WindCheck Magazine

For the first time in its seven-year history, Bob Bitchin’s Advanced Cruising Seminar moved to the East Coast, and it couldn’t have been in a better place: the Mystic Seaport Museum! This year’s event, on August 22 & 23, also included Lee Chesneau’s Advanced Weather Seminar. The Seaport staff bent over backwards to make this a fun event. The 78 attendees had three-day passes to the Seaport so they could enjoy the historical buildings and vessels, but the emphasis was on good cruising information from experienced sailors.

The assembled experts had over a half-million miles of seafaring experience and included Tania Aebi - author & lecturer, John Aydelotte - Salvor & Tow- BoatUS Captain, Steve Bowden of Sea-Tech Communications, Captain Marti Brown - Nurse Practitioner / World Cruiser, Lee Chesneau - Senior Marine Meteorologist, Denny Emory - Voyager / 100-ton Licensed Captain / Co-Founder of OceanMedix, Jack Klang - Author / Syndicated Columnist / TV Personality, Rags Laragione of the Maritime Institute, Laurie and Carole Pane - Authors / Circumnavigators, Robin Stout - Racer / Cruiser and Liveaboard, Richard Switlik of the Switlik Liferaft Company, and Suzanne Pogell of Womanship. John Kretschmer had also been scheduled, but Hurricane Bill took precedence, as his boat was in its path!

As with all Lats&Atts events, all work and no play was not an option, so on Saturday night our participants doubled, with sailors from all over New England coming in for a Cruisers’ Party. Close to 200 cruisers danced to the Eric Stone Band with Kyle Rife on lead guitar, and with the help of co-sponsors Harken, Forespar, Hunter Marine and Sunsail, it was a night no one will soon forget. Our hosts at Mystic Seaport had a sumptuous barbecue with plenty of burgers, hot dogs, potato salad, coleslaw and corn on the cob, as well as an open bar that flowed throughout the party.

Next year’s Advanced Cruising Seminar will be held at the Portofino Hotel in Redondo Beach, CA, the home of Latitudes & Attitudes offices. Attendees can see where the magazine and TV show are created, and meet and mingle with the staff. Cruisers who want to sail in for the event will be able to anchor for the three days right in the harbor! How kewl is that? For more info, go to seafaring.com. ✦

Bob Bitchin is the Founder and Publisher of Latitudes & Attitudes Magazine and Executive Producer of Latitudes & Attitudes TV.