Maine Maritime Academy’s brand-new, 525-foot long, $300 million training ship, State of Maine, will make its first appearance at its homeport, Castine, on July 12.
MMA President Craig Johnson, along with other school representatives, met with Castine officials at the monthly Town and Gown meeting on Tuesday, April 21, at Emerson Hall to update the town on the academy’s activities.
Discussing details of the ship’s arrival, Johnson said, “We’re planning a grand celebration in cooperation with the town, and we are dealing with lots of moving parts.”
One of those moving parts involves the new pier that MMA is building along the academy’s waterfront. While the multi-year, $100 million construction of a new 1,100-foot pier to accommodate the State of Maine remains on schedule, it’s not slated to be complete until 2027.
“We’re confident we will be able to safely tie up at the pier,” Johnson said, “but it will be a work in progress getting people to and from the ship for the celebration.”
For their part, town officials discussed tours of the ship, the possibility of shutting down the town dock for the arrival celebration and the possibility of inviting food trucks to take part.
Before the State of Maine arrives in Castine, the ship will be taking MMA cadets, along with a sizable contingent of student mariners from Texas A & M’s Maritime Academy, on a lengthy summer training cruise.
Currently in Portland, State of Maine was expected to take MMA cadets onboard shortly after commencement on May 2, and then travel to Galveston to pick up the Texas contingent. From there, the ship will proceed to Charleston, South Carolina, then St. John’s, Newfoundland, followed by Port Everglades, Florida.
The next stop, New York City on July 3 and 4, coincides with the United States’ 250th anniversary celebration. The State of Maine will then visit Boston before returning to Maine waters and its first stop in Castine, its home port.
Johnson and town officials also discussed working together to develop a celebration of the 250th anniversary for the town, the academy, and visitors.
Plans are being developed to include the town in MMA’s Homecoming celebration, which takes place this year on the weekend of September 25-27.
MMA also announced that for the first time, it will host the annual Downeast Art and Antiques Show on August 12-15 in MMA’s Alexander Field House. For many years, the long-running show had been hosted by George Stevens Academy in Blue Hill.
