We tried something new at recent TrawlerFests in Baltimore and Riviera Beach, Florida, a team approach to longer seminars, and it worked well, so we are bringing the concept to TrawlerFest-Anacortes for the first time.
TrawlerFest-Anacortes is happening Tuesday through Sunday, May 12-17 at Cap Sante Marina. The in-water portion of the event runs Thursday through Sunday, May 14-17.
Our most challenging was the diesel seminar, which involved eight experts teaching 36 students over two days. One of them was Technical Editor Nigel Calder, shown above conducting a hands-on electrical troubleshooting exercise at TrawlerFest-Baltimore. He’s the guy that looks like he’s surrendering.
CLICK TO READ ABOUT THE RIVIERA BEACH EXPERIENCE (VIDEO)
Beginning last fall, we decided to “reinvent” TrawlerFest, and I was asked to devise the seminars and choose speakers. We had come to believe our seminar series had become stale and reasoned that these kinds of decisions should be made by someone with cruising as well as editorial experience, as opposed to marketing or events staff.
That’s when we came up with the team approach. Developing the engine course with Calder was Troubleshooter columnist Steve Zimmerman and reps from the engine manufacturers and a maintenance monitoring company. Calder wrote the book on diesel engines (Marine Diesel Engines), and Zimmerman owns four boatyards in Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina.
Feedback on our diesel course “professors” was overwhelmingly positive with this from one attendee:
“Nigel was excellent I believe he presented a great deal of information but did not drown us in the unimportant stuff. His presentation seemed to get at the ‘meat’ of the issue directly. Thus, he was able to cover more. He was entertaining and repeated: ‘You can do this’ many times which I found very supportive.
“Steve, your presentation was equally solid. I liked your approach from the prop forward and it was great to hear what shipyards see as the major problems.”
As I write this, the diesel team is planning its seminars for TrawlerFest-Anacortes (May 12-17), and Essex, Connecticut (June 2-7). This seminar is limited to 36 attendees, and it sold out in both Baltimore and Riviera Beach.
Feedback on our diesel course “professors” was overwhelmingly positive with this from one attendee:
“Nigel was excellent I believe he presented a great deal of information but did not drown us in the unimportant stuff. His presentation seemed to get at the ‘meat’ of the issue directly. Thus, he was able to cover more. He was entertaining and repeated: ‘You can do this’ many times which I found very supportive.
“Steve, your presentation was equally solid. I liked your approach from the prop forward and it was great to hear what shipyards see as the major problems.”
Other team topics for Anacortes are Boatbuyer’s Survival Guide, The Great Loop for West Coast Cruisers and Hands on Boat Handling. Add to that an all morning session Onboard Crisis Management, a Cruisers Perspective town-hall seminar and 16 two-hour seminars. Most have been posted for ticketing, but we’ll be adding a few in the coming weeks, so keep an eye on this website for new postings, in-depth descriptions of seminars and presenter profiles.
An attendee favorite at Baltimore was Dinner & a Movie Night, which featured the Emmy-winning documentary The Other Side of the Ice about a 2009 Northwest Passage transit in a Nordhavn. It was a thrill for me because we had the boat’s owner and documentary filmmaker Sprague Theobald with us as MC. When the lights came back on, Theobald took questions from the audience. We’re repeating this performance at TrawlerFest-Anacortes.
So whether you’re looking for the nuts-and-bolts information to begin the cruising phase of your life or inspiration to cross an ocean or see a glacier or two, our reinvented TrawlerFests are designed to provide fodder for your dreams. See you at Lake Park, Anacortes and on the water.
For information about TrawlerFest call our dedicated number 954.703.4789 or email us at [email protected]
