Spend enough time at Cal Poly Maritime Academy, and you’ll quickly discover that maritime education comes with its own vocabulary. You’ll hear about brows, racks, heads, covers and watches before you have any idea what anyone is talking about.

Fortunately, learning the language is part of coming aboard. Here’s a quick guide to some of the words, phrases and traditions you’re likely to hear around the Solano Campus and aboard ship.

All Hands  

Everyone aboard! Yep, that means you. When you hear an “all hands” announcement, everyone is expected to pay attention or report for a particular activity.  

Billet  

Your job aboard a ship. During Summer Sea Term, cadets receive billets defining their responsibilities aboard the ship. When hundreds of people are living and working together at sea, knowing exactly who is responsible for what is pretty important.  

Brow / Gangway  

The way on. And, perhaps more importantly after a long voyage, the way off. Crossing the brow marks the transition between life ashore and life aboard.  

Cover  

A hat. But don’t call it that. Cadets wear covers as part of their uniforms, reflecting the academy’s maritime traditions and professional culture.  

Corps of Cadets  

College, with uniforms, formations and considerable responsibility. Cadets live and learn within a structure designed to develop leadership, accountability, teamwork and the professional habits expected in the maritime industry. Through formations, watchstanding, leadership billets, training and daily responsibilities, cadets learn that being part of a crew means being accountable not only for yourself, but for the people around you.  

Deck Officer  

One of the people you really want to make sure knows where the ship is going. Deck officers work on the bridge and oversee navigation, cargo operations, vessel safety and movement. Marine Transportation graduates begin their careers as licensed deck officers.  

Engineering Officer  

The people who keep the whole thing running. Engineering officers oversee propulsion, generators, electrical systems and other equipment critical to operating a ship. Marine Engineering Technology graduates begin their careers as licensed engineering officers.  

Galley  

Where the food is. During Summer Sea Term, the galley feeds hundreds of cadets, faculty, staff and crew every day. Never underestimate the importance of the galley.  

Golden Bear  

Training Ship Golden Bear. Definitely not a boat. For three decades, Golden Bear has served as Cal Poly Maritime Academy’s primary training platform, carrying generations of cadets across the Pacific and around the world. It has been their classroom, laboratory and home away from home, sometimes all three at once.  

Golden State  

The academy’s future training ship. The new ship everyone keeps talking about. Golden State is one of the nation’s new National Security Multi-Mission Vessels and is expected to arrive at Cal Poly’s Solano Campus in 2027. The state-of-the-art vessel will become the academy’s primary training platform and begin the next chapter of maritime education at Cal Poly.  

MARAD  

The federal agency behind some very big ships. The U.S. Maritime Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation, supports the nation’s maritime transportation system and merchant marine. For Cal Poly Maritime Academy, MARAD is also an essential partner, providing the federally owned training ships used to prepare the next generation of maritime professionals, including Golden Bear and Golden State.

Head  

The restroom. This is usually one of the first vocabulary adjustments for newcomers. Ask where the bathroom is aboard a ship and someone will point you toward the head.  

Muster / Formation  

Everybody get over here. Cadets muster for formations, training, drills and other activities. At sea, knowing where everyone is can be more than an organizational convenience.  

Rack  

Your bed or bunk aboard ship and your very small piece of personal real estate. During training voyages, cadets live and work together around the clock. At the end of a long watch, that rack can look pretty inviting.  

Secure  

We’re done here. Stop an activity, finish a duty or put away equipment. “Secure from drills,” for example, tells cadets that the drill has ended. “Secure the equipment” means put it where it belongs.  

Ship vs. Boat  

There is a difference. Mariners distinguish between larger oceangoing ships and smaller boats. The easiest rule to remember at Cal Poly Maritime Academy: Golden Bear is a ship. Rule of thumb: A ship can carry a boat. A boat can’t carry a ship. Calling it a boat in front of a mariner is an excellent way to receive a free lesson on the subject.  

Summer Sea Term  

Learn by Doing, with considerably less land. Cadets spend weeks at sea applying what they’ve learned in the classroom while standing watch, operating shipboard systems, developing leadership skills and experiencing the realities of working aboard an oceangoing vessel.  

Golden Shellback

You’ve crossed a line. Two lines, in fact. A Golden Shellback is a mariner who has crossed the equator where it meets the 180th meridian (the International Date Line) in the Pacific Ocean. Cadets who accomplish both during Summer Sea Term earn the distinction and take part in a longstanding maritime tradition marking the achievement.

Watch / Watchstanding  

Your shift. Except the ship doesn’t close. Ships operate 24 hours a day, so someone is always on watch. Cadets may stand watch on the bridge, in the engine room or elsewhere aboard the vessel. It’s one of the fundamental lessons of maritime education: when you’re on watch, other people are depending on you.  

And finally: Welcome Aboard  

We’re glad you’re here. Now you know your rack from your head, your cover from your brow and, most importantly, your ship from your boat.  

Welcome aboard!