According to Coast Guard estimates, one-third of vessel casualties are due to flooding or stability problems. The causes include collisions, ruptured pipes or hoses, through-hull failures, packing failures, and a host of other breaches to the integrity of a vessel’s hull. Knowing how to prepare for, prevent, and control flooding on a boat is the obligation of the skipper.

To ensure safety at sea, extended coastal and offshore cruisers also should be familiar with damage-control methods. In this seminar, Barry Kallander, developer of SeaKits and a fellow cruiser, will introduce you to the four steps of damage control; typical failure points and failure modes; damage-control tools, including the ideal damage-control kit; and temporary repair methods. You will leave this seminar better prepared for an at-sea flooding event. You’ll be familiar with the essential pieces of a damage-control kit, and you’ll have a basic understanding of how to use the tools in a typical kit.

What are all those symbols on your charts? What do they mean? And where am I going anyway? Learn the ins and outs of the bouyage system and how to read a basic nautical chart. This seminar will offer answers to these questions, and more! Learn how to get the most out of your charts, how to recognize landmarks and markers, and how to use them to help you know where you are. Learn the basics of reading a chart and plotting a course you can follow.

Handheld and fixed VHF units are standard electronics to have on board, but not all radios have the same features nor do they all operate the same. Operating a VHF also requires a certain level of understanding of proper VHF etiquette. This seminar will discuss proper VHF operation, as well as the best ways for operating both fixed and handheld radios, both with and without DSC. If you’re not familiar with the DSC function of today’s radios, you will have the chance to see this technology demonstrated via a PC-based simulator. If you’re looking to add or upgrade your radios, this seminar will explain the differences in radio types and range capability to help with radio selection.

Kim Kavin is a regular contributor to Northeast Boating Magazine, is one of the world’s leading yacht charter experts. Join in her discussion of her personal experiences on board yachts along New England’s coast and on inland rivers, and learn information she’s gained from professional yacht charter captains about their favorite harbors and itineraries along the coast from New York to Maine. If you’re casting off to head north after Greenport, you’ll learn some stops you won’t want to miss! Kim is the author of Dream Cruises: The Insider’s Guide to Private Yacht Charter Vacations, as well as editor of the online magazine CharterWave.com.

Puzzled by pumps, inhibited by impellers, phased by filters? This seminar is an introduction to your diesel engine and many of its important parts and pieces. Join Capt. Carol Cuddyer of Sea Sense for hints that will demystify daily engine checks, maintenance, and troubleshooting all with easy-to-use checklists. Learn to speak “engine” and to feel right at home in your engine room!

You will learn the importance of checking engine systems each day, parts, pieces, and related systems. Know where things are located, what they look like, and how they work. Learning to recognize what looks right and when something has changed can save a great deal of anxiety and money in costly repairs. And, learn the things you can fix yourself.

The modern cruising vessel is equipped with a seemingly baffling array of electrical and electronic components. Everything from shore power selector switches and monitoring instrumentation to battery cabling and charging systems; it can easily and understandably become overwhelming for the average vessel owner.

This visually intense presentation, delivered by PMM’s technical editor and resident gearhead, Steve D’Antonio, will walk you through the typical vessel’s electrical system, placing an emphasis on DC components, batteries, over-current protection, high output charging, safety and enhanced reliability. He will clarify often misunderstood concepts and dispel myths along the way. Even if you don’t know the difference between an amp and a volt, you are welcome to attend this seminar.

This digital presentation will engage you in video clips of various segments of the ICW trip from New York Harbor to Florida, interlaced with lessons learned in five trips. The focus is on providing you with a real feel for the trip, as well as some critical basics required for safe navigation. This seminar is not a “picture show and tell” gathering, but an education-oriented presentation specifically for individuals considering an ICW cruise of their own.

This seminar provides the essential elements of a sound preventive maintenance program for your boat’s systems including maintenance intervals, techniques, special tools, and spare parts. Actual preventive maintenance programs for diesel engines, AC systems, hydraulic systems and others will be used as examples. This seminar is designed for the owner/operator to create a comprehensive preventive maintenance program.

Radar is a common component of any trawler’s helm station and is an important tool to know how to use while cruising. While it might seem obvious to use radar when cruising at night or in poor visibility, its best to get comfortable with interpreting your radar in controlled situations. If you’re new to using radar or need a refresher on the technology, this seminar clearly explains the operation of marine recreational radar, how it is an aid to navigation, and how to interpret the screen in order to avoid collision. You will also learn the basic controls and how to set them for optimum performance.

There is no question that diesel fuel is the lifeline of a cruising powerboat. In order to cruise successfully, you must have clean diesel that is flowing properly and efficiently through your engine(s). This seminar will explore the issues involved in buying, storing, and getting the best bang for the buck out of your fuel. It's not just about the cost of diesel, it’s about how you can protect your engine. Given the changes in the economy, fuel acquisition and distribution, as well as the many additional components of engine technology, find out what you need to know to protect your engine and stored fuel.

Docking is a part of boating that can always use practice, practice, practice. Whether you are a novice or a seasoned cruiser, you will find these seven basic steps a useful aid to successful docking. Capt. Katherine Redmond, US Sail and Power Squadron Instructor and author of the Chartracker series will guide you through skills and drills you can practice on both land and water, as well as techniques on how to formulate a docking plan, how to handle the wind and current, and how to plan for stern in, bow in, and pier docking situations.

Preparing for the worse-case scenario should include thinking through the purchase and outfitting of a life raft for your boat. Capt. Henry Marx of Landfall Navigation will cover why you should have a life raft on board in the first place, how to choose the right kind of raft for the type of cruising you’ll be doing, the equipment you should stow in the raft, and proper maintenance of this critical safety gear.

From the convenience of hand-helds to the sophistication of the glass bridge, this seminar is an overview of electronics that looks at the gear everyone must have to the systems most of us want. We’ll cover the acronyms from AIS to MFD, and more. John Wooldridge is the Executive Editor of PassageMaker Magazine. As a 30-year veteran of the marine industry, he’s had the opportunity to observe the marine electronics evolve from bulky, power-hungry units of the 1950’s into today’s compact, user-friendly gear that will do most everything except finance your new boat.

For cruisers, the choice of mooring, docking, or anchoring out will be a major determinant in the style and cost of cruising. Nothing beats a pristine anchorage or mooring field at the beginning of your voyage. But as time goes on, the convenience of a marina may start to tug. Transient marina fees are probably the single largest expenditure incurred, alongside of fuel, by cruisers, so if you are a transient slip occupant, understanding how to choose the “right” marina will stretch those dollars so you spend them where it counts.

This seminar is a facilities primer on dockage, mooring fields, and boatyards. Learn what you need to know to make the right choice at the right time – and once you’ve made the choice, what you need to know to manage it effectively.

Given by Richard Smith & Beth Adams-Smith, editor and primary author of the ACC’s Guides to Marinas, this seminar will look at each possibility and tell you everything you need to know to make the right decision so you can settle in for the night with comfort, grace, and aplomb.

Whether bayside/gulfside or oceanside, this seminar provides the details required for sound decision-making regarding the 170-mile trip from Miami to Key West. While exploring the basics from depths to distances, the presentation also covers the “must sees,” and how to safely navigate through and distinguish between the Lower, Middle, and Upper Keys. If you’re considering the Keys as a winter destination, the seminar will help you plan early!

If you’ve ever dragged anchor, or wondered if you have the right anchoring equipment on board, this seminar will cover all aspects of the gear that should be on your foredeck as well as techniques for successfully dropping anchor.

You will learn what to consider in anchor sizing and selection, which anchor to use under various conditions, how best to deploy anchors for various conditions, and how to negotiate dropping the hook in different bottom types. You may need multiple anchors for special situations or storm conditions and this seminar will address all of those scenarios.

Have a diesel engine caged in that engine room? Ever wonder how to care for it, what to feed it, or whether it is healthy? Want to know what to do when it is sick or what to ask your mechanic? Bob Smith, the diesel doctor, can help. Bob is the developer of the Lehman Ford diesel engine and founder of American Diesel. He will share his years of hands-on experience and expertise. So, bring your questions to this fun, relaxed, conversational and practical session.

This will be a seminar based on the “patchwork quilt” concept of using different digital communication technologies to keep in touch while cruising. The focus will be on the options available (including new products) and the way that cruisers actually use different technologies: Wi-fi at the dock, broadband cellular underway, HF SSB radio, satellite phones, and satellite broadband terminals when offshore. You will learn how to adapt these technologies to a your needs and budget as well how you can move your business aboard.

Steven Bowden and his partner Pamela House founded SeaTech Systems in 1994 to design, build and market integrated navigation, communication and weather systems based on the personal computer. He became the first sales representative for the CAPN software which is the official software of the US Navy and Coast Guard. Bowden and his partner also own NavCom Digital which is involved in wholesale distribution of marine electronics as well as manufacturing of accessories for satellite phones.