9 Months Later …

Pauline and I purchased a 50ft trawler within about nine months of doing your course.

She’s a 2003 Nova Scotia 47 Pilothouse Trawler named. She has an 18′ beam, weighs 65000lb with all Pauline’s stuff aboard and has a standup engine room with a single Cummins 480CE. We love her, she’s a wonderful liveaboard.

We have cruised over 20,000 miles & done The Great Circle Loop, The Down East Loop, the Bahamas and run as for as the British Virgin Islands. It’s been a great adventure.

We are glad to see you are still ‘on the game’.

Best Regards from Pauline and Rod (The Aussies)

Trawler School was the First Stop on the Journey

Hello Capt. Bob,

We have traveled from The Bahamas to Maine, Boston, and 3 years on the Chesapeake  Bay. Then last year we traveled to the loop thru the Great Lakes and up in the North Channel. One of our favorite spots is at the Baie Finn(see attached pix). Put on your list of must stops when on your trip doing the Loop.

We brought a 2012 56’ Selene trawler that we had ordered in 2011 and delivery in Fort Lauderdale in 2012. Since delivery we have traveled over 15,000 miles in less than 2.5 years. Yes, we move about.

 Good luck on your trip to Boston and your New Boston school, a lot of great places to see.

 Best,
Bart

Come see us in Oriental!

Cap’n Bob,

Good to hear from you!  Jennifer and I will not be able to join you for a cruise to Boston, but, we have relocated to Oriental, NC and would be pleased to see you if you should be overnighting in the area north or south bound.

Oriental is mile 182 on the ICW at the mouth of the Nuese River.  Have a safe trip, good luck with your new Boston location.

Terry & Jennifer

Making the Waterways Safer One Trawler at a Time

Captain Bob.                      March 6 — 10, 2015

Our trip and classes were an experience that will help us for years to come. You gave us the skills and confidence needed. You’ve got a good mix of hands on and classroom training. You made it all easy, simple & practical.

I feel better knowing you’ve taught many other trawling folks that I see out on the intracoastal waterways.

Thanks a bunch
Joe & Christine C
Bensenville IL

Outside My Comfort Zone

Hi Captain Bob.                   March 2 — 6 — 2015

I have one last request for you? Can you write a recipe book because your cooking is outstanding and a lot better than mine. We had such a great time, it was not only a wonderful school, but a great little vacation. Your school was everything your web site projected (and much more than we expected). We are now Trawler Scholars! See you on the high seas, Stephen

Captain Bob thank you for pushing me outside my comfort zone.  I learned so much and I can go trawling with the best of them. Great fun, incredible sites & views. Good bye & good luck in Boston. Linda

Linda & Stephen
Delay Beach Fl

The Dream Became a Reality

Captain Bob

Thanks for your email and congratulations on expanding your trawler school. It’s been a while since Yvonne and I took your short course (May 2008, see pictures) but it was a great introduction to boating. It took a year and a half but we did buy a boat, a Meridian 411 Sedan Bridge. We’ve had it over 6 years now and keep it berthed in Baltimore at the Baltimore Marine Center. It you stop in Baltimore on your way to Boston, look us up. Thanks again and good luck on your expanded adventure.

Cheers!
Ken

We Bought a Trawler Catamaran!

Captain Bob,

So good to hear from you.  With your help and classes, we have taken other classes through Trawler Fest and have also attended a cruise on a catamaran.  As such, we purchased a trawler catamaran about a year and a half ago and keep it in Key West.  We are learning a ton and I am taking online classes to learn more.  We have recently went to Marco Island alone and have taken trips to Marathon and back.  We could not have started this dream without you and the Miami Mermaid.

Best Regards
Trent & Renee

Little Trawler vs. the Great Big Loop

Hello Captain Bob,
Remember big things come in little packages! That’s our Trawler.

You are right.  After we completed our training with you, Alice and I purchased a 25 foot Ranger Tug in the Fall of 2012 on Lake Champlain.  We had a few days cruising before it went into hibernation.  In May of 2013 we cruised South to our home port of Hyde Park, NY.  We then started the Great Loop on June 1, 2013. Since the Erie Canal was closed, we took the long way, back up the Champlain valley and Canada to Sorel and the St. Lawrence. Continued up river to the Thousand Islands and then through the Trent Severn Waterway to Georgian Bay and the North Channel.  Returned to USA and got to Lake Michigan.  We left the boat,”Red Ranger” on July 29, in Holland, MI for the winter. On June 1, 2014 we started the second leg of our Loop.  Chicago was some experience, seeing the heart of the city as we started the river route South to the Gulf of Mexico.  We followed the Florida panhandle and then South to Tampa.  We had Red Ranger dry-docked in Palmetto, FL.  We plan on starting the last leg of the Loop in early April.  We should finish the Loop sometime in the middle of July, 2015.
If you have a float plan, with your tentative dates and marinas, available to send me, it would be neat if we could visit with you along the way.
Very Happy Students
Alice & Cornell

A Week Full of Discovery & Learning

Hi Captain Bob,

After serving 27 years in the US Coast Guard as an engineer, split between sea duty and marine safety from the east, west, and Gulf coasts, including two years in Vietnam, I retired as a CW04 in my home state of Florida. The very next day I took a position as a port engineer with internal ship management, managing sulfur ships, grain ships, and ocean going tugs & barges. After 22 years with the company as VP I am “semi-retired.”

My wife and I are both native Floridians and love the water where we seem to be spending more and more time; with that in mind our interest has turned to larger vessels such as trawlers. After surfing the internet and reading various boat magazines we discovered “Captain Bob’s Trawler School Charters” which has turned out to be a week of learning, “by hands on experience,” beautiful scenery, enjoyable company, and great food.

Capt. Bob splits education between classes and hands on- with time for relaxing stops at such places as “Boca Chita Island” I did not know such places existed.

Capt. Bob passes on his experience and knowledge in navigation and boat handling in a very understandable manner. The experience you gain in docking a single screw vessel will be a valuable asset in your future. And, don’t be surprised if you gain a few pounds from “cabin boy” Bob’s chef capabilities. After watching Capt. Bob eyeing my intrinsically safe flash light during the voyage, I left it among his various gadgets.

Capt. Bob, Thanks for a wonderful week. In addition to the operational skills learned we appreciated the knowledge passed on in the ABC’s of Trawlers- good luck with your hip.

Betty & Jerry – San Antonio, FL

Where do We Begin?

Captain Bob                                         2 — 23  —  2 — 27 — 2015

Where do we begin? Coming from  -7 degree’s in Chicago to Southern Florida to attend your Trawler school has been more rewarding than we could ever have imagined. From the moment we stepped aboard the Miami Mermaid we have learned not only how to navigate but everything we need to know about handling a trawler. Safety, “woman over board and saving” Wilma (Blow up doll), that was fun!

What type of trawler to look for, advice on whether to buy or charter at this point in our lives (still working) and the wonderful community of boaters out there and why it is such a big draw for so many.

You have been an exceptional host, and now a friend. I hope someday to find you out there cruising the around the intracoastal on our own trawler, once we retire. We will have a toast to all your help and guidance.

This has been one of our fondest experiences on the water. Thank you so very much. We will miss Wilma.

Glen & Debbie
Medinah, IL.