Out of sight should not be out of mind. Learn what happens as time and the elements take their toll on hardware and protective compounds found on your vessel. Learn what you as a boat owner can do to prevent equipment failure, hull damage/degradation, and minimize corrosion effects on underwater metal. Keep the bottom of your boat from looking like it belongs in a reef development project by periodic inspections, preventive maintenance and proper coatings.

Well known cruiser and insurance guru, Al Golden, provides the unvarnished truth about the marine insurance industry in general and yacht policies in particular. Please bring your questions!

On most cruising boats, there is no doctor. Even in home waters, getting outside professional medical assistance or direct intervention on a timely basis may not be possible. This seminar addresses an overview of the sources of medical information, equipment, and resources available to passagemakers. Denny Emory is co-founder of OceanMedix.com, a licensed yacht captain, and formerly certified Wilderness-EMT. He has voyaged more that 100,000 nautical miles on both sail and power vessels, visiting 41 countries on five continents. His experience as a cruiser and provider of medical equipment for cruisers allows him to share with you a variety of topics that will make you a confident and self-sufficient cruiser prepared for almost any emergency. He will cover: medical and first aid kits; first aid, medical manuals, and other references; medical equipment and supplies; prescription medications; over-the-counter medical supplies; crew training and experience; communication; 24/7 telemed support; and, personal medical responsibilities.

Jennifer and James Hamilton attended their first Trawler Fest back in 2001, where they began a trawler shopping process that culminated this year in the delivery of a Nordhavn 52. Theirs is the first fully-configured Nordhavn 52, and hull #1’s always bring lessons. They also have heavily customized the boat based upon their experiences cruising year-round in the Pacific Northwest for the past decade, with plans for world cruising. In this talk, Jennifer and James will describe lessons learned in going through the selection, configuration and build process, and provide advice for those considering a purchase. The Hamiltons are authors of Waggoner sister publication Cruising the Secret Coast: Unexplored Anchorages on British Columbia’s Inside Passage. They live aboard, contribute to PassageMaker and other regional magazines, and maintain a cruising web site and blog at www.mvdirona.com.

This seminar is a basic introduction to all of the power gobblers & power sources on board. Do you frequently wonder what to turn on and what to turn off on those electrical panels? Take an educational expedition from the yellow electrical cord on the dock to the batteries and everything in between. Learn the difference between batteries & shore power, generators, inverters and how to master these sources that help you manage your cruising lifestyle. Don't be left in the dark!

What really drives a design at its most fundamental core? “Why are we building or purchasing a yacht and what am I really wanting to do with it.” In some manner either covertly or overtly I as a designer will ask this question right from the get go. We will have discussions with various topics such as; Where to take this vessel; Who is going with us; Is it the Journey or the Destination; Going there fast or slow; Lifestyle or “Ego Trip”; The “Dinghy Factor”; Seaworthiness or a condominium design; Twin or single engines. These and other topics of a purpose driven design will be discussed.

Have you ever thought, “Why can’t my boat be as reliable and trouble-free as my Lexus or Mercedes”. As the manager of a busy boat yard for over a decade I’ve heard that comment countless times. While the marine industry may never reach the point of “Lexus-ization”, there’s a lot that can be done to improve vessel reliability and the bulk of this effort starts with improved attention to detail. Thorough attention to detail on the part of the folks working on your boat makes all the difference to in the world when it comes to reliability, safety, seaworthiness and cost of ownership. In this interactive, image-intensive session delivered by PassageMaker’s Technical Editor, and resident attention to detail fanatic, Steve D’Antonio, you’ll be introduced to many of the seemingly small but maddeningly common faults, defects, errors and oversights that occur every day in the boat building and repair trades. Steve will photographically detail each one of these issues while explaining the methods you can use to identify them in a vessel you own or are intending to buy. The session’s interactive, so questions and comments are welcome.

Helping you shop for a trawler and prepare for ownership whether you are buying new or used. Important aspects to consider – How do you “fit”? How much time will you spend aboard? Where will you cruise? How much will it cost? Suggestions on how you can prepare for ownership (classes to take – weather, diesel engines, navigation, etc.) web site resources and reading materials will be reviewed. Plus, behind the scenes tips from an industry veteran who will explain how the business side of things work – signing a contract, deposits, surveys, etc., so that you can go into this process with a strong understanding of what to expect and what to look for.

Navigation has change markedly over the past few years impacted largely by new electronic tools. This session talks about the latest in what’s available, and how to use them to your advantage. Does AIS make sense for you, and which one? Learn about advances in radar and radio. Does digital radar make a difference? How do I get the most out of DSC? Chartplotters and digital charting software continues to advance – what’s useful for me? What’s new in electronic compasses and autopilot systems? We’ll discuss these and your questions.

Whether you have a Ford Lehman engine, Perkins, John Deere, Cummins, or Yanmar, the power supply of your boat is the most critical piece of equipment on board. If you have questions about parts, service, maintenance, or why it makes a certain sound, Bob Smith, developer of the Ford Lehman, can help. He will share his years of hands-on experience and expertise in a relaxed and conversational way. This is a practical session, so bring your questions and learn the answers.

Ever had your anchor drag or listened to anchor horror stories from your boating buddies? Captain Chris will have a hands-on demonstration to put your mind at ease. Learn about which anchors are right for the sea floor conditions and why. Different types of anchors, how much scope and when you may select chain vs. rope are some topics we’ll explore. Just what IS a snubber and where can you find one? Join Captains Chris and Alyse Caldwell for this interactive presentation and we promise you won’t have to clean mud off the deck.

Haida Gwaii, an archipelago of over 200 islands, formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, is definitely off course from the typical route used by cruising boaters along the Inside Passage. Located some 70 nautical miles off the British Columbia mainland the ‘Canadian Galapagos’, stands alone and remote off the Pacific coast, surrounded by challenging open water. While the thought of crossing Hecate Strait may be intimidating, a sacred paradise lays just beyond in the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, a place of mystical beauty and the home of the mighty Haida First Nations people, accessible only by boat or float plane. To the east of the islands lies Hecate Strait, a shallow stretch of water with a reputation for challenging weather. The eastern side of the Park Reserve has gentler landscapes with clusters of islands large and small, with sheltered bays and inlets waiting for boaters to anchor, relax and enjoy. Join long-time Pacific Northwest cruisers, Carol-Ann Giroday and Rick LeBlanc, as they share the experience of their recent adventure to Gwaii Haanas through a narrated presentation highlighting the important points of planning, provisioning and outfitting, safety equipment, the “gates to get there”, weather considerations, making the crossing, the Haida Watchman Program for the ancient village sites, and the “must sees” while in the park. Visually stunning slide shows will display spectacular island scenery, the rich marine ecology surrounding the park, the diversity of open seas and calm secluded anchorages, and the ancient Haida sites.

Radar is an essential sensor in many conditions, especially in fog, poor weather, and at night. However, the screens can be difficult to interpret, and setting the radar’s controls a challenge. This is a seminar for boaters who want to use radar and get the most out of it. Come learn how to use it effectively for avoiding collisions, navigating, and even looking for storms. We’ll talk about tips and techniques to help you. Thinking of buying or upgrading? Learn about the host of new features available on the latest radar designs. Are they for you?

Condition Monitoring is widely used throughout industry from NASA to Transportation. While Preventive Maintenance has its place, Condition Monitoring, or taking a maintenance action based on a specific condition, can augment and in some cases replace normal preventive maintenance. This seminar will provide an overview of condition based monitoring and inspections that can be incorporated into an overall maintenance strategy to optimize the safety, performance, reliability, and value of your yacht. Specific examples, including equipment failures that could have been prevented, will be reviewed.

Weather basics and surface pressure map interpretation. Attendees will be introduced to the structure of the atmosphere and its composition and how the atmosphere works to produce clouds and weather. Cloud types and identification, what they mean to mariner, will then be integrated with surface map interpretation (synoptic scale high and low pressure system, including fronts, troughs, and ridges). Attendees will then be given some reinforcement exercises on what they leaned (exposed to different weather maps for a number of geographic areas from New England to Florida, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and even the West Coast, from Seattle to Los Angeles). Handout atlas of pictures cloud types along with summary of surface map symbols for future use on board their trawlers.

After three years living aboard full-time in SE Asia, summer 2009 Dave & Dorothy Nagle brought their Diesel Duck 462 DavidEllis, home to the West Coast USA, from Hong Kong via Japan and the Aleutian Islands. Their presentation will cover their time in Hong Kong, Macau, China, Philippine Islands and Malaysia; preparations for the voyage home; routing choices; weather issues; problems encountered and lessons learned. The Nagles are retired from the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department in Northern California, where Dave worked for 30 years in patrol, investigations, SAR and marine assignments, while Dorothy worked 25 years as a 9-1-1 dispatcher. Their steel-hulled, sail-assisted trawler "DavidEllis" is named after their fathers

Considering the live-aboard lifestyle? Come explore the things you should think about from someone who has “been there, done that” and is still enjoying life on the water over a decade later! We will not only discuss considerations for making the decision to live-aboard itself, but also how a live-aboard boat may differ from one used recreationally, what to look for in a marina, alternatives for keeping connected (phone/internet/etc.), creature comforts such as hobbies and pizza delivery, pets on board, and tips & tricks to keep your live-aboard from becoming too attached to the dock!

An introduction to upper air 500 Mb charts, the foundation for the cause and effect of surface weather. 500 Mb charts are a powerful tool for any mariner to have in order to not only understand the three dimensional process involved with synoptic surface weather systems of high and low pressure (including fronts,troughs, and ridges), but their application to the marine weather forecast. Attendees will also be given an introduction to sea wave formation, propagation, and decay, along with the sea height products available in the public domain from the National Weather Service (specifically the OPC. TPC, and the local NWS forecast offices. Thus, at the end of Part 11, attendees will have been introduced to the core graphical products as produced by the National Weather Service's (NWS) Ocean Prediction Center (OPC) and the Tropical Prediction Center (TPC) for self reliant marine weather forecasting and routing use, in either coastal offshore cruising. Some selective handouts will be provided for future reference while cruising.