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ProBoat E-Training is a non-traditional approach to training and education for the marine industry. By combining online technology with practical, real-world training, ProBoat E-Training delivers a vital educational opportunity to anyone who wants to improve his or her skill level as a boat designer, builders, repairer, surveyor, or marina/boatyard operator. The intensive series of online courses has been developed by the staff of Professional BoatBuilder magazine.
Each course is a combination of materials that you may download and read, homework assignments, and other components, including a 24-hour discussion board. Courses may also incorporate live chats online. These are known as class time or the virtual classroom.
Proaboat offers Continuing Education Units for each of the courses. One CEU (continuing education unit) represents ten contact hours of participation in an organized continuing education experience under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction. Although a CEU is not college credit, some colleges and universities will acknowledge CEUs and give them a value towards academic credit. For many marine professionals, obtaining CEUs is necessary to maintain certification.
Training Programs
- Rhino for Marine Designers (Six-weeks): Learn to enhance your boat and yacht design skills with Rhino 3D Modeling software. This course will teach you how to work with curves, then surfaces, then will move into fairing a simple chine hull, followed by a more complex sailing schooner hull. Finally, when you have mastered the skills necessary for the foregoing projects, you'll go on to a self-directed project of modeling a complete hull/deck/superstructure of your own design. Note: You must have access to a copy of Rhino to complete this course.
- Intro to Marine Electrical Systems Part One (Four-part course): Here you'll gain an understanding of the terminology, theory, and practical knowledge regarding marine electrical systems. Since this course is an overview, there is no hands-on component involved. If you have wired a boat, or assisted in wiring one, then this class will complement that experience. If you have not had any hands-on experience, that is fine too as this course's purpose is to teach you the theoretical knowledge involved in designing and specifying marine electrical systems.
- Intro to Marine Electrical Systems Part Two (Five-part course): In this course, you will learn terminology, theory, and practical knowledge regarding marine electrical systems, specifically batteries, circuit protection, distribution panels, and wiring design. No hands-on component involved. The purpose of this course is to teach you the theoretical knowledge involved in designing and specifying marine electrical systems.
- Designing Yacht Interiors (Introduction): This interactive course in interior design will introduce you to a number of elements and details to be considered when making decisions about materials, colors, textures, furnishings, and work flow.
- Color-Matching Gelcoat (Four-part course): Here you'll learn about types and causes of damage, how to document your repair work, and how to prepare the surface. For each segment, you will have lab work to complete, and at the end of the course, you will send your color samples to your instructor for evaluation.
- Load Capacity and Flotation (Five-part course): This highly technical course covers the rules and standards for maximum weight capacity of small boats; calculating displacement weight and maximum weight capacity; testing a boat for displacement and maximum weight; rules, calculations, and installation procedures for flotation; and USCG and ABYC regulations.
- Propeller Selection for Boats and Small Ships (Three-part course): Materials for this course include a 32-page text, as well as prop-calculating formulae and spreadsheets created by the instructor. First you'll study the text, then work on problem solving, then finally review your solutions and compare them with the instructors conclusions.
- The Marine Survey Report (Four-part course): A survey is only as good as the report that communicates the work of the surveyor, and a good surveyor's findings (and reputation) can be lost in a poorly written report. This course will help you bring your writing skills up to a new level.
- The Marine Survey Report Practicum: Hands-on-the-keyboard experience. The instructor will critique one or more of your existing survey reports, showing you exactly where you need to improve your work, and how to do it.