FTV 1/12/2013 The Cadets receive a warm sendoff

Today Friends and Family of the Mass Maritime Cadets gathered at Taylor's Point to bid a fond farewell to the crew of the T.S. Kennedy. As the cadets lined up along the ships deck in anticipation of their 9:24 am planned departure the well wishers cheered, took photos, and held up signs of farewell.

The Dock was filled with well wishes at 8 this morning

Last years Cadet wish this years SeaTerm Cadets a good trip

Moms, grand moms, and sisters say good bye.

Moms and Dad see their Cadets off to Sea

Farewell from Friends

Little Sisters sad to see them go.

In any language Goodbyes are bittersweet.

Alicia Tarr will be our Follow the Voyage Guide, she will keep us posted on  all the ships adventures

The Tugboat reminds us that departure is imminent.

Follow the Voyage Students get ready to blog. Hear's how.

On the FTV Blog (www.maritime.edu/seaterm) in the lower right corner you will click on ship tracker

The Ship Tracker Screen will appear, you will see a map of Buzzards Bay with little red dots around it. These dots are the ships location for a given day. Beneath the map are links to data you need to record. For example: the tides, temperature, and visibility readings.

  Beneath those links you will see the name of the ship and its current position (longitude & latitude) Using the new position plot the ships new position. Draw a line between the two dots. This is the new distance.

Measure the distance between the previous location and the current location (using the map key) to get the distance traveled for that time period. Using the distance and time period you can calculate the average velocity for the day using the formula  Velocity= distance/time.

Alternatively, you can calculate the distance using this online calculator

Next return to the blog entry and perform the activities suggested.

FTV 1/11/2013 Onloading

Once the freshmen got all of their gear situated on the ship, it was time to get to work. It is our job to work together to get all of the supplies we need on board. Shipment trucks pull up to the dock with all of our essentials. Certified drivers use the forklifts to take the stockpile out of the trucks and line it up alongside the ship. Then, the cadets form an "assembly line" and hoist everything aboard the Kennedy.

The freshmen are sure to put each shipment in its proper place on the ship. The line extended into the messdeck, the refrigerator, and the cleaning supply locker. Onloading is a perfect example of teamwork aboard a ship. We had to cooperate and be very patient with eachother in order to make sure the ship is prepared to feed and provide for us and our shipmates. Now that the ship has been stocked up, we re almost ready to set sail and really begin our voyage!

~Alicia

One of the most challenging jobs for the ships kitchen crew is to plan meals that will be nutritious  and delicious as well as creating the least amount of waste that must be held on the ship until it can be properly disposed of with no harm to the environment Try this activity to learn how to prepare a menu and snacks ahead of time will help group members pack lightly with a minimal amount of garbage and will make the use of a stove more convenient, eliminating the need for a campfire. .

Whaling ship Captains had similar problems when it came to feeding their crew. 
Here's a Challenge:
Can you figure out how much food the Captain would have to bring for his voyage?

FTV 1/10/2013 Preparation

Probably the most important part of the check in process,  is for everyone to receive their Billet Cards. These are card documents given to each cadet that has all of their information on them: name, berth number, rack number, life boat number, and your duty should there be an emergency or boat drill. 

Berthings can hold anywhere from one rack to 42 racks, depending on your position aboard this ship. Usually, the ship's crew will have the single berthings while rates have berthings with six racks. Below deck are the holds that contain freshmen and sophomore deck and engine cadets. Each person has one rack (bed) assigned to them. These racks lift up for storeage. Along with the rack is an assigned wall locker and a life preserver just above it. That is the life preserver's designated spot. After a drill, it must be put back to avoid losing it. This ensures that there is a life preserver readily available for everyone.

The life boats are stationed on the boat deck and ready for launch in case of an emergency. Drills take place to ensure that everyone knows what to do if there is an emergency. In order to make sure everything goes smoothly during drills, each person is assigned a job. This way, people aren't calling out orders over each other and causing chaos.

It may sound like a lot of information on just a little card, but it's necessary to cover all the basis when safety is at stake. MMA takes safety seriously; everyone needs to make smart choices and descisions not only for their own well being, but for the well being of everyone on the ship.

Being part of Sea Term 2013 on the T.S. Kennedy is just like being part of a machine. In order for the machine to get the job done, everything has to be fine tuned and working for it to be successful. That's the plan; if everyone plays their part and prepare themselves for the voyage, the freshmen will successfully complete their first Sea Term and the Sophomores and Seniors will have furthered their education toward their licenses.

~Alicia

How to pack your bags for such a big adventure is on everyone's mind. Think about how you would go about packing try these activities.
Packing for Antartica
What would you pack in your suitcase if you were going on Seaterm. Share your results with your classmates.
Here's another challenge.

FTV January 9, 2013 Cadet Leaders Arrive

We're back!

This morning the gangway was bustling! All the cadet rates arrived with gear in hand ready to get Sea Term 2013 started! We're all moved on to the Kennedy and have had our preliminary safety briefing from Captain Bushy, Captain Rozak, Commander Kelleher, and Dr. Cuckor.

Right now, the Marine Engine rates are making sure the engine room is prepared while the Deckies and non-license rates are onloading some cleaning equipment and other necessities for the cruise.

Having leaderhip positions, it is helpful that we are here before the rest of the cadets. Since we will all be settled, our full attention can be given to the freshmen who will be experiencing Sea Term for the first time. Thinking back to my freshman Sea Term, in 2010, coming back to school and moving onto a ship was a different experience. With so many people and their bags, I was definitely a little overwhelmed. But with the Senior Leadership taking command, we were organized and able to move on without a hitch!

The senior rates will be taking the freshmen under their wings throughout this jouney. It is their job to be the educators in the classroom, maintenance, and watch experiences. In a sense, the rates are the teachers while the teachers are the supervisors. I'll be visiting the classes once we are underway, and I will be able to introduce the rates and their supervisors to you.

~Alicia

Planning a trip of this kind is a task that requires much planning and organization, as the ship prepares to leave on its Seaterm 2013, let's investigate what skills are needed to prepare for a class trip of any size. If you follow theses links you will learn what a challenge trip planning can be.

Plan a class trip or try this take a trip activity. You can even plan a trip across the state with this activity