TrawlerFest-Seattle offers five technical seminars for the DYI segment of our audience, which should be nearly everyone because that is how to achieve independence on the water. TrawlerFest happens April 23-27 at Bell Harbor Marina.
Mike Beemer, department chair for the Marine Maintenance Technology school at Skagit Valley College in Anacortes, will present Watermaker: Build It, Buy It, Use It This course will take you through the theory of water-making, options that are available, why they are so expensive, and maintenance of these systems. Beemer will also discuss options and resources for the DIY boat owner wanting to save some money by building their own system.
Eric Kunz is a electronics industry veteran who will present Multi-Function Displays, Hands On. This seminar is designed to show you how to become proficient at electronic navigation—six working MFDs, 18 students with three per screen. Our instructor has spent an entire career developing marine electronics for Furuno. But this seminar is not about one brand; it’s about what all brands share in common, which is a lot.
More Modern Power for Cruisers is a new seminar presented by the Slowboat Team of Laura Domela, Sam Landsman and Kevin Morris. Electrical power is a confusing problem for most boaters. In addition to a jumble of technical terms and concepts, we end up having to learn a bunch of strange rules, like “never shower with the coffee maker on”, or “only run the microwave with the generator running” or “only dry your hair when plugged into shore power.” In this seminar, the Slowboat team will help you sort out the confusion of power systems for cruisers, and offer a new approach to boat power systems that could lead to hassle-free, almost unlimited electrical power onboard.
Eric Kunz has a second technical seminar called Troubleshooting Electronics (as Opposed to your Electrical System). This seminar will demonstrate that when marine electronics fail there are remedies available to a boater other than surrender and a telephone call to the technician. Eric Kunz, senior product manager for Furuno, takes a non-partisan look at how to troubleshoot hardware, systems and NMEA 0183 and 2000 networks using a meter and common sense. As a teaching aid Kunz will bring to class a networked system in miniature to play with. This is one of those seminars that can end up saving you more than the price of admission.
SEATS ARE STILL AVAILABLE in the granddaddy of all TrawlerFest technical seminars, Everything You Need To Know About Diesel Engines. This exhaustive two-day course is taught by author/researcher Nigel Calder and veteran marine trades educator Mike Beemer. It is also worthy of note that unlike most other engine instructors Calder, PassageMaker magazine’s technical editor, is also a real-deal world cruiser, who bring this perspective to the curriculum. Beemer is department chair for the Marine Maintenance Technology school at Skagit Valley College in Anacortes. Book now, this one usually fills.
SEMINARS: Tuesday-Saturday, April 23-27 at Seattle Marriott Waterfront
IN-WATER BOAT SHOW: Thursday-Saturday, April 25-27 at Bell Harbor Marina. Show is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
QUESTIONS? Contact Donna at [email protected]
BEST VALUE: Every seminar except the diesel course and “Boat Handling on the Water” are part of our VIP package. Being a four- or five-day VIP gives attendees access to their choice of 24 other seminars. The cost is $449 for a four-day VIP pass and $549 for the five-day pass. Visit our ticketing site and do some math. You’ll see how being a VIP maximizes your seminar buying power.
