Trawler Fest Greenport, New York
June 26–29, 2008

 Review Trawler Fest Greenport: A Lot To Like On Long Island

            Picture an early morning with sun glistening on the water, a slight breeze blowing in from the Long Island Sound. You are walking down a quiet street with a few crosswalks and no traffic lights. You pass a vintage theater marquee, a huge enclosed operational carousel, a small antique store, a local clothing store, and an eclectic shop. Then you stroll by a few cafes and ice cream shops, a small market, some enticing restaurants to visit later, and you end up on a long pier flanked with boats and waterfront restaurants. This, in a nutshell, is Greenport, New York.

            With 30 exhibitor boats on display and another handful of private boats open for Trawler Crawl, there was a good variety of boats for cruisers to tour through. From the largest boat in the show, the 75-foot Molokai Strait, Hercules, to the small 21-foot Ranger, trawlers of all sizes lined the docks. Of all the boats on the docks, when the votes came in for the People’s Choice Award, the Selene 53 on exhibit with Selene Annapolis was the clear winner for “best in show.”

            When walking the main street of Greenport, it was hard not to notice the Trawler Fest flags, banners, and signs flanking the docks and streets. The center of Mitchell Park was filled with festive music each day, and attendees had a chance to stroll through the exhibitor’s tent and participate in a few afternoon seminar sessions. From identifying failed engine parts with Steve D’Antonio to climbing into one of Landfall Navigation’s inflated Revere liferafts to learning how to patch fiberglass with Barry Kallander, education extended into warm summer afternoons.

After each day of Trawler Fest, we gathered together at The Loft Restaurant for the evening festivities. We had a tough round of questions during Thursday night’s trivia, but spirited answers came from all the teams. Friday evening’s live auction raised an amazing $21,000 for the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society!

As we look back on Greenport, we can happily say it was a success. It was a new venue and everyone from the mayor to local cruisers, baristas, restaurant staff, and shop owners could not have been more welcoming. Friendships were made, cruise plans put together, and dreams solidified.