Cap Sante International will open the U.S. Survival Craft Training Center in Anacortes in September, offering classes to professional seafarers in survival craft and water survival techniques.
Cap Sante International, a division of Cap Sante Marine Ltd. based in Anacortes, specializes in lifeboat maintenance for cruise and commercial shipping companies around the world. The addition of the education center brings the company full circle in its lifeboat offerings.
“We are excited about this initiative, it’s a natural step for us,” said John Sanford, CSI business development manager. “The only other component of this was educating the mariner.”
The training center recently received U.S. Coast Guard approval and complies with International Maritime Organizations standards.
CSI will initially develop a fast rescue boat school, an intensive three-day course.
“We are starting with the fast rescue boat course first because there is no other training of this kind available on the U.S. West Coast,” Sanford said. “Considering the number of passenger ships and ferries that have these craft onboard, we believe the demand for this training is an emerging market.”
Students will learn maneuvering techniques, search and rescue methods and also perform in-water survival and capsize drills to complete their certification.
“What we will be doing is going through a combination of classroom and hands-on training so they would get endorsements,” Sanford said.
Classes will be held monthly for 6-18 students on Fidalgo Bay.
The company plans to gradually add other survival craft courses. In the future, CSI plans to export the training courses to be conducted on ships.
For more information on Cap Sante International visit http://www.capsanteintl.com.
For more information on the training center see the Aug. 6 edition of the Anacortes American.
