Since 2007, the Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA), a four-year college in Buzzards Bay at the mouth of the Cape Cod Canal, has been sending a fleet of its students through the Panama Canal every four years. Known as a “sea term,” the trip consists of 54 days upon the T.S. Kennedy, a 540-foot freighter, in January and February. They stop at a number of foreign ports which this year included the Panama Canal and a trip across the equator. In Panama, they connect with the partnering International Maritime University of Panama in attempts to bridge cultures by connecting two well-known and respected maritime academies that are training the next generation of maritime industry employees and leaders. This video report documents that 54-day journey, the partnership between the schools and the experience of those on board.
Follow Matt Cunha on Twitter @CunhaMatthew.
