CruiserPort University at the Newport International Boat Show offers eight seminars as a VIP package deal for $375, a savings of about a hundred bucks. Now we’ve decided to let ticket holders share their VIP pass with another person. The way this works is that you designate your seminar partner and let us know which of the following eight seminars each of you will be attending.
You can’t both attend the same seminar (unless you purchase a second ticket for that class), but you can divvie up the classes and spend your non-class time walking the docks at the Newport International Boat Show. (Admission to the show not included.) Note that some of the seminars offer a certificate of completion that might help you get lower rates from your marine insurer.
On the Docks: A Close Inspection of Yacht Systems, Featuring Cruising Powerboats With Kadey-Krogen, Nordic Tug and Sabre
Wednesday, Sept. 14, 1:00 p.m.– 3:30 p.m.
Capacity: 15
$60. This is a seminar for people interested in learning about systems and machinery on three well-known but distinctively different brands of cruising boat. We break the class down into small groups and rotate between a Kadey-Krogen 58 EB, which stands for “extended bridge,” a Nordic Tug 44 flybridge and a Sabre 40 Sedan. At each boat, attendees will receive an in-depth engine room briefing from a highly knowledgeable expert with plenty of time for questions. The beauty of the line-up is that each hull form is represented: the full-displacement Krogen, semi-displacement Nordic Tug and planing Sabre. This in-depth look at a contemporary technology will prove invaluable to those looking to switch to power or to upsize their current ride. It also would make a good companion to a seminar later in the week, “The Physics and Psychology of Hull Shape” with naval architect Lou Codega.
Weather Basics for Boaters
With Jeremy Davis
Thursday, Sept. 15, 12:45 p.m.- 2:45 p.m.
$60. Jeremy Davis, Operations Manager at Weather Routing Inc., will discuss weather basics, reading weather maps, how to interpret forecasts and using a meteorologist. He will also review the myriad forecast delivery services and systems and advise on how to choose the best one for your cruising style. Davis provides consulting weather forecasts, reports and routing advice to thousands of marine clients worldwide and has issued more 30,000 customized forecast products since 2000, including ocean crossings, day trips, regattas, rallies and fishing tournaments. This seminar is intended for new or inexperienced boaters and should give attendees the confidence and knowledge to make go/no-go or go-back decisions. Certificate of completion.
Rum, Rhumba & Revolution: Go To Cuba Legally With or Without Your Boat
With Peter Swanson & Nigel Calder
Thursday, Sept. 15, 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
$60. Just back from Cuba where he ran AIM Marine’s first Rallies to Cuba program, Peter Swanson will help attendees navigate the regulatory waters of travel to Cuba. Cruising guide author Nigel Calder describes each section of the 1,700-mile shoreline based on his own circumnavigation.
Navigation for Husbands & Wives
With Bob Sweet
Friday, Sept. 16, 12:45 p.m. -2:45 p.m.
$60. Are you truly confident that you always know where you are and how to get to your destination? Whether you’re new to navigation or just want to get up to speed with the latest technology, this mini-course is for you. Instructor Bob Sweet is a senior navigator and author of The Weekend Navigator, GPS for Mariners, Using GPS, Using GPS with Charts, and consultant to OceanGrafix. Sweet’s seminar is a comprehensive “quick start” guide to navigation. You’ll learn the essential skills from planning a cruise, through navigating it and checking along the way. You will learn how to use conventional charts with your electronics in a complementary way to ease your navigation tasks and ensure your safe arrival at your destination. You’ll also learn some neat tricks for adjusting your navigation along the way and will learn about compensating for tides and currents. This also is a great course for mates and crew who would like to share in the navigation. You will get to work with real charts and some plotting tools on a simulated mini-cruise. Certificate of completion.
Hot News About Marine Radar
With Bob Sweet & Eric Kunz
Friday, Sept. 16, 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.
$60. For marine radar, World War II is over… finally. Marine author and trainer Bob Sweet and Furuno Senior Product Manager Eric Kunz will discuss the recent and rapid rise of solid state multi-frequency radar and the demise of pulse technology originally developed during the Battle of Britain, and what this means for today’s radar consumers and operators. Sweet and Kunz will share the theory and practical tips that participants can use to get the most from their radars, as demonstrated by Furuno’s latest, the DRS4D-NXT. Now is truly the time for a radar seminar. Certificate of completion.
The Great Loop: How To Prepare, What To Expect
With Kim Russo
Saturday, Sept. 17, 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
$120. Boaters who circumnavigate the East Coast of the U.S., using the Hudson River, Erie Canal, Great Lakes, Mississippi River and Intracoastal Waterway are called “Loopers” for having completed “The Great Loop.” Kim Russo, Executive Director of the American Great Loop Cruisers Association, will give a detailed briefing with plenty of time to answer questions. She will address which boats are most suitable and how to budget. Russo will also intersperse her seminar with brief presentations made by some of our members who have completed the route, a.k.a. “Gold Loopers.”
The Physics & Psychology of Hull Shape
With Lou Codega
Saturday, Sept. 17, 12:45-2:45 p.m.
$60. Avoid expense and humiliation. Don’t be the guy who buys a slow trawler then gets frustrated by its 8-knot cruising speed, repowers with bigger motors to no effect, then sues the boatbuilder and loses. This seminar, with Naval Architect Lou Codega, is for people who are trying to decide what kind of boat is right for them. The very first step is to determine what kind of boating you intend to do, and then buy a boat with the appropriate hull. Codega has designed sportfish boats, trawler yachts, Coast Guard ships and one of the Naval SEAL raiders. He is Mr. Hull.
Onboard Communications & Entertainment
With Paul Comyns
Saturday, Sept 17, 3:00-5:00 p.m.
$60. Satellite communications and satellite television keep you connected to the world when you’re out of range of terrestrial systems. Paul Comyns, a veteran marine electronics expert, outlines what is available, how these systems work in layman’s terms, what to expect and how to ask for the right things. There are many new services coming online and Comyns will share what he thinks works best for live-aboard cruisers. He will also explain antenna placement and how to maximize the performance of the systems onboard.
The following courses are not part of the VIP pass and therefore must be purchased separately.
“Diesel Engines: Maintenance & Troubleshooting”
With Nigel Calder
Wednesday, Sept. 14, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
$240. Your diesel engine is probably the most important piece of safety equipment aboard any cruising boat. Tech guru Nigel Calder brings his unique brand of humor to a seminar for boat buyers and new boaters that want to get the most from their time on the water. Distinguishing between contemporary and older diesels, Calder takes a careful look at cooling, electrical, powertrain and fuel systems with an eye toward getting your recalcitrant beast running well again. Attendees for the diesel seminar will receive a certificate of completion that may help earn a discount from their insurer. Boxed lunches are included.
“Troubleshooting Electrical Systems”
With Nigel Calder
Two mornings on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 15-16, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
$240. The number one source of problems on boats lies in their electrical systems. Nigel Calder takes participants through step-by-step diagnosing procedures using a multi-meter and our own own “magic board,” which replicates circuitry actually found on vessels. Not only will you leave class knowing how to fix common problems, but you will likely save the price of admission by not having to make service calls or swap out perfectly good parts in search of solutions. Attendees for the systems seminar will receive a certificate of completion that may help earn a discount from their insurer.
CruiserPort is organized by the same people who bring you TrawlerFest, but it is not specific to trawlers. The intended audience are cruisers or would-be cruisers under power or sail. The AIM Marine group publishes Soundings, SAIL, Power & Motoryacht, Yachts International, Anglers Journal as well as PassageMaker magazine.
For more information, visit www.passegemaker.comand go to CruiserPort on the drop-down tabs.
