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Compass Courses Maritime Training
The training facility is fully-equipped and designed to provide numerous United States Coast Guard-approved curricula.
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Compass Courses Maritime Training
The courses entail a diverse range of nautical training.
Words by Steve Fennell
Accidents offshore can happen in the blink of an eye and quite often, it occurs when you least expect it. Regardless of the cause or care given for prevention, it’s essential to earn maritime safety credentials to ensure everyone’s safety – including yours – when an unfortunate situation arises on the water.
According to Julie K. Keim, owner of Compass Courses Maritime Training of Edmonds, Washington, there should always be at least one person onboard who’s in charge of everything when a mishap takes place – whether someone falls over board or its weather related.
“I am always surprised to learn that people know very little about changing weather or weather patterns,” says Keim. “It can change in an instant, no matter how beautiful the day is.”
Keim, an avid offshore angler and seasoned boater with extensive experience sailing on her license in the small-passenger vessel industry, founded Compass Courses in 2001, which simply reflects her passion for teaching the necessary safety knowledge to recreational and commercial, licensed boaters.
A registered vocational school in the State of Washington and approved for the GI Bill, Compass Courses is based just outside of Seattle and employs a professional team of instructors who teach hands-on maritime training for those who are frequently on the water or enjoy extended boating trips. What’s more, the training facility is fully-equipped and designed to provide numerous United States Coast Guard-approved curricula.
For instance, Compass Courses’ facility consists of four classrooms, two galleys, an on-site 73-passenger enclosed lifeboat, numerous training aids, plus a full-size lifeboat gravity davit and RADAR simulator lab. To date, Keim and her team have trained more than 10,000 commercial and recreational boaters.
As the courses are designated for the commercial marine industry, Keim says offer various curricula for recreational boaters. These courses include basic safety training, first aid/CPR, personal survival techniques and able seaman courses. Custom courses are even available.
The curriculum also includes a two-week, Captain’s Licensing Program, which is one of the more courses popular since it’s specifically devised for boat owners or those who make a living on the water. In addition to the many topics addressed, boaters will learn all the necessary tools including navigation/chart plotting, the rules of the road, deck general, deck safety, environmental protection, and navigation general.
“People get a lot out of our License Captain’s Course as they start to understand the rules of the road, how to read charts, and learn the functions of various equipment on their boat,” says Keim. “What’s interesting is we have a lot of advanced (recreational) boaters and they still learn a great deal from the program.”
Being miles offshore and exploring new destinations is a great experience. Yet, regardless of your experience on the water, being knowledgeable of changing weather patterns and current emergency procedures simply means more safety for you – and everyone on board your vessel.
For more information visit www.compasscourses.com