After 65 exhilarating and educational days at sea, Training Ship Golden Bear safely returned to Vallejo on July 6. While the voyage has come to an end, its lessons will remain with us long after the lines are ashore.  

For many, returning home means reconnecting with family, friends, and the comforts of everyday life. Stepping ashore also comes with the realization that we are not quite the same people who crossed the brow over two months ago. The ocean has a way of changing those willing to embrace its challenges. 

Every watch stood, every drill completed, every port visited and every obstacle overcome shaped us into stronger, more confident individuals.

There Are No Shortcuts

Summer Sea Term is much more than just a training cruise, it is a living classroom where cadets transform knowledge into experience. The concepts learned throughout the academic year become real through hands-on training, professional mentorship and countless opportunities to apply classroom lessons in an operational environment.

There are no shortcuts to becoming a mariner. Confidence is earned through repetition. Leadership is developed through responsibility. Professionalism is built through accountability.  

Many Departments, One Mission

Success at sea is never about any one individual. Throughout this voyage, every department demonstrated that excellence is built through collaboration:

• Deck cadets learned the art and science of navigation while standing bridge watches and handling ship operations.
• Engine cadets kept the vessel operating safely by maintaining complex machinery and learning the systems that power life at sea.
• The steward's department ensured that hundreds of people were fed each day, often one of the most overlooked yet essential responsibilities aboard any vessel.

• Faculty, licensed officers, engineers, staff, and crew dedicated countless hours to mentoring the next generation, sharing not only technical knowledge but also the professionalism and traditions that define the maritime community.  
• Serving as assistant purser provided a unique perspective on the voyage. Every arrival and departure involved careful coordination with customs officials, port agents and immigration authorities. This reminded everyone that successful voyages rely just as much on preparation and organization as they do on navigation and engineering.

Even though each department possessed a unique set of responsibilities, we all shared one mission: bringing the ship safely from port to port while preparing tomorrow’s maritime professionals.

The Friendships We Carry Home

Perhaps the greatest thing brought home from this voyage is something one cannot pack in a sea bag. It is the friendships formed during early morning watch turnovers, long workdays and late-night conversations, all memories that only those who have sailed together will truly understand.

These relationships were built through shared challenges, trust, teamwork and mutual respect and remind us that while ships eventually return to port, the people we meet along the way often become lifelong friends.

As sailors have said before: “Here’s to wooden ships and hardships, and all the ships at sea. But the best ships are friendships, here’s to you and me.”  

The Future of Maritime Starts Here

For many cadets, this voyage marks the beginning of a lifelong career, with more opportunities than ever before.

More than 90% of global trade is transported by sea, making the maritime industry the backbone of the world economy. Nearly everything we rely on, from food and fuel to automobiles, medical supplies, clothing, electronics and construction materials spends part of its journey aboard a ship.

Today’s cadets are entering the profession at an important moment; thousands of experienced mariners are approaching retirement while demand for qualified officers continues to grow. Academy graduates will help strengthen the nation’s maritime workforce during this period of transition by supporting national security, improving global supply chains and advancing new technologies.  

The future of maritime commerce depends on young professionals willing to answer the call.

Now is the time to get behind the helm.

Now is the time to step aboard.

Now is the time to set your course.

A Final Thank You

To Training Ship Golden Bear: For nearly 30 years she has prepared generations of Cal Poly Maritime Academy cadets through Learn by Doing and this voyage marks the end of an era. We are honored to become the final class to sail aboard her and are excited for the opportunities Training Ship Golden State will provide future cadets.  

To the Captain, officers, faculty, engineers, crew, staff and everyone whose dedication made this voyage possible, thank you for investing your time, knowledge and leadership in the next generation of maritime professionals.

To our families and friends back home, thank you for supporting us from afar and following our journey every step of the way. To everyone who read these Follow the Voyage blogs throughout Summer Sea Term, thank you for coming aboard with us. I hope these stories offered a glimpse into our life at sea.

And finally, to my fellow cadets: Welcome home! 

Be proud of everything you’ve accomplished. Continue learning. Continue leading. Continue supporting one another. The voyage may be over, but your career is only just beginning. The maritime industry needs your knowledge, your integrity, your leadership and your passion. The world is waiting for the next generation of mariners to take the helm.

Congratulations on a successful Summer Sea Term.

Fair winds and calm seas … 

TSGB traveled to San Diego; Papeete, Tahiti; Suva, Fiji; Honolulu; and Los Angeles prior to returning to Vallejo on July 6. Follow the Voyage again during next year’s Summer Sea Term.