Professional Mariner – American Mariner Training Directory 2026

A headset for augmented reality navigation

The International Maritime Bureau in London, which monitors criminal acts against vessels worldwide, reported an increase in piracy acts for the first three months of 2025 compared to the same period of the previous two years, the majority of which were directed against ships in navigation. In 2021, a U.S. Navy document indicated augmented reality (AR) as “a necessity in…

Training better- educated entry-level mariners at community technical colleges

Nearly 20 years ago, maritime industry leaders approached community and technical colleges in the Greater Houston area with a request: They wanted to see a broader skill set in people coming into the workforce. “That saying, ‘a better-educated entry-level mariner,’ has stayed with us for almost two decades now that we’ve been in this maritime training space,” said John Stauffer,…

Delgado Community College’s Maritime, Fire and Industrial Training Center

Located in New Orleans, Delgado Community College’s Maritime and Industrial Training Center has also earned MarAd Center of Excellence (CoE) status. Equipped with expansive firefighting facilities, three simulators, classrooms and a full kitchen to teach crew how to cook, Delgado is responsible for training between 5,000 and 7,000 people each year from across the region and world with the help…

New president says Maine Maritime Academy still a “best-kept secret”

Perched above Penobscot Bay in Castine, Maine, cadets at Maine Maritime Academy don’t just watch ships dock — they take the helm. “There’s no substitute for doing it yourself,” said Craig Johnson, the school’s new president. “When our boats come into the harbor, there’s a cadet in charge, docking the vessel. There’s no other way to learn other than by…

Fatal fire aboard car carrier highlights training gaps among firefighters and increased concern over EVs

When a fire broke out aboard a docked roll-on/roll-off container vessel in 2023, a small blaze escalated to a deadly inferno that would claim the lives of two firefighters, bring sweeping training recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and highlight the dangers of fires aboard car-carrying vessels. Crewmembers aboard the 692-foot Italian-flagged ro-ro Grande Costa D’Avorio, which was…