Our tremendously successful two-day engine seminar will be repeated at TrawlerFest in Bremerton with instructors Mike Beemer (left) and Matt Mardesich. This unique two-day mix of classroom instruction and hands-on training is entitled “Everything You Need To Know About Diesel Engines.”
Beemer is department chair for the Marine Maintenance Technology School at Skagit Valley College in Anacortes. Mardesich is an ABYC certified master technician and the primary propulsion instructor at Skagit.
Here’s what attendees from the TrawlerFest-Florida version of the course had to say:
I have been around diesel engines on sailing vessels for decades, but with the purchase of a new Ranger Tug and its modern Volvo Penta D3 engine, I wanted to learn all I should know about trouble shooting and owner maintenance. The two-day diesel course offered at TrawlerFest exceeded all of my expectations…
The chance to have a hands-on experience around engines while talking to these experts was exceptional. A real added bonus was that the course went well beyond just the engine operations and covered important information about electrical systems and the overall propulsion system. Our class was full and everyone seemed fully engaged and satisfied. Of course, talking to classmates during the two days was also interesting and informative.
My Ranger Tug goes into the water at the end of next week. I know it’s ready, and now I feel I am really ready for this new adventure as well as we cruise the Chesapeake Bay.—Craig Fuller
I appreciated the two-day instruction program very much, and think that the concept is excellent. I hadn’t thought that I would come away with a good chance of signing on with Peterbilt, but the content of the seminar exceeded my expectations. I had not been at all familiar with the operation of a diesel engine, and we recently acquired a trawler powered by a single diesel with over 4,000 hours. My objective was to learn the basic operation of the engine, and to acquire elementary troubleshooting skills, in order to provide proper maintenance and to (hopefully) minimize down time and avoid a failure during our voyages, however brief they may be…Great program! —Bradford Austin
This is much more than a diesel tutorial. It’s a master class in all of the major systems of your boat, taught by two legends. We attended as a husband-and-wife team and both learned a great deal. Thanks.—Chris and Carolyn Groobey
PassageMaker Technical Editor Nigel Calder has high praise for Beemer. “Mike has developed, and runs, some of the very best marine systems courses available anywhere in the country,” Calder says. “He is also a long-time boat owner with a great deal of hands-on experience, and as such brings a strong practical element to the academic courses. I can think of no one more qualified to lead the Trawlerfest diesel maintenance and troubleshooting seminar.”
At the graduation party attendees will receive a certificate of completion, which can earn them a discount on their premiums, depending on the underwriter and type of insurance. Class size is limited 36 and almost always sells out. Tuesday and Wednesday, May 1-2.
The Best Deal
You can take most seminars (the diesel course is one exception) for fixed prices with a four- or six-day VIP Pass, which gives you access to any seminar. The cost is $399 for a four-day VIP pass and $499 for the six-day pass. Visit our ticketing site and do some math. You’ll see how being a VIP maximizes your seminar buying power.
SEMINARS: Tuesday, May 1 – Saturday, May 5, at the Kitsap Conference Center at Bremerton Harborside, 100 Washington Ave, Bremerton, WA 98337.
IN-WATER BOAT SHOW: Thursday, May 3 – Saturday, May 5
Open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Bremerton Marina, 120 Washington Beach Ave, Bremerton, WA 98337
360-373-1035
QUESTIONS? Contact Jennifer at [email protected] or (954) 761-7073. Interested in being an exhibitor? Contact Ryan Davidson (954) 328-7573 or [email protected]
