The U.S. Training Ship Golden Bear, the 500-foot training vessel of the California State University Maritime Academy, arrived at the Nawiliwili Harbor on Saturday amid the excitement of outrigger canoe clubs readying for a Kalapaki Bay regatta.
Moored at Pier 2, in view of the former bulk sugar storage facility, the TS Golden Bear arrived with 273 cadets onboard, including 12 from the Hawaiian Islands, and 53 officers and staff. It was the third day of a two-month international training voyage for the California State University Maritime Academy, known as Cal Maritime for short.
During its stop in Nawiliwili, the TS Golden Bear has secured permission to conduct public tours of the ship. Tours today and Monday take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Those interested in the free tours are asked to bring photo identification and wear closed-toes footwear. Guests will be escorted at all times by cadets aboard the ship. Parking is allowed outside the main gate. The ship is not Americans with Disabilities Act accessible.
For the duration of the cruise, Cal Maritime cadets are responsible for running the ship, including navigating and driving the ship, repairing and overseeing the engines, and maintaining the vessel.
During its two-month voyage, the ship will log approximately 12,000 nautical miles and will visit ports of call along the Pacific Rim, including stops in San Diego, Guam, Saipan and Seattle as well as Kauai.
The Cal Maritime Summer Sea Term is a signature element of the experiential learning model offering cadets practical, at-sea training aboard the TS Golden Bear. Over the course of the approximately 65-day voyage, cadets primarily in their first and third years apply classroom knowledge in real maritime settings under the guidance of the ship’s captain, Cal Maritime licensed faculty, the chief engineer, and a crew of experienced mariners.
Specialized programs in marine transportation, marine engineering technology and mechanical engineering lead to a Merchant Mariner license issued by the U.S. Coast Guard in addition to a bachelor’s degree on graduation. Graduates see up to a 98 percent job placement rate, and an average starting salary of $90,000 or more.
The TS Golden Bear’s trip to Kauai was sparked by Kauai native Brant Tanaka, a Cal Maritime alumnus, who worked with Jessica Fowler, the assistant to Capt. Samar Bannister on the TS Golden Bear.
Cal Maritime is recognized by several esteemed organizations for its commitment to excellence and consistently appears as a top university for return-on-investment rankings, leading to high-paying jobs for its graduates.
Cal Maritime is the only degree-granting maritime academy on the West Coast.
For more information, visit www.calpoly.edu/maritime.
Source: The Garden Island