Cruising the Inside Passage to Alaska - a 2-day seminar
2020-02-22 08:00 - 2020-02-23 17:00, 2022-03-05 09:00 - 2022-03-06 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Marine Technology Center, 1606 R Avenue, Anacortes, WA, 98221, United States
Cruising the Inside Passage to Alaska Seminar
Instructors: Mark Bunzel, Mike Beemer, Lynette Brower, Leonard and Lorena Landon
This two-day seminar covers all the information you need to cruise to Southeast Alaska, including exploring Northern British Columbia, Haida Gwaii, and the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Topics include routes to and from Southeast Alaska, customs clearances, weather and tidal challenges, favorite destinations, permit processes for protected areas, getting parts and crew delivered to remote areas, and much more.
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Medical for the Pacific Northwest Cruiser with Marykay Pasnick
2020-03-07 09:00 - 12:00, 2022-10-08 09:00 - 12:00
Last year one of the most requested courses at Cruisers College was medical at sea. Medical concerns are always a topic of interest to Pacific Northwest cruisers because we like remote cruising, racing, hiking, and adventures on our vessels. There are always risks when cruising, but being prepared and knowing what to do in an a medical emergency is essential for every mariner.
This course covers many topics, a few highlights

Assessing injuries, being the nurse
Temporary splints/broken bones
Head injuries
Treating burns
Infections
Cuts and lacerations
What a Proper medical kit contains – including a checklist for your vessel
and more!

Marykay spent her career as an E.R. doctor and life-long cruiser. From small vessels to cruising the inside passage and S.E. Alaska on a George Buhler “Diesel Duck”, she will share her knowledge and experiences with you!

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Cruise to Desolation Sound and the Broughtons Seminar
2020-04-18 08:30 - 16:30, 2022-04-30 08:30 - 16:30
Spend a day learning about some of the most magical and easily accessible cruising in our area! Longtime experts will teach you about clearing Canadian Customs, navigating through the Gulf Islands, selecting a weather window to cross the Strait of Georgia, where to go in Desolation Sound, how to anchor and stern tie, provision, and much more.

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Managing Power on Board: Balancing Your Energy Needs with Michael Beemer
2021-10-09 09:00 - 12:00, 2022-10-09 13:00 - 16:00
There are many new choices for generating and managing power on your boat – solar cells, fuel cells, high-output alternators and of course – a genset…..
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DIY Electrical: Learn to troubleshoot & wire like a pro by Michael Beemer
2021-10-09 13:00 - 16:00
Michael Beemer, a Skagit Valley College Marine Technology Instructor will take you through the ins and outs of your vessel’s electrical systems. This hands on course will teach you how to use your multimeter for trouble-shooting, understand marine wiring, and how to “Keep Your Electrical System Alive”. Every boat owner should understand their electrical systems…..

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D.I.Y Diesel Engine Maintenance and Troubleshooting with Matt Mardesich
2021-10-10 09:00 - 16:30
Cruisers College will offer an all day course about your diesel propulsion engine. Having your Diesel engine fail while underway can ruin your day. Worse, it could put you and your crew in a dangerous position. In general, marine diesel engines are incredibly reliable…..
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New Boaters Course
2021-11-06 09:00 - 16:00
Boat sales have been crazy the past 18 months and we know there are plenty of new boaters in our area. The instructors at Cruisers College have many years of experience cruising and want to share it with you! We’ve put together a new, all-day course that should answer many of your questions, gain you skills, learn tips & tricks, & make you more comfortable on the water
Topics include:

Communications onboard
Anchoring & Docking
Pacific Northwest Weather Intro
Understanding electrical power
Itinerary & Route Planning
Maintenance for your vessel

Please note: The Seminars are at the Skagit Valley College Marine Technical Center in Anacortes, located at 1606 R Ave, Masks are required for participation at the school.

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Understanding Weather - Making the Go or No-Go Decision with Mark Bunzel
2021-11-07 09:00 - 12:00, 2022-04-23 13:00 - 16:00, 2022-11-06 09:00 - 12:00
Changing weather is one of the things most boaters and their crews fear most. Usually it is not deadly, but it can be downright scary when a pleasant day of boating turns ugly. Knowing the basics can help you interpret the weather and make a good go or no-go decision. This course will take you through the basics of how to understand the information available and how to combine it with tide and current information to determine the sea conditions. The class will use actual examples and gather weather data from the internet, cell phone and VHF radio. Software apps will be used and their shortcomings will be reviewed. They say timing is everything, and a few hours difference with the change of current can make all difference in the world. We will use a checklist approach where you can create your own system to create an understanding of the weather that fits your vessel and crew.

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Radar for Navigation and Collision Avoidance by Mark Bunzel
2021-11-07 13:00 - 16:00
Radar is one of the most versatile systems of all of the marine electronics on your boat. Most boat owners only know how to use about 10% of the capabilities of their marine radar. The manuals that come with a radar system tell you what the buttons do, but not how to confidently use radar for both collision avoidance and navigation. In addition to learning the basics of radar operation participants will also learn:

New digital radar technologies are now available with many new capabilities
How to use your marine radar system while underway
Basic radar tuning and how to set up an older system
How to interpret the screen display and how to correlate it to navigational charts, the surrounding area, and other vessels around you including integrating AIS and full overlay

With this course you will have a new appreciation and competency with the radar system on your boat.
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Anchoring & Docking: Learn How to Safely Moor Your Boat by Beemer & Hebert
2021-12-11 09:00 - 12:00
An essential skill for every mariner is the ability to safely moor their vessel. Picture your vessel anchored in a bay on a beautiful day. The reality of it, though, is often the stress of entering the bay, wondering where to anchor, how much gear to use, and questioning “Will I drag or bump into another vessel during the night”. This course will cover all aspects of anchoring from choosing the right gear, proven techniques that work, decision making and choosing the right spot. Docking your vessel can often be stressful as well, but it shouldn’t be! There are many tips and tricks to operating your boat like a pro, and we’ll teach you all about it. Topics like docking with wind and current, communicating with your crew and handling lines, understanding your vessel whether it is single screw, twin, with a bow thruster or not. With our tips we will have you docking and anchoring like a pro.

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Mastering Navionics App to Sharpen Your Navigational Skills with Linda Lewis
2021-12-11 13:00 - 16:00, 2022-11-05 09:00 - 12:00
Using the “Navionics” app makes it easy to learn and practice navigation at home, then carry your work onto the boat as a backup to your on-board electronics. We will do hands-on work in the seminar, learning how to:
– understand the meaning of the colors and symbols
– plan a trip by entering and naming routes
– find tide and current data – including how to use the data
– adjust the app’s settings
– how (and why) to orient the screen, and more.

You can download the NAVIONICS “BOATING HD MARINE & LAKES” app just before the seminar and choose the two week trial. You can use the app during the seminar to ‘learn how to navigate’, then decide if you want to pay for and keep the app or perhaps upgrade to the NAVIONICS “US & CANADA” version of the app.

Captain Linda Lewis has taught hundreds of mariners and is an expert navigator. She has created this seminar to teach navigation skills in a way that will make understanding and practicing navigation a pure pleasure. Attendees will receive a PowerPoint Show link after the seminar so they can view her tutorial slides online and continue practicing. Who knew such a critical boating skill could also be so much fun to learn!

Bio:
Capt. Linda Lewis holds a USCG 100-Ton Masters License and provides customized on-the-water instruction, on-your-boat (www.privateboatinginstruction.com). An Emeritus Associate Professor from U of WA, she brings her professional educator background to presentations on navigation and boat handling topics yearly at the Seattle Boat Show, TrawlerFest, and yacht clubs. She is also a member of Northwest Women in Boating and Women Who Sail and Power Boat. As a Volunteer in the USCG Auxiliary, she teaches a 9-week Navigation course to the public. Linda has been an avid boater for 45 years (sail & power), with 25 years of hands-on experience cruising the Inside Passage (including nine cruises to SE Alaska). She now single-hands her 45’ trawler-style vessel, inviting friends to cruise with her.

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Outboard Motor Service, Repair and Maintenance with Matt Mardesich
2021-12-12 09:00 - 12:00, 2022-10-08 13:00 - 16:00
Instructor: Matt Mardesich
Cruisers College will take you through the ins and outs of your outboard engine during this 3 hour class. Nearly every cruising boat has an outboard powered dinghy. These motors have been around for a long time and are very dependable if maintained properly. Ethanol in our fuel systems is creating more and more problems for outboard engines. This course will cover the basics for all outboard engines.
Sample of topics covered:

Oil Changes
Fuel care and handling
Lower unit testing
Water pump impeller replacement
Electrical systems
Routine Maintenance & Tune up
Winterization

After this 3 hours course, you will understand how to take proper care of your engine and keep it starting easily.
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Marine Diesel Engines 101 for Women w/ Margaret Pommert, includes hands-on
2021-12-12 09:00 - 16:00
For both sailors and powerboaters! This class won’t make you a diesel mechanic. But it will give you basic knowledge of, and hands-on experience with, the engine and related systems needed for cruising in locally.

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Mahina Offshore Cruising Workshop featuring John Neal and others
2022-03-12 08:00 - 2022-03-13 17:00
This two-day workshop combines the Mahina Offshore Cruising Seminar (174 presented since 1976 to 11,000 sailors) with Skagit Valley College’s Cruisers College top hands-on classes including marine diesel engines and systems, marine electrical systems, plus sail repair, canvas making, sewing and line splicing. Included in the seminar cost of $329 per single or $559 per couple is one copy of the Offshore Cruising Companion, the 260-page textbook which retails for $60.
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7:45 Registration
8:30 Introduction
9:00 Boat Selection: Choosing the right boat.
10:00 Getting Started: Transitioning to the cruising life.
10:20 Break
10:30 Diesel Engines: Overview of how they work.
11:00 Workshops: A total of four hands-on workshops – 30 minutes at two workshops now and at 2:45:

Fuel Systems: Changing filter, priming fuel system.
Electrical: Install leads on a test breaker using of wire stripper, ratcheting crimper and heat-shrink connectors. Use the test breaker for emergency engine starting.
Sailrite Sewing Machine: Repair sail tears, seams, luff tape and batten pocket.
Handwork: Use sailmaker’s palm & needle to repair rips & seams plus sew on a sail slide.

12:00 Lunch: Several options within two blocks. Instructors available to answer questions.
12:50 Priority Equipment: Outfitting with the essential gear you really need.
2:00 Fuel Systems: Maintaining this critical system.
2:30 Break
2:40 Workshops: Complete remaining workshops from 11:00.
3:45 Seamanship: Self-reliance, awareness and responsibility.
4:05 Weather and Passage Planning: Latest weather resources, storm avoidance and passage strategies.
4:05 Storm Survival Tactics: Details of nine specific storm tactics.
4:50 Sails and Rigging: Sail wardrobe overview and avoiding rigging failures.
5:20 Best of Northwest Cruising: San Juans to Alaska.
5:30 End
6:30 No-host Pizza Party at Village Pizza – five-minute walk. You’re welcome to bring partners, children, musical instruments and your singing voice! Live Celtic band, games and prizes.
SUNDAY
8:00 Optional Offshore Equipment: Cool gear that makes cruising easier!
9:00 Communications: Coastal and offshore options.
9:15 Engine Cooling Systems: Overview, maintenance and troubleshooting.
9:45 Cruising Medicine: Common problems, prevention, treatment and necessary supplies.
10:00 Break
10:15 Workshops: 30 minutes at each of these two stations now and at 1:45.
5. Cooling System: Replacing raw water pump impeller, thermostat and sacrificial zincs.
6. Electrical: Use of clamp-on multimeter for electrical fault finding.
7. Canvas Making: Sewing protective covers and installation of canvas fasteners.
8. Rope Work: Qualities of double braid and Dyeneema, use and splices. Creating a soft eye loop in double braid.
11:20 Electrical Systems: Understanding and troubleshooting.
12:00 Lunch
12:45 Anchoring: Equipment and six techniques for worldwide conditions.
1:05 Galley Essentials: Organization, stowage, provisioning and meal planning.
1:35 Psychological Aspects: Keeping the balance
1:45 Workshops: Complete remaining two workshops from 10:20.
2:45 Workshop Review: Discuss completed projects. Q&Q with instructors.
3:00 Cost of Cruising, Finances and Responsibility: Managing your finances.
3:20 Customs, Leaving your Boat & Low Impact Cruising: Avoiding drama and leaving a clean wake.
3:40 Coolest Cruising Destinations in the World: John and Amanda highlight their 45 years of cruising.
4:00 The End. Collect course completion certificates.
INSTRUCTORS
John Neal’s 382,000 offshore miles include six Cape Horn roundings plus expeditions to Antarctica, Africa, Australia and Spitsbergen. Since 1976, John’s passion has been sharing his ocean cruising knowledge through 195 sail-training expeditions aboard Mahina Tiare III, a Hallberg-Rassy 46 and through Offshore Cruising Seminars presented annually at major boat shows. John is author, co-author or contributing author of 17 books including Log of the Mahina. www.mahina.com
Michael Beemer is the department chair for Skagit Valley College’s Marine Maintenance and Repair program. Michael has been presenting and teaching professionally for 20 years and holds a master’s degree in education. At the college he teaches all the systems courses, including ABYC certifications. He and his wife have cruised extensively from Anacortes to southeast Alaska for many years on their motor-sailor. Some of the many topics he has taught include: diesel engines, electrical systems, solar, new battery technologies, extended inside passage cruising, and more.
Molly Howe is a Maine Maritime Academy graduate with a background as a professional mariner in PNW waters and a broad variety of experience cruising and racing under sail. She has a 100-ton Master/500-ton Mate USCG licenses. Molly and her husband, Jake live aboard their Farr 50 and actively race their Melges 24 when she’s not working as a broker at Swiftsure Yachts. Molly will co-present Boat Selection: Choosing the Right Boat.
Anacortes, Washington is located one-hour north of Seattle airport and one-hour south of Vancouver airport and is considered the gateway to the San Juan Islands and the Inside Passage to British Columbia and Alaska. There are several hotels within walking distance of Skagit Valley College’s Marine Maintenance Tech Center and the closest are Cap Sante Inn (very reasonable, not fancy and offering a discount rate for workshop attendees) and Majestic Inn & Spa (very nice). The Marine Tech Center is located within Cap Sante Marina.

DIY Electrical: Learn to troubleshoot & wire like a pro
2022-04-23 09:00 - 12:00, 2022-10-09 09:00 - 12:00
Gio & Julie , Skagit Valley College Marine Technology Students will take you through the ins and outs of your vessel’s electrical systems. This hands on course will teach you how to use your multimeter for trouble-shooting, understand marine wiring, and how to “Keep Your Electrical System Alive”. Every boat owner should understand their electrical systems…..

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Marine Diesel Engines for Women w/ Margaret Pommert, includes hands-on
2022-05-01 09:00 - 16:00

Marine Canvas for Cruisers by Mike Reese
2022-10-09 09:00 - 12:00
Description

Join us for an in-depth look at your boat’s marine canvas and the role it serves in protecting your vessel and helping to ensure a safe and enjoyable time on the water. Topics will include, repair and maintenance of canvas, types of canvas work typically needed on cruising boats, design and construction considerations on new projects, what to expect, and ask for, from your favorite canvas shop, and which projects you can tackle yourself versus having made professionally.
Instructor Bio
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.
Mike loves sharing his knowledge and passion for boats and hopes to see you soon at one of our many training events.

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D.I.Y Diesel Engine Maintenance & Troubleshooting with Matt Mardesich
2022-11-05 09:00 - 16:00
Cruisers College will offer an all day course about your diesel propulsion engine. Having your Diesel engine fail while underway can ruin your day. Worse, it could put you and your crew in a dangerous position. In general, marine diesel engines are incredibly reliable. They seem just to need, air, fuel, and water for cooling. You could add electrical power for starting, and you have covered the range of needs for a diesel engine. Most engine problems are due to fuel issues or keeping the engine cool. Using the Marine Tech Centers diesel engine lab, we will work with live diesel engines running where you can walk around the engine and see the different systems. You can look at the injectors and even learn to bleed the engine before starting.
Sample of topics covered:

Annual and Regular Maintenance:
Changing the oil and oil filters
Changing Fuel filters
Overheating can kill a diesel engine. Make sure your cooling system is maintained regular to avoid overheating and costly repairs.
There is no warning for salt water incursion in your transmission cooling system. Gear coolers should be inspected it annually and replace or cleaned every 5 years
Impellers should be inspected annually and replaced every 1-2 years depending on use
Replacing hoses and belts every five years

Learn how to troubleshoot:

Electrical systems on your engine for starting or charging.
Vacuum gauge installation in your fuel system after the primary fuel filter to tell you if the system has a blockage or if the primary filter is dirty from bad fuel or a problem in the tank.

This is one of our most popular courses.. After this one day course you will have a good understanding of how your diesel engine works and the basic areas for good maintenance and troubleshooting.
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.
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Overboard Recovery On A Power Boat: Using A Lifesling with Linda Lewis
2022-11-05 13:00 - 16:00
The Lifesling was developed for sailboats, but with some inventive rigging it is also extremely useful on power boats. The biggest challenges are finding a good location for the Lifesling and, most importantly, figuring out how to rig the 5:1 Block and Tackle connection-point that is high enough and strong enough. Capt. Linda Lewis teaches Lifesling recovery on power boats and has photos of multiple approaches to the rigging challenges power boaters face. The classroom portion of the course includes a video of a Lifesling recovery, a demo of the gear, and a time for trouble-shooting ideas for YOUR boat. The second part of the course will be a lab, hands-on practice session, working with the retrieval gear – everyone taking a turn actually hauling someone up into a mock-boat who is seated on the floor in the classroom building. Can YOU get your partner into the boat?
Capt. Linda Lewis holds a USCG 100-Ton Masters License and provides customized on-the-water power boat instruction, on-your-boat (www.privateboatinginstruction.com). An Emeritus Associate Professor from the U of WA, she brings her professional educator background to presentations on navigation & boat handling topics yearly at the Seattle Boat Show, Trawlerfest, and yacht clubs. She has 25 years of hands-on experience cruising the Inside Passage (including nine cruises to SE Alaska) on both sail and power boats. Today she single-hands her 45’ trawler and cruises with friends as crew.
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NMEA 2000 Networks: What’s Available & D.I.Y by Jennifer King & Monica Riess
2022-11-06 13:00 - 16:00
This Cruisers College 3-hour course will help the student understand how to properly install marine electronics in regard to the transfer of data and communications. You will get an introduction to National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) standards and how they apply to NMEA 0183, NMEA 2000 and Ethernet networks when installing new electronics aboard your boat. You will also learn some troubleshooting tips on how to test new and current equipment, as well as common mistakes to avoid.
Sample of topics covered:

Connecting and converting
NMEA 0183 Data
NMEA 2000 Standards
NMEA 2000 Proper Installation
Electronics troubleshooting
New Products for the recreational boater

Jennifer King and Monica Riess are instructors for Skagit Valley College Marine Electronics courses for the last 4 years. They are graduates of the SVC Marine Maintenance and Technology Program. Using course material from the NMEA and field experience, Jen and Monica enjoy teaching future technicians the basics of marine electronic installations. Jen and Monica also run their own marine electronics and electrical repair company, K&R Marine Services, in the Anacortes and La Conner, WA region for the last 8 years. They are both NMEA and ABYC certified and are known for their high quality of work and attention to detail.

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Learn from Experts: Lithium Batteries: Installations, Standards, & Options
2022-12-03 09:00 - 12:00
In September we offered a course about “Drop-In” lithium batteries and we ran out of seats! Lately there is a lot of talk about lithium batteries. These batteries are everywhere from electric toothbrushes, vacuums, bikes, cars and boats. The boating industry knows that boat installation can be much more complicated than a simple eBike, phone, or computer.
Upgrading to lithium batteries makes sense for many cruisers and the benefits are great. Over the past 10 years we have learned a lot about using these batteries in the marine environment. There are many things to consider when using these batteries, including a new standard put out by the American Boat & Yacht Council, E-13 Lithium Batteries. We will spend a good amount of time explaining what we have learned about these batteries, specifically about how we want to use them in the marine enviroment.
Topics will include ABYC standards, best practice, latest data, and how to create various systems that have proven themselves on cruising vessels.
Michael Beemer is the department chair for Skagit Valley College’s marine maintenance and repair program. Michael has been presenting and teaching professionally for almost 20 years and holds a master’s degree in education. At the college he teaches all the systems courses, including ABYC certifications. He and his wife have cruised extensively from Anacortes to southeast Alaska for many years on their motor-sailer. 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.
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