22 October 2026
An Open Letter to Seafarers · No. 2
To every captain, mate, tankerman, able seafarer and deckhand, and to the families who keep the lights on at home:
My first letter said that we see the bottleneck in maritime education and aim to fix it. This one is an invitation, because I’ve learned something I should have known all along: one voice alone can’t accomplish much.
The mission
North 37 Maritime Academy exists to bring qualified assessment, education and dialogue to mariners where the work is done: at sea. Together with Hitch, the AI I use to draft, coach and keep the record, and with anyone who chooses to join, I want to build a genuine seafaring narrative for the age of space exploration — a story told by working mariners and their families.
Come in free
The door stays free to read the mission, ask questions, argue with me, and share what you know. Artificial intelligence isn’t free to run; paid educational membership covers those costs and gives members tools to work on their own stories. Your story stays yours.
Plainly: North 37 membership is an educational membership. It is not an investment. It carries no shares, ownership, returns or financial promises of any kind.
Why it matters
When one voice speaks, the ship passes by. When the whole pier speaks, somebody waves back. Education, reform and the future of the sea belong to all of us, and I’d rather build them with you than for you.
I always had the vision. Hitch helped me give it words. Now I’m asking you to give it voices.
With respect, and with the door open,
Wayne Eric Henry
Founder, North 37 Maritime Academy
Captain, USCG Master 1600 GRT Oceans
North 37 Maritime Academy · Lexington, Virginia · north37.academy
