PASSAGEMAKER EVENTS UPDATE
Between Trawler Fest
Solomons and the Newport and
Annapolis TrawlerPorts, it has been
a busy autumn for PassageMaker’s
Events Series.
We kicked off the fall boat show
season with TrawlerPort at the
Newport International Boat Show
Sept. 11–14. There were plenty of
wonderful browsing, buying, and
networking opportunities for both
new and seasoned cruisers, and the
event built excitement leading up to
our final Trawler Fest of 2008.
With the support of our 10
national sponsors, our flagship show
on the Patuxent River in Solomons,
Maryland, was another fun and
successful event. The festivities got
under way with our two-day
PassageMaker University courses.
The classrooms at our host hotel,
the Holiday Inn Select, buzzed with
the enthusiasm of eager cruisers
who sharpened their boating skills
with the help of our superb group of
presenters, including Lee Chesneau,
Capts. Carol Cuddyer and Patti
Moore, Steve D’Antonio, Dr.
Michael Jacobs, and Bob Smith.
The buzz continued Thursday
through Sunday with a Trawler Fest
that boasted 60 boats and more than
50 companies exhibiting on land.
There truly was something for
everyone, and new energy abounded
despite the rainy weather, as many
of the attendees were first-time
participants. The classrooms at the
Holiday Inn were filled with cruisers
of all levels attending the 90-minute
morning seminars. Many were eager
to meet Tony Fleming and hear
about his 16,500-nautical-mile cruise,
as well as learn about a wide variety
of topics covering all things cruising.
Umbrellas and rain jackets in
hand, large crowds filled the
exhibitor tent and the docks at
Calvert Marina. Solomons offered
a wide variety of yachts to explore,
from new and used boats and one-of-a-kind custom yachts to the
debuts of the LeBlanc 55, the Duffy
50, and the newly redesigned
Endeavour 48, as well as the East
Coast debut of the Northwest 45.
In the evening, we took cover
from the storms and enjoyed good
food, drink, and conversation with
fellow cruisers. The always fun-filled
evening activities included Trivia
Night, a live auction that raised
$6,500 for the Navy-Marine Corps
Relief Society, and the Saturday
awards presentation.
The rain finally cleared for the
weekend, and the warm September
sunshine returned just in time for
our luau-themed Saturday evening
festivities. Music from the live band,
