A Palm Harbor charter captain has turned a family-owned marina in Ozona into a hands-on classroom for kids who want to learn seamanship, fishing, and boating skills.

Captain Andy Benedict founded First Mate Academy at Speckled Trout Marina, 343 Bayshore Drive, where he runs species-themed summer camps and curriculum-based sessions for students ages 8 to 17. The academy has served more than 200 young anglers over four years, according to its website, maintaining a 100% safety record.

Summer camp weeks cost $625 and run 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily with lunch included. Themes rotate by target species: Snook Week, Tarpon Week, and Inshore Slam among them. Each session puts six students and two instructors aboard a 20½-foot boat at a 3:1 student-to-instructor ratio, with instruction led by U.S. Coast Guard-certified captains and professional first mates.

Benedict, who FOX 13 profiled on Thursday, July 30, frames the program as education first. A fellow captain who volunteered with the academy said Benedict tells students the program is about learning, not just fishing, emphasizing character, manners, and respect alongside marine skills.

Lessons start on dry land.

Students learn boat-launching procedures, marine terminology, and safety practices before touching the water. Once underway, they get hands-on time operating a trolling motor and power pole, catching bait, throwing cast nets, rigging tackle, and tying fishing line to hooks. When someone catches a fish, the crew celebrates it as a team victory because every student played a role.

Beyond youth programs, the academy runs charter fishing trips from the same marina. A three-hour inshore trip starts at $550 for two anglers, a four-hour half-day runs $625, and a six-hour three-quarter-day trip costs $750. Each charter includes a professional first mate enrolled in the academy's Captains Apprenticeship Program & Training, giving aspiring captains ages 15 and older real-world experience while they work toward their own USCG credentials.

Speckled Trout Marina sits in the historic village of Ozona, minutes from the Intracoastal Waterway, Caladesi Island, and Honeymoon Island. The family-owned marina provides dry and boat-lift storage, giving the academy direct access to prime Tampa Bay inshore fishing grounds along the Alt-19 waterfront corridor.

Families can check availability and register at FirstMateAcademy.com or call Benedict at 727-338-4857. Fall and winter session dates had not been posted as of Saturday, August 1.