Looking back on historic Sea Term, and Ahead to new Texas A&M ship
Inaugural voyage of TS STATE OF MAINE offered a preview of TS LONE STAR STATE, which will be christened July 17 in Philadelphia.
Summer Sea Term included spending July 4 in New York Harbor to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Texas A&M Maritime Academy cadets and faculty are returning home from a historic Summer Sea Term spent serving aboard the new TS STATE OF MAINE – most of them anyway.
While the bulk of the Sea Aggies were flying from Maine back to Texas on July 16, a few detoured instead to Philadelphia for the christening of the TS LONE STAR STATE.
The July 17 ceremony at the Hanwha Philly Shipyard will involve Aggie leaders from the College Station and Galveston campuses, various government officials, and Rachel Campos-Duffy, who will serve as ship sponsor.
In keeping with maritime tradition, Campos-Duffy, the wife of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, will break a champagne bottle on the hull of the $325 million vessel. A livestream of the ceremony, will begin at 9:30 a.m. Central Daylight Time on July 17.
The christening highlights another milestone for the LONE STAR STATE, which completed final sea trials this summer in preparation for delivery to the Texas A&M University at Galveston (TAMUG) campus in early September.
With the LONE STAR STATE’s arrival, TAMUG will operate a newly built ship specifically designed for training new mariners, instead of an end-of-life vessel retrofitted for that purpose, for the first time.
Texas A&M faculty and cadets got a preview of what that will be like by sailing this summer with their counterparts from the Maine Maritime Academy during the inaugural voyage of the STATE OF MAINE.
The STATE OF MAINE and LONE STAR STATE are essentially identical as the third and fourth ships built to bolster the nation’s maritime workforce as part of the U.S. Maritime Administration’s National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) program.
“I would like to extend our deepest thanks to the great crew of the STATE OF MAINE who worked tirelessly over the last year to get this ship in shape and ready for the sea term,” said Capt. Allan Post, assistant vice president for TAMUG and deputy superintendent of Texas A&M Maritime Academy.
Highlights from the 2026 Summer Sea Term
Arrival in Maine
Dozens of boats greeted cadets and the TS STATE OF MAINE as the 525-foot-long ship entered Castine Harbor on July 12 for the first time and moored at its newly completed pier at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, Maine.
“It was an absolutely picture-perfect day on Penobscot Bay,” Post said.
Cadets lined the rails, and hundreds of well-wishers waved back to them from the waterfront of the final port of call for the Summer Sea Term.
Independence Day celebration
The STATE OF MAINE joined naval and tall ships from around the world in New York Harbor for Sail250, a celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
“Anchoring in a historic harbor on a brand-new ship surrounded by so many vessels within view of the Statue of Liberty is something that our cadets are sure to remember for a lifetime,” Post said.
From the training vessel’s decks on July 4, cadets experienced a flyover by the United States Navy’s Blue Angels and a boat parade showcasing the past, present, and future of maritime operations.
Stormy seas
Nasty weather, including a squall with 60-knot winds encountered soon after departing Galveston, provided valuable experiences for cadets aboard the TS STATE OF MAINE, which performed well in troubled waters.
“These special-response vessels were built to safely travel the world,” said Capt. Don Vandelinder, TAMUG commandant of cadets. “While she rolled a bit through the night, the STATE OF MAINE kept everyone safe.”
Supervised by faculty and staff, cadets secured their gear, cleared the deck, and learned some of the first lessons of the voyage.
“They dealt with limited visibility, topics about safety, and navigation in foul weather,” said Capt. Don Vandelinder, TAMUG commandant of cadets. “They learned that work doesn’t stop and neither could they. It was great to see these mariners stand up to the challenge.”
Departing from Galveston
The TS STATE OF MAINE arrived at TAMUG on May 17, bringing excitement to the campus and stirring up curiosity among Galveston residents, many of whom were learning about the ship for the first time.
Immediately, 29 Texas A&M cadet leaders and 17 faculty and staff boarded the new training ship, followed the next day by another 181 cadets.
Much of the remainder of the week was spent loading provisions and training equipment.
A dock party featuring ship tours drew more than 500 guests on May 22, one day before the voyage would begin.
“Ships were meant to go to sea, and we were eager to get started,” Vandelinder said. “The STATE OF MAINE pushed off the dock, and we slowly made our way down the Galveston ship channel surrounded by dozens of smaller boats filled with well-wishers.”
