Trawler Fest Anacortes, WA Seminar Schedule

If you’re considering cruising up the coast, this seminar will introduce you to the unique characteristics and challenges of this trip. Learn about entry procedures, weather forecasts, the transit of passes where tidal currents demand careful timing, and the crucial passages of crossing Georgia Strait, rounding Cape Caution, and passing through Dixon Entrance. You will gain information on moorage, floating debris, anchoring, tidal range, tying to log booms, provisioning, clothing, fuel, laundry facilities, animals, and recommended side-trips along the Inside Passage.

Margo Wood has been cruising along the west coast for over 50 years and after a trip to Mexico over 25 years ago with her husband, Charles, she has been producing Charlie’s Charts, www.charliescharts.com. She now single-hands her 35-foot cutter, ERN making regular trips along the B.C. Coast and also continues to update and publish Charlie’s Charts cruising guides.

Close quarters maneuvering can be a real challenge and a bit stressful. Unfortunately, you have little time and room for mistakes. This seminar will help you visualize what your boat is about to do and why. With this in mind, you will be better able to plan and execute your maneuvers. While every boat is a bit unique, understanding the underlying factors will help you get the most out of your boat and increase your comfort level. This seminar is an excerpt from a United States Power Squadrons mini-course and will be taught by Bob Sweet, author of Powerboat Handling Illustrated, (McGraw-Hill, 2007) and Asst. National Educational Officer of USPS.

Preparing for the worse-case scenario should include thinking through the purchase and outfitting of a life raft for your boat. Capt. Henry Marx of Landfall Navigation will cover why you should have a life raft on board in the first place, how to choose the right kind of raft for the type of cruising you’ll be doing, the equipment you should stow in the raft, and proper maintenance of this critical safety gear.

Much has changed since the ill-fated loss of Andrea Gail, of the infamous Perfect Storm saga. Weather forecasting and technology have progressed to a point where marine weather information is readily available to the cruising industry in an understandable format.

In this seminar, Lee Chesneau will lead a challenging discussion of surface weather maps. You will be asked probing questions about what you see and what the anticipated weather forecasts are for several geographical areas on the East and West Coasts and other parts of the country. The discussion will touch on “human intelligence products” versus numerical and graphical weather models as generated by the National Weather Service (NWS), the largest of six government agencies under the administration of the NOAA. Tropical cyclone avoidance techniques using the 1-2-3 Rule will be reviewed, along with regional weather events such as Gulf Stream North Wall episodes, Southern California’s Santa Anna winds, and Mexico’s Gulf of Tehuantepec events. An overview of what mariners need to do to become self-reliant and make good weather decisions also will be presented. Attendees will become familiar with navigating via Lee Chesneau’s home page (http://www.marineweatherbylee.com) to the Ocean Prediction Center/Tropical Prediction Center websites, accessing weather forecast schedules and weather at sea, reading weather symbols and terminology used on charts, using NOAA Weather Radio, obtaining local area forecasts through the NWS marine weather home page, and more.

The modern cruising vessel is equipped with a seemingly baffling array of electrical and electronic components. Everything from shore power selector switches and monitoring instrumentation to battery cabling and charging systems; it can easily and understandably become overwhelming for the average vessel owner.

This visually intense, presentation, delivered by PMM’s technical editor and resident gearhead, Steve D’Antonio, will walk you through the typical vessel’s electrical system, placing an emphasis on DC components, batteries, over-current protection, high output charging, safety and enhanced reliability. He will clarify often misunderstood concepts and dispel myths along the way. Even if you don’t know the difference between an amp and a volt, you are welcome to attend this seminar. The concepts will be presented in easily understood terms, using photographs rather than charts, graphs, and text to explain the subject matter.

Boating on the inside passage opens a kaleidoscope of wildlife, plants, native culture, geology, and history that is unique in the world. The people and places along the route are a constant source of joy. While the serious boater will enjoy the trip for its nautical aspects alone, this seminar will teach you about the fun things to do and see that will appeal to everyone aboard.

On most cruising boats, there is no doctor. Even in home waters, getting outside professional medical assistance or direct intervention on a timely basis may not be possible. This seminar addresses an overview of the sources of medical information, equipment, and resources available to passagemakers. Denny Emory is co-founder of OceanMedix.com, a licensed yacht captain, and formerly certified Wilderness-EMT. He has voyaged more that 100,000 nautical miles on both sail and power vessels, visiting 41 countries on five continents.

His experience as a cruiser and provider of medical equipment for cruisers allows him to share with you a variety of topics that will make you a confident and self-sufficient cruiser prepared for almost any emergency. He will cover: medical and first aid kits; first aid, medical manuals, and other references; medical equipment and supplies; prescription medications; over-the-counter medical supplies; crew training and experience; communication; 24/7 telemed support; and, personal medical responsibilities.

Inside Passage weather patterns are confusing if you don't understand the basic forces that shape the local weather in the Georgia Strait, Johnstone Strait, and the North Coast. Once you understand the limited number of weather patterns that occur in the region, you can develop strategies that take advantage of the weather patterns for a more comfortable and more enjoyable cruise.

Kevin Monahan has spent most of his career on the British Columbia coast, first as a fisherman, then as a Coast Guard patrol boat skipper, and finally as the Pacific Region Manager of the Office of Boating Safety. Kevin is the author of "The Radar Book,"' "GPS--Instant Navigation," and "Local Knowledge--A Skipper's Reference." His cruising experience, books, and presentations have helped boaters get the most out of their equipment and their boats so they can quit worrying and enjoy the experience.

NMEA 2000 is an open standard for interfacing marine electronics of all kinds, which allows for increased upgradeability and reduced complexity in one’s helm station. The network supports weather data, barometric pressure, inside and outside temperature, humidity, fuel and water tank levels, fuel flow rates, all navigation data, autopilot information, and more. NMEA2000 makes all information on the boat available to everything electronic on the boat. Learn what the NMEA2000 standards are and what they mean, how to integrate your electronics or upgrade your existing systems so that you can take advantage of this forward moving technology.

Ah, the all-important generator! What would we do without it and what should we do to maintain it? Here’s your chance to find out! Learn about the routine maintenance of your vessel’s power system from Northern Lights factory trainer Bob Senter. Learn how to diagnose common power problems, how to prevent leaks, how to deal with corrosion and other challenges, and how simple routine maintenance will keep your lights on for comfortable and trouble-free cruising.

Bob will cover priming and bleeding the fuel system, inspecting and cleaning your genset's heat exchanger, and secrets of the seawater impeller, including changing the impeller.

This seminar proposes the idea that life aboard a cruising vessel can be greatly enhanced if the crew takes as much time to personally prepare for a voyage as is taken to prepare the vessel. Cruiser and cruise guide author, Margo Wood, will cover building confidence in the vessel and oneself, including the importance of each adult learning practices of basic boat maintenance, navigation, and seamanship. Suggestions are made regarding the establishment of patterns of behavior that make living in a confined space enjoyable for everyone aboard. Areas of possible friction that need to be understood include decision-making, tiredness, fear, communication, sharing the work of running the boat, and head rules.

If time permits a short reading from Margo’s autobiography, “A Prairie Chicken Goes to Sea,” will illustrate that unexpected challenges, which can come from any direction, must be dealt with.

Because radar, unlike most other marine electronic systems, requires "interpretation," most skippers are only able to take advantage of a small percentage of the information their marine radar provides. Kevin Monahan presents quick tips for setting up a marine radar and for effective navigation and collision avoidance, based on his best selling book – The Radar Book. The seminar uses visual examples of actual radar displays in real situations to familiarize skippers and crew with the capabilities of marine radar.

A “Boat Book” makes passing through customs while cruising an easy task instead of one of mass confusion and chaos and can also help when dealing with medical emergencies and communications. The “Boat Book” should include a copy of the vessel documentation, registration papers, insurance papers, (boat and medical), and the medical history and passport information for all crewmembers, including the captain. Learn different ways to organize and use this valuable source of information that can serve as your onboard “Operations Manual” or “Boat Manual.”

Puzzled by pumps, inhibited by impellers, phased by filters? This seminar is an introduction to your diesel engine and many of its important parts and pieces. Join Capt. Carol Cuddyer of Sea Sense for hints that will demystify daily engine checks, maintenance, and troubleshooting all with easy-to-use checklists. Learn to speak “engine” and to feel right at home in your engine room! You will learn the importance of checking engine systems each day, parts, pieces, and related systems. Know where things are located, what they look like, and how they work. Learning to recognize what looks right and when something has changed can save a great deal of anxiety and money in costly repairs. And, learn the things you can fix yourself.

There are many skills in life that can be learned, and situational awareness is one that all of us should take the time to master. Long studied to explain the “ace factor” among fighter pilots, it can greatly increase the level of safety and efficiency in your life. Learn from Dr. Clyde Ford the psychology behind this concept, how to practice it, and how to incorporate it into your life on the water.

The maze of islands and waterways that border Queen Charlotte Sound is Jennifer and James Hamilton’s favorite cruising ground. The terrain is complex, the scenery is varied and impressive, and the anchorage choices are many. The adventure level ranges from sheltered waters, to open ocean, to tidal rapids. You can laze in a tranquil anchorage, go for a hike, or take in a complex ecosystem that includes whales and other water creatures, all manner of waterfowl, and colorful tide pools filled with life. Soft sand beaches and rolling surf give the outer islands a surprisingly tropical feel.

The Hamiltons will share their experiences cruising Queen Charlotte Sound and offer advice for those contemplating this trip or ones like it to more remote destinations. The Hamiltons are authors of new Waggoner sister publication, Cruising the Secret Coast: Unexplored Anchorages on British Columbia’s Inside Passage and contribute to PassageMaker and regional cruising magazines. They boat year-round throughout the Pacific Northwest, and maintain a cruising website at www.mvdirona.com.

Have a diesel engine caged in that engine room? Ever wonder how to care for it, what to feed it, or whether it is healthy? Want to know what to do when it is sick or what to ask your mechanic? Bob Smith, the diesel doctor, can help. Bob is the developer of the Ford Lehman diesel engine and founder of American Diesel. He will share his years of hands-on experience and expertise. So bring your questions to this fun, relaxed, conversational, and practical session.

Whether you have just a small section of wood trim on your boat or an entire deck covered with teak, its important to know the basics of proper brightwork techniques so that you can preserve the wood finishes on your boat.

Christine Green, founder of Native Brightworks, will walk you through the common practices of maintaining and preserving your brightwork. Learn how to touch-up and repair varnish, work with epoxy and caulks, strip, sand, mask, finish, and bring back the luster to your wood finishes.