TrawlerFest moved back to the Baltimore Inner Harbor (Harbor East Marina) after several years away and the location, timing and participation was a big hit all-across the board. We had a little bit of rain showers, but for the most part the weather was ideal, and it felt like one more weekend of summer.

PassageMaker magazine has kept the TrawlerFest events both familiar and innovative by mixing up the locations, the seminar content and there is always a diverse blend of trawlers available to inspect. By hosting this event in three diverse geographic regions across the country and during different times of the year, there is usually one location that is the best and most convenient for travelers to attend.

Baltimore was the last event of 2018 and three more are being planned for 2019 (FL, WA and MD). We will keep you posted when we learn more details, but the first one has been announced to be in Stuart, FL March 5 – 9, with the boat show portion running 7th – 9th.

It is equally fun seeing familiar trawlerites faces and meeting new people – this is a great opportunity to spend quality time with people whom you have been emailing and calling. The JMYS team arrived in full force. On the sales side we had Jeff and Pam Merrill, Christopher and Alexandra Bruce along with Rob Piwowarczyk. Don Allen and Claudia Ortali from the JMYS technology side were also on hand. Jeff and Christopher were primarily on board to show off NaviGator. Rob who is also a licensed yacht broker helped out on the 47 as well as working in the tents to promote his new venture “The Trawler Experience”. Don and Claudia shared a booth with Rob to announce their new web-based business, “Acquaholics”. You can read more about both of these businesses below. We all got together after hours to enjoy each other’s company.

For Baltimore, we were fortunate to have the stunning Nordhavn 47 NaviGator on display and she kept us very busy. Jeff’s experience with shows is that the “free range” approach of letting people wander around the boat is not nearly as satisfying or productive as providing escorted tours. Rob, Christopher and Jeff shared duty as tour guides pointing out the important details of NaviGator. The owners, Mike and Patsy Hill were also aboard and pitched in. At the end of the event we received a surprise visit from Ryan Davidson of PassageMaker to present the People’s Choice Award as the most popular trawler in the show. This is not the first time a Nordhavn has won, but we were the only Nordhavn in the show and the brand is a magnet so thank you PAE for building such a great design. But the real credit goes to Mike and Patsy. Not many 13-year-old boats would stand tall with such an excellent assortment of trawlers – truly there is probably no better endorsement for how the Hill’s have cared for NaviGator than the vote of the unbiased trawler aficionados at the show. Here is the link for the “People’s Choice Award Winner” article on JMYS.com. https://jmys.com/peoples-choice-award-winner/

It doesn’t seem that long ago that Jeff was helping Mike and Patsy plan their new build. The layout choices and equipment selections they made over a dozen years ago have stood the test of time. NaviGator has a lot to take in and is highly upgraded. Patsy has done an amazing job creating a warm and pleasing décor throughout. Guests marveled at significant upgrades like the flat screen television lift in the salon (tuned in to college football on Saturday) and the Viking propane stove and oven in the galley. A broad assortment of navigation and communication displays was lit up in the pilothouse and the stateroom accommodations below decks all boast granite counters that provide a very rich and polished finish. The tour groups were often stuck in the engine room (one guest wanted to come down to have lunch – it is that clean) and on deck access on the mostly sunny days was easy to tour winding up with the best view of the show from the flybridge. For more details about NaviGator, please visit www.Nordhavn47ForSale.com

The down side of giving non-stop tours was that our team did not get much of an opportunity to see the other trawlers on display and some of the real cool boats we missed out on that also had long lines were: Grand Banks 60, Kadey-Krogen 50, Northern Marine 57, Henriques 52, North Pacific 49 and Hylas 44 and many others. (See below for an inventory summary of trawlers that were on display).

The JMYS team met a lot of great people at the event. This is particularly encouraging for our segment of the cruising market that is all about trawlers as there are people who are just finding out about the trawler lifestyle and others who have been doing their home work for years and are now getting closer to the reality of boat ownership. With the healthy economy (a record high for the Dow Jones stock market average was set in the early days of October shortly after the event) there are a lot of people who have realized that cruising on the water and operating your own boat (whether it is a Great Loop adventure or an overseas expedition) is a fantastic way to enjoy your golden years.

As the inventory of good and available used boats is diminishing, the boat builders are seeing a boom in new construction which is good for everyone. Brokers and sellers are seeing (and have been for the last 24 months) a true sellers-market where discounting is not as deep, and boats are changing hands in a shorter time frame. Nothing lasts forever, but as I’ve told many people recently, these are “the good old days and I hope they do stick around for another couple of decades!”

The docks are clean and wide, stable and can accommodate a large influx. We arrived early for set up on NaviGator and after tying up and having the cleaners on board (Thanks Tom!) we hung up our signs and then got organized for the show. The “Boat Show” portion runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday and is normally the case, the weekdays were not as crowded, and we were able to spend more time with people. Saturday was a mob scene, but it was a lot of fun and when 5 O’clock arrived -somewhere was now / here – and we toasted a busy week.

The Cruisers Roundtable was held on Friday afternoon and includes an experienced panel of veteran cruisers. Jeff again resumed his role as moderator and encouraged the audience to ask questions and seek advice. The panel as seated from left to right is: Jeff Merrill, Dylan Bailey, John Clayman, Bruce Kessler, Steve Zimmerman, Eric Kunz and Chris Parker. There were some lively discussions as always with good input from Eric on what is happening in navigation, Chris on the weather and Dylan on what surveyors see. Jeff, John and Steve talked about boat design and brokerage and Bruce tied it all together with some stories from thousands of miles at sea. Also in the room were PassageMakers’ Jonathan Cooper, Andy Howe and Peter Swanson who provided additional insights. This is a fun regular TrawlerFest featured event and since it is unscripted it can get quite entertaining.

Saturday was a big day in the classroom for JMYS. Jeff had a morning session to present “Dialing-In-Your-Trawler” which is always a fun seminar filled with dozens of ideas that can improve any trawler.

Jeff had to wrap up in time and turn over the classroom to Christopher and Alexandra who shared “Cruisers Perspectives”. Hands down, this was the most popular seminar of the entire TrawlerFest with every seat filled and standing room only in the back. Very gratifying for the Bruce’s to share how they got started and fell in love with the lifestyle – and very encouraging for a lot of the people in the audience who have been wondering if this is something they can do (the answer is YES!).

The last seminar of the day is a long 3-hour session that Jeff ran called “Offshore Essentials”. This course is for more experienced cruisers who are ready to travel non-stop for days and want to learn more about engine room checks, standing watch, preparing crew, operating navigation equipment, etc.

The PowerPoint presentations for all three talks (including handouts from Jeff’s courses) are posted below and will be available for a limited time so feel free to download and review if you were in class or to check them out if you are interested in seeing what you missed.

Details for the upcoming Stuart, Florida TrawlerFest will be published on this web link:

www.TrawlerFest.com

For those students who attended Jeff’s talks and/or Christopher and Alexandra’s seminar in Baltimore you are invited to review the presentations and handouts posted here for a limited time. These resources will be online for downloading until the end of November and then be removed. Please review them while they are “live”.

Reminder: In addition to our trawlers for sale listings, JMYS also has a series TrawlerSkills videos for you to view on our YouTube channel. Topics include our “Physics of Docking” series as well as many owner operator hands-on learning techniques. You can subscribe to our expanding YouTube Channel to get notifications when new videos are posted, and you can all sign up for the JMYS email newsletter list to receive announcements and keep informed about trawler events and activities.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by or attended our seminars in Baltimore, we hope to keep in touch!

About Acquaholics: Baltimore TrawlerFest was the initial showcase to share the recently launched website (www.acquaholics.com) and they received positive feedback from guests and yacht owners. The news generated a lot of excitement as various yacht owners felt new revenue opportunities were available to them and for guests the opportunity to experience something different and unique. The website is free to use for all yacht owners and guests. The site provides yacht owners with the ability to list their yacht for sleep aboard and/or invite passengers and/or crew on a journey.

Some of the features include:

• Providing guests with the ability to sleep aboard while docked, moored, on the hook (You also have the option to indicate if they are able to charter).
• Providing guests or crew with the ability to join you on a journey.
  • Indicate purpose of the journey: pleasure, exploration, repositioning, research or education/training.
  • Identify roles needed. E.g. Captain, Chef, Deckhand, Diver, Videographer, Watch Stander, etc. or simply a passenger with no experience.
  • Specify fee (or if they pay for e.g. Food/Fuel in lieu of a fee) or compensation provided if you are recruiting crew or free if that is your preference.
• Guests have the ability to filter their search using the extensive search filters provided such as pets onboard, boat name, boat type and over 100 amenities, etc.

You can contact Acquaholics at info@acquaholics.com. Feel free to reach out with any questions, feedback or partnering opportunities.

About The Trawler Experience.

Rob Piwowarczyk, owner of Bella Luna Charter out of Southern California introduced their new educational charter – The Trawler Experience, geared towards first time trawler buyers.

These one day or overnight charters offer future trawler owners the opportunity to – “Try it before you buy it”. Guests are able to get real life, hands on experience onboard a Selene 55 Ocean Trawler. Rob and his wife Deanna are live aboard trawler owners that love the trawler cruising lifestyle and want to share their trawler owner experience with future trawler owners and help them make a better buying decision.

For more information you can visit their website – www.thetrawlerexperience.com

Below is an alphabetical summary list of the new and used trawlers that were on display.

Aquila 36′
Aquila 44′
Back Cove 37′
Beneteau 26′
Beneteau Swift Trawler 30’, 44′
Coastal Craft 45′
Cutwater 28′
Elling E4 49′
Endeavor Cat 44′
Fleming 55′
Grand Banks 42′, 43’, 46’
Grand Banks 60′ Sky Lounge
Greenline 39′ Hybrid
Hatteras 57′
Helmsman Trawler 38′
Henriques 52′
Hylas Yachts 44′
Krogen 44′ AE
Krogen 48′ North Sea
Krogen 50’ Open
Krogen Express 52′
Minorca Islander 42′
Nordhavn 47′
Nordic Tug 42′
North Pacific 49′
Northern Marine 57′
Ranger Tug 27′, 31’
Sabre 42′

If you would like to see the handouts please email Jeff Merrill at Jeff@JMYS.com

The Pacific Northwest is one of the best places in the world to operate a trawler.  The cruising grounds are so vast and so beautiful that you could easily spend a lifetime exploring and always find a new cove or secluded anchorage to enjoy.  If you don’t own a trawler here, you can choose from several companies who offer charter services.

The trawler market remains strong with more buyers than trawlers available for sale and this has helped boat builders improve their backlog for those buyers patient enough to wait to commission a new trawler.  The trawler boat building industry continues to strengthen, and the tide of momentum is surging with more new models announced and more production slots filled.

Jeff Merrill flew up to meet with clients and also presented his two most popular courses: Dialing-In-Your-Trawler on Thursday and Offshore Essentials on Friday.  Many of the same people attended both classes, filling the rooms and listening intently as Jeff used his animated style to keep things lively and informative.  Jeff’s mentor, Bruce Kessler, sat in on both talks and added additional words of wisdom, thank you Bruce! The entire slate of seminars covered an assortment of interesting topics and it was often difficult for attendees to decide which class to sit in on when there were great choices offered simultaneously.

The Cruisers Roundtable featured an all-star cast of trawler veterans.  Jeff again resumed his role as moderator for the panel and helped keep the audience engaged as they listened to strong opinions and sage advice from those seated up front: Dylan Bailey, Eric Kunz, Pat Raines, Bruce Kessler, John Clayman, Stan Creighton and Dennis Fox formed the brain trust an impressive collection of “salty cruisers” who have been there, done that and still enjoy it.  This is a town-hall format that relies on audience participation.  Inquiries ranged from stabilization choices, to surveyor roles, navigation and weather questions, how many engine hours are acceptable as well as favorite places to cruise.  PassageMakers’ Peter Swanson thoughtfully interrupted to stir things up when needed, and the crowd in attendance had all of their questions responded to with thoughtful insights.

The final TrawlerFest for 2018 will be held September 25 – 29 in Baltimore, Maryland.  Seminars have already been announced and the JMYS team will be attending. Too early to know if we will have a trawler for sale on display, but we know that Jeff and Christopher Bruce are both going to be presenting. We welcome you to join us and look forward to hearing about what you did on your summer vacation.
Details for the Baltimore TrawlerFest are published on this web link:

https://www.passagemaker.com/trawlerfest/trawlerfest-baltimore-2018

For those students who attended Jeff’s talks in Bremerton you are invited to review the presentations and handouts posted here for a limited time.  These resources will be online for downloading until the end of May and then be removed.  Please review them while they are “live”.  Thanks to all everyone we met in Bremerton, hope we can keep in touch!

Reminder: In addition to our trawlers for sale listings, JMYS now has TrawlerSkills videos for you to view on our YouTube channel.  Our first two offerings discuss docking and running a windlass.  If you would like, please sign up on our email newsletter list to receive announcements and keep informed about events, listings and videos.

If you would like to see the handouts please email Jeff Merrill at Jeff@JMYS.com

Located a stone’s throw from the ferry stop at Bremerton, the PMM staff found a wonderfully convenient set up. The host hotel, Hampton Inn and Suites, is 100 yards across the court yard to the Kitsap Conference Center (the convention center where the seminars were held) and then down a flight of steps to the Bremerton Marina docks.  Access to the boats on display was through the vendor tents.  I don’t recall attending a TrawlerFest (and I have been to dozens over 17 years) that has such a seamless layout making it easy for attendees and exhibitors alike to get down to business.

Before the boat show portion there was a series of VIP seminars including two that I sat in by Stan and Valerie Creighton, who own an FPB 64 and are building a new FPB 70.  There two outstanding talks were; “How We Went from Knowing Almost Nothing to World Cruising” – and – “Provisioning 202”.

Stan and Valerie owned a Selene 53 which they purchased for adventure after retirement and loved the trawler cruising lifestyle so much that they upgraded to the ultimate long-range trawler, an FPB. Both seminars were well attended and contained a wealth of important information and practical advice.

I was invited to present two seminars and also served as moderator for the Cruisers round table.

Thursday, I spoke to a packed classroom with the latest, updated, “Dialing-In-Your- Trawler” a very popular course which shares dozens of helpful hints and tips to help boaters with all types of trawlers improve their trawlers.

Friday and Saturday, I presented my new course, “Principles of Passagemaking”, which went into a detailed overview of navigating offshore including what you do while standing watch, conducting and engine room check and much more.

Friday afternoon we held the “Cruisers Roundtable”.  PMM’s Peter Swanson had to leave early and asked me to be the moderator. It was informative and fun with a great panel (Bruce Kessler, Steve Zimmerman, John Clayman, Robert Reeder, Dylan Bailey, Mark Bunzel, Devin Zwick, Ken Fickett and Jeff Merrill) propelled by excellent questions from the audience.

The classroom/learning aspect of TrawlerFest is always one of the highlights. PMM does a marvelous job of mixing things up so that there is something for everyone.

The tents above the dock were filled with vendors; everything from water makers to marinas to insurance and finance, it was a welcome collection of interesting products and services.

The trawlers lined up in slips and on display were diverse in size, age and condition and the dock space was sold out with a waiting list of other hopeful participating boats.

Bremerton has a nice downtown area for walking around, it is a fun community with a lot going for it and a lot going on.

My wife Pam, and daughter Elle joined me this year and after landing in Seattle we drove around through picturesque Gig Harbor to reach Bremerton and stayed put throughout the event.  Saturday my longtime friend, Dennis Lawrence, from Kadey-Krogen invited us to cruise back to Seattle on the Krogen 48 Eventide.

Pam and Elle had fun driving the boat and it was beautiful being out on the water taking in a gorgeous spring evening.

On the Sunday after the event closed, we drove up to Port Townsend.  I marveled as the Kadey Krogen 44 that had been on display during the show cruised into the marina on their way north up to Alaska.  This eastern side of the Puget Sound has a lot of great seaport towns and scenic places to visit.

Attendees of my courses can download all of the handouts from the classes below (note: these will be removed from the website soon, so please download quickly).  I have also posted the PowerPoint talk from Dialing in your Trawler (a refresher with new updates if you have previously attended).

My favorite course was the new one, a two-day four-hours each session class, Principles of Passagemaking, which went into great detail about cruising offshore.  This talk is not available for download, but is being refined again and condensed to become a one-day four-hour seminar at the Bay Bridge, MD TrawlerFest in September.

Please also enjoy our Bremerton TrawlerFest photo gallery of the boats on display and people who were around as well as other interesting sights from the event.

The next TrawlerFest will be on the east coast at the Bay Bridge, MD venue – near Baltimore and across the bridge from Annapolis.   I’ll be doing more seminars, joining in on the town hall and will have the Nordhavn 55 Terrapin on display.  Registration is now open for Bay Bridge, you can click on the link below for more details. See you there!

https://www.passagemaker.com/trawlerfest/bay-bridge-2017

The time sensitive information has been removed, but may still be available. Please sign up for the JMYS newsletter to inquire. Or, put “TrawlerFest – Bremerton, WA 2017” in the subject line of your email to Jeff@JMYS.com.

If the first TrawlerFest of 2017 is any indication, we are all in for a spectacular ride (planning at high speeds vs. plodding at full displacement).  The attendance was fantastic, trawler owners and buyers traveled from all over the US and internationally to attend this remarkable event.  Sunny days with a few scattered showers set a warm and friendly tone. The Hutchinson Island Marriott is a true destination resort with pool, golf course and marina facilities.

The PassageMaker magazine team was superbly organized. The ticket lines checked people in swiftly and every land tent exhibitor we spoke with enjoyed a steady flow of trawler aficionados.

Jeff gave two presentations, “Dialing in your Trawler” on Friday and “Underway” on Saturday. The seminar audiences asked great questions and their enthusiasm boiled over through the Q and A at the end with multiple private conversations.  There appears to be a lot of new faces in the market, interested to learn more about the joys of the trawler lifestyle and ready to go cruising on a boat of their own.

Seminars were packed, it’s been awhile since we’ve seen every seat filled with standing room only in the back of the class room.  A great assortment of vendor tents created a natural channel to guide the crowd down to the dock where over 40 trawlers of all sizes on display.

The fixed concrete docks in the marina are sturdy and secure, but boarding some boats at low tide was a little tricky – something that can hopefully be addressed and improved for next time.  We like that PassageMaker moves the venues around to keep things fresh – over ten years ago, Hutchinson Island was the site for TrawlerFest and since then it has been moved to Fort Lauderdale and Riviera Beach – hey, anytime you can hang out in a Florida marina and hop aboard trawlers it’s not a bad place to be.

Jeff had several client appointments and was able to tour most of the trawlers on display.  The brokers with boats for sale were welcoming and friendly – just about everyone we spoke with is extremely busy – buyers are shopping and trawler are selling.  The market activity is as strong as we have seen it since the pre-recession days.

Ray Danet also was around and did several walk throughs on trawlers with our clients.

Whatever the reason, pent up demand, timing in life or the “Trump Bump” it is obvious that a new group of trawler owners has arrived on the scene, excited and eager to join in on the fun and start their own adventures.

Many of the participants in Jeff’s two courses asked for electronic copies of the PowerPoint presentations and handouts, a sure sign that more and more people are doing their homework and getting prepared before making a trawler their home on the water.

The next TrawlerFest event will be in the Pacific Northwest at a new venue, in Bremerton, WA. The dates are May 16 – 20, 2017.  JMYS is hoping to have a trawler or two on display and Jeff has been asked to conduct a new two-day course, “Principles of Passagemaking” as well as his ever popular “Dialing in your Trawler” class.  Registration is now open.  For event details please click on this link:

http://www.passagemaker.com/events/trawlerfest-bremerton-wa-2017/

We look forward to seeing you there.

For those people who attended the Stuart classes, we decided it would be easier to post the PowerPoints and handouts on JMYS.com so the course information is available to download below.

The time sensitive information has been removed, but may still be available. Please sign up for the JMYS newsletter to inquire. Or, put “TrawlerFest Stuart 2017” in the subject line of your email to Jeff@JMYS.com.

The modern trawler world has been popularized by PassageMaker magazine which is based in Annapolis, MD.  This same seafaring city has a rich history and is also famous for the U.S. Naval Academy, national power and sailboat boat shows, a great collection of restaurants, bars and of course the people who live there and visit.  The people who hang out in Annapolis are active cruiser and racers.

Across the Bay Bridge you reach the eastern shore and are two steps removed from city life.  The Chesapeake waters have carved shorelines that blend into numerous inlets and coves, it is a boaters’ paradise.  In 2015, TrawlerFest was moved to the eastern shore of the Chesapeake to the “Bay Bridge Marina” in Stevensville, MD as the venue for their annual mid-Atlantic event.  Previous mid-Atlantic locations have included Solomons, MD and Baltimore, MD and to the credit of the PMM TrawlerFest staff they keep things fresh by moving around.  The 2015 event was a bust, because of hurricane Joaquin, but 2016 was a resounding success.

The 2016 TrawlerFest dates were September 27 – October 1 and there was a wide assortment of trawlers on display, vendors in the tents and a varied selection of seminars to attend.

Jeff Merrill was invited to give two presentations, Bluewater Cruising and Dialing in your Trawler. Jeff also participated in the Cruisers Roundtable presided over by veteran cruiser and circumnavigator, Bruce Kessler.

One of our favorite listings, the custom 73’ Snowbird, Retired Sailor III, was brought over from Deltaville and was the largest trawler in the event.  Since Jeff was spending a good deal of his time in the classroom teaching, Ray Danet flew up from Florida to make sure we had RSIII covered.

Here are the course descriptions for Jeff’s talks:

Bluewater Cruising with Jeff Merrill

Thursday, Sept. 29 10:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

This seminar is designed for skippers and crew wanting to make offshore passages to reach distant ports; it’s designed to be both an introduction and a refresher. Jeff Merrill, who has logged more than 15,000 sea miles, much of it training clients, will discuss the essential preparations and fundamental skills. Topics will include weather considerations, route planning, watch standing, engine room checks, navigation/electronics operations, and more. The goal is to help make sure you and your trawler are ready before you depart, knowing what to expect under way and understanding what it is really like to operate your trawler at sea.  Many helpful pointers will help ensure you, your boat and your crew are prepared so your next open water trip is safe, comfortable and successful. A certificate of completion will be issued to all attendees

Dial-In Your Trawler with Jeff Merrill

Friday, Sept. 30 8:30 a.m.  – 10:30 a.m.

Over the years and through his experiences on hundreds of trawlers, yacht broker Jeff Merrill has amassed a collection of “good ideas” and “best practices” that trawler owners are using to better monitor their vessels. These simple and effective techniques apply to most power cruising boats. Tricks of the trade and helpful reminders will help take some of the guesswork out of tracking various systems and equipment on board your trawler. Little details like reference marks for needles on analog gauges, a dry-erase board in your engine room, anchor chain marking and many other common-sense tips make this an engaging and informative seminar that you won’t want to miss. Merrill will share photos of these ideas and also discuss an assortment of products that you should consider using on your trawler that will not only make your life more enjoyable, but may also favorably affect your eventual resale value.

Each TrawlerFest sees a number of familiar faces who stop by to say hello and this year was no exception.   It’s hard to report on each of the dozens of visitors we saw, but we’re going to focus on two that stood out.  Guy Bugbee is an airline captain who we see at trawler events all over the country, he and his wife have a Nordic Tugs 32 which they are selling to move up to a larger, full displacement trawler.  Guy I and I have known each other for many years and when he told me he had the full PassageMaker magazine collection, but was going to throw them away after reading them one more time, I pleaded with him to send them to me, which he graciously did.   Guy is a planner and he has been intrigued by trawlers for at least two decades – you already know that he got on the bandwagon with issue number one of PassageMaker, but he also went to the very first Trawler Fest and has the T-shirt to prove it from 1996!

The other highlight was a visit aboard Retired Sailor III by Bill and Laurene Parlatore, the founders of PassageMaker magazine.  I had an ulterior motive with my invitation, I brought a copy of issue number one (yes, from Guy Bugbee) and was thrilled to have the Parlatore’s sign the cover, now framed and a cherished possession.

TrawlerFest always attracts a cast of regulars and we had several homecoming visits aboard. We had a surprisingly large group of interested trawler people come through Retired Sailor III, including some familiar faces and some new clients.  Bob Senter “Lugger Bob” was in town for the event and enjoyed talking diesels with people aboard the Snowbird 73.  The legendary Bruce Kessler usually makes the rounds and we I enjoyed a nice dinner in town with Ray, Bob and Bruce.

iminishing, the boat builders are seeing a boom in new construction which is good for everyone. Brokers and sellers are seeing (and have been for the last 24 months) a true sellers-market where discounting is not as deep, and boats are changing hands in a shorter time frame. Nothing lasts forever, but as I’ve told many people recently, these are “the good old days and I hope they do stick around for another couple of decades!”

All of us at JMYS look forward to the TrawlerFest events, this was the last one for the year and we are on the schedule to participate in the 2017 program.

For more information on the upcoming events, please go to www.passagemaker.com/trawlerfest we hope to see you at the next one which is scheduled for end of February, early March, 2017 in Stuart, Florida.

The Annapolis area has always been a favorite haunt for sailors.  And we all know that most sailors graduate to trawlers…so if you are looking for a trawler, there will be many on display to board along with tents filled with products and a wide variety of educational seminars.

Here is a link you can click for directions, times, hotels and all of the other important details:

https://www.passagemaker.com/trawlerfest/trawlerfest-bay-bridge-2016

To help preserve your boat buying budget, there is a discount coupon that will save you $10 off seminars.  Use the promo code CRUISING at checkout when you register.

Jeff Merrill has been invited to give two presentations and to participate as a panelist in the cruiser perspectives forum.  Here are the course descriptions and times for Jeff’s talks:

Bluewater Cruising with Jeff Merrill

Thursday, Sept. 29 10:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 

This seminar is designed for skippers and crew wanting to make offshore passages to reach distant ports; it’s designed to be both an introduction and a refresher. Jeff Merrill, who has logged more than 15,000 sea miles, much of it training clients, will discuss the essential preparations and fundamental skills. Topics will include weather considerations, route planning, watch standing, engine room checks, navigation/electronics operations, and more. The goal is to help make sure you and your trawler are ready before you depart, knowing what to expect under way and understanding what it is really like to operate your trawler at sea.  Many helpful pointers will ensure you, your boat and your crew are prepared so your next open water trip is safe, comfortable and successful. A certificate of completion will be issued to all attendees.

Dial-In Your Trawler with Jeff Merrill

Friday, Sept. 30 8:30 a.m.  – 10:30 a.m.

Over the years and through his experiences on hundreds of trawlers, yacht broker Jeff Merrill has amassed a collection of “good ideas” and “best practices” that trawler owners are using to better monitor their vessels. These simple and effective techniques apply to most power cruising boats. Tricks of the trade and helpful reminders will help take some of the guesswork out of tracking various systems and equipment on board your trawler. Little details like reference marks for needles on analog gauges, a dry-erase board in your engine room, anchor chain marking and many other common-sense tips make this an engaging and informative seminar that you won’t want to miss. Merrill will share photos of these ideas and also discuss an assortment of products that you should consider using on your trawler that will not only make your life more enjoyable, but may also favorably affect your eventual resale value.

Cruisers Roundtable 

Friday, Sept. 30 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

With Bruce Kessler, John Clayman, Steve Zimmerman, Chris Parker, Jeff Merrill, Doug Dickinson, & Dylan Bailey

SOLD OUT. ONLY AVAILABLE WITH VIP PACKAGE PURCHASE.

If you are going to attend Trawler Fest, please give Jeff a call and set up a time to meet in person or grab him after one of the classes so you can get together.

See you on the Chesapeake!

Boat Show Hours: Thursday – Saturday 10am – 5pm

Location: Cap Sante Marina 1019 Q Ave #C Anacortes, WA 98221

Jeff Merrill has been invited back to speak at his 14^th Pacific Northwest TrawlerFest.  These spectacular waters of the Puget Sound and Salish Sea provide a truly unbelievable area to enjoy the trawler lifestyle. The town of Anacortes is considered the gateway to the San Juan Islands and has been a launching pad for countless summer vacations that head north, first across to Canada and then migrate farther up through the inside passage to Alaska.

Jeff will arrive early in the week and stay through Sunday and is available to meet with you to discuss your cruising plans and trawler desires.

On Friday May 20^th from 10:45am to 12:30pm Jeff is presenting “Offshore Cruising”. *

Friday afternoon from 3:00pm to 4:30pm he will be taking part in the Cruisers Perspectives Town Hall forum along with industry veterans; Bruce Kessler, Steve Zimmerman, Mark Bunzel, Dylan Bailey, John Clayman and Peter Swanson.

On Saturday May 21st from 10:45 to 12:30 pm, Jeff will be presenting “Dialing in Your Trawler”. *

*Complete seminar descriptions for both of Jeff’s course are included below

There are several different ways you can attend Trawler Fest. If you want, you can just purchase a dock pass and wander through the boats on display.  The early slip registration indicates spaces have been reserved (things can change and more boats may arrive) for the following brands (new and/or used) to be on display: Tollycraft, Grand Banks, Eastbay, Kadey-Krogen, Helmsman, FPB, North Pacific, Selene, Beneteau Swift, Ranger, Back Cove, Cutwater, American Tug, Sabre, DeFever, Outerreef, Custom builds, several trawler cats and Fleming.

You can also sign up for individual seminars and this year there is a larger variety to choose from.  Go to the Anacortes Trawler Fest website to check on class availability – if you know which ones you are interested please sign up soon as the most popular classes have been known to sell out. Purchase of a seminar ticket includes general admission to boat show for day of seminar.

If you are going to Anacortes to soak it all in and spend a few days immersed in trawler lore, you can purchase an all access pass to walk the docks, sit in on the seminars and enjoy other opportunities.

Here is the link for TrawlerFest that will provide all of the information you should need to determine the best way for you to enjoy your time in Anacortes.

Trawlerfest-Anacortes-2016

You can arrange for a $10 off discount to attend seminars if you provide the promo code PRAN2016.

For information about TrawlerFest call (410) 990-9086 extension 22 or email them, Trawlerfest@passagemaker.com.

Please call, text or email Jeff to set up an appointment, he will be happy to meet with you and has already begun filling up his schedule.

Jeff Merrill – cell 949.355.4950, email Jeff@JMYS.com

Here are the class descriptions for Jeff’s talks:

OFFSHORE CRUISING: PREPARING YOURSELF & YOUR BOAT with Jeff Merrill

May 20, 2016 10:45am-12:30pm.  Cost is $60.00.

This seminar is designed for skippers and crew wanting to make offshore passages to reach distant ports; it’s designed to be both an introduction and a refresher. Jeff Merrill, who has logged more than 15,000 sea miles, much of it training clients, will discuss the essential preparations and fundamental skills. Topics will include weather considerations, route planning, watch standing, engine room checks, navigation/electronics operations, and more. The goal is to help make sure you and your trawler are ready before you depart, knowing what to expect under way and understanding what it is really like to operate your trawler at sea.  Many helpful pointers will help ensure you, your boat and your crew are prepared so your next open water trip is safe, comfortable and successful. A certificate of completion will be issued to all attendees

DIALING IN YOUR TRAWLER with Jeff Merrill

May 21, 2016 10:45am-12:30pm. Cost is $60.00.

Over the years and through his experiences on hundreds of trawlers, yacht broker Jeff Merrill has amassed a collection of “good ideas” and “best practices” that trawler owners are using to better monitor their vessels. These simple and effective techniques apply to most power cruising boats. Tricks of the trade and helpful reminders will help take some of the guesswork out of tracking various systems and equipment on board your trawler. Little details like reference marks for needles on analog gauges, a dry-erase board in your engine room, anchor chain marking and many other common-sense tips make this an engaging and informative seminar that you won’t want to miss. Merrill will share photos of these ideas and also discuss an assortment of products that you should consider using on your trawler that will not only make your life more enjoyable, but may also favorably affect your eventual resale value.