Boating Writers International (BWI) announced the winners of its annual writing awards last week. This year’s competition drew 283 entries in 15 categories from 108 participants.
Writers in Active Interest Media’s Marine Group received 14 awards and five Certificates of Merit. (Passagemaker is part of the AIM Marine Group.) AIM titles earned six first-place awards, five second-place awards and three thirds.
Kim Kavin took 1st Place in the Business of Boating category for her feature “Pandemic Boat Buying,” which appeared in Passagemaker‘s October 2020 issue. BWI judge Alan Wendt noted: “Every aspect of our life is entangled with this pandemic. The writer had solid quotes and a wide example of solutions the industry is harnessing to survive this once in a century calamity.”
Chris Caswell won 1st Place in the Boating Columns category for his popular recurring column entitled “A Dash of Salt.” BWI judge Charlie Levine said: “The author’s voice is crisp and vivid throughout the columns. They are fun to read, and hard to put down.”
Caswell also placed second in the Boating Lifestyles category, with his feature “Just an Old Chart,” which appeared in Passagemaker‘s March 2020 issue.
“Congratulations to Passagemaker contributors Kim Kavin and Chris Caswell on their BWI awards for boat writing excellence,” said Andrew Parkinson, editor-in-chief of Passagemaker. “Their wins across multiple categories confirms what we’ve known here at the magazine for a while now—that when it comes to boat writing and storytelling as it relates to the trawler lifestyle, Passagemaker writers are at the very top of their craft.”
“Our editorial team encompasses a broad range of skills, boating backgrounds, life experiences and ages. The strength and creativity our contributors bring to the table in every issue is unparalleled in the industry,” said Parkinson. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to see them get the recognition they deserve.”
