BOAT SHOW FREE SAILING SEMINARS Over 65 free seminars will be presented at the St. Pete Boat Show. The seminars, which span the four-day show, are taught by authors, technical experts and well-seasoned sailors and cover a wide range of topics. Sailors will find topics that expand their knowledge on general boating, cruising, living aboard, circumnavigation, exploring Florida’s coastline, learning how to get started— the list goes on. The seminars will be held every day in tents at the show site and are included in the show admission ticket. The final schedule is not yet complete (see the December SOUTHWINDS issue for the complete schedule, or go to www.showmanagement.com/st_petersburg/event), but here are some of the highlighted seminars: The 10 Things They Never Tell You About the Cruising Life. George Day, publisher of Blue Water Sailing magazine, opens doors to the real cruising life, what it entails, what are the rewards and what are the hardships. Fifteen Upgrades for Your Boat. From anchor systems to sails to the latest electronics, a well-found cruising boat will be equipped to face the challenges of going to sea safely and comfortably. Circumnavigator George Day knows what works and what doesn’t. Bahamas Adventure: Exploring the Exumas. Join George Day as he shares all the secrets of the Exumas. Discover the beauti-
ful beaches, anchorages, sailing routes and where to find the good wine. An Overview of Celestial Navigation. Chris Kreitlein, author of Simple Celestial: Navigation by the Heavens Made Easy, will show attendees how to observe the sun with a sextant at local apparent noon in order to determine a position fix using the Nautical Almanac and a chronometer. Short-Handed Sail Handling. Travis Blain, co-owner of Mack Sails, offers an in-depth look at sail-handling systems, proper reefing techniques, sail combinations and downwind sailing— finishing with questions. Cruising the Florida Keys. Learn the Florida Keys with Bob Williams, owner of SALT (Sea Air Land Technologies), an avid sailor and a 20-year resident of the Keys. Discover how to approach the Keys, draft constraints, shoreside support facilities and attractions. Tampa Bay Weather. Join Bill Ballard, a race officer for the St. Petersburg Yacht Club for many years, as he shares weather patterns and sailing tips in Tampa Bay Sailing Made Easy. Learn the basics of sailing, including tacking, jibing and sailing terminology with ASA instructor Brenda Wempner Bareboat Chartering in Exotic Destinations. Brenda Wempner offers up the secrets of successful bareboat chartering, including arranging for the boat, provisioning and itinerary planning. Destinations include the Canadian Gulf Islands, Tahiti, Croatia, the San Juan Islands, and the Caribbean. Cruising for Couples. With Liza Copland. Like Liza’s readable book, Cruising for Cowards, this is a realistic A-Z of cruising for beginners to circumnavigators, with emphasis on the dynamics of couples, particularly those cruising into retirement. Cruising in the Caribbean. Liza Copeland brings the Caribbean to life with recent scenic and personalized images of the region, plus information on harbors, anchorages, facilities, cultural information and tips. Getting Started—Is Cruising for You? Liza Copeland discusses boating basics—including boat handling, sailing skills, navigation, docking, anchoring, dinghy management and setting up the boat for physical ability. The common differences in expectations between couples will be addressed, along with suggestions for solving them.
News & Views for Southern Sailors
SOUTHWINDS
November 2012
35