(VALLEJO, Calif. ) — Over 300 Cal Poly Maritime Academy cadets will soon embark on their annual Summer Sea Term, a 65-day Pacific training voyage aboard the training ship Golden Bear, marking both a defining part of a cadet’s education and the final era of a vessel that has served the seafaring academy for three decades.
The voyage also marks the first since the transition from California State University Maritime Academy to Cal Poly Maritime Academy, now part of Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo.
The training cruise provides cadets with immersive, hands-on training operating a working vessel while navigating real-world maritime conditions.
“Summer Sea Term is learn by doing in its purest form,” said Rear Adm. Eric Jones, U.S. Coast Guard (retired), the academy superintendent. “Cadets take what they’ve learned and put it into practice at sea, gaining real responsibility and real experience that prepares them for the maritime workforce.”
Departing on May 8 from Vallejo, the 500-foot Golden Bear will take cadets across the Pacific with scheduled port calls in Papeete, Tahiti; Suva, Fiji; and Honolulu before returning to California in July. The vessel’s first port will be San Diego, home to a contingent of some 18 cadets.
Summer Sea Term develops not only technical skills but also leadership, accountability and teamwork. Cadets log required sea time, gain practical experience aligned with U.S. Coast Guard licensing standards and build the confidence needed to operate in high-stakes environments, preparing graduates to be ready day one.
Golden Bear is scheduled to be transferred back to the U.S. Maritime Administration at the end of 2026 and will be replaced by the training ship Golden State, a next-generation national security multi-mission vessel designed to expand training capacity and capabilities ahead of Cal Poly Maritime Academy’s centennial in 2029.
– Cal Poly
