"WHERE ARE THEY NOW?" RYNE ROBELLO (Class of 2019)

Ryne Robello left CMA after graduation and headed south briefly to enjoy a break with friends in Australia. Upon his return he found work right here in Honolulu working aboard the University of Hawaii’s research ship. He eventually moved on and is very happy working for Young Brothers today:

“Aloha Captain Ed!   

I bounced around working the UH research vessel Kilo Moana for a few months and taking night mate jobs at MMP but have since landed at Young Brothers. I got a spot as a second mate on the Hoku Loa doing the Molokai/Lanai run weekly and have been loving it. Best job I could think of! 

Me and Duke (Quitevas) actually got hired on the same day. Capt. Jeb Baker and Capt. Chris Kojima are two good captains over here plus a bunch of mates who are CMA graduates. 

Mahalo for everything, 

Ryne”

Here’s a picture Ryne that he sent to us taken just the other day on the back deck of the tug KAPENA GEORGE PANUI, while outbound from Honolulu Harbor towing a barge behind.

Is this awesome … or what?

Ryne on Tug.jpeg

"WHERE ARE THEY NOW?" GYLE McGURN (Class of 2018)

Gyle McGurn is our man representing Maui and we are very proud of him. After graduating, Gyle has been diligently making the effort to sail offshore on his license. He has spent time working on the vessels operated by P & M Services ( affiliate of Mana’o Nui ) running out to the Leeward Islands and other voyages on contract to the Federal Gov’t. Recently after patiently waiting his time, Gyle was able to land a job with Matson, through the MM&P hall, just this week:

“Aloha Capt Ed! I scored big time last week and got a rotary third mate job on the Lurline. Iʻm flying to Oakland on Tuesday to meet the ship. Iʻll be sure to send you a pic of myself at work before your fundraiser event. Hope youʻre doing well as always, and I guess Iʻll be seeing you on that pilot ladder pretty soon! 

Mahalo, Gyle “

Capt. Ed (L) and Third Mate Gyle McGurn onboard the M/V LURLINE on August 13th 2021. Capt. Ed was about to disembark as the ship was departing Honolulu Harbor.

Capt. Ed (L) and Third Mate Gyle McGurn onboard the M/V LURLINE on August 13th 2021. Capt. Ed was about to disembark as the ship was departing Honolulu Harbor.

"WHERE ARE THEY NOW?" SHANE HAGGERTY (Class of 2017)

Shane Haggerty has been motivated to sail on his license since graduating from CMA in 2017. I remember seeing him a few times on the docks walking aboard an arriving ship to work as a Night Mate on Matson and Horizon ships. Still living in Hawaii full time, he travels all over the Pacific Ocean going wherever he is dispatched to sail on his license.

“I am currently sailing in the Indian Ocean with Patriot Contract Services through the International Organization of the Masters, Mates, & Pilots. I am on a four month hitch as 3rd Mate, however I also sail as 2nd Mate. I am in the process of acquiring my C book with MM&P and am diligently working to acquire my Chief Mates license. Since graduating from California Maritime Academy I have sailed with Matson, Horizon Lines, APL and Patriot. I am blessed to be working as often as I do out at sea for months at a time. Sadly I will not be able to attend your fundraiser on August 6th because I will be at sea for 3 more months. I always look forward to these events and meeting the new young officers coming out of CMA from Hawaii. Kind regards to everyone attending the fundraiser, the scholarship really helped motivate me to become something greater than myself.”

We’re very proud of Shane’s hard work and determination. We assume someday we will be seeing him on a regular basis here on our own Honolulu waterfront.

"WHERE ARE THEY NOW?" BRANDON PALOMPO (Class of 2016)

Brandon Palompo was our scholarship recipient in 2016. Though he is from Hawaii originally and was living here in Honolulu, he had many family ties to the Bay area of California, which influenced his decision to attend Cal Maritime. When poised to graduate from CMA, he opted to seek employment there in the Bay area, where he has since remained with his family:

“ Within a month of graduating I started at a company called Interface Engineering based in San Francisco, CA. It is an MEP (Mechanical / Electrical / Plumbing) engineering consulting firm. At this company I worked as a mechanical designer and gradually worked my way up to a mechanical engineer position. The work I did at this company was both challenging and rewarding. I remained at this company for 4-1/2 years until last October when I made the move to a new company called Blokable based in Sacramento, CA. 

This company's focus is in modular housing construction for both affordable and market rate multi-family homes. The company aims to optimize efficiencies in a relatively inefficient construction industry by developing a product that is repeatable and manufacturable at scale. In this way we strive to reduce the cost of housing, reduce the construction time on projects by maximizing work done in a controlled factory environment, and provide a high quality product at an affordable price. This company is still relatively new, but the work is rewarding and the vision is something I am very excited to be a part of. 

I want to express my thanks to the Lyman Foundation and to you Captain Ed for providing the help needed to attend such an exceptional school. The skills and lessons learned, friendships made, and real world experience gained, all set me on the professional path I find myself on today.”

"WHERE ARE THEY NOW?" RYAN DUGAY (class of 2015)

Another update from the past. Here’s more info on what our scholarship recipients have been doing since they graduated from the California Maritime Academy. Here is Ryan Dugay, class of 2015. Ryan is from the Island of Lana’i and amazingly, has returned to stay there with his wife and kids and remains on Lana’i today working full time serving his community and neighbors:

“ All is well here on Lanai. Since graduating CMA in 2015 I have had some great life experiences. My family and I are truly grateful for the opportunities that have become available after completing the MET (Licensed Engineer) program. After graduation in 2015 my professional timeline has been as follows:
1) Seattle, Washington: Assistant Engineer on Kirby Offshore ATB fleet for 2 years (2015-2017). 

2) Big Island, Kona: Worked as a power plant operator for Hawaiian Electric Light Company at Keahole Power Plant (2017-2018). 

3) Lanai, Hawaii: Lineman apprentice for Maui Electric. Journey out next year (2018-current). 

4) To keep my maritime skills going I have been able to do some moonlighting at Manele harbor conducting boat maintenance on several small recreational fishing boats. 

My journey so far has been exciting to say the least. I have had the privilege to transport the fuel necessary for power plant electrical generation, burn that fuel at the power plant to provide power to the electrical grid, and currently work on our local electrical grid of Lanai to provide safe and reliable power to its residents and guests. I hope we may be able to keep the opportunity going with more Hawaii residents enrolling at CMA.”

What an admirable path he has taken since graduating. Furthering his career, as an engineer, he has been able to move ashore with his technical skills and work experience. On a daily basis his job plays a vital role in Lana’i island’s power infrastructure.

A LONG OVERDUE POST oR "CATCHING UP"

Almost a year since the last blog post, with the world gripped by COVID pandemic issues, there have been many distractions. But suffice to say, much has happened since last summer. And just as important, much did NOT happen and this has caused some issues for cadets at EVERY state maritime Academy. Not just at Cal Maritime.

In the summer of 2020, the owner of all Maritime Academy Training Ships ( MARAD ) instructed all Academies to NOT take the Training Ships out on a summer training cruise, due to concerns of the COVID spread. This created an issue for all cadets not being able to obtain enough ‘sea-time’ for the original license. There were some creative efforts to make up this lost time and even a modification of the rules. In the end, some cadets still needed to get more time training at sea before graduation.

Fast forward to this summer, 2021. The Cal Maritime Administration planned two cruises for the summer. Training Ship GOLDEN BEAR would conduct a routine cruise in June & July. Upon return to Vallejo, the first cohort disembarked and shortly after, cadets on the next training cruise from July thru August got ready to depart for Cruise #2.

The GOLDEN BEAR will arrive into Honolulu Harbor on Friday, August 6th at 0800. She will berth at Pier 10/11 at Aloha Tower. A Private function, the DAVE LYMAN MEMORIAL FUNDRAISING EVENT will be held onboard from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. This is a “by invitation only” affair, as the State of Hawaii COVID Protocols for social gatherings remain in effect. Therefore, only 75 guests have been invited to a reception onboard.

We will post more information and updates tomorrow.

Captain Sam Pecota (left) with Pilot Ed Enos on departure from Honolulu, June 28, 2021

Captain Sam Pecota (left) with Pilot Ed Enos on departure from Honolulu, June 28, 2021

EULOGY FOR CAPT. DAVE "KAWIKA" LYMAN

As promised, here is the link to the Soundcloud site where the audio file is open for the public free of charge.

https://soundcloud.com/captedenos/david-lyman-eulogy-by-norman-piianaia

This is Capt. Norman Piianaia speaking, a long time friend of Kawika’s. This took place at the Central Union Church in Honolulu, Hawaii on Feb. 6th, 2006. During the Service, there were actually three eulogies given. The first person to speak representing the Lyman Family, was Dave’s daughter Danielle. She shared words with everyone that were heartfelt and warm, as I’m certain the entire Lyman family would have done had they had the emotional strength to do so in the wake of Kawika’s accident.

The next person to address the overflowing crowd that filled the church and spilled out onto the lawn outside, (an estimated 1,200+ people) was Capt. Ed Enos. Capt. Ed represented the Hawaii Pilots Association and was mentored by Capt. Dave who spent years grooming Enos to pursue a Pilot’s job in Hawaii. The eulogy provided by Capt. Enos can best be described as a “warm up act” to what would follow.

Capt. Norman Piianaia’s eulogy was truly an effort that everyone in attendance would cherish the rest of their lives. Given in the tradition of the “Eight Bells ceremony” where a mariner is relieved of his watch to the sounds of the bridge clock, the eight bells signifying he is finished, he can now lay below for a rest. In this case, it’s the last time.

Piianaia’s recollection of Kawika’s life was a wandering voyage that took everyone through some unique Hawaiian maritime history, shared hilarious sea-stories involving Kawika and his many waterfront friends, his life at California Maritime Academy, Kawika’s adventures while he “shipped out” on deep sea vessels, and of course his time working as a Harbor Pilot.

The 35 minute long MP3 file is tough to hear at times, with the audio dropping out once in awhile. It doesn’t even start until Piianaia had already been addressing the crowd for a few minutes. Its is grainy and requires focused listening to hear. But it is all worth it. This file was only recently discovered by Gordon Piianaia, Norman’s brother. With his permission we are sharing this so everyone can enjoy this event for what it truly was. An incredible celebration of Kawika’s life.

“ … and that was the last time I saw my friend …”

Orson Wells, as Father Mapple, addressing the Whalers from his pulpit, before they set out to sea.From the movie MOBY DICK, 1956

Orson Wells, as Father Mapple, addressing the Whalers from his pulpit, before they set out to sea.

From the movie MOBY DICK, 1956

A VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

I will post something tomorrow, Sunday, August 16th, that I recently obtained in an audio format. 

It is the eulogy for Captain Dave “Kawika” Lyman as given by Master Mariner, Capt. Norman Piianaia, at Central Union Church, Monday, February 6th, 2006. A very special “MAHALO” to brother Gordon for his generous sharing.

If you were there, one of the 1,200+ people who attended this gathering and thought it was a once in a lifetime event, you were correct. If you were not there, you have an opportunity to hear it and enjoy it. A famously delivered effort, including Capt. Piianaia’s use of a small ship’s bell for added maritime color!

I had no idea anyone had recorded this. It is hard to hear at times, a grainy recording that drops out for a few seconds once in a while. It doesn’t even start until a few minutes into Capt. Piianaia’s effort, missing the very beginning. It is 35 minutes long. It is filled with many laughs, great short sea stories everyone will love. Piianaia does an excellent job weaving some little known history that ties our maritime community together, with personal relevance to Dave Lyman’s life, and much about the history of Hawaii.

While sitting in church listening to Piianaia, I had visions of the 1956 movie, MOBY DICK where Orson Wells delivers a sermon as Father Mapple in a small church in a New England Whaling town before the sailors all set out to sea. 

I will have it posted to my Soundcloud website account. I believe anyone can access it to listen for free. I attempted to post to Facebook but it seemed impossible (audio MP3 file) trying to figure it out. If any tech geek out there has a better idea or willing to place on a better platform, please contact me directly. Otherwise, I will share the link tomorrow morning. I plan to share a link on various social media platforms.

See you back here soon.

Central_Union_Church_in_Honolulu.jpg

OUR ANNUAL MEMORIAL SAIL IN MEMORY OF KAWIKA

On Wednesday this week, family and friends of Dave “Kawika” Lyman gathered at the office of the HAWAII PILOTS ASSOCIATION at Pier 19 in Honolulu Harbor. As we usually do every year at this time, to celebrate Dave’s memory, we head out onto the water aboard the Pilot boat HONOLULU and visit the site where we scattered Dave’s ashes at sea back in 2006, near the Honolulu Harbor sea-buoy. In a tradition that memorializes what we know Dave would enjoy, we each scatter many Hawaiian flowers and pour several cans of cold beer into the water. We all have a few things to say and share, sometimes some great stories of some events involving Dave. Sometimes we don’t say too much. Sometimes there are some tears.

We have scattered the ashes of many mariners, family, and friends, at this same spot. So we know Dave is not alone out there. In fact, in my own mind, I have always imagined “heaven” as being a place where you spend time with some of your best friends and there isn’t a care in the world. This spot where we originally gathered back in 2006 was also marked by a large rock, a “pohaku”, which we put over the side with Dave’s ashes, a Hawaiian tradition. So each day as ships pass by the sea buoy entering or leaving Honolulu Harbor, Dave can enjoy seeing many of his seafaring friends and Pilots as if he were right there next to us.

Sometimes while piloting a ship through the harbor, I have felt the presence of Dave standing there on the bridge with me. It’s an interesting feeling.

Here are a few photos of our sail on Wednesday, January 29th, 2020.

(L to R) Kimo, Lori’s Aunty, Marion, Art, and Lori

(L to R) Kimo, Lori’s Aunty, Marion, Art, and Lori

Kimo Lyman, Dave’s brother, joined us as he was working nearby at the harbor aboard the HIKIANALIA voyaging canoe with Gary Brookins, who came along, too

Kimo Lyman, Dave’s brother, joined us as he was working nearby at the harbor aboard the HIKIANALIA voyaging canoe with Gary Brookins, who came along, too

Marion, Dave’s sister, looking out to sea. Most family and friends don’t get a chance to come out here onto the water. So it is always a treat to begin with. And this day, the weather was spectacular

Marion, Dave’s sister, looking out to sea. Most family and friends don’t get a chance to come out here onto the water. So it is always a treat to begin with. And this day, the weather was spectacular

Gathered on the dock after returning from our sail, from L to R: Capt. Ed, Lori, her Aunty, Art, Gary, Kimo, and Marion

Gathered on the dock after returning from our sail, from L to R: Capt. Ed, Lori, her Aunty, Art, Gary, Kimo, and Marion