We are grateful for the continued support of our Maine delegation, specifically Senator Susan Collins, and the town leadership in Castine.”

More than 200 students are aboard the current State of the Maine on a training voyage of more than two months.

Students are gaining critical seagoing experience taking them to eight domestic and foreign ports of call.

Philadelphia was just one of their stops.

The remainder of the itinerary includes stops in Spain, Germany, Ireland, and Boston before returning to Castine on July 19th.

Those wishing to follow the progress of the 2023 TSSOM journey can do so by visiting the cruise blog at cruise.mainemaritime.edu.

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