An American training ship has made its maiden voyage to Bermuda this week with a visit to St George for its Summer Sea Term.

The Empire State VII, owned by the United States Maritime Administration, primarily serves as a training ship to offer young mariners a chance to learn at sea.

However, the vessel is also equipped for disaster-relief work.

The ship includes berthing for more than 700 people — expandable to house 1,000 people for up to two weeks if required for humanitarian missions — hospital facilities and a helipad along with training spaces, classrooms and an auditorium.

Empire State VII was first launched in 2022 as the first National Security Multi-Mission Vessel and has been operated by State University of New York Maritime College since last September.

The vessel had intended to sail to Portsmouth this summer, but returned to the Western Atlantic after it encountered technical problems earlier this month.

The ship is scheduled to leave Penno’s Wharf on Friday.