State University of New York Maritime College - at Sea

At Sea

The College's primary ship, Empire State VI, is a 565 foot (172.2 m) vessel driven by a 17,160 horsepower (13 MW) steam turbine engine. Originally built as the SS Oregon, a break bulk cargo freighter for States Lines, it was converted by the Maritime Administration and delivered to the College for use as a training ship in 1990. The Empire State VI is host to cadet watches, classes and work parties during the "Summer Sea Term", and departs each May with the college's cadets on board for "Summer Sea Term," a 90 day training voyage that is separated into two different legs. First-class cadets make the full 90 day trip, while the Second and Third-class cadets are divided between the 45 day legs, due to the fact that with a smaller crew, each cadet can get more one-on-one training than they would if all of the cadets were on board at once. This idea had been used in the college's past, and with the student population growing rapidly, was reinstated for the 2010 Summer Sea Term. Athens, Dublin, Barbados, Antwerp, Naples, Barcelona, Genoa, London, Tallinn, Istanbul, Dubrovnik, Split, Kiel, Valletta, and Copenhagen are some of the recent ports of call for the Empire State VI.

During the Summer Sea Term cadets are split into Deck and Engineering disciplines, which are further partitioned into three divisions each. These divisions form the basis of shipboard life during Summer Sea Term, and follow a rotating schedule of work, classes, and watch-standing. Cadets must complete three Sea Terms, each with progressively more responsibilities and higher expectations. On Third-class 'cruise,' the first of three, the cadets are given their first exposure to the rigors and requirements of shipboard life. They perform basic tasks and are trained in the most fundamental aspects of their respective disciplines. By the end of their First-class 'cruise,' the last they are required to complete, the cadets are expected to perform competently most of the routine duties of a Third Mate or Third Assistant Engineer on watch.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the Empire State VI was mobilized on September 8, 2005, to provide berthing for up to 700 ConocoPhillips employees and National Guardsmen. The ship was readied for departure in record time, and remained in Belle Chasse, Louisiana for six months before returning to her berth at the college on March 8, 2006. The crew and the College were awarded a commendation for their service from the Maritime Administration.

The Empire State VI is the only registered troopship maintained as part of the US Navy's Ready Reserve Force, prefixed the T-AP 1001. The Empire State VI was also activated in 1994 to transport American soldiers home from Mogadishu, Somalia, the first time a troopship was used to transport soldiers since 1968 in Vietnam.

With twenty years of service to the Maritime College (as of 2010), the Empire State VI holds the record as the longest serving power driven training vessel the school has ever owned. She is expected to remain in operation until at least 2020.

The college also "operated" the former USNS Stalwart, which was delivered to SUNY in 2004. The vessel was inoperable since the engines did not work and the vessel was mostly gutted after its decommissioning as a Naval vessel. The vessel was eventually sold to a private company specializing in Arctic research and was towed away from the Maritime College pier early in 2011.