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Chapman School of Seamanship - Maritime, Yacht, Powerboat Certification & Training

US Coast Guard License, Yacht & Powerboat Certification Education at the Maritime School of Florida in Stuart

chapman school stuart

Established in 1971 and located at Stuart FL, the Chapman School of Seamanship is a world renowned boat school that encompasses 8 waterfront acres in South Florida, located just minutes by water from both the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) and the Atlantic Ocean. The school's location of less than 90 nautical miles from the Bahamas also allows convenient access to some of the best cruising waters in the Caribbean for the Offshore Training Programs.

Whether you are looking for a new career in the marine industry, expanding your boating skills or learning to sail for the first time, Chapman School of Seamanship can provide you with world class training.

Chapman School has more than three decades of experience in training students from around the world in areas of mariner training such as navigation, seamanship, boat handling in power and sail and the nautical information needed for licensing in pursuit of a career as captain or crew.

Chapman School also offers STCW, USCG Captains License and Yacht Surveying Courses. In addition,Chapman School also offers ASA sailing lessons for levels 101 to 107.

This includes certification in boating basics, coastal cruising, bareboat chartering, coastal navigation and advanced coastal cruising. Apart from the above, Chapman School recreation programs have certification training in Florida Boating Basics as well.

chapman school facility

Training Programs

Career Education Programs

  • Professional Mariner Training (PMT) (11 weeks): This prestigious program provides graduates the valuable skills necessary for a career in both the commercial and pleasure yacht sectors of the marine industry. For experienced mariners, the PMT program opens new doors and advancement opportunities. Upon successful completion of PMT, graduates with sufficient sea time qualify for a U.S. Coast Guard license of Master or Mate Less Than 100 GRT.

  • Yacht & Small Craft Surveying (YSCS) (180 hours): Dubbed "The Industry Standard," this program will prepare you to enter the field of marine surveying as a confident professional. You will be able to prepare vessel appraisals for condition and value in the purchase or sale of vessels. You will also be able to assist insurance companies in obtaining an insurance value and a "to do" list to make the vessel insurable. A great prerequisite to insurance adjusting.
  • Damage & Claims Survey - Basic (5 days): This program prepares a marine surveyor in general practice with the necessary knowledge and skills in order to determine and report the nature, cause and extent of damage to a yacht or small craft.
  • Damage & Claims Survey - Advanced (5 days):  Designed for the Marine Surveyor presently engaged or experienced in the Damage & Claims segment of the profession.  Course objective is to increase the Marine Surveyor’s overall knowledge and technical expertise.

USCG Licensing Programs

Career Development & IMO 

stcw bst refresh online

Mariner Training

  • Aids to Navigation (2 hours)
  • Basic Engines (34 hours)
  • Boat Maintenance (8 hours)
  • Electronic Navigation (18 hours)
  • Emergency Procedures (4 hours)
  • Engineering Systems (18 hours)
  • Fire Prevention / Fire Fighting (4 hours)
  • Marine Radio Operators Permit (4 hours)
  • Marlinspike Seamanship (14 hours)
  • Meteorology/Oceanography (11 hours)
  • Navigation Rules (19 hours)
  • Piloting (49 hours)
  • Sail Theory (2 hours)
  • Seamanship (36 hours)
  • Towing Theory (2 hours)
  • Underway Boat Handling Exercises (64 hours)
  • Vessel Maneuvering / Handling (2 hours)

Chapman Powerboat Certification

  • Boating Essentials (2 days): This is the first certification level and has been specifically designed to provide the fundamentals of boating safety and on the water skills.
  • Powerboat Handling (2 days): This is a powerboat handling immersion course designed specifically for those who wish to improve their close quarters maneuvering skills. This 12 hour hand on program is conducted on board a Chapman School training vessel of up to 32 feet.
  • Basic Power Boating (5 days): This course concentrates on the fundamentals of seamanship, navigation and boat handling skills essential to every boater and is the first step toward advanced certification levels.
  • Coastal Cruising (5 days): Whether it’s for a short weekend trip or an extended cruise, students learn how to properly prepare for a voyage into unfamiliar waters on a twin inboard power vessel.
  • Powerboat Charter (5 days): The objective of this course is to teach students the skills necessary to Charter a power driven vessel up to 50’ in length and to be able to safely conduct all operations on a 5 day live-a-board voyage in US coastal waters.
  • Offshore Passage (OCONUS) British Virgin Islands or Bahamas (5 days): The objective of Offshore Passage is to teach students the skills necessary to plan and safely conduct a blue water voyage as skipper and crew of a twin screw, inboard power vessel up to 50 feet in length.
  • Government Powerboat Charter Voyage

Sailing Programs & ASA Certifications

  • Live-aboard Offshore Sailing (7 days/6 nights)
  • Private Instruction
  • ASA day Certifications - Taken as a separate course or with classes listed above.

CHAPMAN School Features

Founded by the late Charles F. Chapman and the late Glen D. Castle, the Chapman School has trained over 17,000 students since opening its doors in 1971. Since its inception, the School has grown from a single vessel to a modern campus of classrooms, labs, dormitories, and large training fleet - both Power and Sail. The Chapman School campus encompasses 8 waterfront acres in South Florida, located just minutes by water from both the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW) and the Atlantic Ocean. The Schools location of less than 90 nautical miles from the Bahamas also allows convenient access to some of the best cruising waters in the Caribbean for our Offshore Training Programs.

  • Campus Location: The Chapman School of Seamanship is located near Stuart, Florida on the southeast coast of the state, 40 miles north of West Palm Beach, 110 miles north of Miami.
  • Accreditation & Credentials: Designated The Maritime School of Florida by the State Legislature, Licensed by The Commission of Independent Education, Florida Department of Education, Approved by the United States Coast Guard under subpart C of part 10, Title 46, Code of Federal Regulations, Approved by the State of Florida and the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), and Chartered by The State of Florida as a non-profit educational institution.
  • Training Areas: Maritime Career Education, Recreation and Youth programs
  • Fleet: The School maintains a fleet of power and sailing vessels for teaching practical, underway boating skills. All vessels in the training fleet come from contributions to the Boat Donation Program for the benefit of students.
  • Library & Museum: The Chapman Library & Museum is a campus based maritime reference library and marine artifacts collection which offers students and visitors alike a quiet place to broaden their nautical knowledge.
  • Campus Life: The Chapman Campus offers you the opportunity to live and study in a learning community atmosphere. The students who live and study here are all working towards the same goals whether recreational or professional. The campus also has air conditioned dormitory style apartments which include a kitchen, bath, bedroom, dining area, living room and covered porch. A laundry room is available for student use and there is a large swimming pool with sun-deck and covered patio.

LAST UPDATED ON Jul 29, 2023