b'Since 1999, PVF has and level up their career. The cost of training combined with time they may need to take off from work can make awarded over $400,000 achieving captain simply not viable for some. in grants, opening the The ability to have a grant that would pay a substantial portion of this, in their case, monumental amount of mon-program to applicantsey that theyre going to have to pay to get certified is a huge bonus, Bijur said. Then they can see the light at the end twice each year.of the tunneland it became an achievable thing. He de-scribed the grants as a benefit to the operator as well since they can offer this support to their employees and develop the captains they need from within their organization. dustry. They are a way for these new mariners to have the support needed to grow their knowledge and skills to moveDaveWhangerwithCharlestonTours&Eventsin forward on a career path with the operation.Charleston,S.C.,hasfoundthesamething,notingthe grants help the company enable crew to get their 100-ton In addition to the newest industry members, Bijur notedcaptains license. The operations sailboat is 100 ton with that there are deckhands and crew members who are livingthe sailing endorsement and Whanger explained that it can paycheck to paycheck. Having the grant funding is crucialbe difficult to find sailors that have the necessary tonnage. to them to take the steps needed to climb the hawsepipeSo, were able to grow most of those from within, he said. Since 2019, the team at Charleston Tours & Events has had 12 crew members receive PVF grants including (pictured below, clockwise from top left) Dan Fetterolf, John Heys, Sean Nixon, and Patrick Lloyd.PHOTOS: CHARLESTON TOURS & EVENTS31 OCTOBER 2025'