USTS Golden Bear makes first stop at Aloha Tower

HONOLULU (KHON2) — A training ship, piloted by students studying to become merchant marines, made its first stop in Hawaii Sunday morning.

Local boy Imriel Kekoa is one of 250 cadets aboard the Golden Bear, a 500-foot training ship from the California State University Maritime Academy.

“I was counting the days from the time we left California until we got here,” said Imriel Kekoa, of the CSU Maritime Academy.

The Kapolei native is a freshman at Cal Maritime and one of 15 cadets from the Hawaiian Islands aboard the ship for the two-month international training trip.

“It’s a strange experience,” Kekoa added. “Especially coming from a kid who never really left Oahu.”

The 12,000-nautical-mile cruise around the Pacific is overseen by the ship’s captain, but freshmen and seniors at Cal Maritime run the show as part of the honors program. Cadets attend classes and apply what they have learned on board.

“They get on board, they learn the lay of the land, the freshmen learn the ship, the nomenclature, they get their feet on the ground. Rather, it is the seniors who run the show. We monitor them to make sure everything goes well, but they are here to train with the merchant marine officers,” explained Captain Smar Bannister Schneider, director of the State University Maritime Academy from California.

Kahaluu senior Django Kanafo-Tomlinson said they benefit from some downtime when they’re not working.

“During my free time, I like to have my fishing line in the water. Like yesterday, I caught a nice big fish and it was really awesome,” Kanafo-Tomlinson said.

Kanafo-Tomlinson said being a part of the Cal Maritime program changed her life. The work is demanding but he loves the ocean.

“I knew I wanted to live on the water, as if the regular nine-to-five job wasn’t for me. I want to be at sea,” he added.

He still has one semester left until he graduates and he’s excited about what’s next.

The Golden Bear will remain at the Aloha Tower until Wednesday.

The CSU Maritime Academy was established in 1929 and is the only maritime academy on the West Coast. They said 81% of graduates hold jobs with an average starting salary of $90,000.