Mariner Training - Course Description

Seamanship - Total 124Hours

Rules of the Road (14 hours) - A comprehensive study of the Nautical Rules of the Road designed to prepare the student for safe and competent operation of vessels on inland and international waters.
 
Seamanship & Boating Safety (26 hours) - A study of a variety of subjects from basic nautical terminology to the theory of operation of both sail and power driven vessels.  This will include voyage planning and provisioning.  There will be practical applications in towing, anchoring, firefighting, pyrotechnic and survival equipment.
 
Marlinspike Seamanship (14 hours) - A hands-on study of bends, hitches, splices, block and tackle, the care and inspection of wire rope, as well as other shipboard "arts of the sea".
 
Weather (14 hours) - Weather is defined as a science of the atmosphere and its phenomena.  It includes the basic principles of meteorology and the practical aspects of oceanography.  Also covered are weather warnings and displays, basic cloud formations, the use of a barometer, weather disturbances and storms, winds, waves and swells, and simple forecasting methods.
 
Boat Handling (56 hours) - Boat handling teaches the theory and operation of power and sail boats.  While on board our training vessels, students are instructed in all basic aspects of boat handling and safety procedures, using skills learned in the classroom.  This practical training includes dockside procedures, underway maneuvering, anchoring, man overboard drills, including an 8 hour voyage.  While onboard the training vessels, students are required to provide their own deck shoes and Type I Coast Guard Approved PFD.
 

Navigation - Total 76 Hours

Piloting and Coastal Navigation (44 hours) - The art of conducting a vessel through channels, harbors and along coasts. Once familiar with nautical charts and the marine compass, students are shown various methods of accurately establishing a vessel’s position, and projecting later positions by means of deduced reckoning. Further study will cover the effects of currents and tides, publications and tables followed by practical underway navigation runs.
 
Electronic Navigation & Communications (32 hours) - Includes the theory and operation of marine electronic equipment such as VHF and SSB radios, GPS, Loran, Radar, weather FAX and Chart Plotters. Practical applications are taught in both the electronics lab and onboard training vessels.

Boat & Engine Maintenance - Total 76 Hours

Boat Maintenance (30 hours) - Practical “hands on” instruction in basic boat repair and prevention necessary to insure proper conditions on any vessel. Designed to develop safe and careful work habits and to create competency in routine boat upkeep. Topics include varnishing and painting techniques, fiberglass care and repair, caulking and maintenance of wooden hulls, etc. Combines classroom theory with practical projects in the maintenance shop.
 
Marine Mechanical Systems (38 hours) -Designed to give a practical understanding of the operation and routine maintenance of basic mechanical systems aboard small craft with emphasis on diesel and gasoline inboard engines. The subject matter is presented in the classroom and demonstrated in the Chapman School’s engine shop facility and on our vessels.
 
Vessel Systems (8 hours) - A hands-on crawl through practical approach to learning and maintaining various electrical/mechanical systems onboard most vessels. The training includes identification, tracking, drawing and developing inspection and maintenance procedures for equipment such as engines, generators, water makers, air conditioners, AC/DC distribution systems, fresh and hot water systems, waste systems, galley equipment, steering and control systems, and many other systems found throughout a vessel.