New $330 Million Vessel Trains Nearly 500 Maine Maritime Cadets

Maine Maritime Academy's new training vessel, the TS State of Maine, is taking cadets to sea on its inaugural summer cruise, according to the Press Herald. The 525-foot ship left Portland on May 9, 2026, launching a 10-week voyage in which nearly 500 cadets log sea time and gain hands-on training for jobs in the shipping industry. At $330 million, it is the third such vessel delivered to the nation's state maritime academies, part of a broader effort to rebuild the U.S. shipping industry after a decades-long slide in most respects. Press Herald reporter Reuben M. Schafir rode along to cover the voyage.

Video: Press Herald via YouTube.