BOAT SHOW UNIVERSITY SPEAKER BIOS & COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Michael Beemer |
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Instructor Bio |
Michael is an instructor in Marine Technology at Anacortes High School. He has been instrumental at developing the new Maritime Training Academy in Anacortes, WA to bridge the high school/college and industry needs in marine technology field (opening Fall 2010). Michael is well known as “The Boat Doctor” who can diagnose and fix almost anything on a vessel. Growing up the son of a master mechanic involved learning all things mechanical including motorcycles, automobiles, and boats since before he can remember. He has operated his own successful boat repair businesses and has moved into the consulting field. Michael has presented material in topics such as Keeping Your Diesel Alive, Boat Systems, Watermaking, and DC Power Systems. |
Course |
Getting your Boat Ready for Passage Making |
Course Description |
Whether cruising close to home or on a passage to Alaska, being prepared to go is the key to a successful trip. Good preparation of your boat and equipment will make the trip safer and more pleasurable. Michael Beemer will share his approach to preparing your boat for the trip you’re planning. He will go through practical tips for pre-voyage maintenance and review a list of spares, tools and other ‘good ideas’ you will want to consider before departing on your trip. |
Course |
Keeping it Alive: Troubleshooting Marine Systems |
Course Description |
Modern cruising boats have many systems that we rely on, including propulsion engines and generators. These systems are remarkably reliable, but very complicated. The marine environment is an incredibly harsh and abusive threat to our boats. How do we keep these alive? This course goes beyond the basics in understanding how to find and fix problems aboard a vessel. Knowing how to understand & maintain these systems is critical for the safety and comfort of the captain and crew. Having a plan that includes what to check, inspect, and look for is key to preventing break-downs while passage making. Starting with some important lessons about how to use a multi-meter, and ending with proven maintenance items that will “Keep it Alive”. |
Mark Bunzel |
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Instructor Bio |
Mark is an experienced cruiser having charter cruised extensively in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, the Chesapeake and the ICW, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Greece, Honduras, and he recently lead the first American charter crew to sail the coast of Vietnam. He is the principal owner of Fine Edge Nautical Publishing and the co-Author of Cruising the Virgin Islands. Mark writes on cruising topics for a number of magazines including Northwest Yachting, Dockside, Latitudes and Attitudes, Power Cruising, Soundings and Pacific Yachting. Mark holds a U.S. Coast Guard Masters rating and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the NMTA, the presenters of the Seattle Boat Show. |
Course |
Managing Your Boat Like a Pro |
Course Description |
When you pilot an airplane, a check-list is always at your side. Why not the same approach to cruising and managing the maintenance of your boat? This seminar will step through a practical approach to Managing Your Boat Like a Pro with checklists for all phases of operation. With a checklist approach you will never leave the dock again with the power cord still attached to the dock or leave fenders trailing in the water. Has this happened to you yet? Or, with a checklist the annual maintenance cycle to prepare your boat for cruising will be covered. This approach will add to your safety and enjoyment on the water. Checklist templates will be handed out which can be modified for the systems on your boat. The checklist approach will make you a more confident captain of your boat for your cruising enjoyment and the safety of your family and friends. |
Nigel Calder |
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Instructor Bio |
Nigel Calder has been interested in motorcycles and sailing dinghies as a teenager, and has never been far from mechanical things and boats ever since. In a varied career, before becoming a full-time sailing writer he worked on automotive assembly lines, in foundries and machine shops, and on offshore oil production platforms. He and his wife, Terrie, have built a couple of 70-foot canal boats (on which they lived in England), and a 39-foot Ingrid cutter. They then sailed a Pacific Seacraft 40 for 5 years, following which they had a Malo 45 built in Sweden. This has now been sold to be replaced by the same boat but with an experimental electrical distribution system and parallel diesel-electric propulsion system. They have sailed in the North Sea, and extensively in the Caribbean, with Pippin (now aged 21) and Paul (20) augmenting the crew along the way. Nigel is best known for his Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual, and his Marine Diesel Engines, both in their third editions, and both considered the definitive works in their field. In addition to over 200 magazine articles, he has also authored a Cruising Guide to the Northwest Caribbean, Cuba: A Cruising Guide, Nigel Calder's Cruising Handbook: a Compendium for Coastal and Offshore Sailors and How to Read a Nautical Chart. |
Course |
Navigation & Charting: Paper to the Latest Electronics |
Course Description |
Today's WAAS corrected GPS technology routinely provides navigators with real-time positional accuracy that has an error of less than 10 meters, and often less than 2 meters. Electronic navigation enables such fixes to be precisely plotted. Unfortunately, there is not a chart sold today - paper or electronic - that supports such a level of accuracy. In this presentation, Nigel explores current levels of chart accuracy, important issues relating to the horizontal and vertical datum used in making charts, and some of the surprising consequences of converting paper charts to electronic versions. Understanding these seemingly obscure issues is essential to safely interpreting the information provided by GPS and modern electronic navigations systems. Nigel also includes a comparison of raster and vector electronic charts, chart plotters, new AIS technologies, radar overlay technologies, and other newly available resources. |
Course |
DC Systems Electrical Troubleshooting and Maintenance |
Course Description |
Contemporary boats are loaded with more and more electrical gear. Electrical systems are the number one cause of problems on boats that have anything more than a rudimentary electrical system. To avoid problems, electrical systems need to be properly designed and installed in the first place. Nigel will cover in detail effective troubleshooting and an understanding of the key issues. He will present maintenance (if properly designed and installed, this is minimal) and simple troubleshooting techniques showing how to use a multi-meter. According to Nigel, he doesn't have electrical problems on his own boats. If you follow his advice, he claims you will not have them on your boat. |
Course |
Do-It-Yourself Diesel Engine Maintenance and Troubleshooting |
Course Description |
If properly installed and maintained, modern diesel engines are remarkably reliable. The focus of this seminar is on basic maintenance and a non-intrusive (i.e. not requiring engine disassembly) engine health check, including the charging and cranking circuits, and the batteries. Via a survey of an older engine, Nigel will introduce you to a range of potential problems, how to detect them, and how to avoid them on your own engine. This seminar is designed for the inexperienced and requires no prior knowledge. It will help you understand your own engine and to nip many common problems in the bud. It will build your confidence when working on your diesel engine. |
Course |
Optimized Power Generation and Management |
Course Description |
On the way to creating his holistic approach to energy conservation on boats, Nigel Calder has long been tracking marine electrical system technologies and design. In this session, you'll have a front-row seat as Calder starts with the inherent weaknesses of existing DC and AC approaches that we are all familiar with, including the true ‘cost of power’ aboard modern cruising vessels. Some of the new technologies include: synchronizing inverters, narrowly-factored generators, the Energy Management Module (EMM), and new emerging battery technologies. Calder will also discuss alternate energy sources such as solar, wind, shorepower, and regeneration to help cut us loose from fossil fuels. |
Lee Chesneau |
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Instructor Bio |
Lee is a highly seasoned senior marine meteorologist with a distinguished 37 year career in maritime weather forecasting, ship routing, writing, key note speaker at trade show events and Safety at Sea Seminars, and a certified U.S. Coast Guard STCW Basic and Advanced Meteorology instructor, where he teaches 5-Day course in Basic and Advanced Meteorology programs a requirement for merchant mariners. Lee’s focus as an accomplished instructor and lecturer for various maritime organizations is educating every seagoing mariner on self reliance in marine weather and forecasting, strategic routing, and most importantly, in prudent self reliant decision making. He has his own company Lee Chesneau’s Marine Weather www.marineweatherbylee.com and e-mail at lee@chesneaumarineweather.com |
Course |
*Advanced Weather for Cruisers - Special all day course - $195 |
Course Description |
Lee is considered one of the true experts in weather for cruisers. This special all day, Boat Show U program will provide an extensive understanding of weather. The course will start the day with an overview of how weather works: The atmosphere and basic principles of how clouds form; observing cloud types from your boat and what they mean to a mariner. We will review pressure and wind concept and then apply them to pilot charts from a global perspective. Next we will look at the surface weather map with: The course will also look at the fundamentals: Attendees will be provided a colored chart atlas of clouds and sea state (based on the Beaufort scale) and an outline of topics covered for note taking…along with the 500 Mb article to encourage attendance to the 3 hour 500 Mb symposia over the weekend. This course is priced at $195 for the day long program. |
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Course |
Understanding Weather Trends & Charts |
Course Description |
Attendees will be introduced to some surface marine weather maps with probing questions as to what they see and what the anticipated weather forecasts are for several geographical areas from east and the west coasts and other areas of the country. An important discussion concerning the distinction between human intelligence weather forecast products versus publicly held computerized numerical and graphical weather models (as generated by the National Weather Service (NWS), the largest of six government agents under the administration of NOAA) will be noted. Also, there will be an overview of regional and local weather events, such as the gap wind events that produce the Puget Sound Convergence Zone, the Santa Anna winds off of southern California, and Mexico’s Gulf of Tehuantepec localized winds events. Finally, there will a quick overview of what mariners need to do toward becoming self reliant; navigating via Lee Chenseau’s Marine Weather Homepage (http://www.marineweatherbylee.com). The site enables links to the Ocean Prediction Center/Tropical Prediction Center’s web-sites, accessing weather forecast schedules, weather symbols and terminology used on charts, accessing weather at sea, NOAA Weather Radio, local area forecasts through the National Weather Service (NWS) marine weather homepage, and weather courses such as offered with Boat U 2010 as well as books and publication for achieving self reliance. |
Tony Floor |
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Instructor Bio |
Tony is a life-long resident of Washington state successfully completing a 30-year career at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in Olympia. Since 2003, he has been the Director of Fishing Affairs at the NW Marine Trade Association, actively promoting sport salmon fishing and overseeing the NW Salmon Derby Series (14 tournaments in 2009). During his career at WDFW, as the agency spokesman and manager of a sport fishing enhancement program, Floor became recognized as an aggressive saltwater salmon angler, frequently quoted by the media. He has provided fishing seminars throughout the west, teaching anglers how to become more successful in their angling adventures. Tony is particularly recognized for pioneering a shallow water king salmon fishery for anglers in Willapa Bay on the central Washington coast. He is a proponent of "detail" as the common denominator to improving salmon fishing skills. His infectious and enthusiastic presentation will leave you ready to run out to fish and catch trophy salmon. |
Course |
Saltwater Salmon Fishing in the Pacific Northwest |
Course Description |
Learn the when, where, and how of improving your success-rate to hook and land Chinook and Coho salmon in Washington State. The seminar will also introduce anglers on the proper presentation of plug cut herring, critical to improving success. During the course, Tony will download nearly 50 years of important fishing strategies gained during the pursuit of becoming one of the best known saltwater anglers in Washington state. While Floor is considered one of the best salmon moochers in Washington, he is also a veteran of applying jigging and downrigging techniques matched to a targeted fishing area. |
James Hamilton and Jennifer Hamilton |
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Instructor Bio |
Jennifer and James Hamilton have for years been researching little-known anchorages throughout the Pacific Northwest. Both afloat and afoot, they enjoy exploring new territory and sharing their discoveries with the boating community. The Hamiltons are authors of Waggoner sister publication, Cruising the Secret Coast: Unexplored Anchorages on British Columbia’s Inside Passage. They boat year-round, contribute to PassageMaker and Pacific Yachting magazines, and maintain a cruising web site and blog at www.mvdirona.com. |
Course |
Unexplored Anchorages Along the British Columbia Coast |
Course Description |
Imagine anchoring in Princess Louisa Inlet without another boat in sight on a beautiful summer day. British Columbia's mid-coast inlets—Seymour, Belize, Smith and Rivers—have all the beauty and the dramatic scenery of Princess Louisa without the crowds. And unlike the route to Princess Louisa, the mid-coast inlets have sheltered anchorages throughout with lots to see and do. Attractions include rivers and lagoons to explore by skiff, walking trails, snow-capped peaks, waterfalls, old logging equipment, and vibrant native pictographs. A little farther north is a maze of islands and waterways that border Queen Charlotte Sound, where the terrain is complex, the scenery is varied and impressive, and the anchorage choices are many. The adventure level ranges from sheltered waters, to open ocean, to tidal rapids. You can laze in a tranquil anchorage, go for a hike, or take in a complex ecosystem that includes whales and other water creatures, all manner of waterfowl, and colorful tide pools filled with life. Soft sand beaches and rolling surf give the outer islands a surprisingly tropical feel. And closer to home for most, Vancouver Island’s west coast has some of the best cruising territory in the Pacific Northwest. Relatively few boaters visit however, as traveling there is more of a challenge than the sheltered Inside Passage. But the trip is easily managed in a well-equipped vessel, and the rewards are worth the effort. Sea caves, sandy beaches, hot springs, sea otters, archipelagos, quirky settlements, grand scenery, and countless sheltered anchorages are among the area's many offerings. In this session, Jennifer and James will share their experiences cruising the mid-coast inlets, Queen Charlotte Sound, and the west coast of Vancouver Island, and offer advice for those contemplating trips to these or other less-visited destinations along the British Columbia coast. |
Carol Hasse |
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Instructor Bio |
Since 1978 Carol's run Hasse and Co., Port Townsend Sails, a loft the Seven Seas Cruising Association hails as making the best sails for cruisers. She knows sailing inside and out and is a well regarded seminar speaker and instructor who has logged over 40,000 offshore miles in northern and southern latitudes on boats varying from 25 to 101 feet. |
Course |
Understanding Cruising and Performance Sailing |
Course Description |
How does a sail really work? What are the dynamics that can take you from just sailing along to performance cruising or racing. Expert sailmaker and instructor Carol Hasse starts you at the beginning with a deep and thorough understanding of sails and the dynamics of sailing. Her explanations of sailing techniques will make your days under sail all that more enjoyable. |
Bruce Hedrick |
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Instructor Bio |
Bruce has been an instructor in the North Sails Performance Training Program all over the U.S. He is frequently the navigator or tactician of choice in races ranging from Transpac, the Swiftsure, Vic-Maui, Round Whidbey, the Van Isle 360... if there is a good race, especially in the NW, chances are Bruce is there. He is regarded as one of the true experts in Pacific Northwest Sailboat Racing. When not sailing, Bruce is the Managing Editor for Northwest Yachting Magazine. |
Course |
Sail Trim for Cruising |
Course Description |
This is of course a huge topic to cover in just three hours however we will go upwind first and work on techniques for upwind trim and balance that will translate into faster, more comfortable sailing (and less motoring) in the coming season. Next we’ll go downwind and whether you sail under jib and main, Gennaker, or spinnaker, our coverage of downwind sail trim will improve your reaching and running performance in all conditions. Just a few of topics Bruce will be covering: Sail selection Downwind Sailing Heavy Weather Sailing We’ll also have course material from North Sails available for purchase at the Seminar. (Class notes are not provided for this class. The North U Cruising Workbook will be the main text.) |
John Keizer |
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Instructor Bio |
Capt. Keizer has been an outdoor writer for over 20 years for various Northwest featured fishing publications. John has spent most of his adult life fishing and writing about salmon, halibut, tuna fishing and operated one of the most successful salmon charter fishing business on the west coast. John is regularly featured on radio and television shows promoting Northwest fishing opportunities. |
Course |
Catching Blackmouth Salmon |
Course Description |
Fishing in Puget Sound has something special not found in other fisheries – Blackmouth Salmon. You have heard of King, Coho and the other Salmon, what is a Blackmouth Salmon? |
Linda Lewis |
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Instructor Bio |
Linda is a USCG licensed Captain (100 Ton Masters) and is a former University of Washington Professor of Nursing who now focuses her teaching and speaking on boating. She provides on-the-water training for power boaters - with a special emphasis on women and couples, as well as teaching Advanced Coastal Navigation in the USCG Auxiliary. She recently served as the editor of the 2007 update of the Douglass cruising guide Exploring Southeast Alaska. An avid boater for 40 years (sail & power), Linda cruises the Inside Passage every summer with her husband, David Parker, on their 45' trawler-style vessel. They trade the role of Captain yearly and share on a 50-50 basis all docking, navigation, and boat handling. Linda speaks at yacht clubs and boating seminars and is the former leader of the Pacific NW Chapter of Women Aboard. |
Course |
Cruising to the Broughtons and North to Prince Rupert |
Course Description |
Are you ready to go beyond Desolation Sound? The beautiful Broughton Islands are worth the trip, as is the rest of British Columbia. Alternative strategies for transiting Seymour Narrows will be covered versus the alternative route through the beautiful Desolation Sound area and up through the Dent Rapids route to get to Johnstone Strait. The seminar will cover Johnstone Strait issues and how to enter the Broughton Islands Group through their back door and take in the great little marinas and anchorages. We'll visit Pt McNeill and Port Hardy. And then we'll demystify the crossing of Queen Charlotte Sound by talking route strategies and weather. From there we'll work our way up to Prince Rupert, with side-trips along the way to special places like Ocean Falls. There will be lots of concrete tips for cruisers included, such as boat insurance information, fishing-boat traffic issues, and more. |
Course |
Alaska Cruising: Ketchikan via Dixon Entrance; North towards Sitka; Outside of the Islands |
Course Description |
We'll start by crossing Dixon Entrance from Prince Rupert to Ketchikan, then take a northwesterly route via Keku Strait-Rocky Passage. After the must-see locations on the east side of Baranoff Island, we'll talk about transiting through Peril Strait and Sergius Narrows to Sitka, but we'll bypass that route (this time) and continue to proceed up towards Glacier Bay (waving to it as we pass it by). We'll continue westward towards Elfin Cove and Pelican, and eventually find Chichagoff's protected outside-waters' passages - a very special cruising ground that few boats visit. From there, we'll slip down to spend some time in Sitka. We'll exit Sitka southward and stay on the outside of Baranoff Island. Passing along the west side of Prince of Wales (including visits to El Capitan Passage and Craig) will make our "Outside the Islands" cruise complete. We'll also cover customs issues entering Southeast Alaska, communications, some different marina etiquette in Southeast Alaska, and many other tips for cruisers to one of the most beautiful and unique cruising areas of the world. |
Course |
Alaska Cruising: Glacier Bay to Juneau South to Misty Fiords and Ketchikan |
Course Description |
The glories of Glacier Bay start this trip (including permit-the process and glacier-viewing tips). Then we'll head eastward towards Juneau. There will be tips on cruising to Skagway, as well as information about the Pack Creek Bear Observatory. From Juneau we'll transit down to the wonderful Sawyer Glacier and also explore nearby Ford's Terror, a place not many boats visit. Wrangell might be a stop for you, while Petersburg is a must-stop. The trip from Petersburg down Wrangell Narrows will be a snap. And nothing beats visiting the Anan Bay Bear Observatory in late summer; lots of photos surely will convince you. We'll return to Ketchikan and take a side trip to the spectacular Misty Fiords if you missed it on the way up. Navigation tips, internet resources, permit tips will be covered and more. If Alaska is part of your future cruising plans, you will not want to miss this seminar. |
Clyde McBrayer |
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Instructor Bio |
Clyde is a retired educator who has lived in Southwest Washington most of his life. He has been a avid crabber in the lower Columbia, Willapa Bay, Grays Harbor, Pacific Ocean, and Southern Puget Sound areas. Clyde has served various roles within WDFW including Sport Fish Advisor, Sport Crab Advisor and as a member of the Fish and Wildlife Commission |
Course |
Successful Crabbing Techniques in Washington State |
Course Description |
Crab - they are fun to catch and more fun to eat. Learn the techniques to help you succeed in catching crab or catch more. Clyde will discuss the best baits used, how to identify where to set your gear and the care of your catch as well as cleaning and cooking crab. He will also review the different types of equipment used and the best choice for your application will be examined. This presentation will also cover Washington State Fishery Laws for crabbing, the seasons by regions, and licensing requirements. |
Kevin Monahan |
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Instructor Bio |
Kevin has spent most of his career on the British Columbia coast, first as a fisherman, then as a Canadian Coast Guard patrol boat skipper, and finally as the Pacific Region Manager of the Office of Boating Safety. Kevin is the author of "The Radar Book"' "GPS--Instant Navigation" and "Local Knowledge--A Skipper's Reference". His books and presentations have helped boaters get the most out of their equipment and their boats so they can quit worrying and enjoy the experience. |
Course |
Weather Strategies for the Inside Passage |
Course Description |
Inside Passage weather patterns are confusing if you don't understand the basic forces that shape the local weather in the Georgia Strait, Johnstone Strait and the North Coast. But once you understand the limited number of weather patterns that occur in the region, you can develop strategies that take advantage of the weather patterns for a more comfortable and more enjoyable cruise through the beautiful waters of Southern and Northern British Columbia. |
Course |
Radar for Navigation and Collision Avoidance |
Course Description |
Marine radar is one of the most versatile systems of your marine electronics system. Not only is it good for collision avoidance but it can be used as a very accurate navigational aid. Most only know how to use about 10% of the capabilities of their marine radar. The guide that came with your radar system tells you what the buttons do, but give you few insights into how to use your marine radar system while underway. |
Chris Perkins |
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Instructor Bio |
Chris Perkins currently is a district nurse for the Oak Harbor School District. She has taught at the University of Washington in the field of medicine. Chris and her husband live aboard their WestSail 42 and cruise the Pacific Northwest in the summer months. They recently sailed down the Pacific Coast to California to build their off-shore experience. |
Course |
First Aid and Emergencies at Sea |
Course Description |
In the age and technology of dialing 911, having a medical emergency onboard is very different that having an emergency on land, especially in the remote waters of the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia and Southeast Alaska. We will discuss typical emergencies that can happen at sea and proper care and procedures. Additionally, we will walk participants through developing a medical emergency plan, including the must-haves medical supplies to have on-board for short and long voyages. |
Terry Rudnick |
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Instructor Bio |
Terry is a freelance outdoor writer/photographer/speaker specializing in Pacific Northwest fishing and boating subjects. Since beginning his career more than 30 years ago, he has had over 1,000 articles and photos published in more than two-dozen regional and national publications. His first book, Washington Fishing, is the most comprehensive angling guide ever written about the state's freshwater and saltwater angling opportunities, and is now in its sixth edition. He also co-authored How to Catch Trophy Halibut, the complete guide to recreational halibut fishing along the entire West Coast. Both Washington Fishing and How to Catch Trophy Halibut have received excellence awards from the Northwest Outdoor Writers Association. A third book, Washington Boating and Water Sports, was published in the spring of 2000. Rudnick is now the youth sportfishing coordinator for Washington's Department of Fish and Wildlife, responsible for organizing fishing events and activities for nearly 20,000 kids throughout the state each year. He worked several years in the Boating Program at Washington State Parks, where he produced a popular series of boating safety messages for radio, television and print media. |
Course |
Catching Trophy Halibut |
Course Description |
The thought of boating a barn-door sized fish always gets people excited. The Pacific halibut is the ultimate trophy bottomfish and one of the most popular targets of Northwest saltwater anglers. Join Terry Rudnick, co-author of How to Catch Trophy Halibut-the Bible of West Coast halibut anglers-as he tells when, where and how to put big, sweet-eating halibut in your fish box. Topics will include a preview of the upcoming 2009 halibut season, a rundown of Washington's top halibut-fishing spots, finding and fishing productive bottom structure, proven fishing techniques with artificial and live bait, complete details about lines, leaders and hooks, choosing the right rod and reel, tips on landing big fish, and much more. Bring your copy of How to Catch Trophy Halibut for signing, or buy one from the author. |
Brion Toss |
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Instructor Bio |
Brion is one of the most respected and experienced boat riggers in the country. He has over 30 years experience as a master rigger and rigging surveyor, and is a member of NAMS - National Association of Marine Surveyors, and SAMS - The Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors. Brion and his crew work with customers around the world from Brion Toss Yacht Riggers in Port Townsend, WA. |
Course |
Sailboat Rigging for Performance, Safety and Economy |
Course Description |
Many boats carry hardware that is wrong for the design of the boat or the way it is intended to be sailed – either too light, too heavy, too expensive, too complicated, difficult to use, or otherwise inefficient. Expert rigger Brion Toss will take you through a class on how to select the right rigging for your style of sailing from racing to casual cruising. The class will use real-life examples to illustrate the process of choosing the right stuff for a rig. The class will include basic calculations and show you how to “eyeball engineer” some vectors. You will also see rigging products from a variety of manufacturers can meet one’s needs. This course will benefit any sailor by providing a deeper understanding of how sails work. |