Mr. Hempstead recently taught a two-day ECDIS Familiarization class to my organization, the Marine Chart Division at NOAA, and it was excellent. It was refreshing to see the ENCs that we maintain displayed as they're supposed to be - in an ECDIS - and valuable to hear Mr. Hempstead's power user insights about what works and what doesn't. The class was very well thought out and Mr. Hempstead explained things extremely well; he's an excellent trainer. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend his classes and hope to have the opportunity to attend another one in the future.

Michael Ales

Retired Associate Professor at US Merchant Marine Academy

Highly recommend Advanced Integrative Navigation with ECDIS course. This course expands beyond the USCG requirements for 40-hour ECDIS instruction and teaches cohesive bridge resource management with the ECDIS as the central tool for safe navigation, which is a key change to NOAA bridge watchstanding as paper charts become obsolete. NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson's Wardroom (from the CO to the most junior JO) used this course to safely identify, develop, and practice ship specific and operationally specific standard uses of ECDIS as the primary means of navigation for regionally-specific transits and operations.

Briana Hillstrom

Hydrographer/NOAA Corps Captain, June 24, 2021

When I was a student at GMATS – Kings Point through NOAA, I had the opportunity to receive some of my training with Christian. I thoroughly enjoyed his teaching style and his many stories. I was on the edge of my seat when he talked about his time sailing on the Exxon Valdez as well as his days of sailing with his father. He is a true mentor, maritime instructor, and riveting storyteller. To this day, I keep a copy of American Practical Navigator on my desk because of his influence on me!

Brandy Geiger

Nautical Cartographer at NOAA, March 26, 2018