A Message from our Executive Director

What a summer it has been. July closed out a busy and rewarding youth training season, with more than 255 young people learning seamanship, safety, and confidence on the water.

Among them, 155 students earned their Gold Boating Safety Card — an achievement you can read more about in this issue.

A Message from the Director of Development

Every day at Chapman, we see the lasting impact that education has on lives and on our waterways. That's why I'd like to share a different kind of invitation this month—an opportunity to create a legacy that helps future generations of boaters stay safe on the water.

Through Chapman’s Compass Rose Legacy Society planned giving program, you can shape the future of the maritime industry long after your final voyage. Whether your passion is educating youth, enhancing maritime safety, or expanding workforce development, a legacy gift leaves a lasting wake in the lives of our students and the industry we serve.

Summer Youth Programs:
More Than 255 Youth Trained on the Water This Summer



Chapman wrapped up its summer youth season with more than 255 young people trained across our youth boating and seamanship programs.

For many of these students, a Chapman summer course was their first structured time at the helm — learning safe boat handling, navigation basics, and respect for the water. These programs build more than boating skills; they build confidence, responsibility, and judgment that carry far beyond the dock.

Thank you to the families who trusted us with their summer, and to the instructors who made every session count.

View Our Youth Programs

Youth Achievement:

155 Students Earn Their Gold Boating Safety Card

This summer, 155 Chapman youth students earned the Florida Gold Boating Safety Card, the state’s designation for the Enhanced Recreational Boating Certificate, or ERBC.

Issued through the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), the ERBC recognizes boaters who have successfully completed both a NASBLA-approved boating safety course and a NASBLA-verified, on-the-water skills course. By combining classroom knowledge with practical training, the certification demonstrates that students have developed real-world skills in safe boat handling, navigation, and on-water decision-making.

Earning the Gold Boating Safety Card takes commitment. Students must demonstrate proficiency on the water—not simply attend the program—and each card represents hours of hands-on instruction, practice, and testing.

The ERBC is currently being introduced through a pilot program beginning in Florida. The credential provides clear verification that each recipient has completed advanced boating education that goes beyond knowledge-only requirements.

Congratulations to all 155 students who earned their Gold Card this summer. We look forward to seeing you continue building your skills and confidence on the water.

Community Partnerships:

Boating Safety and Conservation, Side by Side

Chapman continued its partnership with Loggerhead Marinelife Center and the Perry J. Cohen Foundation this summer, hosting students on campus and supporting the foundation’s mission. Students were introduced to boating safety fundamentals and earned their boater safety education cards — a credential they will carry for life.

We also wrapped up another wonderful summer with the Hobe Sound Nature Center, whose team showcased live animals and conservation education, connecting students to the environment their boating skills will help protect.

Partnerships like these remind us that good seamanship and good stewardship go hand in hand.

New Donation Program:

Donate-to-Lease: Turn a Vessel Into Maritime Education

Chapman’s new Donate-to-Lease program gives yacht and boat owners a meaningful alternative to selling or trading. Rather than sitting idle or becoming a financial burden, a donated vessel is put to productive use — training the next generation of professional mariners, marine technicians, and skilled marine industry workers.

The process is straightforward and professionally managed. The owner selects a qualified, independent appraiser to determine fair market value — Chapman is not involved in the valuation. Chapman then surveys the vessel to determine whether it is best suited for direct sale or for our Lease-to-Purchase training fleet, and prepares all required documentation, including deeds of gift and IRS Forms 8283 and 1098-C.

Donors may see potential tax advantages and should consult their tax and financial advisors.

For the school, the impact is direct. Donated vessels help fund scholarships, expand workforce development programs, and put students on the water for hands-on training — all in an industry facing growing demand for qualified talent. Every vessel becomes a classroom.

Learn About Donate-to-Lease  |  Start the Donation Process

Tech Tips from Yamaha Master Technician, Shane Bowlin

Flush Your Outboard After Every Saltwater Run

Salt is your outboard’s quiet enemy. Left in the cooling passages after a day on the water, it crystallizes, builds up, and slowly chokes the system that keeps your engine alive. A few minutes of freshwater flushing after each saltwater outing is some of the cheapest engine insurance there is.

Quick Maintenance Checklist:

• Flush After Every Trip: Connect a freshwater source to the flush port (or use muffs) and follow your owner’s manual.
• Watch the Tell-Tale: Confirm a steady stream while flushing — weak flow means a problem.
• Rinse the Exterior: Wash salt off the cowling, bracket, and lower unit.
• Check the Anodes: Inspect sacrificial anodes regularly and replace them when heavily worn.
• Look for Salt Buildup: White crust around fittings is a warning sign, not a cosmetic issue.

If you notice weak tell-tale flow, overheating alarms, or heavy corrosion, have a qualified marine technician inspect the engine before your next trip.

A clean engine is a happy engine — and a happy engine gets you home.

Safe Boating Tip:

Respect the Florida Afternoon Thunderstorms

In South Florida summers, the question is rarely if a storm will build — it’s when. Afternoon thunderstorms form fast, move fast, and turn a calm day on the water into a dangerous one in minutes.

Check the forecast before you leave, and keep checking the sky. Towering clouds, distant rumbles, or a sudden wind shift mean it’s time to head in — not to finish one more pass.

Plan your day around the weather, not against it. Morning hours are often the safest and calmest time on the water in summer. Give yourself time to get back before storms typically build.



If you are caught out: get everyone into life jackets, slow down, stay low in the boat, and head for the nearest safe harbor — not necessarily your home dock.

The storm always wins the argument. Don’t have it on the water.

Explore Boating Safety Courses

Did You Know?

Why Boat Speed Is Measured in “Knots”

Long before GPS, sailors measured speed with a rope and a piece of wood. The “chip log” — a wooden board tied to a line knotted at regular intervals — was tossed overboard, and sailors counted how many knots slipped through their hands in a set time measured by a sandglass. Count the knots, and you knew your speed. The name stuck: one knot equals one nautical mile per hour.

And About That Saying: “Son of a Gun”

Today it’s a mild exclamation of surprise. One popular story traces it to the age of sail, when women occasionally lived aboard warships and children were sometimes born on the gun deck — between the cannons — earning the nickname “son of a gun.” Naval historians debate whether that story is fact or folklore, but it remains one of the most colorful explanations in the language.

Either way, the sea has left its mark on how we speak — look for a new term or saying in every issue.

Exclusive New Benefit for Chapman Students & Graduates

Chapman School of Seamanship is proud to announce a new partnership with West Marine, designed specifically to benefit our student and alumni community.

Through this exclusive Chapman Program, eligible students and graduates can now access special discounts on a wide range of West Marine products, including boating safety equipment, marine electronics, maintenance supplies, apparel, dock lines, and other on-the-water essentials.

These savings go beyond standard retail promotions and are even greater than the discounts offered through West Marine’s Pro customer program, giving Chapman graduates a valuable advantage as they continue their boating careers and adventures.

Whether you're outfitting your vessel, replacing worn gear, purchasing tools for the job, or simply stocking up on boating necessities, this is a benefit worth taking full advantage of.

Enrollment is free, quick, and available now through the end of the year.

Don’t leave money on the table. Sign up now and start saving on the gear you need most.

Stay Connected With Chapman!



Chapman School of Seamanship continues to grow because of the students, alumni, families, donors, employers, and community partners who believe in practical maritime education.

Thank you for helping us prepare safer boaters, stronger technicians, more confident youth, and the next generation of marine professionals.