Washington Sea Grant offers a range of classes and workshops that help marine professionals improve their skills, while promoting a safer, pollution-free environment. Other classes provide community members with tools for supporting their marine environment.
Fisherman Skills and Drills Workshops
Washington Sea Grant is sponsoring two-day Skills and Drills Courses for new or beginning commercial fishermen in South Bend, Washington.
This course is geared towards individuals interested in learning the necessary skills to enter the commercial fishing industry. No experience is required.
The course will cover the following topics:
- Basics of welding
- Fiberglass repairs
- Vessel handling
- Navigation
- Maintenance of inboard and outboard engines
- Fishing gear repair (net mending and knot tying)
- Marine hydraulics
- Marine electronics
- Vessel cleaning and safe product handling
Space is limited to 24 participants.
Pre-registration is required.
For more details, including scholarship information, contact Robert Maw, rmaw@uw.edu.
Upcoming Workshops:
Day one hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a break of 45 min for lunch, day two will be 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. also with a 45 min lunch break.
When:
South Bend, WA–March 27–28
9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Who: Anyone ages 18 and up who is interested in gaining basic skills that may be required onboard a West Coast commercial fishing vessel.
Cost: $100.
What to bring:
Working clothes, deck boots and rain jacket (we will be boarding a vessel and may have some outside sessions). Coffee, lunch, and all training materials and equipment will be provided.
Sea Safety and Survival (Drill Instructor) Workshops
Washington Sea Grant and the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA) are co-sponsoring these workshops throughout Puget Sound and coastal Washington. These Coast Guard-approved workshops meet the training requirements of the Commercial Fishing Safety Act to conduct drills. Coursework combines lecture and hands-on experience with the safety and survival equipment now required for commercial fishing vessels. Participants will learn about emergency procedures and be trained to develop appropriate emergency drills for their own vessels. Captains and boat owners are encouraged to bring their whole crew!
Do you have these life-saving skills?
- Put on an immersion suit in 60 seconds
- Right, enter and deploy a liferaft
- Inspect, maintain and stow personal floatation devices (PFDs)
- Take the HELP/huddle position
- Jump from a vessel in event of an emergency
- Give a mayday call
- Test an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB)
- Extinguish a fire
- Put on a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)
- Start a dewatering pump
- Wire a station bill
- Minimize flooding
- Conduct a safety drill
Upcoming Workshops and Registration:
Day one hours will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a break of 45 min for lunch, day two will be 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. also with a 45 min lunch break.
Workshop fee: $125 ($62.50 for commercial fishermen who are Washington residents).
To sign up for a workshop, contact Robert Maw, Washington Sea Grant fisheries specialist: rmaw@uw.edu or (775) 721-3376.
Sign up to get notices of future workshops here: https://bit.ly/wsg-email-lists (select “marine workshops”).
Fisherman First Aid and Safety Training (FFAST)
The Fishermen First Aid and Safety Training (FFAST) course is a two-day intensive first aid course. It was built to help commercial fishermen prevent and treat injuries they are likely to encounter at sea.
The FFAST course provides essential first aid training and meets the stringent requirements of the U.S. Coast Guard for onboard first aid training. It is a valuable complement to the U.S. Coast Guard-required “Drill Conductor Course,” where fishermen learn how to conduct safety drills regularly to prepare the crew for emergencies.
The FFAST course, spanning 16 hours and including basic CPR, is specifically designed to address the unique challenges faced by Pacific Northwest fishermen. It takes into account the small crews, common injuries, vessel environments, cold water, rough seas, and delayed emergency response times typical to Pacific Northwest fisheries.
The course will cover the following topics:
This two-day advanced first aid class for commercial fishermen. Successful completion of this course will fulfill the Coast Guard requirements for CPR and AED Basic first aid.
Due to limited space preregistration is required. Note: preference will be given to commercial fishermen.
Pre-registration is required.
For more details, including scholarship information, contact Robert Maw, rmaw@uw.edu.
Upcoming Workshops:
The two day course will take place from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a break of 45 min for lunch.
Workshop fee: $150
To sign up for a workshop, contact Robert Maw, Washington Sea Grant fisheries specialist: rmaw@uw.edu or (775) 721-3376.
Sign up to get notices of future workshops here: https://bit.ly/wsg-email-lists (select “marine workshops”).
WSG Workshops
- Clean and Simple Workshops
- Coastal Flood Risk Reduction Course
- Corrosion Control
- Diesel Engine Troubleshooting
- Financial Planning and Marketing for Fisherman
- U.S. Coast Guard-Approved First Aid at Sea
- Fishermen’s Direct Marketing
- Oil Spill Prevention Training
- Rules of the Road/Practical Navigation
- Marine Weather
- Marine Wiring
- U.S. Coast Guard-Approved Sea Safety
- Sea Level Rise Adaption Course
- Training for Shoreline and Coastal Planners
- Vessel and Boatyard Maintenance
- Youth Coldwater Safety
