Heading towards Gibraltar

5/27

We’ve changed our course en route to Gibraltar as there seems to be a storm or two worth avoiding. We’ll miss the Azores but it should be smooth sailing as we cruise past Spain and Morocco in just a few days’ time. At the moment, there is nothing but blue waters and the occasional sailboat sighting!

Everybody has been very busy with coursework for their classes, which are focused on building a solid understanding of the daily operations aboard the ship. Throughout the day, students study subjects such as navigation, rules of the nautical road, and engineering – all of which require hitting the books in the evening. I see them study so I know how hard they are working, taking the occasional break to play Battleship or Chess.

The weather has been blustery but comfortable, so long as you’re wearing coveralls or a light jacket on deck. I'll be in touch soon with more info as we head towards the strait! 

Bermuda

5/17/2016 update from ship's librarian, Laurel:

We’ve had a mini Caribbean getaway these past few days, sailing around Bermuda! The calm Caribbean waters have been ideal for practicing our turns and getting into the swing of things at sea. In other words, we’re cruising (putting all thoughts of fine-sand beaches and rum punches aside)!

Taking advantage of the first summer rays, we held our first “Sunday-at-Sea” barbeque out on the sun deck. It was quite a feast that the saintly folks at Chartwells put together including steaks, veggie burgers, baked potatoes etc...  Everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves! Fun and games continued on into the evening, despite a few groans about the beginning of classes and all the upcoming work.

Looking ahead, we’re due to reach Norfolk, Virginia by roughly 6pm tomorrow (May 18th). It should be a nice break for all, with quite a few museums, waterfront sights along with nearby Virginia Beach a short bus-ride away.

Look out for more updates and a few pictures coming soon!

Montauk

5/14/2016 update from the ship's librarian, Laurel:

The views off of Montauk have been grand! Dropping anchor each night, we’ve puttered around here by day in order to fulfill our important training and safety requirements. Everyone seems enthusiastic and it’s been a great start to our summer sea term!

So far, training has involved making sure all know where to report for “standing watch” as well as some firefighting training. Part of this involves cadets donning full firefighting suits and blacked-out masks to simulate fire-and-smoke conditions, then crawling on all fours to find their way out of a room. Occasionally they bump into one another, but all remain safe in their helmets.

Up on deck, we've had several “man-overboard” drills. A dummy (Oscar) was tossed in and needed to be rescued from the open water using a small orange fast-rescue boat. All went well!

SST 2016....We're on our way!

An update from our ship's librarian, Laurel Angrist:

Hi to all parents and friends of the TS Empire State! This being the first post of the summer, we’d like to take minute to say thanks to everyone who came to wave us goodbye. It was a lovely morning (after much rain) and it was a very encouraging start to our cruise to see all of you gathered on the shore to bid us farewell. We will miss you tons during the weeks ahead!

We had lovely views all along the east river throughout the morning of the 10th, with lots of us gathered on deck to enjoy the fresh air! (Photos coming soon.) For all of us not yet “standing watch,” it was the perfect day for meeting each other, pulling out our sun chairs and catching the sea breeze. After a week of pre-cruise planning and loading all of our gear and food onto the ship, it’s great to finally be on our way! Please feel free to send in your pictures from departure day; we’d love to see them! And be sure to check back for more updates again soon.