EXPAND YOUR NAUTICAL KNOWLEDGE

Full-time sailors and USCG Masters with over 30,000 ocean miles, Julie and Gio Cappelli lead hands-on offshore sail training expeditions around the world, in partnership with John Neal. When not at sea, they teach cruising skills classes and workshops to help aspiring sailors prepare for safe, comfortable, and self-sufficient voyaging on their own boats. Both are ABYC and NMEA certified and graduates of SVC's Marine Maintenance Technology program, bringing a combination of technical expertise and real-world offshore experience. From passage planning and vessel systems to galley management and at-sea repairs, Gio and Julie draw on years of practical knowledge to help cruisers gain the confidence and skills needed to thrive on extended voyages.

Nathan grew up in Northern New Mexico, exploring the mountains and rivers of the American West. After serving in the Peace Corps in West Africa, he moved to Florida and transitioned into a life afloat. He has been a professional sailor for 10 years, as a deckhand and mate aboard super yachts, a delivery skipper, and for the last 6 years running Ocean Passages, a training passage business aboard his Compass 47 sloop, Ultima. He and his wife Vivian have sailed over 100,000 miles around the North Atlantic and have just crossed the Pacific currently via the Panama Canal, Galapagos, French Polynesia, Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji and are now in New Zealand on their way around the world.

Wendy Hinman has published articles in a variety of publications, especially ones boaters like to read, and is the award-winning author of two hit books: Tightwads on the Loose and Sea Trials. She is a regular speaker at yacht clubs and boat shows around the country and her presentations are filled with examples and infused with humor. She grew up sailing and has cruised and raced in venues around the globe in all sorts of boats as skipper and crew, sometimes winning. She spent seven years at sea, sailing 34,000 miles aboard a small, simple boat and learned the most essential ingredient aboard is a sense of humor. She and her husband are currently building and outfitting a boat for more cruising adventures. www.wendyhinman.com

Captain T (Tyler Schaul) has dedicated over half of his life to chasing salmon and steelhead in Washington state. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, he has spent countless days in pursuit of these fish. Now, Captain T finds the most fulfillment in watching others catch the fish he is so passionate about. On every trip, his goal is to have fun and provide the best experience possible on the water. Tyler is an insured and licensed USCG Captain. He operates a 21' Alumaweld Super Vee jet boat and a 16' Willie drift boat.

Lisa Vizzini has been sailing since childhood in various types of boats from one design dinghies to heavy displacement cruisers. Her current passion is empowering sail boat owners with the knowledge and skills to sail NOT motor their sail boats. Lisa and her fine staff, operate PTR Rigging & Spars where they strive to provide sailors with the knowledge, skills and equipment to sail where they want to go.

Full-time sailors and USCG Masters with over 30,000 ocean miles, Julie and Gio Cappelli lead hands-on offshore sail training expeditions around the world, in partnership with John Neal. When not at sea, they teach cruising skills classes and workshops to help aspiring sailors prepare for safe, comfortable, and self-sufficient voyaging on their own boats. Both are ABYC and NMEA certified and graduates of SVC's Marine Maintenance Technology program, bringing a combination of technical expertise and real-world offshore experience. From passage planning and vessel systems to galley management and at-sea repairs, Gio and Julie draw on years of practical knowledge to help cruisers gain the confidence and skills needed to thrive on extended voyages.

Michael Beemer is the department chair for Skagit Valley College's marine maintenance and repair program. Michael has been presenting and teaching professionally for over 20 years and holds a master's degree in education. At the college he teaches all the systems courses, including ABYC certifications. He has cruised extensively from Anacortes to southeast Alaska for many years on a classic motor-sailor. In the cruising community, Michael is well known as "The Boat Doctor" who can diagnose and fix almost anything on a vessel. Some of the many topics he has done include: diesel engines, electrical systems, solar, new battery technologies, extended inside passage cruising, and more.

If you sleep in on Saturday mornings, you've probably never heard Tom "Nelly" Nelson on 710 ESPN Seattle's "The Outdoor Line" airing from 6-9am. Now in his 12th year in Seattle radio, "Nelly" fishing background comes through a lifetime of experience fishing for salmon, steelhead, bottom fish and trout in Washington's lakes, rivers and his beloved Puget Sound. Tom has a degree in Fisheries Biology from the University of Washington and is an Acting Fireboat Pilot with the Seattle Fire Department.

Ace Spragg has been teaching sailing since the age of 16, and especially enjoys helping folks "get over the hump" and start to use their boats with confidence. She specializes in teaching everyone to dock safely, anchor securely and understanding how to use tides and currents to your advantage underway. She managed and taught adult programs at the Northwest Maritime Center for 10 years, and is the Education Director at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding.

Captain T (Tyler Schaul) has dedicated over half of his life to chasing salmon and steelhead in Washington state. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, he has spent countless days in pursuit of these fish. Now, Captain T finds the most fulfillment in watching others catch the fish he is so passionate about. On every trip, his goal is to have fun and provide the best experience possible on the water. Tyler is an insured and licensed USCG Captain. He operates a 21' Alumaweld Super Vee jet boat and a 16' Willie drift boat.

Captain Phyllis Woolwine is a leader in Maritime Education in the Northwest, and owner of Shearwater University in Anacortes Washington. "Captain Wooly?" and her crew specialize in custom instruction on boats of all types and sizes. Effective instruction on the water, online, and as a public presenter, is founded on her deep experience & leadership as a National Board Certified Teacher, and as a lifelong mariner of the Salish Sea & Inside Passage (including 18 years in SE Alaska). Shearwater University Instruction builds on each boaters individual boating background, learning style, their specific boat, and their marina/location, to help them meet their goals. Training all over the Salish Sea and beyond, boaters gain powerful skills, depth of knowledge, and earn internationally recognized US Sailing and US Powerboating Certifications.

Full-time sailors and USCG Masters with over 30,000 ocean miles, Julie and Gio Cappelli lead hands-on offshore sail training expeditions around the world, in partnership with John Neal. When not at sea, they teach cruising skills classes and workshops to help aspiring sailors prepare for safe, comfortable, and self-sufficient voyaging on their own boats. Both are ABYC and NMEA certified and graduates of SVC's Marine Maintenance Technology program, bringing a combination of technical expertise and real-world offshore experience. From passage planning and vessel systems to galley management and at-sea repairs, Gio and Julie draw on years of practical knowledge to help cruisers gain the confidence and skills needed to thrive on extended voyages.

USCG 100 Ton Master- A lifetime boater with over 30 years cruising experience in the PNW, John and his wife Deb Seger hn L. Seger - have cruised all over the Salish Sea, Inside Passage and SE Alaska. John can share his experience with operating and managing a boat as well as wringing the most from every boat buck along the way.

Capt. John Keizer, a well-known outdoor writer for local fishing magazines, newspapers but is best known in the Northwest as a pro angler, and seminar speaker. John can be regularly seen appearing on Angler West TV fishing for NW species or destination fishing around the world. His passion for introducing new anglers to the sport and led to his founding of his company Salt Patrol.

Trevor MacLachlan founded Seattle Seafaring in 2012. He holds a USCG 100 Ton Masters license and has over 45 years of sailing and power yacht experience in the Pacific Northwest and worldwide. Having spent his entire life sailing, Trevor is competent on virtually any sailing or power vessel from tiny sailing dinghies to over 85' luxury yachts. He has circumnavigated Vancouver Island twice and runs deliveries up and down the West Coast. A cruising highlight has been the two years cruising from Seattle down through the Panama Canal into the Caribbean with his young family aboard. Trevor provides professional training, consulting, and yacht deliveries worldwide on both sail and power, large and small.

Nathan grew up in Northern New Mexico, exploring the mountains and rivers of the American West. After serving in the Peace Corps in West Africa, he moved to Florida and transitioned into a life afloat. He has been a professional sailor for 10 years, as a deckhand and mate aboard super yachts, a delivery skipper, and for the last 6 years running Ocean Passages, a training passage business aboard his Compass 47 sloop, Ultima. He and his wife Vivian have sailed over 100,000 miles around the North Atlantic and have just crossed the Pacific currently via the Panama Canal, Galapagos, French Polynesia, Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji and are now in New Zealand on their way around the world.

Full-time sailors and USCG Masters with over 30,000 ocean miles, Julie and Gio Cappelli lead hands-on offshore sail training expeditions around the world, in partnership with John Neal. When not at sea, they teach cruising skills classes and workshops to help aspiring sailors prepare for safe, comfortable, and self-sufficient voyaging on their own boats. Both are ABYC and NMEA certified and graduates of SVC's Marine Maintenance Technology program, bringing a combination of technical expertise and real-world offshore experience. From passage planning and vessel systems to galley management and at-sea repairs, Gio and Julie draw on years of practical knowledge to help cruisers gain the confidence and skills needed to thrive on extended voyages.

Mark Bunzel is the Editor and Publisher of the Waggoner Cruising Guide, long considered the "bible" for Northwest and Inside Passage cruising. Ashley & Kyle Ripley are USCG captains and have cruised extensively including running the 2024 flotillas to Alaska. Michael Beemer is the department chair for Skagit Valley College’s marine maintenance and repair program. Michael has been presenting and teaching professionally for over 20 years and holds a master’s degree in education.

Will & Sarah Curry hatched a plan to sail to the South Pacific on their very first date! They've owned three boats in the past decade: a Beneteau First 405 on which they crossed the Pacific, a Jeanneau SO 43 they cruised extensively in California and Mexico, and now a Leopard 46 catamaran, purchased sight-unseen off Facebook in Greece in 2022. After living the Mediterranean dream, they are poised to cross the Atlantic to Caribbean waters in fall 2024, with their five-year twin boys as "crew."

Michael Beemer is the department chair for Skagit Valley College's marine maintenance and repair program. Michael has been presenting and teaching professionally for over 20 years and holds a master's degree in education. At the college he teaches all the systems courses, including ABYC certifications. He has cruised extensively from Anacortes to southeast Alaska for many years on a classic motor-sailor. In the cruising community, Michael is well known as "The Boat Doctor" who can diagnose and fix almost anything on a vessel. Some of the many topics he has done include: diesel engines, electrical systems, solar, new battery technologies, extended inside passage cruising, and more.

Will & Sarah Curry hatched a plan to sail to the South Pacific on their very first date! They've owned three boats in the past decade: a Beneteau First 405 on which they crossed the Pacific, a Jeanneau SO 43 they cruised extensively in California and Mexico, and now a Leopard 46 catamaran, purchased sight-unseen off Facebook in Greece in 2022. After living the Mediterranean dream, they are poised to cross the Atlantic to Caribbean waters in fall 2024, with their five-year twin boys as "crew."

Capt. Paul Kim has over 4 decades of fishing experience and has fished all over Washington state and beyond. His knowledge of fishing the central Puget Sound has helped anglers who have fished with him along with seminar attendees who have learned the techniques he has shared to bring them more success on the water. CPK runs a fishing charter service based out of Shilshole Bay Marina in the Ballard neighborhood. He fishes over 200 days a year and has been a regular seminar presenter for the Seattle Boat Show, member of the PSA organization, and has been an active volunteer for the WDFW for the past several years. In his free time, he enjoys the outdoors with his wife and 2 sons.

Ace Spragg has been teaching sailing since the age of 16, and especially enjoys helping folks "get over the hump" and start to use their boats with confidence. She specializes in teaching everyone to dock safely, anchor securely and understanding how to use tides and currents to your advantage underway. She managed and taught adult programs at the Northwest Maritime Center for 10 years, and is the Education Director at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding.

Mark Bunzel is the Editor and Publisher of the Waggoner Cruising Guide, long considered the "bible" for Northwest and Inside Passage cruising. Ashley & Kyle Ripley are USCG captains and have cruised extensively including running the 2024 flotillas to Alaska. Michael Beemer is the department chair for Skagit Valley College’s marine maintenance and repair program. Michael has been presenting and teaching professionally for over 20 years and holds a master’s degree in education.

Joe Pyburn brings a lifetime of hunting and fishing experience to the Outdoor Line radio show. He grew up in the "Ray's Bait" family, one of the largest fishing bait processors in the Pacific Northwest. Joe's got decades of experience plying the Puget Sound for salmon and the banks of Washington's famed rivers for steelhead. That knowledge led him to a job guiding anglers at a destination lodge in Alaska just out of high school and eventually to Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula where he guided for trophy rainbow trout for a season. His hunting knowledge runs just as deep and there are few hunters in the northwest with as much backcountry hunting experience as Joe. He's taken countless mule deer and elk in the backcountry of Washington, Idaho, and Montana and in the fall that's where you're likely to find him, in the backcountry. When he's not on the Outdoor Line radio show you'll find him at the helm of Ray's Bait processing and distributing bait of all kinds to tackle shops and anglers throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Full-time sailors and USCG Masters with over 30,000 ocean miles, Julie and Gio Cappelli lead hands-on offshore sail training expeditions around the world, in partnership with John Neal. When not at sea, they teach cruising skills classes and workshops to help aspiring sailors prepare for safe, comfortable, and self-sufficient voyaging on their own boats. Both are ABYC and NMEA certified and graduates of SVC's Marine Maintenance Technology program, bringing a combination of technical expertise and real-world offshore experience. From passage planning and vessel systems to galley management and at-sea repairs, Gio and Julie draw on years of practical knowledge to help cruisers gain the confidence and skills needed to thrive on extended voyages.

Captain Phyllis Woolwine is a leader in Maritime Education in the Northwest, and owner of Shearwater University in Anacortes Washington. "Captain Wooly?" and her crew specialize in custom instruction on boats of all types and sizes. Effective instruction on the water, online, and as a public presenter, is founded on her deep experience & leadership as a National Board Certified Teacher, and as a lifelong mariner of the Salish Sea & Inside Passage (including 18 years in SE Alaska). Shearwater University Instruction builds on each boaters individual boating background, learning style, their specific boat, and their marina/location, to help them meet their goals. Training all over the Salish Sea and beyond, boaters gain powerful skills, depth of knowledge, and earn internationally recognized US Sailing and US Powerboating Certifications.

Lisa Vizzini has been sailing since childhood in various types of boats from one design dinghies to heavy displacement cruisers. Her current passion is empowering sail boat owners with the knowledge and skills to sail NOT motor their sail boats. Lisa and her fine staff, operate PTR Rigging & Spars where they strive to provide sailors with the knowledge, skills and equipment to sail where they want to go.

Captain T (Tyler Schaul) has dedicated over half of his life to chasing salmon and steelhead in Washington state. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, he has spent countless days in pursuit of these fish. Now, Captain T finds the most fulfillment in watching others catch the fish he is so passionate about. On every trip, his goal is to have fun and provide the best experience possible on the water. Tyler is an insured and licensed USCG Captain. He operates a 21' Alumaweld Super Vee jet boat and a 16' Willie drift boat.

Since sailing away from Seattle in 1974, John Neal's 400,000+ offshore miles include six Cape Horn rounding's and expeditions to Antarctica, Africa, Australia and Spitsbergen. Since 1976 his focus has been helping over 10,000 want to be cruisers find and outfit their boats to fulfill their own cruising adventures.

Will & Sarah Curry hatched a plan to sail to the South Pacific on their very first date! They've owned three boats in the past decade: a Beneteau First 405 on which they crossed the Pacific, a Jeanneau SO 43 they cruised extensively in California and Mexico, and now a Leopard 46 catamaran, purchased sight-unseen off Facebook in Greece in 2022. After living the Mediterranean dream, they are poised to cross the Atlantic to Caribbean waters in fall 2024, with their five-year twin boys as "crew."

Erica Georgaklis grew up sailing and racing in New England before moving to the Pacific Northwest. Once there she quickly found a 1938 Ed. Monk sloop, moved aboard and began exploring the Salish Sea. Smitten with boat life and all things cruising, Erica now manages Port Townsend Sails under the Shipwright Coop and with the stellar crew at the loft. Erica and the crew take seriously sailors' reliance on their craftsmanship and their need for self-sufficiency. It is an honor to continue Carol Hasse's tradition in empowering sailors. While not at the sail loft Erica enjoys spending time with her partner and young son, sailing her boat "Blossom", and working on their homestead.

Mark Bunzel is the Editor and Publisher of the Waggoner Cruising Guide, long considered the "bible" for Northwest and Inside Passage cruising. Ashley & Kyle Ripley are USCG captains and have cruised extensively including running the 2024 flotillas to Alaska. Michael Beemer is the department chair for Skagit Valley College’s marine maintenance and repair program. Michael has been presenting and teaching professionally for over 20 years and holds a master’s degree in education.

Captain Phyllis Woolwine is a leader in Maritime Education in the Northwest, and owner of Shearwater University in Anacortes Washington. "Captain Wooly?" and her crew specialize in custom instruction on boats of all types and sizes. Effective instruction on the water, online, and as a public presenter, is founded on her deep experience & leadership as a National Board Certified Teacher, and as a lifelong mariner of the Salish Sea & Inside Passage (including 18 years in SE Alaska). Shearwater University Instruction builds on each boaters individual boating background, learning style, their specific boat, and their marina/location, to help them meet their goals. Training all over the Salish Sea and beyond, boaters gain powerful skills, depth of knowledge, and earn internationally recognized US Sailing and US Powerboating Certifications.

Capt. Paul Kim has over 4 decades of fishing experience and has fished all over Washington state and beyond. His knowledge of fishing the central Puget Sound has helped anglers who have fished with him along with seminar attendees who have learned the techniques he has shared to bring them more success on the water. CPK runs a fishing charter service based out of Shilshole Bay Marina in the Ballard neighborhood. He fishes over 200 days a year and has been a regular seminar presenter for the Seattle Boat Show, member of the PSA organization, and has been an active volunteer for the WDFW for the past several years. In his free time, he enjoys the outdoors with his wife and 2 sons.

Full-time sailors and USCG Masters with over 30,000 ocean miles, Julie and Gio Cappelli lead hands-on offshore sail training expeditions around the world, in partnership with John Neal. When not at sea, they teach cruising skills classes and workshops to help aspiring sailors prepare for safe, comfortable, and self-sufficient voyaging on their own boats. Both are ABYC and NMEA certified and graduates of SVC's Marine Maintenance Technology program, bringing a combination of technical expertise and real-world offshore experience. From passage planning and vessel systems to galley management and at-sea repairs, Gio and Julie draw on years of practical knowledge to help cruisers gain the confidence and skills needed to thrive on extended voyages.

Mark Bunzel is the Editor and Publisher of the Waggoner Cruising Guide, long considered the "bible" for Northwest and Inside Passage cruising. Ashley & Kyle Ripley are USCG captains and have cruised extensively including running the 2024 flotillas to Alaska. Michael Beemer is the department chair for Skagit Valley College’s marine maintenance and repair program. Michael has been presenting and teaching professionally for over 20 years and holds a master’s degree in education.

Meredith Anderson is a marine diesel mechanic and USCG 100-ton Master who runs her own business Madame Diesel. LLC. She has been teaching diesel and electrical classes for commercial and recreational mariners for approximately 8 years. Her business, Madame Diesel, LLC specializes in engine rebuilding, major and minor repair, AC/DC rewiring and education.

Captain T (Tyler Schaul) has dedicated over half of his life to chasing salmon and steelhead in Washington state. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, he has spent countless days in pursuit of these fish. Now, Captain T finds the most fulfillment in watching others catch the fish he is so passionate about. On every trip, his goal is to have fun and provide the best experience possible on the water. Tyler is an insured and licensed USCG Captain. He operates a 21' Alumaweld Super Vee jet boat and a 16' Willie drift boat.

Nathan grew up in Northern New Mexico, exploring the mountains and rivers of the American West. After serving in the Peace Corps in West Africa, he moved to Florida and transitioned into a life afloat. He has been a professional sailor for 10 years, as a deckhand and mate aboard super yachts, a delivery skipper, and for the last 6 years running Ocean Passages, a training passage business aboard his Compass 47 sloop, Ultima. He and his wife Vivian have sailed over 100,000 miles around the North Atlantic and have just crossed the Pacific currently via the Panama Canal, Galapagos, French Polynesia, Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji and are now in New Zealand on their way around the world.

Meredith Anderson is a marine diesel mechanic and USCG 100-ton Master who runs her own business Madame Diesel. LLC. She has been teaching diesel and electrical classes for commercial and recreational mariners for approximately 8 years. Her business, Madame Diesel, LLC specializes in engine rebuilding, major and minor repair, AC/DC rewiring and education.

Trevor MacLachlan founded Seattle Seafaring in 2012. He holds a USCG 100 Ton Masters license and has over 45 years of sailing and power yacht experience in the Pacific Northwest and worldwide. Having spent his entire life sailing, Trevor is competent on virtually any sailing or power vessel from tiny sailing dinghies to over 85' luxury yachts. He has circumnavigated Vancouver Island twice and runs deliveries up and down the West Coast. A cruising highlight has been the two years cruising from Seattle down through the Panama Canal into the Caribbean with his young family aboard. Trevor provides professional training, consulting, and yacht deliveries worldwide on both sail and power, large and small.

Several years ago after an extensive search, Kevin located a superior ceramic product for his own boat. Other boat owners began asking him to do their boats. Kevin directed them to the Seattle Boat Show but found there weren't any vendors at that time with knowledge of ceramic products, consequently his company was soon established. What sets Kevin apart from other ceramic installers is his 30+ experience in auto body repair. Others do not understand the importance of preparing the surface which is the most crucial part of the job. Without it the completed product (boat) will be inferior. Kevin takes satisfaction in projects that make things look new again whether it's renewing a boats gelcoat or hobbies he's involved in.

John Taussig- Founder of the nonprofits Backcountry and Maritime Medical Guides, John has spent 20+ years working on various ground and air rescue units as a flight medic, ski patroller, ambulance, and ranger paramedic. As an adventure cruiser and Merchant Mariner, he’s travelled to Alaska multiple times, and to points south via the Panama Canal on his Alajuela 38. In 2017, John crafted a makeshift trimaran from a Klepper sailing kayak and rowed to Alaska, raising $30,000 for Multiple Myeloma research grants. The experience inspired him to relocate to Bellingham, WA where he now lives with his wife and young son.

Full-time sailors and USCG Masters with over 30,000 ocean miles, Julie and Gio Cappelli lead hands-on offshore sail training expeditions around the world, in partnership with John Neal. When not at sea, they teach cruising skills classes and workshops to help aspiring sailors prepare for safe, comfortable, and self-sufficient voyaging on their own boats. Both are ABYC and NMEA certified and graduates of SVC's Marine Maintenance Technology program, bringing a combination of technical expertise and real-world offshore experience. From passage planning and vessel systems to galley management and at-sea repairs, Gio and Julie draw on years of practical knowledge to help cruisers gain the confidence and skills needed to thrive on extended voyages.

Lili Colby is the Industry & Outreach Representative for Mustang Survival. She is a board of director of the Canadian Safe Boating Council and the Paddlesports Trade Coalition and a member of the NASBLA Paddlesports Committee. She has recently been appointed to the Sea Tow Foundation's Boating Safety Advisory Council and is a judge for the 2025 National Boating Safety Awards. A lifelong boater from Wisconsin, Lili enjoys paddling, whitewater packrafting, and sailing a Star with her husband on Lake Sunapee, NH.

Will & Sarah Curry hatched a plan to sail to the South Pacific on their very first date! They've owned three boats in the past decade: a Beneteau First 405 on which they crossed the Pacific, a Jeanneau SO 43 they cruised extensively in California and Mexico, and now a Leopard 46 catamaran, purchased sight-unseen off Facebook in Greece in 2022. After living the Mediterranean dream, they are poised to cross the Atlantic to Caribbean waters in fall 2024, with their five-year twin boys as "crew."

Will & Sarah Curry hatched a plan to sail to the South Pacific on their very first date! They've owned three boats in the past decade: a Beneteau First 405 on which they crossed the Pacific, a Jeanneau SO 43 they cruised extensively in California and Mexico, and now a Leopard 46 catamaran, purchased sight-unseen off Facebook in Greece in 2022. After living the Mediterranean dream, they are poised to cross the Atlantic to Caribbean waters in fall 2024, with their five-year twin boys as "crew."

Jamie Propst: creator of Anglers Unlimited, a company focused on teaching boaters how to get started saltwater fishing in the PNW. She describes herself as fish-obsessed, enjoying everything from slaying kings in the San Juan Islands, Winter clam digging, to backcountry fly fishing on the John Muir Trail. As an active member of Puget Sound Anglers, Jamie's passion for fishing has grown beyond creating memories with the family. She loves connecting with other avid anglers and sharing tips, tactics, and resources that help more people enjoy the adventure of fishing our local waters. Scott Propst: A retired Navy Officer having spent 24 years in the Navy, has recreationally fished extensively in SE Alaska and in the PNW for 20+ years, he is a licensed coast guard captain and runs the Anglers Unlimited fishing charters in the San Juan Islands with a passion to help others catch their first fish.

John Taussig- Founder of the nonprofits Backcountry and Maritime Medical Guides, John has spent 20+ years working on various ground and air rescue units as a flight medic, ski patroller, ambulance, and ranger paramedic. As an adventure cruiser and Merchant Mariner, he’s travelled to Alaska multiple times, and to points south via the Panama Canal on his Alajuela 38. In 2017, John crafted a makeshift trimaran from a Klepper sailing kayak and rowed to Alaska, raising $30,000 for Multiple Myeloma research grants. The experience inspired him to relocate to Bellingham, WA where he now lives with his wife and young son.

Jamie Propst: creator of Anglers Unlimited, a company focused on teaching boaters how to get started saltwater fishing in the PNW. She describes herself as fish-obsessed, enjoying everything from slaying kings in the San Juan Islands, Winter clam digging, to backcountry fly fishing on the John Muir Trail. As an active member of Puget Sound Anglers, Jamie's passion for fishing has grown beyond creating memories with the family. She loves connecting with other avid anglers and sharing tips, tactics, and resources that help more people enjoy the adventure of fishing our local waters. Scott Propst: A retired Navy Officer having spent 24 years in the Navy, has recreationally fished extensively in SE Alaska and in the PNW for 20+ years, he is a licensed coast guard captain and runs the Anglers Unlimited fishing charters in the San Juan Islands with a passion to help others catch their first fish.

Lisa Vizzini has been sailing since childhood in various types of boats from one design dinghies to heavy displacement cruisers. Her current passion is empowering sail boat owners with the knowledge and skills to sail NOT motor their sail boats. Lisa and her fine staff, operate PTR Rigging & Spars where they strive to provide sailors with the knowledge, skills and equipment to sail where they want to go.

Erica Georgaklis grew up sailing and racing in New England before moving to the Pacific Northwest. Once there she quickly found a 1938 Ed. Monk sloop, moved aboard and began exploring the Salish Sea. Smitten with boat life and all things cruising, Erica now manages Port Townsend Sails under the Shipwright Coop and with the stellar crew at the loft. Erica and the crew take seriously sailors' reliance on their craftsmanship and their need for self-sufficiency. It is an honor to continue Carol Hasse's tradition in empowering sailors. While not at the sail loft Erica enjoys spending time with her partner and young son, sailing her boat "Blossom", and working on their homestead.

Ace Spragg has been teaching sailing since the age of 16, and especially enjoys helping folks "get over the hump" and start to use their boats with confidence. She specializes in teaching everyone to dock safely, anchor securely and understanding how to use tides and currents to your advantage underway. She managed and taught adult programs at the Northwest Maritime Center for 10 years, and is the Education Director at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding.

Tommy Donlin has been fishing the Pacific Northwest Waters since he learned how to walk and has spent extensive time fishing coastal waters in pursuit of halibut, lingcod, salmon, and tuna. He's also taken his love for fishing abroad and has traversed the waters of Florida, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, and Costa Rica for a variety of species. Tommy is systematic and detailed in his seminars to provide the greatest amount of knowledge to those in attendance. His goal is to help anglers maximize their enjoyment on the water by catching more fish. Tommy is a tournament fisherman with many wins under his belt, has competed in the IGFA Offshore World Championship, and freely shares his knowledge.

John Taussig- Founder of the nonprofits Backcountry and Maritime Medical Guides, John has spent 20+ years working on various ground and air rescue units as a flight medic, ski patroller, ambulance, and ranger paramedic. As an adventure cruiser and Merchant Mariner, he’s travelled to Alaska multiple times, and to points south via the Panama Canal on his Alajuela 38. In 2017, John crafted a makeshift trimaran from a Klepper sailing kayak and rowed to Alaska, raising $30,000 for Multiple Myeloma research grants. The experience inspired him to relocate to Bellingham, WA where he now lives with his wife and young son.

Erica Georgaklis grew up sailing and racing in New England before moving to the Pacific Northwest. Once there she quickly found a 1938 Ed. Monk sloop, moved aboard and began exploring the Salish Sea. Smitten with boat life and all things cruising, Erica now manages Port Townsend Sails under the Shipwright Coop and with the stellar crew at the loft. Erica and the crew take seriously sailors' reliance on their craftsmanship and their need for self-sufficiency. It is an honor to continue Carol Hasse's tradition in empowering sailors. While not at the sail loft Erica enjoys spending time with her partner and young son, sailing her boat "Blossom", and working on their homestead.

Tommy Donlin has been fishing the Pacific Northwest Waters since he learned how to walk and has spent extensive time fishing coastal waters in pursuit of halibut, lingcod, salmon, and tuna. He's also taken his love for fishing abroad and has traversed the waters of Florida, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, and Costa Rica for a variety of species. Tommy is systematic and detailed in his seminars to provide the greatest amount of knowledge to those in attendance. His goal is to help anglers maximize their enjoyment on the water by catching more fish. Tommy is a tournament fisherman with many wins under his belt, has competed in the IGFA Offshore World Championship, and freely shares his knowledge.

Ace Spragg has been teaching sailing since the age of 16, and especially enjoys helping folks "get over the hump" and start to use their boats with confidence. She specializes in teaching everyone to dock safely, anchor securely and understanding how to use tides and currents to your advantage underway. She managed and taught adult programs at the Northwest Maritime Center for 10 years, and is the Education Director at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding.

In 2007 Joy Archer and Harry Pattison bought a Mason 44 sailboat, Oh Joy II. They spent the next several years outfitting the boat for global cruising and learning how to collaborate on survival in the challenging Pacific Northwest cruising grounds. The couple sailed from Seattle to New Zealand and back from 2021 to 2023. They have both published articles in Cruising World Magazine and speak regularly at the Seattle Boat Show. Harry works as a waterman of all stripes and is an ASA-certified instructor. Harry captains the Oh Joy for charters, trains couples how to handle their own boats, and consults on boat systems. Joy is a writer in the tech industry and is currently seeking an agent for the memoir she wrote of their two-year odyssey at sea."

Jamie Propst: creator of Anglers Unlimited, a company focused on teaching boaters how to get started saltwater fishing in the PNW. She describes herself as fish-obsessed, enjoying everything from slaying kings in the San Juan Islands, Winter clam digging, to backcountry fly fishing on the John Muir Trail. As an active member of Puget Sound Anglers, Jamie's passion for fishing has grown beyond creating memories with the family. She loves connecting with other avid anglers and sharing tips, tactics, and resources that help more people enjoy the adventure of fishing our local waters. Scott Propst: A retired Navy Officer having spent 24 years in the Navy, has recreationally fished extensively in SE Alaska and in the PNW for 20+ years, he is a licensed coast guard captain and runs the Anglers Unlimited fishing charters in the San Juan Islands with a passion to help others catch their first fish.

Editor-in-Chief, Nautical Northwest

Michael Beemer is the department chair for Skagit Valley College's marine maintenance and repair program. Michael has been presenting and teaching professionally for over 20 years and holds a master's degree in education. At the college he teaches all the systems courses, including ABYC certifications. He has cruised extensively from Anacortes to southeast Alaska for many years on a classic motor-sailor. In the cruising community, Michael is well known as "The Boat Doctor" who can diagnose and fix almost anything on a vessel. Some of the many topics he has done include: diesel engines, electrical systems, solar, new battery technologies, extended inside passage cruising, and more.

Margaret Willson is an Anthropologist researching women working in the maritime, particularly in Arctic regions. Before becoming an Anthropologist, she worked on fishing boats as a deckhand in Oregon, and later Tasmania. She grew up in a fishing community and has been around the sea her entire life.

Capt. Linda Lewis has boated the Inside Passage for 40 years, with nine trips to SE AK. She has an educator background as a U of WA Associate Professor Emeritus. She has taught power boaters for 25 years in the Pacific NW, via her company - Private Boating Instruction LLC. Linda holds a USCG 100 Ton Master's License. Additionally, she is a member of the USCG Auxiliary and teaches a comprehensive Navigation class annually (early spring; 9 weeks; via Zoom) for the public.

Captain Margaret Pommert is a popular sailing and power boating instructor. She is VP for Safety at Sea for The Sailing Foundation and organizes their annual US Sailing International Offshore Safety at Sea training. Margaret chairs the US Sailing Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal Award Committee, a national award which recognizes a significant accomplishment in seamanship which has saved a life, and collects case studies in rescues for analysis by the US Sailing Safety-at-Sea Committee. She's an appointed member of WA State Boating Program Advisory Council, providing recommendations on ways to enhance boating safety statewide. Sheds very active in the local boating community; racing, cruising, and promoting Safety at Sea and Northwest Women in Boating.

Wendy Hinman has published articles in a variety of publications, especially ones boaters like to read, and is the award-winning author of two hit books: Tightwads on the Loose and Sea Trials. She is a regular speaker at yacht clubs and boat shows around the country and her presentations are filled with examples and infused with humor. She grew up sailing and has cruised and raced in venues around the globe in all sorts of boats as skipper and crew, sometimes winning. She spent seven years at sea, sailing 34,000 miles aboard a small, simple boat and learned the most essential ingredient aboard is a sense of humor. She and her husband are currently building and outfitting a boat for more cruising adventures. www.wendyhinman.com

Lili Colby is the Industry & Outreach Representative for Mustang Survival. She is a board of director of the Canadian Safe Boating Council and the Paddlesports Trade Coalition and a member of the NASBLA Paddlesports Committee. She has recently been appointed to the Sea Tow Foundation's Boating Safety Advisory Council and is a judge for the 2025 National Boating Safety Awards. A lifelong boater from Wisconsin, Lili enjoys paddling, whitewater packrafting, and sailing a Star with her husband on Lake Sunapee, NH.

Wendy Hinman has published articles in a variety of publications, especially ones boaters like to read, and is the award-winning author of two hit books: Tightwads on the Loose and Sea Trials. She is a regular speaker at yacht clubs and boat shows around the country and her presentations are filled with examples and infused with humor. She grew up sailing and has cruised and raced in venues around the globe in all sorts of boats as skipper and crew, sometimes winning. She spent seven years at sea, sailing 34,000 miles aboard a small, simple boat and learned the most essential ingredient aboard is a sense of humor. She and her husband are currently building and outfitting a boat for more cruising adventures. www.wendyhinman.com

Captain Phyllis Woolwine is a leader in Maritime Education in the Northwest, and owner of Shearwater University in Anacortes Washington. "Captain Wooly?" and her crew specialize in custom instruction on boats of all types and sizes. Effective instruction on the water, online, and as a public presenter, is founded on her deep experience & leadership as a National Board Certified Teacher, and as a lifelong mariner of the Salish Sea & Inside Passage (including 18 years in SE Alaska). Shearwater University Instruction builds on each boaters individual boating background, learning style, their specific boat, and their marina/location, to help them meet their goals. Training all over the Salish Sea and beyond, boaters gain powerful skills, depth of knowledge, and earn internationally recognized US Sailing and US Powerboating Certifications.

Rachel Wold has taught navigation, participated in USCG Auxiliary safety cruises, and piloted boats through the Inside Passage. She is an oceanographer at the UW Applied Physics Lab leading cruises to monitor water quality. Combining her boating and science backgrounds, she is currently Engagement Lead for the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS), demonstrating the NANOOS Boaters App to recreational boaters and collecting feedback to enhance usability.

Captain Phyllis Woolwine is a leader in Maritime Education in the Northwest, and owner of Shearwater University in Anacortes Washington. "Captain Wooly?" and her crew specialize in custom instruction on boats of all types and sizes. Effective instruction on the water, online, and as a public presenter, is founded on her deep experience & leadership as a National Board Certified Teacher, and as a lifelong mariner of the Salish Sea & Inside Passage (including 18 years in SE Alaska). Shearwater University Instruction builds on each boaters individual boating background, learning style, their specific boat, and their marina/location, to help them meet their goals. Training all over the Salish Sea and beyond, boaters gain powerful skills, depth of knowledge, and earn internationally recognized US Sailing and US Powerboating Certifications.

Capt. Linda Lewis has boated the Inside Passage for 40 years, with nine trips to SE AK. She has an educator background as a U of WA Associate Professor Emeritus. She has taught power boaters for 25 years in the Pacific NW, via her company - Private Boating Instruction LLC. Linda holds a USCG 100 Ton Master's License. Additionally, she is a member of the USCG Auxiliary and teaches a comprehensive Navigation class annually (early spring; 9 weeks; via Zoom) for the public.

Captain Margaret Pommert is a popular sailing and power boating instructor. She is VP for Safety at Sea for The Sailing Foundation and organizes their annual US Sailing International Offshore Safety at Sea training. Margaret chairs the US Sailing Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal Award Committee, a national award which recognizes a significant accomplishment in seamanship which has saved a life, and collects case studies in rescues for analysis by the US Sailing Safety-at-Sea Committee. She's an appointed member of WA State Boating Program Advisory Council, providing recommendations on ways to enhance boating safety statewide. Sheds very active in the local boating community; racing, cruising, and promoting Safety at Sea and Northwest Women in Boating.

Captain Dan Myers was raised in Washington State and has been fishing his whole life. With more than 25 years of Puget Sound experience, he specializes in Area 10 and 9, and has extensive time on Areas 11 and 13 as well. A former U.S. Marine and a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserves, Dan brings discipline, passion, and a deep respect for the marine environment to every trip. He owns HuntFishPNW Salmon Charter, based in Edmonds, WA, and holds a valid 6-pack license with near-shore endorsement. Dan’s seminar, “Fishing the Puget Sound for Salmon: Focus on Area 10,” shares practical insights, tactics, and the local know-how that help anglers of all levels enjoy productive days on the water.

Will & Sarah Curry hatched a plan to sail to the South Pacific on their very first date! They've owned three boats in the past decade: a Beneteau First 405 on which they crossed the Pacific, a Jeanneau SO 43 they cruised extensively in California and Mexico, and now a Leopard 46 catamaran, purchased sight-unseen off Facebook in Greece in 2022. After living the Mediterranean dream, they are poised to cross the Atlantic to Caribbean waters in fall 2024, with their five-year twin boys as "crew."

Ace Spragg has been teaching sailing since the age of 16, and especially enjoys helping folks "get over the hump" and start to use their boats with confidence. She specializes in teaching everyone to dock safely, anchor securely and understanding how to use tides and currents to your advantage underway. She managed and taught adult programs at the Northwest Maritime Center for 10 years, and is the Education Director at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding.

After 23 year careers as engineering officers in the Canadian Armed Forces, Elizabeth and her husband, Max, decided it was time for an adventure that they could share with their two young children, so they sold their home in Nova Scotia and sailed from Anacortes, WA to Victoria, BC via the South Pacific, New Zealand, Micronesia and Alaska, a journey of 36,000 nm and 7 ½ years. Their third baby was born in Mexico, celebrated his first birthday on arrival in New Zealand, and turned six as they returned to Canada. Elizabeth and Max live aboard their Stevens 47 in Sidney, BC and now enjoy helping others launch off on their own adventures. In the past few years, they have helped people get started in 18 different countries.

Ace Spragg has been teaching sailing since the age of 16, and especially enjoys helping folks "get over the hump" and start to use their boats with confidence. She specializes in teaching everyone to dock safely, anchor securely and understanding how to use tides and currents to your advantage underway. She managed and taught adult programs at the Northwest Maritime Center for 10 years, and is the Education Director at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding.

If you sleep in on Saturday mornings, you've probably never heard Tom "Nelly" Nelson on 710 ESPN Seattle's "The Outdoor Line" airing from 6-9am. Now in his 12th year in Seattle radio, "Nelly" fishing background comes through a lifetime of experience fishing for salmon, steelhead, bottom fish and trout in Washington's lakes, rivers and his beloved Puget Sound. Tom has a degree in Fisheries Biology from the University of Washington and is an Acting Fireboat Pilot with the Seattle Fire Department.

Jennifer Silva Redmond, author of the award-winning memoir Honeymoon at Sea: How I Found Myself Living on a Small Boat, has lived aboard small sailboats since 1989. She and her husband Russel sailed the coast of California, Baja and mainland Mexico, Central America through the Panama Canal to Florida and the Gulf Coast. For the last four years, they have been sailing Puget Sound, The San Juan and Gulf Islands, and, most recently, British Columbia. Jennifer has spoken to dozens of audiences from yacht clubs to service groups and taught writing and editing classes at numerous conferences in Oregon and California.

Capt. Linda Lewis has boated the Inside Passage for 40 years, with nine trips to SE AK. She has an educator background as a U of WA Associate Professor Emeritus. She has taught power boaters for 25 years in the Pacific NW, via her company - Private Boating Instruction LLC. Linda holds a USCG 100 Ton Master's License. Additionally, she is a member of the USCG Auxiliary and teaches a comprehensive Navigation class annually (early spring; 9 weeks; via Zoom) for the public.

Captain Margaret Pommert is a popular sailing and power boating instructor. She is VP for Safety at Sea for The Sailing Foundation and organizes their annual US Sailing International Offshore Safety at Sea training. Margaret chairs the US Sailing Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal Award Committee, a national award which recognizes a significant accomplishment in seamanship which has saved a life, and collects case studies in rescues for analysis by the US Sailing Safety-at-Sea Committee. She's an appointed member of WA State Boating Program Advisory Council, providing recommendations on ways to enhance boating safety statewide. Sheds very active in the local boating community; racing, cruising, and promoting Safety at Sea and Northwest Women in Boating.

Full-time sailors and USCG Masters with over 30,000 ocean miles, Julie and Gio Cappelli lead hands-on offshore sail training expeditions around the world, in partnership with John Neal. When not at sea, they teach cruising skills classes and workshops to help aspiring sailors prepare for safe, comfortable, and self-sufficient voyaging on their own boats. Both are ABYC and NMEA certified and graduates of SVC's Marine Maintenance Technology program, bringing a combination of technical expertise and real-world offshore experience. From passage planning and vessel systems to galley management and at-sea repairs, Gio and Julie draw on years of practical knowledge to help cruisers gain the confidence and skills needed to thrive on extended voyages.

Joe Pyburn brings a lifetime of hunting and fishing experience to the Outdoor Line radio show. He grew up in the "Ray's Bait" family, one of the largest fishing bait processors in the Pacific Northwest. Joe's got decades of experience plying the Puget Sound for salmon and the banks of Washington's famed rivers for steelhead. That knowledge led him to a job guiding anglers at a destination lodge in Alaska just out of high school and eventually to Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula where he guided for trophy rainbow trout for a season. His hunting knowledge runs just as deep and there are few hunters in the northwest with as much backcountry hunting experience as Joe. He's taken countless mule deer and elk in the backcountry of Washington, Idaho, and Montana and in the fall that's where you're likely to find him, in the backcountry. When he's not on the Outdoor Line radio show you'll find him at the helm of Ray's Bait processing and distributing bait of all kinds to tackle shops and anglers throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Tracy Sarich is an offshore and coastal sailor, instructor, delivery skipper, and founder of Voyage Makers Coastal Adventures Ltd. Tracy has worked with hundreds of charter clients to become bareboat qualified and prepare for offshore cruising on sail, power, and catamarans. Tracy is a frequent trainer and speaker at the Vancouver and Toronto Int’l Boat Shows and Women on Water seminars for Bluewater Cruising Assn. She also designs speaker series in B.C., including the Women’s Initiative at the 2025 Vancouver Int’l Boat Show. Her passion for teaching comes from her own experience learning to sail as an adult and from decades as a boat owner, including her current Hylas 54, Valerie May, which she sails out of Victoria, B.C. Shirline Wilson is a strategic advisor to senior leaders and founder of Convergent Strategic Consulting. She partners with C-suite executives on crisis management, organizational culture, and leadership strategy. She is a frequent speaker and workshop facilitator for executives and business owners focused on building resilient, high-performing teams. Specializing in interpersonal communication and inclusion, she also leads a coalition of global employers advancing workplace culture. As part of the Voyage Makers team, she spearheads leadership and retreat programming, bringing a fresh perspective by translating lessons from the water into practical insights for personal and professional growth.

If you sleep in on Saturday mornings, you've probably never heard Tom "Nelly" Nelson on 710 ESPN Seattle's "The Outdoor Line" airing from 6-9am. Now in his 12th year in Seattle radio, "Nelly" fishing background comes through a lifetime of experience fishing for salmon, steelhead, bottom fish and trout in Washington's lakes, rivers and his beloved Puget Sound. Tom has a degree in Fisheries Biology from the University of Washington and is an Acting Fireboat Pilot with the Seattle Fire Department.

Full-time sailors and USCG Masters with over 30,000 ocean miles, Julie and Gio Cappelli lead hands-on offshore sail training expeditions around the world, in partnership with John Neal. When not at sea, they teach cruising skills classes and workshops to help aspiring sailors prepare for safe, comfortable, and self-sufficient voyaging on their own boats. Both are ABYC and NMEA certified and graduates of SVC's Marine Maintenance Technology program, bringing a combination of technical expertise and real-world offshore experience. From passage planning and vessel systems to galley management and at-sea repairs, Gio and Julie draw on years of practical knowledge to help cruisers gain the confidence and skills needed to thrive on extended voyages.

Capt. Linda Lewis has boated the Inside Passage for 40 years, with nine trips to SE AK. She has an educator background as a U of WA Associate Professor Emeritus. She has taught power boaters for 25 years in the Pacific NW, via her company - Private Boating Instruction LLC. Linda holds a USCG 100 Ton Master's License. Additionally, she is a member of the USCG Auxiliary and teaches a comprehensive Navigation class annually (early spring; 9 weeks; via Zoom) for the public.

Captain Margaret Pommert is a popular sailing and power boating instructor. She is VP for Safety at Sea for The Sailing Foundation and organizes their annual US Sailing International Offshore Safety at Sea training. Margaret chairs the US Sailing Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal Award Committee, a national award which recognizes a significant accomplishment in seamanship which has saved a life, and collects case studies in rescues for analysis by the US Sailing Safety-at-Sea Committee. She's an appointed member of WA State Boating Program Advisory Council, providing recommendations on ways to enhance boating safety statewide. Sheds very active in the local boating community; racing, cruising, and promoting Safety at Sea and Northwest Women in Boating.

Chuck Skewes is a professional sailor and avid cruiser. He has participated in 8 Baja Haha's, raced to Hawaii 13 times, won 4 North American Championships and 1 World Championship. He has been a sailmaker for 42 years and is very active in Northwest sailing, Southern California Sailing and Mexico Sailing.

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.

Jennifer Silva Redmond, author of the award-winning memoir Honeymoon at Sea: How I Found Myself Living on a Small Boat, has lived aboard small sailboats since 1989. She and her husband Russel sailed the coast of California, Baja and mainland Mexico, Central America through the Panama Canal to Florida and the Gulf Coast. For the last four years, they have been sailing Puget Sound, The San Juan and Gulf Islands, and, most recently, British Columbia. Jennifer has spoken to dozens of audiences from yacht clubs to service groups and taught writing and editing classes at numerous conferences in Oregon and California.

Captain Margaret Pommert is a popular sailing and power boating instructor. She is VP for Safety at Sea for The Sailing Foundation and organizes their annual US Sailing International Offshore Safety at Sea training. Margaret chairs the US Sailing Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal Award Committee, a national award which recognizes a significant accomplishment in seamanship which has saved a life, and collects case studies in rescues for analysis by the US Sailing Safety-at-Sea Committee. She's an appointed member of WA State Boating Program Advisory Council, providing recommendations on ways to enhance boating safety statewide. Sheds very active in the local boating community; racing, cruising, and promoting Safety at Sea and Northwest Women in Boating.

If you sleep in on Saturday mornings, you've probably never heard Tom "Nelly" Nelson on 710 ESPN Seattle's "The Outdoor Line" airing from 6-9am. Now in his 12th year in Seattle radio, "Nelly" fishing background comes through a lifetime of experience fishing for salmon, steelhead, bottom fish and trout in Washington's lakes, rivers and his beloved Puget Sound. Tom has a degree in Fisheries Biology from the University of Washington and is an Acting Fireboat Pilot with the Seattle Fire Department.

Rachel Wold has taught navigation, participated in USCG Auxiliary safety cruises, and piloted boats through the Inside Passage. She is an oceanographer at the UW Applied Physics Lab leading cruises to monitor water quality. Combining her boating and science backgrounds, she is currently Engagement Lead for the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS), demonstrating the NANOOS Boaters App to recreational boaters and collecting feedback to enhance usability.

Michael Beemer is the department chair for Skagit Valley College's marine maintenance and repair program. Michael has been presenting and teaching professionally for over 20 years and holds a master's degree in education. At the college he teaches all the systems courses, including ABYC certifications. He has cruised extensively from Anacortes to southeast Alaska for many years on a classic motor-sailor. In the cruising community, Michael is well known as "The Boat Doctor" who can diagnose and fix almost anything on a vessel. Some of the many topics he has done include: diesel engines, electrical systems, solar, new battery technologies, extended inside passage cruising, and more.

Captain Dan Myers was raised in Washington State and has been fishing his whole life. With more than 25 years of Puget Sound experience, he specializes in Area 10 and 9, and has extensive time on Areas 11 and 13 as well. A former U.S. Marine and a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserves, Dan brings discipline, passion, and a deep respect for the marine environment to every trip. He owns HuntFishPNW Salmon Charter, based in Edmonds, WA, and holds a valid 6-pack license with near-shore endorsement. Dan’s seminar, “Fishing the Puget Sound for Salmon: Focus on Area 10,” shares practical insights, tactics, and the local know-how that help anglers of all levels enjoy productive days on the water.

Pam founded Sisters in Action Sports (SAS) after 9 years of Directorship of the Snow Division for GRO. Her passion for the organic flow for the ladies in action sports led her to see the “Sisterhood” as something bigger and ground uncharted. In 2016 SAS was formed. Pam’s vision for progression, community and growth for all females is non-stopping. She found her own strength as a single parent and recovery from cancer in the life lessons she gained from what she calls LIFE SPORTS. The lessons of knowing how to fall and get up again, face fears, celebrate success and have a good laugh while doing it all have got her through. It’s this strength and a big smile that she brings to the sisterhood.

Dan Heyl is an ABYC-certified Marine Electrician and an accomplished racing and cruising sailor. An active member of the local Thistle fleet and former Junior National Champion in Flying Scots, Dan brings both technical expertise and hands-on sailing experience to his work. He has an extensive background in watermaker design and service, as well as in developing effective warranty solutions for marine systems.

Since sailing away from Seattle in 1974, John Neal's 400,000+ offshore miles include six Cape Horn rounding's and expeditions to Antarctica, Africa, Australia and Spitsbergen. Since 1976 his focus has been helping over 10,000 want to be cruisers find and outfit their boats to fulfill their own cruising adventures.

Captain Margaret Pommert is a popular sailing and power boating instructor. She is VP for Safety at Sea for The Sailing Foundation and organizes their annual US Sailing International Offshore Safety at Sea training. Margaret chairs the US Sailing Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal Award Committee, a national award which recognizes a significant accomplishment in seamanship which has saved a life, and collects case studies in rescues for analysis by the US Sailing Safety-at-Sea Committee. She's an appointed member of WA State Boating Program Advisory Council, providing recommendations on ways to enhance boating safety statewide. Sheds very active in the local boating community; racing, cruising, and promoting Safety at Sea and Northwest Women in Boating.

If you sleep in on Saturday mornings, you've probably never heard Tom "Nelly" Nelson on 710 ESPN Seattle's "The Outdoor Line" airing from 6-9am. Now in his 12th year in Seattle radio, "Nelly" fishing background comes through a lifetime of experience fishing for salmon, steelhead, bottom fish and trout in Washington's lakes, rivers and his beloved Puget Sound. Tom has a degree in Fisheries Biology from the University of Washington and is an Acting Fireboat Pilot with the Seattle Fire Department.

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.

I and Sevenstar Yacht Transport have been visiting your boat show for 12 years now some years with a booth and other just walking and talking to the local folks and vendors. I thought it would be better serve the yachting community of Seattle if I can center my visit around a multimedia presentation during your boat show. Sevenstar yacht transport is the #1 yacht transport company in the world with over 2000 units moved on average each year. We are a subsidiary of a Dutch shipping group, The Spliethoff group. We have access to over 85 ships with their own cranes as well as Semisubmersible ships via our sister company DYT. We transport a wide variety of yachts, tug boats, military crafts etc. We have a lot of information to share about the shipping process from end to end as well as the common practices and things to avoid.

Joe Pyburn brings a lifetime of hunting and fishing experience to the Outdoor Line radio show. He grew up in the "Ray's Bait" family, one of the largest fishing bait processors in the Pacific Northwest. Joe's got decades of experience plying the Puget Sound for salmon and the banks of Washington's famed rivers for steelhead. That knowledge led him to a job guiding anglers at a destination lodge in Alaska just out of high school and eventually to Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula where he guided for trophy rainbow trout for a season. His hunting knowledge runs just as deep and there are few hunters in the northwest with as much backcountry hunting experience as Joe. He's taken countless mule deer and elk in the backcountry of Washington, Idaho, and Montana and in the fall that's where you're likely to find him, in the backcountry. When he's not on the Outdoor Line radio show you'll find him at the helm of Ray's Bait processing and distributing bait of all kinds to tackle shops and anglers throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Zack Smith is an internationally recognized expert in the design and use of Para-Anchors and Storm Drogues. Smith continues to work with the US Navy and NASA to not only build better safety devices, but to simplify their use.

Mike is a life-long boater and 30-year veteran of the marine industry. His passion for sailing and powerboating has inspired him to learn as much about boats and marine systems as possible. Mike is a professionally trained Marine Surveyor and Marine Canvas Fabricator. He has seven ABYC Certifications, including Marine Electrical, Corrosion, Systems, Diesel Engines, AC/Refrigeration, and more. In previous roles, Mike has managed sailboat rigging shops and installed & serviced marine systems. He has also worked for many of the industry’s premier manufacturers and suppliers of heating systems, marine hardware, running gear components, and propellers. When not helping his clients, Mike and his wife Linda can be found cruising in Northwest waters on their 40-foot trawler or racing around the buoys on their 30-foot sailboat.

Nathan grew up in Northern New Mexico, exploring the mountains and rivers of the American West. After serving in the Peace Corps in West Africa, he moved to Florida and transitioned into a life afloat. He has been a professional sailor for 10 years, as a deckhand and mate aboard super yachts, a delivery skipper, and for the last 6 years running Ocean Passages, a training passage business aboard his Compass 47 sloop, Ultima. He and his wife Vivian have sailed over 100,000 miles around the North Atlantic and have just crossed the Pacific currently via the Panama Canal, Galapagos, French Polynesia, Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji and are now in New Zealand on their way around the world.

Chuck Skewes is a professional sailor and avid cruiser. He has participated in 8 Baja Haha's, raced to Hawaii 13 times, won 4 North American Championships and 1 World Championship. He has been a sailmaker for 42 years and is very active in Northwest sailing, Southern California Sailing and Mexico Sailing.

Ace Spragg has been teaching sailing since the age of 16, and especially enjoys helping folks "get over the hump" and start to use their boats with confidence. She specializes in teaching everyone to dock safely, anchor securely and understanding how to use tides and currents to your advantage underway. She managed and taught adult programs at the Northwest Maritime Center for 10 years, and is the Education Director at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding.

John Taussig- Founder of the nonprofits Backcountry and Maritime Medical Guides, John has spent 20+ years working on various ground and air rescue units as a flight medic, ski patroller, ambulance, and ranger paramedic. As an adventure cruiser and Merchant Mariner, he’s travelled to Alaska multiple times, and to points south via the Panama Canal on his Alajuela 38. In 2017, John crafted a makeshift trimaran from a Klepper sailing kayak and rowed to Alaska, raising $30,000 for Multiple Myeloma research grants. The experience inspired him to relocate to Bellingham, WA where he now lives with his wife and young son.

Rachel Wold has taught navigation, participated in USCG Auxiliary safety cruises, and piloted boats through the Inside Passage. She is an oceanographer at the UW Applied Physics Lab leading cruises to monitor water quality. Combining her boating and science backgrounds, she is currently Engagement Lead for the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS), demonstrating the NANOOS Boaters App to recreational boaters and collecting feedback to enhance usability.

Capt. John Keizer, a well-known outdoor writer for local fishing magazines, newspapers but is best known in the Northwest as a pro angler, and seminar speaker. John can be regularly seen appearing on Angler West TV fishing for NW species or destination fishing around the world. His passion for introducing new anglers to the sport and led to his founding of his company Salt Patrol.

Captain Margaret Pommert is a popular sailing and power boating instructor. She is VP for Safety at Sea for The Sailing Foundation and organizes their annual US Sailing International Offshore Safety at Sea training. Margaret chairs the US Sailing Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal Award Committee, a national award which recognizes a significant accomplishment in seamanship which has saved a life, and collects case studies in rescues for analysis by the US Sailing Safety-at-Sea Committee. She's an appointed member of WA State Boating Program Advisory Council, providing recommendations on ways to enhance boating safety statewide. Sheds very active in the local boating community; racing, cruising, and promoting Safety at Sea and Northwest Women in Boating.

Zack Smith is an internationally recognized expert in the design and use of Para-Anchors and Storm Drogues. Smith continues to work with the US Navy and NASA to not only build better safety devices, but to simplify their use.

Captain Phyllis Woolwine is a leader in Maritime Education in the Northwest, and owner of Shearwater University in Anacortes Washington. "Captain Wooly?" and her crew specialize in custom instruction on boats of all types and sizes. Effective instruction on the water, online, and as a public presenter, is founded on her deep experience & leadership as a National Board Certified Teacher, and as a lifelong mariner of the Salish Sea & Inside Passage (including 18 years in SE Alaska). Shearwater University Instruction builds on each boaters individual boating background, learning style, their specific boat, and their marina/location, to help them meet their goals. Training all over the Salish Sea and beyond, boaters gain powerful skills, depth of knowledge, and earn internationally recognized US Sailing and US Powerboating Certifications.

Rachel Wold has taught navigation, participated in USCG Auxiliary safety cruises, and piloted boats through the Inside Passage. She is an oceanographer at the UW Applied Physics Lab leading cruises to monitor water quality. Combining her boating and science backgrounds, she is currently Engagement Lead for the Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS), demonstrating the NANOOS Boaters App to recreational boaters and collecting feedback to enhance usability.

John Taussig- Founder of the nonprofits Backcountry and Maritime Medical Guides, John has spent 20+ years working on various ground and air rescue units as a flight medic, ski patroller, ambulance, and ranger paramedic. As an adventure cruiser and Merchant Mariner, he’s travelled to Alaska multiple times, and to points south via the Panama Canal on his Alajuela 38. In 2017, John crafted a makeshift trimaran from a Klepper sailing kayak and rowed to Alaska, raising $30,000 for Multiple Myeloma research grants. The experience inspired him to relocate to Bellingham, WA where he now lives with his wife and young son.

USCG 100 Ton Master- A lifetime boater with over 30 years cruising experience in the PNW, John and his wife Deb Seger hn L. Seger - have cruised all over the Salish Sea, Inside Passage and SE Alaska. John can share his experience with operating and managing a boat as well as wringing the most from every boat buck along the way.

If you sleep in on Saturday mornings, you've probably never heard Tom "Nelly" Nelson on 710 ESPN Seattle's "The Outdoor Line" airing from 6-9am. Now in his 12th year in Seattle radio, "Nelly" fishing background comes through a lifetime of experience fishing for salmon, steelhead, bottom fish and trout in Washington's lakes, rivers and his beloved Puget Sound. Tom has a degree in Fisheries Biology from the University of Washington and is an Acting Fireboat Pilot with the Seattle Fire Department.

Captain Margaret Pommert is a popular sailing and power boating instructor. She is VP for Safety at Sea for The Sailing Foundation and organizes their annual US Sailing International Offshore Safety at Sea training. Margaret chairs the US Sailing Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal Award Committee, a national award which recognizes a significant accomplishment in seamanship which has saved a life, and collects case studies in rescues for analysis by the US Sailing Safety-at-Sea Committee. She's an appointed member of WA State Boating Program Advisory Council, providing recommendations on ways to enhance boating safety statewide. Sheds very active in the local boating community; racing, cruising, and promoting Safety at Sea and Northwest Women in Boating.

Captain Phyllis Woolwine is a leader in Maritime Education in the Northwest, and owner of Shearwater University in Anacortes Washington. "Captain Wooly?" and her crew specialize in custom instruction on boats of all types and sizes. Effective instruction on the water, online, and as a public presenter, is founded on her deep experience & leadership as a National Board Certified Teacher, and as a lifelong mariner of the Salish Sea & Inside Passage (including 18 years in SE Alaska). Shearwater University Instruction builds on each boaters individual boating background, learning style, their specific boat, and their marina/location, to help them meet their goals. Training all over the Salish Sea and beyond, boaters gain powerful skills, depth of knowledge, and earn internationally recognized US Sailing and US Powerboating Certifications.

Chuck Skewes is a professional sailor and avid cruiser. He has participated in 8 Baja Haha's, raced to Hawaii 13 times, won 4 North American Championships and 1 World Championship. He has been a sailmaker for 42 years and is very active in Northwest sailing, Southern California Sailing and Mexico Sailing.

Capt. John Keizer, a well-known outdoor writer for local fishing magazines, newspapers but is best known in the Northwest as a pro angler, and seminar speaker. John can be regularly seen appearing on Angler West TV fishing for NW species or destination fishing around the world. His passion for introducing new anglers to the sport and led to his founding of his company Salt Patrol.

Captain Margaret Pommert is a popular sailing and power boating instructor. She is VP for Safety at Sea for The Sailing Foundation and organizes their annual US Sailing International Offshore Safety at Sea training. Margaret chairs the US Sailing Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal Award Committee, a national award which recognizes a significant accomplishment in seamanship which has saved a life, and collects case studies in rescues for analysis by the US Sailing Safety-at-Sea Committee. She's an appointed member of WA State Boating Program Advisory Council, providing recommendations on ways to enhance boating safety statewide. Sheds very active in the local boating community; racing, cruising, and promoting Safety at Sea and Northwest Women in Boating.

Chuck Skewes is a professional sailor and avid cruiser. He has participated in 8 Baja Haha's, raced to Hawaii 13 times, won 4 North American Championships and 1 World Championship. He has been a sailmaker for 42 years and is very active in Northwest sailing, Southern California Sailing and Mexico Sailing.

Mike is a life-long boater and 30-year veteran of the marine industry. His passion for sailing and powerboating has inspired him to learn as much about boats and marine systems as possible. Mike is a professionally trained Marine Surveyor and Marine Canvas Fabricator. He has seven ABYC Certifications, including Marine Electrical, Corrosion, Systems, Diesel Engines, AC/Refrigeration, and more. In previous roles, Mike has managed sailboat rigging shops and installed & serviced marine systems. He has also worked for many of the industry’s premier manufacturers and suppliers of heating systems, marine hardware, running gear components, and propellers. When not helping his clients, Mike and his wife Linda can be found cruising in Northwest waters on their 40-foot trawler or racing around the buoys on their 30-foot sailboat.

If you sleep in on Saturday mornings, you've probably never heard Tom "Nelly" Nelson on 710 ESPN Seattle's "The Outdoor Line" airing from 6-9am. Now in his 12th year in Seattle radio, "Nelly" fishing background comes through a lifetime of experience fishing for salmon, steelhead, bottom fish and trout in Washington's lakes, rivers and his beloved Puget Sound. Tom has a degree in Fisheries Biology from the University of Washington and is an Acting Fireboat Pilot with the Seattle Fire Department.

Author Biography Robert Heckel was born in Novosibirsk, Russia, and adopted into the United States, where he grew up in Wisconsin immersed in the marine industry. Despite being born with cerebral palsy, Robert never allowed challenges to define him—he transformed them into motivation, building resilience and empathy that shine through in his career and writing. He studied International Journalism at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and later earned a postgraduate degree in International Business from London Metropolitan University. His professional journey spans roles with a leading pontoon manufacturer and managing international boat sales across Qatar, Turkey, Mauritania, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Germany. Known as The Boat Show Boss, Robert combines global business expertise with hands-on sales experience, offering readers authentic strategies on mastering The Art of Selling Boats. His life and work embody perseverance, global perspective, and a deep passion for the marine world. Book Summary: Boat Shows: The Lifeline of the Marine World In Boat Shows: The Lifeline of the Marine World.

Imagine sailing through crystal-clear waters, exploring hidden islands, and experiencing a culture unlike any other, that's Fiji, and Adam Wade shows audiences how to make it a reality. Born in Australia but a Fijian resident for over 40 years, Adam is CEO of Vuda Marina, one of the South Pacific's premier yachting destinations, and has 15 years of hands-on experience in sailing and the marine industry. A lifetime waterman, Adam has sailed, surfed, fished, and windsurfed across Fiji, giving him unparalleled insight into adventure and island life. With a background in hotel management and a Bachelor of Commerce from Deakin University, he delivers talks that are engaging, practical, and professional. A seasoned speaker, Adam has presented at TEDx Fiji and regularly speaks internationally about cruising Fiji. His presentations blend logistics, local traditions like the sevusevu ceremony, and inspiring stories of Fiji's breathtaking landscapes.

Capt. Linda Lewis has boated the Inside Passage for 40 years, with nine trips to SE AK. She has an educator background as a U of WA Associate Professor Emeritus. She has taught power boaters for 25 years in the Pacific NW, via her company - Private Boating Instruction LLC. Linda holds a USCG 100 Ton Master's License. Additionally, she is a member of the USCG Auxiliary and teaches a comprehensive Navigation class annually (early spring; 9 weeks; via Zoom) for the public.

Captain Dan Myers was raised in Washington State and has been fishing his whole life. With more than 25 years of Puget Sound experience, he specializes in Area 10 and 9, and has extensive time on Areas 11 and 13 as well. A former U.S. Marine and a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserves, Dan brings discipline, passion, and a deep respect for the marine environment to every trip. He owns HuntFishPNW Salmon Charter, based in Edmonds, WA, and holds a valid 6-pack license with near-shore endorsement. Dan’s seminar, “Fishing the Puget Sound for Salmon: Focus on Area 10,” shares practical insights, tactics, and the local know-how that help anglers of all levels enjoy productive days on the water.

Since sailing away from Seattle in 1974, John Neal's 400,000+ offshore miles include six Cape Horn rounding's and expeditions to Antarctica, Africa, Australia and Spitsbergen. Since 1976 his focus has been helping over 10,000 want to be cruisers find and outfit their boats to fulfill their own cruising adventures.

Imagine sailing through crystal-clear waters, exploring hidden islands, and experiencing a culture unlike any other, that's Fiji, and Adam Wade shows audiences how to make it a reality. Born in Australia but a Fijian resident for over 40 years, Adam is CEO of Vuda Marina, one of the South Pacific's premier yachting destinations, and has 15 years of hands-on experience in sailing and the marine industry. A lifetime waterman, Adam has sailed, surfed, fished, and windsurfed across Fiji, giving him unparalleled insight into adventure and island life. With a background in hotel management and a Bachelor of Commerce from Deakin University, he delivers talks that are engaging, practical, and professional. A seasoned speaker, Adam has presented at TEDx Fiji and regularly speaks internationally about cruising Fiji. His presentations blend logistics, local traditions like the sevusevu ceremony, and inspiring stories of Fiji's breathtaking landscapes.

Capt. Linda Lewis has boated the Inside Passage for 40 years, with nine trips to SE AK. She has an educator background as a U of WA Associate Professor Emeritus. She has taught power boaters for 25 years in the Pacific NW, via her company - Private Boating Instruction LLC. Linda holds a USCG 100 Ton Master's License. Additionally, she is a member of the USCG Auxiliary and teaches a comprehensive Navigation class annually (early spring; 9 weeks; via Zoom) for the public.

Ken has a deep passion for sharing, teaching and learning and believes that learning is the path to personal growth. Ken has taught ASA Sailing classes on both monohulls and catamarans, is a PADI Scuba instructor, and has provided expedition Sea Kayak instruction. Since learning to sail in 2008, his experiences include New Zealand, the California Coast up to the Pacific Northwest, extensive cruising in the San Juan and Gulf Islands, much of the Puget Sound, the British Canadian coastline up to Glacier Bay, AK (including the inside passage) and Haida Gwaii. Ken's certifications include: USCG 100T Masters MMC with endorsements, ASA Sailing Instructor, PADI Dive Instructor, First Aid/CPR instructor, and FCC Marine Radio Operator

Joe Pyburn brings a lifetime of hunting and fishing experience to the Outdoor Line radio show. He grew up in the "Ray's Bait" family, one of the largest fishing bait processors in the Pacific Northwest. Joe's got decades of experience plying the Puget Sound for salmon and the banks of Washington's famed rivers for steelhead. That knowledge led him to a job guiding anglers at a destination lodge in Alaska just out of high school and eventually to Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula where he guided for trophy rainbow trout for a season. His hunting knowledge runs just as deep and there are few hunters in the northwest with as much backcountry hunting experience as Joe. He's taken countless mule deer and elk in the backcountry of Washington, Idaho, and Montana and in the fall that's where you're likely to find him, in the backcountry. When he's not on the Outdoor Line radio show you'll find him at the helm of Ray's Bait processing and distributing bait of all kinds to tackle shops and anglers throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Dan Heyl is an ABYC-certified Marine Electrician and an accomplished racing and cruising sailor. An active member of the local Thistle fleet and former Junior National Champion in Flying Scots, Dan brings both technical expertise and hands-on sailing experience to his work. He has an extensive background in watermaker design and service, as well as in developing effective warranty solutions for marine systems.

Elsie Hulsizer is the author of "Voyages to Windward: Sailing Adventures on the West Coast of Vancouver Island" and "Glaciers, Bears and Totems: Sailing in Search of the Real SE Alaska." In addition to her books she has written articles in both local and National boating magazines. She has cruised extensively in the northwest including 7 trips to SE Alaska, 20+ trips to the West Coast of Vancouver Island and 2 trips to Haida Gwaii. In 1978-79, she and her husband sailed their Chesapeake 32 sloop from Boston to Seattle via the Panama Canal and Hawaii. Between writing and sailing adventures she is a board member for the Center for Wooden Boats.

Tommy Donlin has been fishing the Pacific Northwest Waters since he learned how to walk and has spent extensive time fishing coastal waters in pursuit of halibut, lingcod, salmon, and tuna. He's also taken his love for fishing abroad and has traversed the waters of Florida, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, and Costa Rica for a variety of species. Tommy is systematic and detailed in his seminars to provide the greatest amount of knowledge to those in attendance. His goal is to help anglers maximize their enjoyment on the water by catching more fish. Tommy is a tournament fisherman with many wins under his belt, has competed in the IGFA Offshore World Championship, and freely shares his knowledge.

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.

I and Sevenstar Yacht Transport have been visiting your boat show for 12 years now some years with a booth and other just walking and talking to the local folks and vendors. I thought it would be better serve the yachting community of Seattle if I can center my visit around a multimedia presentation during your boat show. Sevenstar yacht transport is the #1 yacht transport company in the world with over 2000 units moved on average each year. We are a subsidiary of a Dutch shipping group, The Spliethoff group. We have access to over 85 ships with their own cranes as well as Semisubmersible ships via our sister company DYT. We transport a wide variety of yachts, tug boats, military crafts etc. We have a lot of information to share about the shipping process from end to end as well as the common practices and things to avoid.

Trevor MacLachlan founded Seattle Seafaring in 2012. He holds a USCG 100 Ton Masters license and has over 45 years of sailing and power yacht experience in the Pacific Northwest and worldwide. Having spent his entire life sailing, Trevor is competent on virtually any sailing or power vessel from tiny sailing dinghies to over 85' luxury yachts. He has circumnavigated Vancouver Island twice and runs deliveries up and down the West Coast. A cruising highlight has been the two years cruising from Seattle down through the Panama Canal into the Caribbean with his young family aboard. Trevor provides professional training, consulting, and yacht deliveries worldwide on both sail and power, large and small.

Joe Pyburn brings a lifetime of hunting and fishing experience to the Outdoor Line radio show. He grew up in the "Ray's Bait" family, one of the largest fishing bait processors in the Pacific Northwest. Joe's got decades of experience plying the Puget Sound for salmon and the banks of Washington's famed rivers for steelhead. That knowledge led him to a job guiding anglers at a destination lodge in Alaska just out of high school and eventually to Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula where he guided for trophy rainbow trout for a season. His hunting knowledge runs just as deep and there are few hunters in the northwest with as much backcountry hunting experience as Joe. He's taken countless mule deer and elk in the backcountry of Washington, Idaho, and Montana and in the fall that's where you're likely to find him, in the backcountry. When he's not on the Outdoor Line radio show you'll find him at the helm of Ray's Bait processing and distributing bait of all kinds to tackle shops and anglers throughout the Pacific Northwest.

A lifelong boater with deep roots in the Boating and Outdoor Power Equipment industry, I’ve dedicated my life to adventure on the water. I’ve solo canoed the Mississippi River, broken a Guinness World Record for the Longest Continuous Journey by Jon Boat, and raced on the 1st place team in the Regatta de Amigos, a sailing race from Galveston to Veracruz, Mexico. I’ve also completed the grueling Texas Water Safari, known as the world’s toughest canoe race, 17 times, earning numerous solo and team class wins. In recent years, my passion for exploration has continued to grow: 2022: Completed a 2,000-mile Arctic Northwest Passage adventure by Jon Boat 2023: Completed a 2,400-mile Inside Passage expedition to Alaska by Jon Boat 2025: Set the America’s Great Loop Speed Record for a solo occupant in a single-engine boat

Ken has a deep passion for sharing, teaching and learning and believes that learning is the path to personal growth. Ken has taught ASA Sailing classes on both monohulls and catamarans, is a PADI Scuba instructor, and has provided expedition Sea Kayak instruction. Since learning to sail in 2008, his experiences include New Zealand, the California Coast up to the Pacific Northwest, extensive cruising in the San Juan and Gulf Islands, much of the Puget Sound, the British Canadian coastline up to Glacier Bay, AK (including the inside passage) and Haida Gwaii. Ken's certifications include: USCG 100T Masters MMC with endorsements, ASA Sailing Instructor, PADI Dive Instructor, First Aid/CPR instructor, and FCC Marine Radio Operator

Captain Phyllis Woolwine is a leader in Maritime Education in the Northwest, and owner of Shearwater University in Anacortes Washington. "Captain Wooly?" and her crew specialize in custom instruction on boats of all types and sizes. Effective instruction on the water, online, and as a public presenter, is founded on her deep experience & leadership as a National Board Certified Teacher, and as a lifelong mariner of the Salish Sea & Inside Passage (including 18 years in SE Alaska). Shearwater University Instruction builds on each boaters individual boating background, learning style, their specific boat, and their marina/location, to help them meet their goals. Training all over the Salish Sea and beyond, boaters gain powerful skills, depth of knowledge, and earn internationally recognized US Sailing and US Powerboating Certifications.

Michael Beemer is the department chair for Skagit Valley College's marine maintenance and repair program. Michael has been presenting and teaching professionally for over 20 years and holds a master's degree in education. At the college he teaches all the systems courses, including ABYC certifications. He has cruised extensively from Anacortes to southeast Alaska for many years on a classic motor-sailor. In the cruising community, Michael is well known as "The Boat Doctor" who can diagnose and fix almost anything on a vessel. Some of the many topics he has done include: diesel engines, electrical systems, solar, new battery technologies, extended inside passage cruising, and more.

Wendy Hinman has published articles in a variety of publications, especially ones boaters like to read, and is the award-winning author of two hit books: Tightwads on the Loose and Sea Trials. She is a regular speaker at yacht clubs and boat shows around the country and her presentations are filled with examples and infused with humor. She grew up sailing and has cruised and raced in venues around the globe in all sorts of boats as skipper and crew, sometimes winning. She spent seven years at sea, sailing 34,000 miles aboard a small, simple boat and learned the most essential ingredient aboard is a sense of humor. She and her husband are currently building and outfitting a boat for more cruising adventures. www.wendyhinman.com

Captain Justin Wong has been mooching the Puget Sound since he can remember. Fishing the Puget Sound started off as a hobby and soon grew into a passion. The passion evolved from just catching fish to teaching people how to fish and showing people the vast array of wildlife in the Puget Sound within minutes of Downtown Seattle. Captain Justin strives to create a memorable experience for each and every one of his guests; whether you are an avid angler to a first timer, we can accommodate it all. Captain Justin looks to provide a true Seattle experience through mooching for salmon, which originated in the Puget Sound. This technique is hands on where you will be actively fishing the entire time on the water! Come join us for a true one-of-a-kind Seattle fishing experience!

Elsie Hulsizer is the author of "Voyages to Windward: Sailing Adventures on the West Coast of Vancouver Island" and "Glaciers, Bears and Totems: Sailing in Search of the Real SE Alaska." In addition to her books she has written articles in both local and National boating magazines. She has cruised extensively in the northwest including 7 trips to SE Alaska, 20+ trips to the West Coast of Vancouver Island and 2 trips to Haida Gwaii. In 1978-79, she and her husband sailed their Chesapeake 32 sloop from Boston to Seattle via the Panama Canal and Hawaii. Between writing and sailing adventures she is a board member for the Center for Wooden Boats.

Garth Wilcox sailed 34,000 miles around the Pacific Ocean aboard Velella, a light displacement 31-footer with his wife, Wendy Hinman (as featured in the book Tightwads on the Loose). He sailed around the globe on a 40-foot double ender, surviving a shipwreck and challenging equipment failures that threatened to end the voyage on many occasions, as featured in the book Sea Trials: Around the World with Duct Tape and Bailing Wire. Drawing his skills as a professional naval architect, designing ships, ferries, tugs, and other marine related projects and his experience gleaned in two significant voyages, as well as years of racing around the world, Garth designed his dream 38-foot cruising boat and is now building it in his back yard with his own hands. His practical experience and vast knowledge have made this possible.

Wendy Hinman has published articles in a variety of publications, especially ones boaters like to read, and is the award-winning author of two hit books: Tightwads on the Loose and Sea Trials. She is a regular speaker at yacht clubs and boat shows around the country and her presentations are filled with examples and infused with humor. She grew up sailing and has cruised and raced in venues around the globe in all sorts of boats as skipper and crew, sometimes winning. She spent seven years at sea, sailing 34,000 miles aboard a small, simple boat and learned the most essential ingredient aboard is a sense of humor. She and her husband are currently building and outfitting a boat for more cruising adventures. www.wendyhinman.com

Capt. Paul Kim has over 4 decades of fishing experience and has fished all over Washington state and beyond. His knowledge of fishing the central Puget Sound has helped anglers who have fished with him along with seminar attendees who have learned the techniques he has shared to bring them more success on the water. CPK runs a fishing charter service based out of Shilshole Bay Marina in the Ballard neighborhood. He fishes over 200 days a year and has been a regular seminar presenter for the Seattle Boat Show, member of the PSA organization, and has been an active volunteer for the WDFW for the past several years. In his free time, he enjoys the outdoors with his wife and 2 sons.

Captain Margaret Pommert is a popular sailing and power boating instructor. She is VP for Safety at Sea for The Sailing Foundation and organizes their annual US Sailing International Offshore Safety at Sea training. Margaret chairs the US Sailing Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal Award Committee, a national award which recognizes a significant accomplishment in seamanship which has saved a life, and collects case studies in rescues for analysis by the US Sailing Safety-at-Sea Committee. She's an appointed member of WA State Boating Program Advisory Council, providing recommendations on ways to enhance boating safety statewide. Sheds very active in the local boating community; racing, cruising, and promoting Safety at Sea and Northwest Women in Boating.

Michael Beemer is the department chair for Skagit Valley College's marine maintenance and repair program. Michael has been presenting and teaching professionally for over 20 years and holds a master's degree in education. At the college he teaches all the systems courses, including ABYC certifications. He has cruised extensively from Anacortes to southeast Alaska for many years on a classic motor-sailor. In the cruising community, Michael is well known as "The Boat Doctor" who can diagnose and fix almost anything on a vessel. Some of the many topics he has done include: diesel engines, electrical systems, solar, new battery technologies, extended inside passage cruising, and more.

Capt. Paul Kim has over 4 decades of fishing experience and has fished all over Washington state and beyond. His knowledge of fishing the central Puget Sound has helped anglers who have fished with him along with seminar attendees who have learned the techniques he has shared to bring them more success on the water. CPK runs a fishing charter service based out of Shilshole Bay Marina in the Ballard neighborhood. He fishes over 200 days a year and has been a regular seminar presenter for the Seattle Boat Show, member of the PSA organization, and has been an active volunteer for the WDFW for the past several years. In his free time, he enjoys the outdoors with his wife and 2 sons.

Imagine sailing through crystal-clear waters, exploring hidden islands, and experiencing a culture unlike any other, that's Fiji, and Adam Wade shows audiences how to make it a reality. Born in Australia but a Fijian resident for over 40 years, Adam is CEO of Vuda Marina, one of the South Pacific's premier yachting destinations, and has 15 years of hands-on experience in sailing and the marine industry. A lifetime waterman, Adam has sailed, surfed, fished, and windsurfed across Fiji, giving him unparalleled insight into adventure and island life. With a background in hotel management and a Bachelor of Commerce from Deakin University, he delivers talks that are engaging, practical, and professional. A seasoned speaker, Adam has presented at TEDx Fiji and regularly speaks internationally about cruising Fiji. His presentations blend logistics, local traditions like the sevusevu ceremony, and inspiring stories of Fiji's breathtaking landscapes.

Captain Margaret Pommert is a popular sailing and power boating instructor. She is VP for Safety at Sea for The Sailing Foundation and organizes their annual US Sailing International Offshore Safety at Sea training. Margaret chairs the US Sailing Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal Award Committee, a national award which recognizes a significant accomplishment in seamanship which has saved a life, and collects case studies in rescues for analysis by the US Sailing Safety-at-Sea Committee. She's an appointed member of WA State Boating Program Advisory Council, providing recommendations on ways to enhance boating safety statewide. Sheds very active in the local boating community; racing, cruising, and promoting Safety at Sea and Northwest Women in Boating.

Tommy Donlin has been fishing the Pacific Northwest Waters since he learned how to walk and has spent extensive time fishing coastal waters in pursuit of halibut, lingcod, salmon, and tuna. He's also taken his love for fishing abroad and has traversed the waters of Florida, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, and Costa Rica for a variety of species. Tommy is systematic and detailed in his seminars to provide the greatest amount of knowledge to those in attendance. His goal is to help anglers maximize their enjoyment on the water by catching more fish. Tommy is a tournament fisherman with many wins under his belt, has competed in the IGFA Offshore World Championship, and freely shares his knowledge.

Chuck Skewes is a professional sailor and avid cruiser. He has participated in 8 Baja Haha's, raced to Hawaii 13 times, won 4 North American Championships and 1 World Championship. He has been a sailmaker for 42 years and is very active in Northwest sailing, Southern California Sailing and Mexico Sailing.

Michael Beemer is the department chair for Skagit Valley College's marine maintenance and repair program. Michael has been presenting and teaching professionally for over 20 years and holds a master's degree in education. At the college he teaches all the systems courses, including ABYC certifications. He has cruised extensively from Anacortes to southeast Alaska for many years on a classic motor-sailor. In the cruising community, Michael is well known as "The Boat Doctor" who can diagnose and fix almost anything on a vessel. Some of the many topics he has done include: diesel engines, electrical systems, solar, new battery technologies, extended inside passage cruising, and more.

Capt. Linda Lewis has boated the Inside Passage for 40 years, with nine trips to SE AK. She has an educator background as a U of WA Associate Professor Emeritus. She has taught power boaters for 25 years in the Pacific NW, via her company - Private Boating Instruction LLC. Linda holds a USCG 100 Ton Master's License. Additionally, she is a member of the USCG Auxiliary and teaches a comprehensive Navigation class annually (early spring; 9 weeks; via Zoom) for the public.

Capt. John Keizer, a well-known outdoor writer for local fishing magazines, newspapers but is best known in the Northwest as a pro angler, and seminar speaker. John can be regularly seen appearing on Angler West TV fishing for NW species or destination fishing around the world. His passion for introducing new anglers to the sport and led to his founding of his company Salt Patrol.

Several years ago after an extensive search, Kevin located a superior ceramic product for his own boat. Other boat owners began asking him to do their boats. Kevin directed them to the Seattle Boat Show but found there weren't any vendors at that time with knowledge of ceramic products, consequently his company was soon established. What sets Kevin apart from other ceramic installers is his 30+ experience in auto body repair. Others do not understand the importance of preparing the surface which is the most crucial part of the job. Without it the completed product (boat) will be inferior. Kevin takes satisfaction in projects that make things look new again whether it's renewing a boats gelcoat or hobbies he's involved in.

Michael Beemer is the department chair for Skagit Valley College's marine maintenance and repair program. Michael has been presenting and teaching professionally for over 20 years and holds a master's degree in education. At the college he teaches all the systems courses, including ABYC certifications. He has cruised extensively from Anacortes to southeast Alaska for many years on a classic motor-sailor. In the cruising community, Michael is well known as "The Boat Doctor" who can diagnose and fix almost anything on a vessel. Some of the many topics he has done include: diesel engines, electrical systems, solar, new battery technologies, extended inside passage cruising, and more.

Matt Mardesich is the primary propulsion instructor at Skagit Valley College. Matt has been around the water all his life and still does some commercial fishing when not teaching at the technical school. Matt is an ABYC certified Master Technician and holds certifications in Gasoline/Diesel engines and electrical. Some of the many topics he has done include: diesel engines, gasoline engines, outboard motors, and hydraulics.

Michael Beemer is the department chair for Skagit Valley College's marine maintenance and repair program. Michael has been presenting and teaching professionally for over 20 years and holds a master's degree in education. At the college he teaches all the systems courses, including ABYC certifications. He has cruised extensively from Anacortes to southeast Alaska for many years on a classic motor-sailor. In the cruising community, Michael is well known as "The Boat Doctor" who can diagnose and fix almost anything on a vessel. Some of the many topics he has done include: diesel engines, electrical systems, solar, new battery technologies, extended inside passage cruising, and more.

If you sleep in on Saturday mornings, you've probably never heard Tom "Nelly" Nelson on 710 ESPN Seattle's "The Outdoor Line" airing from 6-9am. Now in his 12th year in Seattle radio, "Nelly" fishing background comes through a lifetime of experience fishing for salmon, steelhead, bottom fish and trout in Washington's lakes, rivers and his beloved Puget Sound. Tom has a degree in Fisheries Biology from the University of Washington and is an Acting Fireboat Pilot with the Seattle Fire Department.

Captain Brad Trout is the owner and lead instructor at Flagship Maritime Training. He spent almost 20 years on the water as a Marine Law Enforcement Officer in 2 different counties in Washington State. He is a contractor for SAFEboats International tasked with performing sea-trials on new boats and training folks around the world how to operate these amazing vessels. As lead instructor at Flagship Maritime, Captain Brad teaches the course for Captain’s license and upgrade to Master 100-Ton license. He is an approved instructor for the US Coast Guard and proctors the USCG exams for his students. He also offers private instruction to new boaters on boat handling, how to communicate with each other, rules of the road, trailer backing and much more using the student’s own boat.

Trevor MacLachlan founded Seattle Seafaring in 2012. He holds a USCG 100 Ton Masters license and has over 45 years of sailing and power yacht experience in the Pacific Northwest and worldwide. Having spent his entire life sailing, Trevor is competent on virtually any sailing or power vessel from tiny sailing dinghies to over 85' luxury yachts. He has circumnavigated Vancouver Island twice and runs deliveries up and down the West Coast. A cruising highlight has been the two years cruising from Seattle down through the Panama Canal into the Caribbean with his young family aboard. Trevor provides professional training, consulting, and yacht deliveries worldwide on both sail and power, large and small.

Matt Mardesich is the primary propulsion instructor at Skagit Valley College. Matt has been around the water all his life and still does some commercial fishing when not teaching at the technical school. Matt is an ABYC certified Master Technician and holds certifications in Gasoline/Diesel engines and electrical. Some of the many topics he has done include: diesel engines, gasoline engines, outboard motors, and hydraulics.

Elsie Hulsizer is the author of "Voyages to Windward: Sailing Adventures on the West Coast of Vancouver Island" and "Glaciers, Bears and Totems: Sailing in Search of the Real SE Alaska." In addition to her books she has written articles in both local and National boating magazines. She has cruised extensively in the northwest including 7 trips to SE Alaska, 20+ trips to the West Coast of Vancouver Island and 2 trips to Haida Gwaii. In 1978-79, she and her husband sailed their Chesapeake 32 sloop from Boston to Seattle via the Panama Canal and Hawaii. Between writing and sailing adventures she is a board member for the Center for Wooden Boats.

Captain Justin Wong has been mooching the Puget Sound since he can remember. Fishing the Puget Sound started off as a hobby and soon grew into a passion. The passion evolved from just catching fish to teaching people how to fish and showing people the vast array of wildlife in the Puget Sound within minutes of Downtown Seattle. Captain Justin strives to create a memorable experience for each and every one of his guests; whether you are an avid angler to a first timer, we can accommodate it all. Captain Justin looks to provide a true Seattle experience through mooching for salmon, which originated in the Puget Sound. This technique is hands on where you will be actively fishing the entire time on the water! Come join us for a true one-of-a-kind Seattle fishing experience!

Capt. Linda Lewis has boated the Inside Passage for 40 years, with nine trips to SE AK. She has an educator background as a U of WA Associate Professor Emeritus. She has taught power boaters for 25 years in the Pacific NW, via her company - Private Boating Instruction LLC. Linda holds a USCG 100 Ton Master's License. Additionally, she is a member of the USCG Auxiliary and teaches a comprehensive Navigation class annually (early spring; 9 weeks; via Zoom) for the public.

Meredith Anderson is a marine diesel mechanic and USCG 100-ton Master who runs her own business Madame Diesel. LLC. She has been teaching diesel and electrical classes for commercial and recreational mariners for approximately 8 years. Her business, Madame Diesel, LLC specializes in engine rebuilding, major and minor repair, AC/DC rewiring and education.

If you sleep in on Saturday mornings, you've probably never heard Tom "Nelly" Nelson on 710 ESPN Seattle's "The Outdoor Line" airing from 6-9am. Now in his 12th year in Seattle radio, "Nelly" fishing background comes through a lifetime of experience fishing for salmon, steelhead, bottom fish and trout in Washington's lakes, rivers and his beloved Puget Sound. Tom has a degree in Fisheries Biology from the University of Washington and is an Acting Fireboat Pilot with the Seattle Fire Department.

A lifelong boater with deep roots in the Boating and Outdoor Power Equipment industry, I’ve dedicated my life to adventure on the water. I’ve solo canoed the Mississippi River, broken a Guinness World Record for the Longest Continuous Journey by Jon Boat, and raced on the 1st place team in the Regatta de Amigos, a sailing race from Galveston to Veracruz, Mexico. I’ve also completed the grueling Texas Water Safari, known as the world’s toughest canoe race, 17 times, earning numerous solo and team class wins. In recent years, my passion for exploration has continued to grow: 2022: Completed a 2,000-mile Arctic Northwest Passage adventure by Jon Boat 2023: Completed a 2,400-mile Inside Passage expedition to Alaska by Jon Boat 2025: Set the America’s Great Loop Speed Record for a solo occupant in a single-engine boat

Matt Mardesich is the primary propulsion instructor at Skagit Valley College. Matt has been around the water all his life and still does some commercial fishing when not teaching at the technical school. Matt is an ABYC certified Master Technician and holds certifications in Gasoline/Diesel engines and electrical. Some of the many topics he has done include: diesel engines, gasoline engines, outboard motors, and hydraulics.

Meredith Anderson is a marine diesel mechanic and USCG 100-ton Master who runs her own business Madame Diesel. LLC. She has been teaching diesel and electrical classes for commercial and recreational mariners for approximately 8 years. Her business, Madame Diesel, LLC specializes in engine rebuilding, major and minor repair, AC/DC rewiring and education.

Tommy Donlin has been fishing the Pacific Northwest Waters since he learned how to walk and has spent extensive time fishing coastal waters in pursuit of halibut, lingcod, salmon, and tuna. He's also taken his love for fishing abroad and has traversed the waters of Florida, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, and Costa Rica for a variety of species. Tommy is systematic and detailed in his seminars to provide the greatest amount of knowledge to those in attendance. His goal is to help anglers maximize their enjoyment on the water by catching more fish. Tommy is a tournament fisherman with many wins under his belt, has competed in the IGFA Offshore World Championship, and freely shares his knowledge.

Michael Beemer is the department chair for Skagit Valley College's marine maintenance and repair program. Michael has been presenting and teaching professionally for over 20 years and holds a master's degree in education. At the college he teaches all the systems courses, including ABYC certifications. He has cruised extensively from Anacortes to southeast Alaska for many years on a classic motor-sailor. In the cruising community, Michael is well known as "The Boat Doctor" who can diagnose and fix almost anything on a vessel. Some of the many topics he has done include: diesel engines, electrical systems, solar, new battery technologies, extended inside passage cruising, and more.

Ken has a deep passion for sharing, teaching and learning and believes that learning is the path to personal growth. Ken has taught ASA Sailing classes on both monohulls and catamarans, is a PADI Scuba instructor, and has provided expedition Sea Kayak instruction. Since learning to sail in 2008, his experiences include New Zealand, the California Coast up to the Pacific Northwest, extensive cruising in the San Juan and Gulf Islands, much of the Puget Sound, the British Canadian coastline up to Glacier Bay, AK (including the inside passage) and Haida Gwaii. Ken's certifications include: USCG 100T Masters MMC with endorsements, ASA Sailing Instructor, PADI Dive Instructor, First Aid/CPR instructor, and FCC Marine Radio Operator

Matt Mardesich is the primary propulsion instructor at Skagit Valley College. Matt has been around the water all his life and still does some commercial fishing when not teaching at the technical school. Matt is an ABYC certified Master Technician and holds certifications in Gasoline/Diesel engines and electrical. Some of the many topics he has done include: diesel engines, gasoline engines, outboard motors, and hydraulics.

Capt. Linda Lewis has boated the Inside Passage for 40 years, with nine trips to SE AK. She has an educator background as a U of WA Associate Professor Emeritus. She has taught power boaters for 25 years in the Pacific NW, via her company - Private Boating Instruction LLC. Linda holds a USCG 100 Ton Master's License. Additionally, she is a member of the USCG Auxiliary and teaches a comprehensive Navigation class annually (early spring; 9 weeks; via Zoom) for the public.

Author Biography Robert Heckel was born in Novosibirsk, Russia, and adopted into the United States, where he grew up in Wisconsin immersed in the marine industry. Despite being born with cerebral palsy, Robert never allowed challenges to define him—he transformed them into motivation, building resilience and empathy that shine through in his career and writing. He studied International Journalism at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and later earned a postgraduate degree in International Business from London Metropolitan University. His professional journey spans roles with a leading pontoon manufacturer and managing international boat sales across Qatar, Turkey, Mauritania, the United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Germany. Known as The Boat Show Boss, Robert combines global business expertise with hands-on sales experience, offering readers authentic strategies on mastering The Art of Selling Boats. His life and work embody perseverance, global perspective, and a deep passion for the marine world. Book Summary: Boat Shows: The Lifeline of the Marine World In Boat Shows: The Lifeline of the Marine World.