Travel with Amateur Traveler · Saturday, August 1, 2026
Ben Wellenback, the current captain of the Schooner Heritage, trained for his captain's exam using a program called 'Captain in a Box.' He had previously served six seasons as part of the crew, including as first mate, before taking over ownership with Sean Grimes. The podcast host suggests that becoming a crew member is the best way to learn to become a schooner captain.
“But Ben, who was talking about how he had trained to take the captain's exam, he'd obviously had six seasons of being on the crew, some of that being the first mate, and so knew his way around the boat and had enough hours to take the captain's exam.”
“But he used a training program that also helped him train for the test. He had to laugh because he said the name of it was Captain in a Box.”
“So if you're interested in learning how to become a schooner captain, the best way is probably to be a crew member.”