Boating & Fishing Seminars + Boat Show University

Same as last year, but with another year of teaching marine trades, developing an advanced electrical troubleshooting and corrosion course, putting the NMEA basic installer course online, and continued maritime education in the pacific northwest.

Capt. Linda Lewis holds a USCG 100-Ton Masters License and provides customized on-the-water instruction, on-your-power-boat (www.privateboatinginstruction.com). An Emeritus Associate Professor from U of WA, she brings her professional educator background to presentations on navigation & boat handling topics yearly at the Seattle Boat Show, Trawler Fest, & yacht clubs. She has 25 years of hands-on experience cruising the Inside Passage (including nine cruises to SE Alaska) on both sail and power boats. Today she single-hands her 45’ trawler and cruises with friends as crew.

Writer and journalist Jeffrey D. Briggs has been covering the Seattle waterfront since he moved onto his sailboat thirty years ago. OUT OF THE COLD DARK SEA is the debut novel in his Seattle Waterfront Mystery series, featuring Martha Whitaker. He has published over 350 articles in regional and national magazines, and covered boating in the Pacific Northwest as a staff writer for 48° North and editor for PNW Pacific Yachting. Publications also include “Confessions Of A Liveaboard,” and “SOUNDWATCH: An Environmental Guide For Boaters.” As executive director of the Northwest Yacht Brokers Association, he has produced more boat shows on Lake Union than he cares to remember. He took a detour in life and moved to Rochester, Minn., where he became a biomedical science writer for Mayo Clinic, and got to preview all his future diseases. Back home in the Pacific Northwest, he now lives on land in Richmond Beach with his wife and dog and can often be found on the shores of Puget Sound, wondering what secrets lie hidden beneath those cold waters.

Tom Nelson, host of the popular KIRO 710ESPN The Outdoor Line, offers a wealth of fishing information at his seminars covering topics on how to catch Dungeness crab and spot shrimp in Puget Sound to locating the best areas for salmon and other fish species from the Columbia River along the coast and into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, San Juan Islands and Puget Sound.

Jeff is a systems design engineer, avid boater, entrepreneur, the author of the monthly column "Tech Talk" in Pacific Yachting Magazine and a regular yacht club and Power Squadron presenter. His company, Pacific Yacht Systems Inc., provides boaters with easy to use, reliable solutions for marine electrical and electronics. Jeff’s presentations are designed for beginners, tech-savvy, and DIY experts alike.

Mike Reese is a 25 year veteran of the marine industry and the founder and managing partner of Sea Bound Canvas, a full-service canvas company with shops in Anacortes and Seattle. Mike is passionate about the art and science of marine fabrication and loves to share how high-quality canvas structures and covers can help protect your boat and make your nautical adventures as safe and comfortable as possible. When not obsessing over new ways to perfect marine canvas, you can find Mike on the water pursuing his passion for boating. Mike loves both power and sailboats. When not out cruising on his 40’ trawler, you’ll likely find him racing his 30’ sailboat or searching for crab in his 17’ center console.

Sarah has been sailing since 2008. She started on flying scot dinghies with the Sailing Club of Washington (SCOW), and then moved to Catalina 25’s. She was the Maintenance Director for SCOW’s dinghy and small cruiser sailboats for 2010-2012. Sarah purchased her first and current boat, S/V Beyond in 2014 with no prior maintenance or boat project knowledge of large cruising boats. She has been sailing and maintaining Beyond by herself for 5 years now and is refurbishing it to go to Alaska in the Summer of 2019. She is self-taught on boat maintenance through learning from hired mechanics, asking for help, and taking classes at the Seattle Maritime Academy.

Jeff is a systems design engineer, avid boater, entrepreneur, the author of the monthly column "Tech Talk" in Pacific Yachting Magazine and a regular yacht club and Power Squadron presenter. His company, Pacific Yacht Systems Inc., provides boaters with easy to use, reliable solutions for marine electrical and electronics. Jeff’s presentations are designed for beginners, tech-savvy, and DIY experts alike.

Mark Bunzel is the Editor and Publisher of the Waggoner Cruising Guide, long considered the "bible" for Northwest and Inside Passage cruising. Each season he cruises the Inside Passage from Olympia to Ketchikan to update and book and provide stories.

Carolyn `Ace` Spragg grew up on the Chesapeake Bay, messing about in boats. She built her first raft at age 6, learned to sail at age 8, and has spent more than 30 years teaching on the water. After moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2000, she started te

Dave Graybill, a noted central Washington writer and radio show host, offers his wealth of knowledge on central Washington fishing that covers hot spots like Lake Chelan, Potholes Reservoir, Banks Lake, Lake Roosevelt, Moses Lake, Rufus Woods Reservoir, and summer- and fall-fishing salmon locations on the Columbia River like Hanford Reach, and Priest Rapids, Wanapum, Rock Island, Rocky Reach and Wells pools. Graybill also serves as a member of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission. He has his own fishing website www.FishingMagician.com.

Tom Nelson, host of the popular KIRO 710ESPN The Outdoor Line, offers a wealth of fishing information at his seminars covering topics on how to catch Dungeness crab and spot shrimp in Puget Sound to locating the best areas for salmon and other fish species from the Columbia River along the coast and into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, San Juan Islands and Puget Sound.

When Behan and Jamie Gifford sailed south from Seattle in 2008 they anticipated cruising for a two- to five-year sabbatical. Nearly a decade later they’ve completed a circumnavigation on their Stevens 47, Totem, while raising three children aboard; adventures are chronicled on SailingTotem.com. During their ten years the family put over 58,000 miles under the keel while visiting 48 countries/territories, from Mexico to Madagascar to Martinique. Their son has migrated ashore for college, while the rest of the family continues cruising and are currently on Pacific coast of Mexico.

Teresa and Ben Carey are both USCG Licensed mariners with over 50 years combined experience teaching and cruising aboard a wide variety of vessels including Outward Bound pulling boats, tall ships, and tugboats. They're well known for their blog Sailing Simplicity & the Pursuit of Happiness, chronicling their journey sailing solo, side-by-side to the Bahamas and back to New England. In 2011, they sailed to Newfoundland in search of Icebergs and made the film One Simple Question about the journey. They've written many articles for sailing magazines and presented inspiring talks and seminars around the country. They currently own Morse Alpha Expeditions LLC and provide rigorous coastal and offshore sail training expeditions aboard their Norseman 447 Rocinante.

Doug Miller is president and founder of Milltech Marine, a Port Orchard-based provider of Automatic Identification System (AIS) solutions for the marine market. Doug began Milltech Marine in 2005 in response to a keen interest in the emerging AIS standard and the need for solutions for recreational boaters. For over a decade, Milltech Marine has sold thousands of AIS solutions to recreational, commercial and military customers. Info on Milltech Marine can be found at www.MilltechMarine.com.

Kent Alger, owner of Guides NW charter service and a Team Shimano pro staff member, has a keen knowledge of Puget Sound and catching a variety of salmon and bottomfish. Alger will share his vast knowledge and tips on improving your success on trolling for salmon with downriggers as well as hooking you into lingcod and halibut.

John Neal’s 377,000 offshore miles include six Cape Horn roundings plus voyages to Antarctica, Africa, Australia and Spitsbergen. Since 1976, John's passion has been sharing his knowledge of ocean cruising through 189 sail-training expeditions worldwide aboard Mahina Tiare III, a Hallberg-Rassy 46 detailed on www.mahina.com and through Offshore Cruising Seminars presented at 3-5 major boat shows annually. John is author, co-author or contributing author of 17 books including Log of the Mahina, A Tale of the South Pacific. Amanda Swan Neal completed the Whitbread Around the World Race as rigger aboard Maiden, and has 42 years’ and 335,000 miles’ experience in international racing, sail-training and cruising. She has worked as a rigger and sailmaker in England, Australia and New Zealand and is author of Marine Diesel Engine Essentials, A Learning and Coloring Book and The Essential Galley Companion. In 2018 John and Amanda sailed 12,000 miles from Panama to Hawaii, Tahiti and Fiji arriving in New Zealand in December.

Captain Sanders founded United States Maritime Academy in 1987 and has since trained thousands of students for their Coast Guard Captain's License. He was among the first instructors to become certified to teach Coast Guard Approved License classes offering training in lieu of CG examinations. U.S. Maritime now has branches throughout the country which uses texts and exams written by Capt. Sanders. He has delivered boats world wide and published numerous texts on Celestial Navigation.

Carolyn `Ace` Spragg grew up on the Chesapeake Bay, messing about in boats. She built her first raft at age 6, learned to sail at age 8, and has spent more than 30 years teaching on the water. After moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2000, she started te

Keith Robbins, owner of A Spot Tail Salmon in Seattle, will provide tips and secrets on how to catch salmon with one of the oldest techniques that was first used by the Japanese Americans in Elliott Bay and Puget Sound way before and right after World War II. Robbins is one of the last fishing guides to strictly use this way of catching salmon in Puget Sound. Feeling the "bite" with your salmon rod in hand as the fish takes your bait is one of the most exciting ways to hook a fish. Robbins will also host another seminar on fly-fishing for cutthroat trout in Puget Sound.

Mike Surdyk is the Northwest Regional Sales Manager for Raymarine Electronics and has been chasing fish for more than 20 years across the Pacific Northwest. Surdyk is a regular on the NW Salmon Derby Series circuit fishing aboard his 23-foot Grady White Gulfstream who enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience with other anglers. Surdyk truly believes that having great electronics and a firm understanding of how they work, will create better opportunities to catch fish.

Lothar learned to sail in the 1980's on Lake Union, has owned / chartered sail and power cruising vessels over the past 30 years, earned his OUPV 50T Master's license in 2016, has been a yacht broker for the past three years and recently became a partner at San Juan Sailing and Yachting. He and his wife Donna enjoy organizing and leading flotillas in the Salish Sea and have led a number of flotillas to Desolation Sound, Princess Louisa and the Gulf/San Juan Islands.

Curt Epperson has sailed Puget Sound, San Juan Islands, Gulf Islands, Sunshine Coast, Discovery Islands, Desolation Sound, Broughton Islands, Barkley Sound,& the W. coast of Vancouver Island, and the E. Caribbean since 2013 from Puerto Rico to Grenada, back to Florida, and up the East Coast to Georgia. Curt wrote "Keeping Your Boat Legal" (FineEdge 2006), created and publishes, "Keeping Your Boat Legal Vessel Documents and Information Manual", and writes articles for and maintains www.boativated.com.

Same as last year, but with another year of teaching marine trades, developing an advanced electrical troubleshooting and corrosion course, putting the NMEA basic installer course online, and continued maritime education in the pacific northwest.

Carolyn `Ace` Spragg grew up on the Chesapeake Bay, messing about in boats. She built her first raft at age 6, learned to sail at age 8, and has spent more than 30 years teaching on the water. After moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2000, she started te

Tommy Donlin, Defiance Marine Pro Staffer Captain, has a wealth of knowledge on coastal tuna fishing action. Summer and fall can be off-the-charts good and in some instances just a day-trip away from catching these aggressive blue water fish. Donlin will detail the strategies and tactics necessary to put tuna on the deck of your boat, including all of the live bait secrets that will make your trip a success.

Working as consultant and instructor, John Neal has helped over 10,000 sailors find their ideal cruising boats worldwide since 1976. His 377,000 ocean miles are on a wide variety of vessels and he annually sails 12,000 miles while conducting sail-training expeditions detailed on www.mahina.com. Pete McGonagle has logged over one million sea miles as an officer on merchant vessels and over 45,000 miles racing, delivering and cruising on sailboats. A yacht broker since 1999, he founded Swiftsure Yachts in 2002 where he’s helped hundreds of cruisers purchase offshore capable yachts both locally and internationally.

Retired Coast Guard Officer, Sailed over 25,000 miles, License and has taught navigation classes at a Community College in Belair, Maryland. Have been giving book presentation in PowerPoint to organization and sailing groups. Currently at the Annapolis Sail Boat Show. Give presentations on The war of 1812 in 1812 Revenue Cutter Capitan's Uniform. Graduate of Oregon State University, and Past President of a 1.5 million dollar corporation.

Norman and Clarice Gregory live aboard a 1996 Nordhavn trawler names Salish Aire (meaning: Melody of the Salish Sea). Prior to purchasing Salish Aire in 2014 they sailed and cruised from Olympia to Skagway in small sailboats and a 25 ft trailerable Rosborough trawler. Their retirement dream started with a year long cruise up the inside passage to Alaska as far as Kenai Fjords National Park after wintering in the town of Sitka on Baranof Island. After some refitting in Port Townsend on their way south they entered Mexico at the end of hurricane season 2018 and then spent the next year cruising in the Sea of Cortez.

Mark Bunzel is the Editor and Publisher of the Waggoner Cruising Guide, long considered the "bible" for Northwest and Inside Passage cruising. Each season he cruises the Inside Passage from Olympia to Ketchikan to update and book and provide stories.

Carolyn `Ace` Spragg grew up on the Chesapeake Bay, messing about in boats. She built her first raft at age 6, learned to sail at age 8, and has spent more than 30 years teaching on the water. After moving to the Pacific Northwest in 2000, she started te

Please join us at the CRUISING FORUM for a comprehensive and fast paced panel discussion with active sailors/adventurers! Panelists John and Amanda Neal (Mahina Expeditions), Behan and Jamie Gifford (Sailing Totem) and Will Curry (Hydrovane) and Andy Cross will draw from years and miles of experience to answer host Sarah Curry's questions. What should you prioritize when choosing and outfitting an offshore boat? We'll cover topics from self sufficiency to heavy weather tactics to life changing landfalls. Learn from our mistakes too! Benefit from expert TIPS for a safe passage down the Washington and Oregon coasts and to exciting destinations beyond... the freedom to explore the world in this amazing way is yours to realize. Register online to submit your own questions: https://tinyurl.com/2020SeattleCruisingForum

Mike Surdyk is the Northwest Regional Sales Manager for Raymarine Electronics and has been chasing fish for more than 20 years across the Pacific Northwest. Surdyk is a regular on the NW Salmon Derby Series circuit fishing aboard his 23-foot Grady White Gulfstream who enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience with other anglers. Surdyk truly believes that having great electronics and a firm understanding of how they work, will create better opportunities to catch fish.

Sea-Tech Systems was founded in 1995 and has been a top name in marine technology and communications for over 23 years. Richard Anderson and Devon Thurtle Anderson acquired Sea-Tech in 2018, continuing the tradition of Sea-Tech being family owned and operated. Richard and Devon are experienced cruising sailors who have sailed from Alaska to El Salvador with their two daughters aboard SV Mobert, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45. With a career spanning over 22 years of technical consulting and advising at the small business and enterprise level, Richard has taken Sea-Tech Systems to the next level with small business and enterprise solutions, as well as solutions for travelers from all walks of life who are looking for a trusted advisor for communication, navigation, and weather hardware, software, and technical implementations. Devon’s extensive expertise in the legal and financial fields helps customers manage their businesses from land and sea.

A Return to Desolation A homemade film from a family that spent four summers sailing their beloved sailboat, Enterprise, between Seattle and Desolation Sound. Anyone who likes boats, nature, and journeys of discovery will enjoy this film. The film encourages people to sail into nature. Parents Kevin and Marlene contribute regularly to local magazines in North-Central Washington State. They want to show you how a family trip to Desolation Sound aboard a simple sailboat is tangible and easy, with the kids as crew. They explore the flora, fauna and history of their favorite anchorages, as they reveal those places to you. Run time is 48 minutes with Q/A afterward.

Please join us at the CRUISING FORUM for a comprehensive and fast paced panel discussion with active sailors/adventurers! Panelists John and Amanda Neal (Mahina Expeditions), Behan and Jamie Gifford (Sailing Totem) and Will Curry (Hydrovane) and Andy Cross will draw from years and miles of experience to answer host Sarah Curry's questions. What should you prioritize when choosing and outfitting an offshore boat? We'll cover topics from self sufficiency to heavy weather tactics to life changing landfalls. Learn from our mistakes too! Benefit from expert TIPS for a safe passage down the Washington and Oregon coasts and to exciting destinations beyond... the freedom to explore the world in this amazing way is yours to realize. Register online to submit your own questions: https://tinyurl.com/2020SeattleCruisingForum

Tommy Donlin, Defiance Marine Pro Staffer Captain, has a wealth of knowledge on coastal tuna fishing action. Summer and fall can be off-the-charts good and in some instances just a day-trip away from catching these aggressive blue water fish. Donlin will detail the strategies and tactics necessary to put tuna on the deck of your boat, including all of the live bait secrets that will make your trip a success.

Tom Nelson, host of the popular KIRO 710ESPN The Outdoor Line, offers a wealth of fishing information at his seminars covering topics on how to catch Dungeness crab and spot shrimp in Puget Sound to locating the best areas for salmon and other fish species from the Columbia River along the coast and into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, San Juan Islands and Puget Sound.

Hold 200 CG License. License first issued in 1962. Hold STCW's in Basic safety, Radar Observer Unlimited and Bridge Management. Founded Northwest Explorations in 2004. Sold it in 2017. 14 Trips to Alaska including Outside of Vancouver Island, Haida Guaii and Prince William Sound. Have also cruised west coast of WA, OR and CA as well Mexico, Med and Chesapeake Bay. Prior to that I was the CEO of Small Public Companies and 17 years at IBM in sales and sales management. Undergraduate degree in Finance from UPS and Graduate degree in business from Columbia University.

Teresa and Ben Carey are both USCG Licensed mariners with over 50 years combined experience teaching and cruising aboard a wide variety of vessels including Outward Bound pulling boats, tall ships, and tugboats. They're well known for their blog Sailing Simplicity & the Pursuit of Happiness, chronicling their journey sailing solo, side-by-side to the Bahamas and back to New England. In 2011, they sailed to Newfoundland in search of Icebergs and made the film One Simple Question about the journey. They've written many articles for sailing magazines and presented inspiring talks and seminars around the country. They currently own Morse Alpha Expeditions LLC and provide rigorous coastal and offshore sail training expeditions aboard their Norseman 447 Rocinante.

Sailmaker Carol Hasse founded Port Townsend Sails in 1978, specializing in blue water cruising sails. She has logged over 40,000 miles sailing on in the South Pacific and the Pacific NW. Hasse is actively involved in sailtraining, presenting and judging at boat shows and festivals from Annapolis to Tasmania, and is a regular speaker at Safety at Sea Seminars.

Dave Graybill, a noted central Washington writer and radio show host, offers his wealth of knowledge on central Washington fishing that covers hot spots like Lake Chelan, Potholes Reservoir, Banks Lake, Lake Roosevelt, Moses Lake, Rufus Woods Reservoir, and summer- and fall-fishing salmon locations on the Columbia River like Hanford Reach, and Priest Rapids, Wanapum, Rock Island, Rocky Reach and Wells pools. Graybill also serves as a member of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission. He has his own fishing website www.FishingMagician.com.

Kent Alger, owner of Guides NW charter service and a Team Shimano pro staff member, has a keen knowledge of Puget Sound and catching a variety of salmon and bottomfish. Alger will share his vast knowledge and tips on improving your success on trolling for salmon with downriggers as well as hooking you into lingcod and halibut.