1-12-2017.                        1-17-2017

Ahoy Captain Bob

Thank you for sharing a wealth of trawler information & experiences concerning trawlers. We enjoyed staying on your well kept trawler and enjoyed your unbelievable home cooking.

Even though we are experienced 41′ houseboat live-aboard’s, your trawler school helped to clarify our future trawling plans. We now feel confident chartering a trawler on our own and we earned your graduation certificate to send the chartering company.

May you be blessed with fair winds, calm seas & Kentucky Bourbon …
Gean & Dianne F.
Louisville KY

Jan 2nd.               Jan 6th 2017

Captain Bob,

A big item on our “bucket list” is cruising on a Trawler. Captain Bob’s ad in Passagemaker made a great Christmas present that we brought for each other. What a Christmas present! It was much better than we ever expected.

We boated in smaller boats for years 13′ — 26′ pursuit. We crewed and co- chartered on larger boats. Captain Bob and his practical & simple teaching skills gave us all the confidence in the world to next go on a trawler charter on our own for a few times before making a decision on buying a 40′ and up trawler. Anyone meeting Captain Bob can tell he is a very colorful character, great host and now friend.

If and when he writes a book on his personal and professional cruising experiences I’d like to have the first copy!

It was a pleasure knowing and cruising with him for a short time.

Our Best to The Captain & The Miami Mermaid
Rusty & Sara
Hickory NC

12-26-16.                   12-30-16

Happy New Years Captain Bob!

From the mountains of North Carolina to landing on the island of Boca Chita, Florida Keys, we learned so much about running and living aboard a trawler and so, so much more.

Cruising thru the heavy holiday boat traffic of the port of Miami and the Intracoastal was such an experience. We were on our toes for sure. Captain Bob picks the most beautiful anchorages.

Now, after only a few days with the Captain, we are ready to do a trawler charter on our own safely and confidently; we mastered docking, close quarters, navigating, safety, rules of the sea, and most of all how to take a wake correctly.

We earned Trawler School’s 4-day/ 3-night certificate listing all subjects covered to send to the charter company.

Your dinners and music were wonderful and it’s a very clean boat. Good times, pleasant company and beautiful sunsets.

Thanks Captain Bob
Hugh & Jennifer
Charlotte NC

Dec 12th.               ——-         Dec 16th

Captain Bob,
We came crawling up out if the swamp in the Georgia reaches of North Florida. We knew nothing about boating! One of us has been reading about trawlers and the great loop and constantly  bothering the other half about the grand adventure of it all.

Captain Bob used a combination of patience  and was like the good hearted Skipper from Gillian’s island to teach us what we need to know.

Three days of wonderful very healthy meals, all the anchorages were just breathtaking. Now we know everything (almost).

Captain Bob scores a 10+ hilarious, big hearted, great hospitality and very clean.

Thanks Captain Bob
Billy & Karen
Come visit us up in the swamps anytime.
Tallahassee Fl

Dec 5th         —–          Dec 9th

Dear Captain Bob,
Being new trawler owners, we felt after reading your site and reviews that trawler school would give us the hands on training we needed.

We learned more than we ever expected and now can take our trawler anywhere with full confidence.

Thank you Captain Bob for providing just that. The docking practice anchoring and getting in and out of tight spots was invaluable. We’ll never forget the 4 rules of the road.

Happy holidays
Mary Beth & Tom
Cazenovia NY

Nov 29th 2016   —   Dec 3rd 2016

Captain Bob, Wilma, The Miami Mermaid

What a great course on seamanship. We arrived late Tuesday night and before you know it we were having Margaritas on Hollywood Beach. It was our stowaway night and we had no classes till 9:00am the next morning.

Charts and navigation just what we came for, we cruised South on the Intracoastal Waterway for 6 hours. We went to a wonderful Island called Boca Chica. We were alone at the helm for well over 3/4 of the time, Captain Bob has great patience and trust in his shipmates.

We learned the Captain’s 4 rules of the road: stay in your own lane, show your intentions, 360 degree rule, and last but no least the most important the WAKE. If you do not learn this rule you’ll be attending your own Wake.

The next day we learned anchoring, docking. The following day was the engine class what a blast and then 110– 12 volt Electrial class.

We went to so many anchorages in beautiful spots, we’d like to come back down when we buy our trawler. Buying the right trawler, contracts, survey… whether to charter or buy was the best information. Finally, Kathy cruised the Miami Mermaid all the Way from Miami back to the dock in Dania Beach Marina.

All in all the school was way more than we were looking for and we made a new lifetime friend “Captain Bob”

Thank you
Kathy M & Michael C
Arlington and Cambridge Ma

Dear Captain Bob.           11-7-16    11-11-16

What an experience of a lifetime! Many highlights and too many to mention. Appreciated all your jokes before class started. Because of you we are now Trawler Scholars… you have and shared a wealth of trawler information, now we can go back to CA and process it all.

We hope you have a restful and well deserved vacation in Costa Rica & Nicaragua. We are so relaxed it will be hard to go back to work. Hopefully we will meet up with you on the
“Wonder  of the Sea” our future trawler.

Gratefully and God bless this great country of ours!
Becki & Robert
Tracy, CA