The trawler lifestyle is lived and loved by so many around the globe – so much that it is celebrated 3 times a year in the form of Trawlerfest! We just wrapped up the 2023 Trawlerfest season in Baltimore, Maryland and as usual, we had a blast.
JMYS was represented by Jeff, Pam, Pam’s father Jon, and broker Mark Pittman. Our JMYS sponsor booth was easily recognized with our flags and we had visits from longtime friends and new people exploring the trawler concept all week long. There was a lot of activity from the seminars, booths and vessels so our location on the dock was right in the middle of the action!
The show kicked off on Tuesday, Sept 26 at the Inner Harbor Marina in downtown Baltimore. The trawlers participating in the show stood out amongst the backdrop of the city, and trawler enthusiasts kicked off their shoes at each slip, eager to hop aboard and tour a different boat. Following the trend we saw back at the Anacortes TrawlerFest, there were a lot of great boats – good variety, excellent quality and top notch sales brokers aboard for the attendees to meet.
Jeff concluded his 21st year as a Trawlerfest presenter with his classic lineup of educational and of course, entertaining classes. First up was Trawler Buying Tips on Wednesday. Jeff was the moderator, fielding questions from the audience to the respective subject matter experts. Attendees hoping to purchase their first or next trawler in the next 1, 5 or even 10 years filled the classroom and listened to the discussion, taking notes and asking questions that benefitted the entire room. Jeff read off a list of “8 Trawler Buying Tips” that he found doing an online search (from JMYS.com!). Then Steve Zimmerman, offering a logical shopping matrix method to help you determine what type and size of trawler might be most appealing. Jeff talked about selecting a yacht broker and the importance of using yacht broker association contracts. Cindy Lewis from Sterling talked about financing and John Posey from Total Dollar highlighted the world of insurance. The room was packed and attendees were reminded that Jeff has written a series of trawler buying tips related articles written for PassageMaker magazine called “Trawler Transactions”.
Thursday’s class was Offshore Preparations – a class that gives attendees real life advice on how they should be prepping their boat and themselves for extended time away from land. Jeff has a lot of fun sharing some of what he has learned from his own personal experiences traveling offshore with clients and it is very rewarding to present in front of an eager group of future cruisers.
On Friday, Jeff moderated Ask the Experts with a resource packed panel ready to give their best advice to the crowd. Usual suspects, Jeff, Steve Zimmerman and Bob Arrington were joined with active cruisers, Kevin and Alison Jeffries who own and enjoy the Nordhavn 55 Red Rover. Wayne Goldman from Selene Americas also joined the panel to share his insights. This is a fun, “you never know what is going to be asked next” session that always ends up being a great exchange of information. Jeff held a drawing for a first edition copy of Voyaging Under Power that was won by Wayne Florence.
The last day of the show was Saturday, and Jeff presented his final course – Dialing In. Jeff has shared this course for over ten years and the popularity never seems to wane. It also led to dozens of articles on the topic for Ocean Navigator magazine. There are so many little things you can do aboard your trawler to make life aboard more convenient and to make tracking details more efficient. Two hours is never enough time.
During the event Jeff sat in on three specific courses that he really enjoyed. Captain Chris Caldwell outlined what to expect from a survey. JMYS encourages our buyers to spend time aboard the boat they wish to purchase before writing up an offer, and Chris showed a lot of good things to look for. Nordhavn 55 friends, Kevin and Alison Jeffries, talked about their Big U travels aboard Red Rover and Wayne Goldman from Selene Americas highlighted many of the important considerations to think about when buying a new trawler. All of the seminar classes offer a great variety of information. The educational component in the classroom setting is one of the great values of attending.
The Passagemaker team never fails to put on a smooth event, and we are thankful for their dedication to building the trawler community one event at a time.
Save the date!
We are looking forward to the next TrawlerFest event in Stuart, Florida in 2024. For more information, visit the Passagemaker Magazine website.
Want more Trawlerfest content? Watch our Dock Walk and Talk video from the event below!
