Author Archives: The Captain

First Class with No Agenda

Captain Bob,

Thank you for teaching my brother and I. It was a bonding reunion between us.

If anybody is thinking about buying a trawler, then take this class first. It is well worth the time and money. Captain Bob is first class and has no hidden agenda. We are now ready for the trawler world.

Tom B
Lexington VA

Invaluable Intracoastal Experience, Ready for our new Trawler!

Captain Bob,

Just bought a 42′ Krogan pilothouse Trawler, and needed a little schooling to bring her home from the Chesapeake  to Vermont on the Intracoastal.

Thanks for your generous sprit and willingness to share your Intracoastal experience from Florida to Boston and back on your 2015 trip. We learned a lot, and are ready to bring our trawler home. Had a great time.

Thanks again!
Doug & Terri
Burlington, Vt

First Ever Solo Female Student Weighs In

Captain Bob,

What can I say, you’re the best! The best teacher, the best cook, the best Cabin boy. I’m so honored to have been your first female solo student in your 10 year history. My reason to attend Trawler school was that I’ll be cruising on my boyfriends new trawler. I’m leaving to go on a rip-roaring adventure on the cold and stormy North Sea in Scotland next week. I am so excited! I just do not want to be a passenger but an active shipmate, your lessons will do just that. Loved my engine class, anchoring, electrical, navigation, rules of the road, tying knot’s, woman overboard drill, I saved “Wilma” yahoo, and last but not least docking lessons blindfolded on my last try. Never put a scratch on your vessel. The Miami Mermaid was very, very clean and how respectful and professional you were. I enjoyed the experience more than I ever could have anticipated. Maybe we will see you cruise in the North Sea.

Always Ginger
Orlando Fl.

We Cruised 800 Miles on the ICW with Capt. Bob

9 October 2015, Oriental, NC – 24 October 2015, Riviera Beach, FL

Trawler trip down the ICW

It all started with an e-mail from “Trawler School Captain Bob” this past March saying he was going to travel to Boston to give Trawler Classes there in the summer. He inquired if any of us would like to charter the Miami Mermaid for a portion of the trip on the ICW. My wife and I being former students of his trawler school in 2011 thought it would be a unique experience so we e-mailed back and requested a portion of the southern Leg.

We took the trawler class thinking about buying a trawler but due to the wealth of information we received from Captain Bob’s on the pros and cons we decided to buy a small house on the water with a bay boat. Being a retired Coast Guard Officer we (my wife Betty & I) never strayed far from the water, I currently am still a partner in a Management company dealing with ocean going tugs & barges. But the desire to cruise the intercostal waterway has always lingered in our bucket list so we jumped at the chance.

The cruise was an irreplaceable experience and the fond memories will always be with us. In reality we chartered the Miami Mermaid, charted the course, picked out the stops and expanded our knowledge in navigation, not to mention the hours of hands on the helm.

Captain Bob seemed to disappear after we got underway in the morning and reclassified  himself as Cabin Boy Bob which means he also bought the groceries, cooked the meals. (That’s when he turned into Chef-Boy-AR-Dee Bob and turned the saloon into a 5-star restaurant with music, candles and wine).

Our trips ashore in his dingy (Named “My Ding-A-Ling”) were always special. We ended up in a mullet festival in Swanville, a wonderful seafood dinner and then partying on a 75’ trawler in Charleston, a late afternoon carriage ride through the historic district of Beaufort then shrimp & grits at Blackstone’s Café in the a.m. and a drink in Florida’s oldest tavern the “Palace Saloon” while at Fernandina Beach. Every day was an adventure whether ashore or at sea one day finds us running at Idle speed through South Carolina’s storm flooded waterway being shadowed by the Marine patrol or Coast Guard to insure the NO WAKE zone was enforced as the water was over the banks and into the homes or maneuvering up from the end of the Brunswick River open to the Atlantic in 4-6 foot seas.

The many homes we passed were unbelievable due to the architectural beauty and or landscaping. It was like a daily boat show sharing the waterway with every kind of vessel from multimillion dollar pleasure craft, other trawlers, river tugs and barges to sailing yachts of every description.

Sailing again with Captain Bob was a pleasure, we traveled around 800 miles ending around 50 miles short due to my coming down with a kidney infection but as he Medevac’d me ashore it all ended with smiles & high fives.

Bon voyage

Betty & Jerry Schambeau

Everything and More

9-20-15.  —– 10-10-15.  Boston to NC 21 day ICW trip

To Captain Bob,

Thank you for a wonderful cruise it was everything we hoped for and more. We feel confident that with the new skills we acquired we can now pursue the purchase of a trawler and enjoy the wonders of the intracoastal water ways. We loved your meals, you are quite the chef. We also want to thank Wilma she was a great shipmate. We look forward to our paths crossing again. Best wishes.

Dave & Barb
Adams Creek NC

Learning to Navigate in Pea Soup

Aug 21  —   Aug 24

Captain Bob,

Thanks for a great time, especially learning navigation in Boston Pea Soup, what an experience. Your hospitality was exceptional and the home cooked food was delicious  . We were looking to expand our sea skills and learned more the we expected, and have 3 pages of ideas and notes we will use when it is time to charter and buy our trawler.  We chartered a Trunk trawler and stayed on your Sundeck and now to try out charting our a Sedan model.

Thanks so much.
Jim & Karen L
Albany NY

Unexpected Confidence

To dear, Captain Bob aka Cabin Boy Bob.      Aug 3 – 7

What a wonderful, fun learning experience you have provided both of us. The insight gained from your knowledge and  experience compressed into 3 days of well informed trawler classes, they have really provided us both with a broader knowledge base and a level of confidence I didn’t expect, me at the helm (Gingee) navigating on my own through the rocky Boston Islands and lots of course corrections, how exciting.

The grand finale on purchasing is very thought  provoking. Your thoughts on chartering different models and sizes makes very good sense before buying.
Now, as for your humor and nautical story’s made our training more fun. Thanks for your time and patience.
Captain your meals were delicious.
Thanks Gingee and Sheffield
Sanderstown, RI

We Are Ready to Move Forward

Dear Captain Bob,
John and I are so lucky to have spent this week with you on the Miami Mermaid. We both learned so much and feel a lot more comfortable going forward locating and buying the right model and size trawler. We are excited about cruising around and seeing wonderful places like we saw on your cruise. We enjoyed a day on Spectacle Island.
Thanks for everything
John & Gabi
Manahawkin, NJ

P.S. you are a really good cook!

 

Navigating Boston Harbor

Boston Harbor & Boston Island.      June 29 — July 3

Captain Bob,

Thank you so much we learned so much and had a great time. The sites of the Boston skyline, harbor, islands and anchoring up the Charles River going through the locks and the Railroad lift bridge, then the road bridge was worth the trip. We appreciate how you taught us, your classes were simple and your confidence letting us navigate the Miami Mermaid all by ourself most of the time. We hope to visit you in Miami on our own Trawler.

Jean & Janet W.
Tokyo Japan