Instructor Profile – USCG Master Chief Petty Officer Scott Pugh (Ret), Safe Boating America
Every weekday morning, just as the sun lifts over the harbor, you’ll find him walking the docks with the same steady confidence he carried for decades at sea. The uniform is different now—khakis instead of dress blues—but the bearing is unmistakable. He is a retired Coast Guard Master Chief Petty Officer, and these days his mission continues on land at a maritime high school, shaping the next generation of mariners. On weekends, he’s back on the water, teaching a Boating Safety Course to anyone willing to listen—and learn.
After more than 22 years in the United States Coast Guard, retirement didn’t look like slowing down. For someone who spent a career enforcing maritime law, conducting search and rescue, and mentoring young Coast Guardsmen, service had become a way of life. Walking away entirely was never an option. Instead, he found a new calling: education—and a new way to help people earn their New York State Boating Safety Certificate License.
At the maritime high school, Master Chief Scott Pugh (USCG Retired) teaches courses that blend textbook knowledge with hard-earned experience. Navigation rules aren’t just lines on a page; they’re stories of near-misses, midnight watches, and decisions made under pressure. Lessons on seamanship come alive with real-world context—how weather truly behaves offshore, why complacency is dangerous, and how teamwork can mean the difference between routine operations and disaster.
Students quickly learn that they’re being taught by someone who has “been there.” As a Master Chief Petty Officer, the highest enlisted rank in the Coast Guard, he was responsible not only for missions, but for people. Leadership, accountability, and integrity weren’t buzzwords—they were daily expectations. In the classroom, those values remain central. He challenges students to take pride in their work, to look out for one another, and to understand that maritime careers demand professionalism long before the first paycheck.
Yet his influence doesn’t stop when the school bell rings.
On weekends, while many people are relaxing, he’s often found at a marina, yacht club, or community center, teaching classes for boaters seeking a New York State Boat Certificate ( aka NYS Boaters License). His goal is always the same: make waterways safer for everyone.
Recreational boating, he knows, can be deceptively dangerous. Many accidents happen not because of bad intentions, but because of simple mistakes—lack of preparation, poor understanding of navigation rules, or underestimating weather and water conditions. That’s why his NY Safety Boater Course / Boating Safety Certificate Class focus on real-world decision-making.
His classes are practical, approachable, and grounded in reality. He teaches how to read the water, how to properly outfit a vessel with safety equipment, and how to make sound choices before problems arise. From first-time captains to thrill-seekers looking for a JetSki – Waverunner - PWC Certificate Safety Class, every student leaves with skills that can save lives. There are no scare tactics—just honest conversation backed by experience. When he talks about wearing a life jacket or filing a float plan, it’s not theory; it’s drawn from real rescues and real emergencies.
What sets him apart is his ability to connect. Whether he’s speaking to teenagers considering maritime careers or weekend boaters who just bought their first vessel, he meets people where they are. He understands that learning sticks best when respect goes both ways. Questions are encouraged. Stories are shared. Mistakes become teaching moments rather than sources of embarrassment.
Colleagues at the high school often remark on the calm presence he brings to campus. Students know they can rely on him—not just for maritime knowledge, but for guidance. He’s the kind of mentor who notices when someone is struggling and quietly offers support. Discipline is firm but fair, rooted in the belief that high standards prepare students for real-world responsibilities. For him, the reward isn’t recognition. It’s watching a student master a difficult concept, or hearing that a former weekend boating student avoided an accident because they remembered something from class. It’s knowing that the culture of safety he lived by in the Coast Guard continues to ripple outward into the community.
In many ways, his story is a reminder that retirement doesn’t have to mean the end of purpose. Skills earned through years of service don’t fade—they evolve. By stepping into the classroom and onto community docks, he’s proving that leadership isn’t tied to rank or uniform. It’s a mindset.
The sea has shaped his life, and even now, it continues to guide his path. From the bridge of a cutter to the halls of a maritime high school, and from weekend classrooms back to the water, his mission remains the same: protect lives, pass on knowledge, and leave the maritime world better than he found it.
Some people retire from a career. Others, like this Master Chief, simply find new ways to serve—one Boating Safety Course at a time.
You’ll find Scott is at most classes offered in the Buffalo and Rochester, NY area at www.safeboatingamerica.com.