Captain Bob Figular: Mariners School

Captain Bob Figular has spent more than 60,000 miles on the open ocean including crossing the Atlantic on his 43' catamaran, experiencing an adventure in a Moroccan port, and taking a lone voyage beginning in the Turks and Caicos Islands and ending in Toms River, New Jersey. Therefore, it only makes sense that he is highly capable of drawing on these experiences and aggressively redefining the boating instruction industry.

How? He enthusiastically provides boating lovers with unique, first-hand knowledge at his very own school-Mariners School-headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey.

Captain Bob Figular decided to create Mariners School after successfully completing a course elsewhere to earn his Masters license in 2001. Although he was elated with his successful course completion, he was disappointed that the course did not teach anything beyond the basics needed to pass the course. Wanting to learn the "rest of the story" and knowing that other boating enthusiasts would want to learn more too, he took over a year to write his own course, which is now the curriculum at Mariners School.

His course covers more than just the basics; it includes "the how and the why" behind all things boating related. Mariners School is United States Coast Guard (USCG) approved to administer the exam at Mariners School facilities as an alternative to the regular testing process in which the exam is given at USCG testing sites.

"People leave my school with more than just a certificate that they passed," says Captain Figular. "They leave carrying with them a lifelong understanding and appreciation of boating and the water that they can apply in real-world situations."

His late mother's urging to "pursue all dreams" motivated Captain Bob Figular, who dreamed of being a Captain since childhood. So, he opened the first Mariners School in Toms River, New Jersey, in 2001. Interest in his well-planned and exciting courses quickly surged, and in 2003, Mariners School opened its second location in Princeton, New Jersey. This location also serves as the School's headquarters. Today, Mariners School has more than 25 additional locations, from Baltimore, Maryland to New Haven, Connecticut.

"It is my goal to open doors for boating enthusiasts by providing them with our courses," says Figular. "I anticipate doubling my business every year and in 2005, expanding through the Chicago area."

With Captain Bob Figular's vision, determination and genuine enthusiasm, it's easy to see that he will successfully achieve his dreams and goals.

Captain Bob Figular can be reached at (609) 987-0555 or via email at bob@marinersschool.com.