TrawlerFest is PassageMaker’s stand-alone series of boat shows, specifically designed for cruising-under-power enthusiasts.

Strategically located in key cruising regions nationwide, TrawlerFest showcase the nation’s best in-water display of new & pre-owned cruising powerboats, first class boating courses and demos, the latest marine products & services, and rendezvous-style parties!

TrawlerFest is more than a boat show; it’s where industry, education, and community come together in a fun, relaxed, rendezvous-type atmosphere. TrawlerFest is an experience you simply won’t want to miss!

WheelHouse Program Manager, Dan Adamski had been employed as an officer for the Mass Maritime Training ship until he started working for WheelHouse in the summer of 2016.  Since then he still takes a couple weeks a year to go to sea.  Below are some excerpts on his recent trip with more to come.  

I recently boarded the USTS Kennedy, on a Orientation Mini Cruise for the incoming freshman class.   While in New York Harbor the training ship loaded 9,300 bbls of RME 180 Bunker C fuel oil, approx. 390,600 gallons, at this point their was significant talk about the Training Ship being activated for Disaster Relief efforts.  As we returned to the Academy the MARAD asked the school to keep the "Fires" in the boilers.

As of September first, MARAD took back the control of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy's training ship, the USTS Kennedy.  I was then approached by Captain Mike Campbell, Master USTS Kennedy, and Jeff Brown, MARAD Representative North East Region, where they requested that I stay aboard the ship as the 3rd Mate.  As we have all seen the coverage of the devastation from the recent hurricanes, relief efforts have been in the works through the Maritime Administration.  I accepted the temporary position since the people of this Great Nation need our help.   This activation will be for 1 Month, but they have the option of extending it by 1 month. 

We departed on Wednesday 06 September 2017 at the 1036 Slack High Water in Buzzards Bay, MA and begin our journey down to Texas, while Steaming South we felt effects of Hurricane IRMA..   During this trip we will be providing support for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) while they work on relief efforts.  The ship will house the FEMA employees and we will provide hot meals and berthing for them, as well as medical care.  

I do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but I feel that this is the right thing to do as the people need a tremendous amount of help and I appreciate the opportunity you have given me. Please note that we have now leaking Texas after a short stint and are preparing to head to Puerto Rico, St Thomas, or St. Croix and will be sure to update you along the way with stories and pictures from the trip.  

Thank You all and wish me well.  Bon Voyage

Dan

Celebrating 35 years in existence, the Newport Charter Yacht Show is a showcase of luxury charter yachts alongside a display of ancillary goods and services for the charter industry. This four-day event is dedicated exclusively to yacht charter professionals; agents, owners, brokers and captains in the dynamic, picturesque setting of Newport, Rhode Island.  The show will showcase 25 large and luxurious charter yachts at the docks of Newport Shipyard.  While the public is invited to peek from shore at these beauties and interact with sponsors and vendors showing and selling their wares under dockside tents, the show really is about sharing with charter brokers from across the country and the world which yachts are available for on-water vacations in New England for summer and fall. Brokers come to the show to learn about the different amenities each yacht offers (deck layout, interior living spaces, furnishings, water toys and the like) as well as the personality and special talents of its captain and crew, which goes a long way in creating perfect matches for discriminating clients.

We have been pleased to be involved with the NAP 2017, the vessels on this trip include: "Aleoli" N52-75; "Angela" N55-34; "Moxie" N55-09; and "Relish N60-52.  WheelHouse has been used to manage the maintenance and spare parts outfitting on all of the vessels on their way across the Atlantic to Gibraltar.    In addition, we has sponsored Commanders Weather to ensure a smooth passage.  The vessels recently arrived in Hora, Azores for some much needed rest and then will be on to Gibraltar.  Check out their blog for full details on the adventure.      

The first quarter was very exciting with a number of projects of varies scopes and sizes.  In addition to implementing a number of yachts from 40' - 80', we have also been working on a number of commercial projects including fire boats, ferry operators, and even a small cruise line.  Our thanks go out to our customers and the WheelHouse team who make this all possible.  

Beginning in mid-May 2017 four vessels, starting out from Palm Beach, Florida and Nassau, Bahamas will continue across the Atlantic Ocean, to the Azores and thence to Gibraltar. We're calling this the "Nordhavn Atlantic Passage 2017", aka NAP 2017.  All vessels are WheelHouse users and we are pleased to support them with maintenance guidelines and parts outfitting.  Please see upcoming blogs for additional information on this trip and below is some additional information from their blog.   

The total journey for the Atlantic crossers will traverse approximately 3,900 nautical miles of open ocean, and will take us about a month to complete. Our schedule is noted further below.

Bernie Francis (see link here) is our organizer aboard the Nordhavn 55, Angela J. Ideally, assuming no weather delays, the trans-Atlantic portion will take approximately 30 days to reach Gibraltar, ending on or about 16-June.

The four vessels partaking in the flotilla and continuing to Gibraltar are:

• Aleoli, N52-75, captained by Stefan Hearst 

• Angela, N55-34, captained by Andre de Weldige Cremer 

• Moxie, N55-09, captained by Bob Warshawer 

• Relish, N60-52, captained by Silvio Gentile·          

This is the first time that a fleet of Nordhavn trawlers this large has undertaken such an ambitious ocean crossing since "Med Bound 2007."   Here is the anticipated schedule:

• One boat (Relish) will depart Nassau on 15-May and steam towards Palm Beach.

• On 17-May all other boats will depart Palm Beach and be joined by Relish enroute.

• All boats should arrive in Bermuda on Monday 22-May.

• The other four boats will depart Bermuda Friday 26-May for the 11 day passage to Horta, Azores, with an ETA of Tuesday 6-June.

• Depart Horta on Saturday 10-June for a 6 day passage to Gibraltar.

• Arrive Gibraltar on Friday 16-June.

     Currently all boats are in preparation mode...that involves servicing and verifying all systems, as well as provisioning spare parts, tools, lubricants, food and related galley supplies. As we get closer to departure date we'll be posting more updates here, including a link to a tracking site for monitoring the fleet's progress across the pond.  Stay tuned.

Go Where the Big Ships Cannot - Sailing with Blount means navigating the waters less traveled in a personal, uncrowded way. It’s going places that are inaccessible to larger cruise ships, docking where private yachts dock, and getting away from manufactured experiences. On a Blount cruise, you’ll never stand in line or feel lost in the crowd. With only 83 passengers, every cruise experience feels exclusive and personal.  Part of truly experiencing a place is savoring its local flavor. When you sail with Blount Small Ship Adventures, every meal is a feast for the senses. And our expert chefs ensure the cuisine is as much a part of the experience as the geography and the people. They shop the local farmer’s markets along the way so that you can dine on the freshest produce and salads, perfectly cooked meats and seafood, and decadent desserts. 

The City of Boston has a large, active harbor.  Like many water front cities, it has had fire boats for many years.  Over the years, many large fires were battled by fire boats.
In the 1970's Boston built the "Firefighter" which has served for nearly 40 years.  The city had several smaller boats as well.  Boston recently replaced the "Firefighter" with a new boat
called the "John S. Damrell" in 2011.  In 2016 Boston added another new boat, Marine 2, known as "Father Dan."  This boat is a smaller aluminum outboard boat.  A Search & Rescue Dive Team boat "Marine 3" the "Captain John Kenney" was put in service in 2010.  

For more than 90 years, BHC and the Nolan family have been leading the way with outstanding cruises on Boston’s historic harbor. What began with a man, a boat and a vision has grown into today’s BHC; with 500 daily departures, 53 vessels and 250 year-round employees, plus a seasonal workforce topping 650.   But don’t let our size fool you. BHC remains a small family business at heart, made up of people who love what they do and understand that what matters most is that passengers have a safe, enjoyable experience making memories to share with family and friends for a lifetime.

Entertainment Cruises is one of the the nation’s largest dining and sightseeing cruise company with a fleet of 30 ships in cities that include: Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, National Harbor, MD, Norfolk, VA, Philadelphia, New York, Washington, D.C. and Weehawken, NJ.  From the fresh and fun Spirit to the modern and sleek Odyssey and Bateaux, to our Elite Private Yachts and exciting Seadog speedboat rides, Entertainment Cruises offers a wide range of guest experiences. Once onboard, each guest will see the city from a whole new perspective—from the water.  Entertainment Cruises operates more than ten thousand cruises and serves more than 1.5 million guests each year. We are inspired by our commitment to excellence and dedicated to creating unforgettable memories. 

NYC Ferry is a network of ferry routes in New York City operated by Hornblower Cruises.  The new ferry service, which will eventually have 18 boats on nine routes during rush hours, is expected to transport 4.5 to 4.6 million passengers annually.  For 35 years, Hornblower Cruises & Events’ yachts have sailed past famed landmarks while serving seven California cities and New York City. Hornblower is also the parent company of Alcatraz Cruises, the official National Park Service concessioner of transportation services to Alcatraz Island; Statue Cruises, the official National Park Service concessioner of transportation services to the Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island; and Niagara Cruises, in partnership with The Niagara Parks Commission, an Operational Enterprise Agency of the Canadian Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. In addition to dining cruises and classic, scenic, city and wildlife tours, Hornblower Cruises & Events hosts holiday dining cruises and private charters for corporate, school and family groups. Whether an intimate anniversary celebration, a wedding ceremony, a teambuilding event or a birthday bash for up to 2,200, Hornblower's professional event planners help clients navigate every detail.

At Kingston 1000 Island Cruises our theme is Food, Fun and Entertainment Ships! We are committed to fine food services, interactive entertainment and first-rate service aboard all of our vessels.  To our guests we offer daily sightseeing cruises, private charters and a complete dining experience departing from Kingston, Ontario, Canada.  Our boarding pier is located in downtown Kingston and is surrounded by historic limestone buildings, lively outdoor cafes and pubs, outdoor farmers market and the picturesque Confederation Park. We look forward to being your hosts during your visit to Kingston and the 1000 Islands.

River Street Riverboat Company was established in Savannah, Georgia in 1991 under the guidance of its experienced captain, Jonathan H. Claughton. Since then, the company has matured into an important Savannah mainstay along historic River Street.  Decorated in traditional riverboat red, white and blue, these floating palaces continue to transport visitors back to a time when elegance and relaxation were expected from river travel. Offering a variety of cruises including the ever-popular sightseeing cruise, the dinner entertainment cruise, our special luncheon trips, Sunday brunch, Monday night gospel entertainment cruise, the beautiful sunset cruise and the moonlight entertainment cruise. River Street Riverboat Company has a tour for everyone!  In the fall of 2016 we proudly welcomed our newest addition to the fleet – the 1,000 passenger New Georgia Queen!  This beauty features an incredible 15,000-plus square feet of ballroom space, an exquisite three-story gourmet kitchen with 5-star dining and breathtaking views!

Did you know that almost 75% of our business comes from existing customer referrals.  Given your continued and profound support, we wanted to come up with a way to thank you.  For any new Yacht Solutions customers that you refer to WheelHouse, we will provide both you and them with one free month of subscription.  Fleet Solutions customers are also eligible for this promotion.

All the new customer needs to do is tell us who referred them when filling out their contract and we will take care of the rest.  For more information, please contact Craig Parkhurst and thank you again for your continued support.

The start of 2017 has certainly been a busy one for WheelHouse. The beginning of the year saw me travelling all over the country to attend various industry events and conferences. The part of the job that I enjoy as I get to meet some truly inspiring people from the industry. The start of 2017 has also shown us expansion in our service and boat builder partner network.

On my travels in January I met up with Larry Schildwachter from Emerald Harbor Marine at the Seattle Boat Show. What a great guy and great company. A quick chat in his booth turned into an hour long in depth conversation about his passion for the marine industry.

Larry and Emerald Harbor Marine have been providing exceptional service to the yacht and commercial marine industry in the Pacific North West since 1991.

Emerald Harbor Marine specialize in vessel systems installation, service and repair for the serious cruiser and commercial operation and is always highly spoken of by our yacht customers.

This can only mean one thing, Emerald Harbor Marine is a great partner  to represent WheelHouse  in the pacific NorthWest.

Later in February I had the opportunity to meet James and Knight and the team at Yacht Tech Inc. at their office in North Palm Beach, Florida.

James formed Yacht Tech Inc. about 18 years ago specializing in service, repair and brokerage of Nordhavn yachts. Their knowledge and experience of Nordhavn trawlers in second to none.

A quick stroll along the docks in North Palm Beach and you will find Yacht Tech working on almost every Nordhavn yacht around. That must say something!

We are very excited to have Yacht Tech as one of our service partners.

Rounding out the first quarter of 2017 we are also very excited to welcome FPB Boats / Circa Marine, Located in Auckland New Zealand, to our Boat Builder Partner Network.

The word expedition cruising takes on a whole new meaning when you are talking about FPB Boats. They are designed to go pretty much anywhere on the planet, as long as there’s water under the keel !

We have been working informally with FPB Boats for a number of years and built a great relationship that we look forward to growing. WheelHouse is now standard spec on all FPB boats.

WheelHouse is always expanding its partner network globally. If you are interested in learning more about our partner network please e-mail Kenny Campbell.