State of Michigan Conducts Spring Training in the St. Marys River

State of Michigan

May 2008 by Brenda Benedict

Duluth, Minnesota

This week we have been watching the State of Michigan make her way up and down the St. Marys River.  I investigated the college web site and found that the Great Lakes Maritime Academy is conducting a spring training cruise for their cadets to teach them navigation of the St. Marys River.

I first saw the vessel while visiting Duluth with my son.  The State of Michigan is a training vessel for Great Lakes Maritime Academy.

Great Lakes Maritime Academy is a division of Northwestern Michigan College located in Traverse City Michigan.  The Academy trains young men and women for a career 'on the water' as stated on their web site.

The cadets are now conducting a sea project that is required for graduation.  
You can follow the State of Michigan through a blog written by the cadets at State of Michigan blog.
Although there haven't been any posts this week, I imagine the cadets are busy learning how to navigate the river.  
 The following information was taken from their website. 

About the Great Lakes Maritime Academy: Located at Northwestern Michigan College’s Great Lakes Campus, the Academy educates and trains deck and engineering officers for the commercial shipping industry. Through a partnership with Ferris State University, cadets simultaneously earn their maritime credentials and a bachelor's degree in business administration. Post-graduation, cadets enjoy 100 percent employment.

 

Ship State of Michigan to return to TC

TRAVERSE CITY -- The T/S State of Michigan is expected to return to the Great Lakes Maritime Academy pier Friday morning, June 3, marking the midway point of the 2011 spring training cruise.

The ship left Traverse City on May 17 with a complement of 53 cadets and 10 faculty/ crewmembers onboard. It will remain in Traverse City through Monday in order to restock the vessel for the remaining three weeks of the cruise. The cruise will conclude on June 26. 

The annual spring training cruise is one of three sea projects every Maritime cadet must complete and is an integral part of the training provided to cadets in both the deck and engineering programs. The cadets will complete their remaining sea projects on U. S. flag commercial vessels.  The itinerary is designed so that all cadets in the Deck Officer program will be eligible to sit for their Great Lakes Pilotage Endorsement when they sit for their Coast Guard Merchant Marine Officer's license prior to graduation.