The first TrawlerFest event of 2020 is fast approaching! PassageMaker magazine has once again scheduled a series of events this year which begins with the Stuart TrawlerFest during the first week of March.

Seminars start March 3^rd and the In-Water Boat Show portion begins on Thursday March 5th. Everything wraps up on Saturday the 7^th.

We are delighted to announce that we will have two magnificent trawlers on display, a Kadey-Krogen 48 North Sea and a Selene 56.

Our exceptional Kadey-Krogen 48 listing, Klassy Kady, will be in the marina and available for you to tour and appreciate (she is getting a lot of attention and it appears that someone soon will be writing up an offer).

Klassy Kady has the popular wide body saloon, three-cabin, two-head arrangement an excellent layout and she is in sparkling condition. Come see for yourself, you will not believe she was built in 2004.  Hull number 25 in this acclaimed series means she has a lot of great improvements and her owners completed a major pilothouse upgrade to the helm area including nav/com electronics. After several years cruising up and down the east coast and hopping over to the Bahamas it’s time for a change and Klassy Kady is ready for new owners to take over. She is so easy to own and operate that her owner often handled her alone.  His attention to detail means she and has been thoughtfully looked after with regular maintenance and can venture up the coast or cross the seas. Please contact Listing broker Christopher Bruce if you would like more information or to schedule a private appointment to see her. Christopher@JMYS.com +1 603.397.8397

Klassy Kady

Spyhop II, our fantastic Selene 56 listing will also be on display at the Hutchinson Marriott marina. She is a wonderful vessel for many reasons including her spacious interior, exceptional storage, ease of boarding and more. Spyhop II is a 2012 year with a three-stateroom layout. She also has a full height engine room with two access points. Due to her generous size, Spyhop II is a great boat for full time live aboard, entertaining, and cruising with guests. Spending time aboard you will quickly see that she shows like new and has been beautifully maintained.  We have had a number of showings lately and she too seems poised to find a new home. Please contact Listing broker Christopher Bruce if you would like more information or to schedule a private appointment to see her. Christopher@JMYS.com +1 603.397.8397

Spyhop II

Several of our team members will be attending Stuart TrawlerFest including Jeff Merrill, Christopher Bruce, Larry Friedman, John Hoffman, and Elle Conwell. In addition to seeing us onboard Klassy Kady and Spyhop II, you can walk the docks, see what’s in the tents, and you can sit in on Jeff’s two seminars: Offshore Essentials and Dialing-In Your Trawler.  (Seating is limited, best to make a reservation).

Offshore Essentials starts on Wednesday at 1pm. It is an excellent course that teaches cruisers important steps they need to consider before, during and after leaving the dock. It’s an armchair way to learn what to expect when you head out to sea. There is a wealth of information and plenty of tips included in this lecture.

On Friday afternoon at 3:15, Jeff is moderating the Cruisers Perspectives panel. This is a round table “town hall” meeting type open discussion featuring a collection of veteran cruisers and industry experts sitting up front to answers your questions about cruising on trawlers. Anything goes, and in addition to a diverse and varied exchange of information (including lessons often learned the hard way) you will most certainly enjoy a few laughs along the way.  Circumnavigator Bruce Kessler heads the group of panelists which also includes a leading surveyor, anchoring aficionado, multiple boat yard owner, renowned boat builder, weather guru, nav/com expert, seasoned yacht brokers…and Jeff invited two special guests who are joining us for the first time, Braden and Brooke Palmer who live aboard their Nordhavn 55 Mermaid Monster (they have a very entertaining YouTube channel and are giving a presentation of their own Saturday morning).

Dialing-In Your Trawler begins Saturday morning at 8:30. This class is designed to help boaters better monitor important systems on their boats. Jeff has an inquisitive mind and has always been looking for quick references and short cuts to make it easier to stay on top of and keep track of things.  This started in his youth racing sailboats by marking his lines to achieve repeatable optimal performance and has easily transferred over to his career as a yacht broker where he teaches his clients the importance of staying in-tune and dialing-things-in. You will gain some helpful insights and hear an amusing boating story (or two!).

The event location is hosted by the Hutchinson Island Marina and Marriott Beach Resort again this year and we have really enjoyed this venue the past few years.

Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort and Marina

555 NE Ocean Blvd,

Stuart, FL 34996

Phone: +1 772.225.3700

If you are wondering what it is going to be like, last year we filmed a video walking the docks, here is a link to that short film.

Tickets are available to purchase online, or you can pay upon arrival. Group rates are available online and seminar tickets include general admission to the boat show.

https://secure.interactiveticketing.com/1.28/1148e3/#/selectSeveral

The trawler market is heating up and buyers are actively looking for boats they can enjoy cruising with this spring.

With limited space there are so many other fine JMYS listings that won’t be in the show but are easily available for viewing including: Kadey-Krogen 55 Olympia (moored in Stuart) and Kadey-Krogen 44 Sweet Ride up in Vero Beach.  Both of these trawlers can be viewed by appointment while you are in town. (Please let us know if you are interested so we can schedule your private tour in advance).

Below is a link that will take you to the Stuart TrawlerFest website with details on the address, times, seminars schedule and an updated directory showing which trawlers will be on display.

https://www.passagemaker.com/trawlerfest/trawlerfest-stuart-2020

Please let us know that you are coming and we look forward to seeing you!

We are kicking off 2020 with the Seattle Boat Show. This show is an indoor and outdoor event held at CenturyLink Field Event Center and Lake Union Boats Afloat show on South Lake Union.

The Boat Show begins January 24^th and continues through February 1. We will be on hand in the entrance tent booths on Lake Union and look forward to talking with you!

With several of our own great listings available in the Anacortes area, please stop by to discuss your cruising plans with Greg, Kelly, and Jeff and see us to make appointments as we’d like to talk tugs and trawlers with you!

Tickets are $17 for general admission per day, but you can also purchase a 9-day ticket for $30. Also, attendees 17 and under get in free.

Due to the length of the show spanning over two weekends, there are several related events. These include wine tastings, Women’s Day, Bring your dog day, and more.

Here is the official Show website for more information.

https://seattleboatshow.com

JMYS has two Kadey-Krogen’s in Stuart, FL that will be open for inspection this Friday and Saturday.

No appointment is necessary, please come to the Sunset Bay Marina to visit.

For directions and details please contact Christopher Bruce and/or Larry Friedman.

Sunset Bay Marina
615 SW Anchorage Way
Stuart, FL 34994
C Dock

See you at the Baltimore, MD TrawlerFest!

September is here, and although summer is coming to an end, we have one more great PassageMaker event to look forward to that will make us long for summer: Baltimore TrawlerFest! This is their third and final event in the series for 2019.

Baltimore TrawlerFest begins with seminars on Tuesday September 24^th.  The in-water boat show is open on the Thursday the 26^th and concludes on Saturday, September 28^th.

We have a Promo Code that you can use that may provide a 20% discount:  Merrill.

Trawler Fest is hosted at the Harbor East Marina, located in the center of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.  General admission is $15 in advance and $18 onsite. Also, seminar participants enter the in-water boat show for free on the day of their seminar.

From our team, Jeff Merrill and Elle Conwell will be attending. Jeff is giving two talks: Dialing-In Your Trawler and Offshore Essentials, both on Saturday. He is also moderating Cruiser’s Perspectives on Friday.

Cruiser’s Perspectives from 2:00-4:00pm on Friday is a panel event with expert cruisers and industry professionals answering a variety of questions. This year’s participants include Bruce Kessler, Steve Zimmerman, Eric Kunz, Chris Parker, John Clayman, Ken Fickett, Rudy Sechez and Karen Alt. During the event, panelists will tell stories, offer advice, and answer questions from the audience.

If you are looking for great ideas and best practices aboard your trawler, Dial-In Your Trawler is a great class. Jeff has collected extensive techniques, tricks, and tips throughout his over twenty years as a Yacht Broker. This class offers solutions and improvements that take away many common issues. Dial-In Your Trawler is from 8:30-10:30 on Saturday.

Following his first Saturday lecture, Jeff is teaching Offshore Essentials. This class focuses on how to prepare yourself and your vessel for time underway. Jeff has logged more than 20,000 miles offshore on trawlers with a majority of that time was spent training clients. Jeff will share fundamental skills to ensure safety underway. This class goes from 1:30-5:00pm Saturday.

Aside from these classroom presentations, you can find us walking the docks and we always look forward to meeting and talking with fellow trawler enthusiasts.

Please call Jeff on his cell +1 949.355.4950 if you would like to set up a time to meet with him.

You can find more information about seminars and ticketing with this link:

https://www.passagemaker.com/trawlerfest/trawlerfest-baltimore-2019

Learn and Plan Together, Says Teacher for Seattle Show
By Peter Swanson

“Cruising is typically a couples activity. You both need to buy in. The idea can start as one person’s ultimate goal, but it is more successful and more satisying if you plan and prepare together,” says TrawlerFest instructor Jeff Merrill. “There is probably no single activity that is more satisfying than the freedom implied by running your own boat.”

Merrill is a CPYB yacht broker, trawler specialist and polished public speaker. He is the instructor for two popular seminars at TrawlerFest in Seattle: Dial-In Your Trawler and Offshore Essentials, which represent a distillation of wisdom from tens of thousands of miles underway.

(Additionally, Merrill serves as moderator for a freewheeling Q&A seminar Cruisers Roundtable, which features a panel of offshore experts, including power cruising pioneer Bruce Kessler.)

Dial-In Your Trawler provides a boatload of simple tricks to better monitor and maintain the ship’s systems. Merrill as almost two-hours of tips such as reference marks for needles on analog gauges, a dry-erase board in the engine room, anchor chain marking techniques.

Offshore Essentials covers the basics of weather forecasting, route planning, watch standing, engine room checks, pilothouse navigation and electronics operations. Anyone interested in transiting between sea ports requiring overnight passages will learn essential preparations and best practices.

SEMINARS: Tuesday-Saturday, April 23-27 at Seattle Marriott Waterfront

IN-WATER BOAT SHOW: Thursday-Saturday, April 25-27 at Bell Harbor Marina. Show is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

QUESTIONS? Contact Donna at DAschheim@aimmedia.com

BEST VALUE: Every seminar except the diesel course and “Boat Handling on the Water” are part of our VIP package. Being a four- or five-day VIP gives attendees access to their choice of 24 other seminars. The cost is $449 for a four-day VIP pass and $549 for the five-day pass. Visit our ticketing site and do some math. You’ll see how being a VIP maximizes your seminar buying power.

Spring is here and to us that means…drum roll…TrawlerFest in Seattle is around the corner!

We love the Pacific Northwest and find ourselves in the Seattle area often; attending shows, looking at boats with clients and surveying trawlers. In the past, we have enjoyed participating in TrawlerFest when it was held in Poulsbo, Anacortes and Bremerton.  This year we are pleased with their new location at the Bell Harbor marina in downtown Seattle

Seminars: Tuesday-Saturday, April 23-27
In-Water Boat Show: Thursday-Saturday April 25-27

March is chilly in many parts of the world, but we were fortunate enough to recently spend a week in sunny Stuart, FL. We love kicking off the annual TrawlerFest series by joining everyone else who participates in PassageMaker magazine’s first event of the year.

We were particularly pleased to have our listing, NaviGator, a 2005 Nordhavn 47 on display. The JMYS team in attendance included: Jeff, Pam, Elle, and Jonn Merrill plus Christopher and Alexandra Bruce.

On Monday, before the show began, Jeff and Elle sailed NaviGator up the coast from Fort Lauderdale with her owner Mike at the helm. (Read more about Elle’s impressions about that magic Monday delivery here >> NaviGating to the Stuart, Florida TrawlerFest

Jeff got things rolling on Wednesday with his first talk “Offshore Essentials”. This course reviewed helpful information for those sailors who want to know more about cruising underway offshore during extended trips. Jeff’s materials provided both an introduction and a refresher for trawler owner operators. Topics included: safety, navigation, engine room checks and watch standing and all peppered with funny stories from Jeff’s experiences with clients aboard various trawlers over the years.  “Offshore Essentials” was as entertaining as it was informative.

(All three PowerPoint presentations mentioned in this article are linked near the end of this article and available for you to download for a limited time only).

Thursday was the show’s first day of the in-the-water-show and NaviGator was a start attraction! Jeff, Christopher, Elle, and Mike gave nonstop tours of the boat. We have found that engaging with our visitors, personally showing the highlights and listening to their thoughts is truly the best way to let people understand a sophisticated and long range capable trawler like NaviGator (here is a link to the dedicated NaviGator website if you’d like to see more – photos, specifications, 360’s and video).  Many enthusiastic trawler-goers climbed aboard and the number of shoes on the dock grew throughout the day as more people came to check her out.  We think that being the only Nordhavn at the event made her an even larger attraction (the fact that she is a previous People’s Choice award winner also helped)!  The day flew by and we didn’t really get time to take a lunch break. This “all work and all play” trend continued on throughout all three days. We were regularly backed up with a line of folks interested in seeing her and appreciate all who thanked us at the end of their tour complementing NaviGator and assuring us it was well worth the wait.

Jeff grabbed the lectern again on Friday, to teach his “Dialing In Your Trawler” class which focuses on numerous ways you can improve and monitor your on board equipment and systems. As in the past, the class was packed with eager-to-learn, note taking trawler owners. Jeff touched on solutions to common problems and techniques learned from our clients – all illustrated through a large collection of photos showcasing these ideas and suggestions.

After answering questions at the end of the “Dial-In” class, it was time for the “Cruisers Perspective – A Town Hall Meeting” to begin. As he has for the past couple of years, Jeff served as the MC/moderator. This seasoned collection of veteran cruisers fielded audience questions and told personal stories from their years of at sea adventures. The panel featured a who’s who of trawler experts joining Jeff and included: Bruce Kessler, Andrea Gaines, Dylan Bailey, John Clayman, Eric Kunz, Chris Parker, Ken Fickett and Steve Zimmerman.

Every TrawlerFest includes at least one aspirational talk. Next month in Seattle, one couple shares the story of making the transition from dirt dwellers to capable cruisers. Rob and Deanna Piwowarczyk describe what it was like for them to “sell it all and move on a boat.” The name of the seminar is Making the Leap: A Cruising Couple Tells Their Story.

The Piwowarczyks did just that, selling their house and business in the mountains of Colorado and moving aboard a Selene 55 in Southern California with two 90-pound dogs. They’ll describe how they made the decision to “make the leap,” how they searched for and chose their perfect boat, and what they’ve learned along the way, including how to continue to earn a paycheck. And it all transpired more quickly than you might imagine.