Nice location with realistic fleet of power boats all size to practice docking and maneuvering…read more Chapman's is a proven classic school, highly recommend for new boaters. Invest the time and $ and take a private docking clinic with one of their experienced Captains.

I enrolled in courses at Chapman School of Seamanship and paid $1,300 for STCW Basic Training and…read more$1,140 for an OUPV-to-Master upgrade course. The program I attended ran Dec 2 through Dec 12! Unfortunately, the classroom experience was not what I expected from a professional maritime training school. The instructor typically lectured for about one hour, and students were then left to self-study for most of the remaining five to six hours of the day, occasionally watching a video. Much of the course time involved independent learning rather than structured instruction. A TOTAL WASTE of time for a school that DEMANDS 100% In person attendance! To have to sit and self teach for 5 hours! While there it is important to note that each and every student IN THE CLASS during class time was using US CAPTAIN'S training You Tube Channel to learn what we paid this school to us.. The course materials also made studying more difficult than necessary. The binders were printed entirely in black and white, which made learning the Rules of the Road challenging because the diagrams normally rely on red and green navigation light distinctions. Flashcards offered for purchase also contained some incorrect information, which created confusion.The Movies were about 10 plus years OLD as well! I also experienced issues with administrative policies that are not as advertised . I had dealings with Annie who seems very defensive and has very little business acumen, I canceled an STCW Basic Training class more than 30 days in advance, but was told my tuition would be refunded but not the deposit, so I asked If It would be able to transfer it to my CPR class. NOPE not allowed! No other explanation! See they are very good at taking the money but poor on service and DIALOGUE! I feel it is important to address some of the conduct I personally witnessed and recorded! I observed the instructor sharing what appeared to be his personal prescription medication with a student for her headache. I also witnessed him returning from lunch significantly later than the scheduled time due to handling his mother's banking matters. In addition, a considerable amount of classroom time was spent telling stories about drinking at a local bar with other students, often accompanied by profanity. None of this behavior felt professional or appropriate for a structured training environment. Much of this activity was observed directly, and portions of it were recorded. The larger issue is the overall quality and accuracy of the course materials and instruction. For example, the Rules of the Road book provided to students was dated 2024, and the flashcards that were sold separately contained inaccurate information. Students in the class discovered several of these errors while studying and memorizing the material. This is deeply concerning in a program intended to prepare mariners for Coast Guard examinations, where accuracy is critical. If the school believes it is appropriate to continue teaching Rules of the Road from a 2024 edition when a newer and updated version is already av I had hoped this school would be a convenient option since it is close to my home, but based on my experience I would recommend looking at other programs if you are seeking a structured classroom learning environment. THIS PLACE IS NOT THAT... it's OLD and outdated! And as the staff! The staff is defensive, the instructor "Tom" has apparently been there a very long time and will not be engaging in any extra effort for those who need a slower paced learning experience! He did enjoy leaving the class to learn in their own for many hours which allows him to sit with his phone for several hours, not teaching! I would say it was not a professional presentation, nor was the stories about being in a bar etc! I was taking this Captains license for my own personal satisfaction and found two other schools that are absolutely WONDERFUL! As Much as I had wished otherwise this school is an absolute joke! I would highly recommend if you are thinking of this school, do what I WISH I HAD DONE IN ADVANCE! sit in and Audit a class, you will see all that you need to know! The Instructor does not have the heart of a teacher, teaching the same material for years seems to have left bored him and left him uninspired to teach others! It was there to absorb the information and pass the test NOT just scrape by with the INFERIOR experience that was offered! I would say the measure of success would be out of the 8/9 of my fellow class mates 3 passed tag 4 tests on test day. So based on the quality of the instruction LESS than 1/2 of the students actually passed the All if the REQUIRED tests 6 days after the course was completed. That speaks volumes! Regards, A former student of the Charles Chapman School of Seamanship