🎙️ Cumberland Unfiltered Podcast – Season 1 (2025)

Episode 021 | Phones Ruined the Classroom — A Marine Instructor Tells the Truth with Ted Chamberlin

Episode Summary

Marine instructor Ted Chamberlin explains how phones changed the classroom and why the marine industry desperately needs skilled technicians right now. A grounded look at work ethic, opportunity, and the future of the trades.

Episode Notes

Guest: Ted Chamberlin
Episode: 021
Recorded at: Cumberland Tavern Studio, Rhode Island

For almost 30 years, marine instructor Ted Chamberlin has trained students in marine engines, propulsion, and hands-on troubleshooting. In this conversation, Ted breaks down how smartphones reshaped the classroom, why mechanical reasoning is collapsing, and why the marine industry is facing a historic shortage of skilled workers.

Ted explains how dealerships are billing $175–$225 per hour for marine technical labor, how shops are booked weeks out, and how students who commit to the work go straight into well-paid, high-demand jobs. Jason reflects on what Ted’s program meant to him as a student, while Caleb and Brad explore the cultural forces that derailed a generation.

Topics Covered

• Phones and the collapse of attention
• Students entering trades unprepared
• Why mechanical instinct is disappearing
• The illusion of “YouTube learning”
• The $200/hour marine tech shortage
• Trade school reality checks
• What makes students succeed
• Ted’s favorite stories from the shop
• The future of marine mechanics

Ted’s Links

YouTube: @tedsmarinerepair8956