Expand Your Boating Horizons
Voyage Planning, Seamanship, Navigation, Communications, Safety, Great Loop training, and more!
A Passion for Boating Education
Our Mission
At Trawler Academy, we are dedicated to providing exceptional education tailored to all levels of boating skill and experience for any vessel, including those preparing for extended voyage planning like embarking on the Great Loop.
Our mission is to equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to gain confidence on the water. Study free content here and on our Trawler Academy Facebook group.
In the future, if you decide you are ready to take your cruising to the next level, schedule an on-the-water training course on our 42-foot fast trawler or hire us for tailored training on your boat.
On the Water: Training and Services
On the water classroom
Professional training on the Chesapeake Bay and the protected Magothy River, tailored to your needs, taught at your pace.
The 2005 Legacy 42 provides the ideal training platform--a single engine fast trawler with two helm stations, two heads, with heat and AC for any season. Optimized for individuals, couples, or small groups.
Daily rate for vessel and training captain: $800, plus fuel.
Training on your boat
Detailed training on your vessel for post-purchase familiarity with a new-to-you boat. Ensures you meet insurability requirements. Focus on specific skills before embarking on a voyage like the Great Loop.
Curriculum tailored for you and your boat's unique systems. You can add and drop topics from our curriculum list, which includes detailed engineering walk-throughs, preventive maintenance, navigation setup, communications, boat handling and seamanship skills.
Daily rate for training captain: $800, plus travel and lodging.
Vessel Delivery and Sea Trials
Hire our experienced U.S. East Coast delivery team for sail or power vessels of any size. Our team includes USCG licensed master Captain Westbrook, along with a qualified mate ready to assist with navigation.
Full-day (24 hr) rate: $1100 includes captain, qualified mate, plus travel.
Half-day pre-purchase Sea Trial service rate: $600, plus travel and lodging.
Group Lectures
CAPT Westbrook is available for interactive classroom instruction on any topic including seamanship, navigation, maintenance, and voyage planning for your group, yacht club, marina, or boat show.
Whether you're preparing for the Great Loop or want to focus on seamanship or local navigation, we cover dozens of other relevant topics as well. Checkout the video lectures section above for examples of training style and format.
Contact us for rates, topic tailoring, and scheduling.
About Trawler Academy
Our History
Founded by Tate Westbrook a retired U.S. Navy Commodore who earned his first USCG Master's license in 1994.
Captain Westbrook served for 28 years in a variety of U.S. Navy ships, is a certified navigator, was commanding officer of an Aegis Destroyer, and Commodore of a Squadron of ships.
Tate's passion for training, seamanship, and navigation is combined with an infectious enthusiasm for recreational boating and a calm and patient approach to training. He adapts his training style to meet the needs of the student--ready to focus on what you really need to know, or to dive "in the weeds" on any specific boating topic.
Training Faculty
Trawler Academy is supported by a network of USCG credentialed pros from the Chesapeake Area Professional Captain's Association (CAPCA).
All trainers and delivery captains maintain current USCG Merchant Mariner Credentials (MMC) and are enrolled in a random drug testing program.
Together, we bring the Trawler Academy hundreds of years of experience on the water with hundreds of thousands of miles under our keels!
Cruising Experts
Cruising Experts
Whether you are new to boating, planning to do a major voyage, or need familiarization with a new-to-you boat, you can tap into our experts now and in the future.
With decades of deep experience in U.S. East Coast cruising, multiple Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) and offshore transits on vessels of all sizes, including both power and sail expertise, we are here to truly expand your cruising range.
Individual training, couples training, or small group crew training. We are on your team for seamanship, navigation, maintenance and upkeep, engine room and systems familiarization, insurance-required certification and more.