About Downeast Maritime

Downeast Maritime, Inc. started in the late 1980s on Martha's Vineyards Island (the founder being a native Islander) and has for many years been located in the oldest school house on Island. However, in the middle 1990's the ever increasing high costs of doing business on Martha's Vineyard required a change in our headquarters to Freedom Maine.

In the early 2000's, we became joint partners with Maine Maritime Academy offering first rate courses to the general public previously not available in this part of Maine.

Because of the high qualifications of this distinctive school, we have trained personnel from officers in the U.S. Navy, USCG personnel, Woods Hole & other Oceanographic Institutes, NOAA, numerous independent fisherman & yachtmans with a wide ranges of experience, windjammer fleet sailors, harbormasters, state officials and tow boat operators. Younger students taking the courses with us have gone on to more formal educational careers at Maine Maritime Academy and well as other academy's or marine educational institutions. Likewise, employers from around the country routinely contact us regarding placement for our students.

Each year owners of inspected vessels hire the DMI as a private consultant prior to and during USCG inspections. This includes training and drills of the crew in all aspects for that vessels safety, fire and emergency gear.

Other Locations have included: Maine: Mount Desert Island, Maine Maritime Academy, Eastport Washington County Community College, various USCG Groups, Jonesport, Southwest Harbor, Freedom, Belfast, and Stonington Massachusetts: Boston, Gloucester and Martha's Vineyard Connecticut: US Coast Guard Academy South Carolina: Charleston and Beaufort

U.S.C.G. Staff Instructors at Downeast Maritime Inc

The founder, and your primary instructor, Shawn J. Ahearn III, holds an Ocean Master towing vessel unlimited tonnage including western rivers, 1600 / 3000 gt Ocean, 100 gt master auxiliary sail Oceans, all STCW, Fast Boat Rescue Operations, Global Marine Distress Ship Systems, Bridge Resource Management, ARPA, Visual Communications, Advance Firefighting, etc..

Has been elected a Fellow at the Royal Institute of Navigation in London. Is a member of the U.S. Institute of Navigation. Further the training center and Shawn holds an impressively wide range of teaching licenses and endorsements from the USCG's National Maritime Center. In addition he has taught at Maine Maritime Academy as a professor of Celestial & Advanced Navigation; Navigation Rules (Admirality Law), Ocean Survival & Fire Training & License Seminar Preparation and a Licensed FAA Pilot. Many of Downeast Maritime's courses continue to be offered there.

Mr. Ahearn has developed his thorough and effective skills by fusing his educational background with his extensive underway-maritime career. Undergraduate studies include: Florida Institute of Technology for "Offshore Marine Technology", Massachusetts Maritime Academy for "Deck Transportation", the University of Rhode Island for "International Maritime Affairs" and finishing his college training with a Doctorates from California Pacific University in a non-traditional degree program. He has logged thousands of ocean miles on large ships, coastal and harbor tugs, a 152' square top-sail schooner, a wide range of yachts and small work boats including operations manager of a relatively large waterfront & vessel business on Martha's Vineyard. Mr. Ahearn's family'a long yankee maritime traditions, date back to the early 1800's on the U.S.S. Constitution and Constellation. Mr. Ahearn is a member of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland.

Each year owners of inspected vessels hire the DMI as a private consultant prior to and during USCG inspections. This includes training and drills of the crew in all aspects for that vessels safety, fire and emergency gear.

Because of the high qualifications of this distinctive school, we have trained personnel from officers in the U.S. Navy, USCG personnel, Woods Hole & other Oceanographic Institutes, NOAA, numerous independent fisherman & yachtmans with a wide ranges of experience, windjammer fleet sailors, harbormasters, state officials and tow boat operators. Younger students taking the courses with us have gone on to more formal educational careers at Maine Maritime Academy and well as other academy's or marine educational institutions. Likewise, employers from around the country routinely contact us regarding placement for our students.

Mr. Ahearn is also licensed by the USCG as a senior instructor to train and qualify others wishing to become instructors for any ocean or tonnage level courses STCW.

VESSELS

These are some of the several training vessels used for our Coast Guard Training courses. The restored and repowered U.S. Navy Officers motor whale boat is inspected and certified by the USCG.