Mind of a Mariner: Lessons in Self-Leadership and Guiding First-Time Sailors

This seminar will provide guidance to new mariners and help them refine their leadership. Explore strategies to build confidence, foster growth, and navigate challenges—both as captain and crew.

 

Capt. Scott Souders, SAMS® Surveyor Associate, is the founder and chief operator of Center Helm. Scott is a graduate of Chapman’s School of Seamanship, Yacht and Small Craft Survey, and a 100 Ton Captain of both sail and power vessels. As a US Powerboating Instructor Trainer and US Sailing National Faculty Member, he co-authored the most recent edition of Start Powerboating Right!. Click here to learn more about Center Helm.

See and Be Seen: The Importance of AIS Technology in Emergency Situations

See and be seen! This seminar will highlight the proven capability of AIS technology, the role it plays in aiding a man-overboard rescue, and how it significantly increases the odds of a positive outcome. Every boater knows the risks of being on the water and that it’s important to be prepared. We are thrilled to give you the opportunity to learn from the experts on this topic, Craig Warner and Kevin Kriegel.

 

Craig Warner has more than 40 years of experience racing sailboats. He is a dedicated teacher who has taught numerous military training courses for both land and sea survival. The annual on-water MOB training exercises that are designed to teach sailors how to respond to a MOB emergency are largely thanks to his efforts. Undoubtedly, his commitment to safety and drive to teach others makes him a star in the boating community.

 

Kevin Kriegel is Larsen Marine’s very own ABYC/NMEA Master Technician and a member of the NMEA board of directors. Through decades of experience, he is recognized as an expert in the field of marine electronics and is excited to share what he’s learned.

Man Overboard on the Chicago-Mac Race: Sailing Team Madcap’s Account of a Successful Recovery of a Man Overboard from Another Vessel

During overnight storms on the Chicago Mac Race on July 15 S/V Madcap responded to an emergency call of MOB from another competitor. Madcap skipper John Hoskins will unpack the events surrounding the incident and review lessons learned.

 

Hoskins is an accomplished sailor and navigator having navigated ocean races to Hawaii, Jamaica, Mexico, Bermuda and around Sicily in 2021 (the Middle Sea Race). He has raced seven solo Mackinac races, sponsored by the Great Lakes Singlehanded Society, and won six times and holds fastest elapsed time record. Having grown up in Lake County, IL, Hoskins has 22 Chicago-Mac races logged with a long string of flags, but his biggest accomplishment to date is the MOB recovery by him and his crew during last year’s Mac at night during a storm.

Starlink: Stay Connected with High-Speed Internet Anywhere on the Water

Stay connected anywhere on the water! In this seminar, you will learn how to receive high-speed internet regardless of where you travel. Enjoy streaming movies, making video calls, playing video games, and more – all while out on the water. This is all possible thanks to Starlink, one of the world’s most advanced satellite internet systems.

 

This seminar will be led by Miguel Castro, Bay Marine’s very own Master Technician. Miguel has 14 years of experience in the boating industry, holds multiple OEM certifications, and has an impressive portfolio of electronics installations. Notably, he works with prominent brands such as Garmin, Raymarine, Zipwake, and Starlink to provide Bay Marine customers with high-end electronics solutions. Larsen Marine is proudly partnered with Bay Marine Chicago, and we are thrilled that they have offered to share their knowledge and insights with the boating community.

Chicago Area Sail Racing: How to get Involved with Chicago’s Racing Community

2025 Race to Mackinac and Chicago Yacht Club’s 150th Anniversary

In celebration of its 150th anniversary, the Chicago Yacht Club announced a special edition of its iconic annual race. In this seminar, we will cover the history of the race, the race itself, the plan for this year’s historic race, and all that’s new! Thinking about doing your first Mac Race? This seminar will breakdown how to get started! Click here to learn more about the 2025 Race to Mackinac.

Celestial Navigation Fundamentals

This seminar will focus on how to find and take sites on familiar objects in the sky, at noon and at night. These basic concepts were used by ancient mariners to cross oceans before even the magnetic compass or the marine clock were developed. Learn how modern navigation still uses these techniques, as a primary or basic means of navigation.

 

Brian is a licensed Coast Guard 100 Ton Master Captain and Coast Guard Examiner, authorized to teach USCG Captain courses, holds ASA Instructor Certifications, and is an ASA instructor evaluator. He maintains certificates in Red Cross First Aid, CPR, and AED. As founder of BE-Nautical, he is recognized as ASA Instructor of the Year (and BE-Nautical as ASA School of the Year). Click here to learn more about BE-Nautical.

Boating Safety: Your Vessel Requirements

The U.S. Coast Guard’s Auxiliary arm has been the volunteer force supporting the Coast Guard’s many missions, with the exception of law enforcement/military operations. The Auxiliary provides on the water patrols, and education to the public, covering a wide spectrum of expertise in boating safety, navigation, weather, vessel operations, as well as providing vessel safety checks to insure safe operation of watercraft. This presentation will focus on safety requirements for your boat, as well as foundational key components of safely operating watercraft on the water.

 

USCG Auxiliary’s Waukegan Flotilla Vice Commander, Jim Hurster, is a life long sailor/racer, sailing instructor, as well as an Instructor for all USCG educational courses, a vessel examiner, the Division 41 Staff Officer overseeing member training, and oversees Public Affairs for the Waukegan operations. Outside of his healthcare professional work his focus is on boating safety, radio communications, search and rescue and weather analysis & forecasting. Click here to learn more about the U.S. Coast Guard’s Auxiliary, Flotilla 41-5 Waukegan.

Quantum Sails Presented by Larsen’s

Join Larsen Marine and Quantum Sails for the low-down on Sail Care and Sailing Excellence. Well cared for sails and well sailed boats go hand in hand. Smooth deployment, smooth trimming, smooth tacking and gibing are results of sails, boat, and crew. Join Quantum’s Todd Basch and get the friction out of your systems. Basch has built and serviced sails at lofts throughout the US as well as in England, France, Spain, Italy, the Caribbean and Peru. Please bring questions, comments, and thoughts to this interactive event. Click here to learn more about Quantum Sails.

Harken Winch Maintenance

Harken blocks, travelers, winches, and furlers are aboard everything from the smallest dinghies to the most high-performance Olympic racing sailboats. This seminar will cover practices to follow that’ll keep your winches and sailing hardware in peak performance and condition for years to come. Click here to learn more about Harken.

 

Oakley Jones is the Northeast Sales Manager for Harken and the Harken representative for the US Sailing Team. He’s been with Harken for 20 years.  With decades of experience, he is responsible for boat builders, riggers and boatyards from the mid-west to Maine and down to the mid-Atlantic. He grew up sailing Cape Cod and has always been a life-long sailor.

Crossing Lake Michigan and Long Distance Sailing

This seminar will cover the planning, preparation, and execution for those thinking about sailing across Lake Michigan for the first time, and what’s needed to develop your long distance sailing skills.

 

Born in Chicago, Captain Paul has been sailing on the Great Lakes for more than 35 years. He holds a USCG Master Captains’ License with sailing and towing endorsements, is First Aid/CPR certified, and is US Sailing Offshore Safety at Sea certified. He served as the Columbia Yacht Club Cruising Fleet Chair for more than 10 years, Board Secretary for 2 years, and is currently the Rear-Commodore. Click here to learn more about Aegir Expeditions.

Navigating the Inland River System: Chicago to Florida

This seminar will explore the planning, logistics, and challenges of navigating a sailboat or powerboat from Chicago to Florida through the inland river system—one of the segments commonly traveled by “Loopers.”

 

Born in Chicago, Captain Paul has been sailing on the Great Lakes for more than 35 years. He holds a USCG Master Captains’ License with sailing and towing endorsements, is First Aid/CPR certified, and is US Sailing Offshore Safety at Sea certified. He served as the Columbia Yacht Club Cruising Fleet Chair for more than 10 years, Board Secretary for 2 years, and is currently the Rear-Commodore. Click here to learn more about Aegir Expeditions.

Marine Electronics Innovation and New Product Showcase

Join us to see the latest and greatest in marine electronics and learn about the newest leaps in technological innovation. For more than 80 years, Raymarine has been a global leader in high performance marine electronics. They continue to innovate and provide full electronic systems to boaters around the world. Their products are engineered for the tough marine environment and renowned for ease-of-use, rugged design and reliability. Their full range includes chartplotters, fishfinders, radars, marine instruments, marine cameras, AIS units and VHF radios. Click here to learn more about Raymarine.

Navigating the Chicago Locks and River: Tips, Destinations, and Safety

Discover the ins and outs of the Chicago River and its iconic locks. This presentation will guide you on how to safely and effectively communicate with locks and commercial traffic while exploring the river. Plus, uncover the best destinations for unforgettable outings with friends and family along this vibrant waterway.

 

Capt. Scott Souders, SAMS® Surveyor Associate, is the founder and chief operator of Center Helm. Scott is a graduate of Chapman’s School of Seamanship, Yacht and Small Craft Survey, and a 100 Ton Captain of both sail and power vessels. As a US Powerboating Instructor Trainer and US Sailing National Faculty Member, he co-authored the most recent edition of Start Powerboating Right!. Click here to learn more about Center Helm.

Anchoring Techniques – Parking Brake or Emergency Brake

Learn the basic techniques of using an anchor in several different circumstances to “stay put” where you’d like or need to be on the water.  Learn about different types of anchors, and how to set and recover them.

 

Brian is a licensed Coast Guard 100 Ton Master Captain and Coast Guard Examiner, authorized to teach USCG Captain courses, holds ASA Instructor Certifications, and is an ASA instructor evaluator. He maintains certificates in Red Cross First Aid, CPR, and AED. As founder of BE-Nautical, he is recognized as ASA Instructor of the Year (and BE-Nautical as ASA School of the Year). Click here to learn more about BE-Nautical.

Antifouling: Protect your Vessel and Improve its Performance

Imagine: The breeze is perfect, the water magnificent, you glide over the waves, and everything is just right. This feeling of perfection is why people fall in love with boating. At AkzoNobel, we share that love for boating. It’s the foundation of our research, technologies, and innovations. So with our portfolio of yacht coating brands, every boat is protected and ready to go. This seminar will cover the importance of antifouling and the dramatic improvements it makes to your boating experience as a whole.

 

Discover the entire antifouling and barrier coat portfolio with Tom Haddad from AkzoNobel Yacht Coatings. Tom has 18 years marine industry experience and is a technical sales representative focused on freshwater boating solutions. Let’s keep your boat performing it’s very best. Click here to learn more about AkzoNobel.

Basic Diesel Maintenance

Mark Kish has worked at Larsen Marine for 24 years and is a frequent speaker at boat shows, yacht clubs, and the Great Lakes Cruising Club. This seminar will cover all preventive steps needed to maintain your diesel engine. He will share critical practices to keep you safe. Then, at the end of the seminar, he will allow you to go through the steps in a guided, hands-on opportunity. Remember to ask plenty of questions, and recall his favorite sayings “you can’t walk home from the lake” and “preventive maintenance doesn’t cost, IT PAYS!”

Knowing and Maintaining your Auxiliary Systems

Mark Kish has worked at Larsen Marine for 24 years and is a frequent speaker at boat shows, yacht clubs, and the Great Lakes Cruising Club. This seminar will discuss the maintenance of many working systems on your boat, including propellers, rudders, valves, and air conditioners. He will share several preventative maintenance tips and critical practices to keep you safe on the lake. Remember to ask plenty of questions, and recall his favorite sayings “you can’t walk home from the lake” and “preventive maintenance doesn’t cost, IT PAYS!”