Education

Effective safety & pre-departure briefings, required and essential gear, communication, route planning and more!

presented by Sarah Lawrence of the Chesapeake Boating Academy

The Great Lakes offers excellent freshwater cruising, scenic destinations, and extensive open-water cruising.  If you are doing the Great Loop or just cruising the Lakes this is a seminar you won’t want to miss.   Learn about crossing the big lakes Huron and Michigan, with favorite stops along the way.  Learn the rich community and valuable resources available through the Great Lakes Cruising Club along with some specific port stops from Cleveland, Detroit, into the North Channel, Mackinac Island, Lake Michigan’s Beaver Island, the Lake Michigan shoreline, Chicago and beyond !

presented by Joe & Meredith McKeown of the Great Lakes Cruising Club

This session will cover the pros and cons of modern chartplotters and the latest mobile navigation apps. It will also offer insights on where this new wave of navigation technology is heading, and some of the players involved, so that you can choose what is best for your boating future whether you are a weekend boater or a full-time cruiser.

presented by Jeff Foulk & Dave Rowe of the ArgoNav

Loopers cruise the 6,000-mile Great Loop route aboard their own boats completing a circumnavigation of the eastern U.S. and part of Canada via mostly protected inland waterways. The Great Loop route follows the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the Chesapeake Bay, and the New York Canals northwards, goes across the Great Lakes, south on the Inland Rivers, and then east Gulf Coast to complete the Loop.

presented by Kim Russo of America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association

AGLCA director Kim Russo, we’ll introduce you to the Florida Loop — a shorter, manageable cruising route that offers many of the same experiences as the Great Loop on a smaller scale. We’ll cover the basic route, a sample itinerary, and why the Florida Loop is the ideal “test cruise” for future Loopers.

presented by Kim Russo of America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association

presented by Sarah Lawrence of the Chesapeake Boating Academy

Navigation apps can make a huge difference in keeping you safe, confident, and informed on the water. Learn how they help with route planning/tracking, finding favorite destinations, sharing your location, checking weather and tides, getting safety alerts, integration with your boat electronics and much more.

presented by Jeff Foulk & Dave Rowe of ArgoNav

presented by John Stefancik of the Marine Trades Association of Maryland

Light tackle jigging is one of the most popular ways to fish for striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay, and FishTalk’s own Lenny Rudow will give anglers the lowdown on what tactics and tackle they need to be successful. He’ll also cover how to find hotspots on the Bay, how to know when conditions are prime for light tackle jigging, and how to choose the best lures for different jigging situations. If catching big rockfish on light tackle sounds like fun to you, this is a seminar you won’t want to miss.

presented by Lenny Rudow with FishTalk Magazine

presented by Christian Buchleitner of Mad Soaps Boat Detailing

Join Ted Morgan as he gives you the best hints for a great on the water picture, whether it is of a boat or the nature surrounding you!

Ted Morgan is a life-long Annapolitan and sailor. Ted’s interest in photography was sparked by a trip to Yellowstone National Park almost 20 years ago. His passion for photography includes all things wildlife-related and sailboat racing. Ted has photographed numerous national and international regattas, bicycling and running events, and images on and near the water in his hometown and around the world. He is a contributing photographer with SpinSheet.

presented by Ted Morgan of Ted Morgan Photography

Are you ready to purchase a used power boat?  Do you no what to look for when you finally set eyes on your dream boat?  What questions should you ask the buyer or broker about the history of the boat?  Scott Berg, who is a member of The Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors, is here to answer all the questions and to give you his professional tips to get the best boat for your money.

presented by Scott Berg, from CBW Marine Surveyor, Consultant and Captain

• Captain Phyllis Woolwine will introduce the physics of boat maneuvering – addressing boats of any size, in any conditions. Most of these concepts apply to all types of boats. She will also present specifics of controlling single engine vessels versus twin engine vessels, as well as outboards & stern-drives.  With these physics in mind, she will go over optimum strategies for maintaining full control of the vessel anywhere in the marina, in any conditions, including approaches to the dock.

presented by Phyllis Woolwine of Shearwater University

Light tackle jigging is one of the most popular ways to fish for striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay, and FishTalk’s own Lenny Rudow will give anglers the lowdown on what tactics and tackle they need to be successful. He’ll also cover how to find hotspots on the Bay, how to know when conditions are prime for light tackle jigging, and how to choose the best lures for different jigging situations. If catching big rockfish on light tackle sounds like fun to you, this is a seminar you won’t want to miss.

presented by Lenny Rudow with FishTalk Magazine

Insurance Overview:

Who can I trust?

What can I expect when buying insurance, with surveys AND if I have a claim?

When do I market insurance (or remarket)

Why do I need insurance – or do I?

Where can I go – and for how long?

How to prepare paperwork – boating experience resume, itinerary, storm plans

(aka ‘how’ to get approved for insurance… )

presented by Kerry Gonzalez of AMG Insurance International

Docking with dynamic springlines has become a lost art – with tragic results in marinas all around the world. Captain Phyllis Woolwine is leading a charge to bring these powerful skills & strategies back. Owner of Shearwater University – Maritime Education, “Captain Wooly” specializes in training boaters of all types to use springlines for maximum safety and boat control while leaving and returning to the dock – every time, in any conditions, with just two people. This seminar focuses on the physics of the core springline strategy we apply on all boats, every time, no matter the boat type or scenario – revolutionizing the docking experiences of new and experienced boaters. If time, other springline strategies will be introduced for getting in and out of challenging situations.

presented by Phyllis Woolwine of Shearwater University

For most of us, boating was not the go to sport, or even an opportunity.  It was a elitist sport, that men did.  Well the world has changed and some of the best boaters on the planet are women.   So why not you?  A Woman.   But simply you at the helm, what do you need to know, and you are capable, you can learn this and become a skilled, competent Captain, crew or partner.  This includes instruction, mentors, support systems, and building your confidence that you can do this.

presented by Captain Deb Marlor of Simplicity Coaching

presented by Captain Deb Marlor of Simplicity Coaching

You have a boat, you love to eat blue crabs and maybe you want to learn how to crab for yourself!  Let Capt. Bill explain to you about the rules and regulations of recreational crabbing, where some of the secret hotspots are, and he will also help you understand the difference between setting a trot line vs a trap. Maybe once you are finished with Capt. Bill’s seminar, you can set out to catch the crabs before the season ends.

presented by Captain Bill of the Chesapeake Boating Academy