ABYC Electrical Certification Course Offered in December

Bellingham-based Blue Sea Systems is offering a three-day ABYC electrical certification course on Dec. 9 through 12.
Taught by instructor Kevin Ritz, the course is designed for students with at least three to five years of practical experience in marine electrical design, service or installation. Course content is broken into 14 topic areas over three and a half days, followed by a three-hour certification exam on the fourth day.
Students should have some experience in the following:

• Electrical fundamentals
• AC shore power systems
• Cable installation and termination
• AC generators
• Maintaining and installing battery systems
• AC panel boards
• Battery charging systems
• DC panel boards
• Inverters
• AC components
• DC components
• Safety equipment
• Troubleshooting

Students will be permitted to reference study materials, including a study guide containing all relevant ABYC standards, class notes and additional information in printed or computer-based form during the exam, which includes about 200 multiple-choice questions.
Students with special needs must inform the ABYC of their requirements when they register for the course to ensure any necessary accommodations can be made.
The course costs $885 for ABYC members and $1,170 for non-members. Registration is available here until Nov. 30.

Northwest Marina & Boatyard Conference Coming Up Nov. 6 and 7

From preparing for marina fires to savvy social media strategies, green boating products to maritime workforce development, the 14^th Annual Northwest Marina & Boatyard Conference is packed with information for marine professionals.

And this year’s conference has a terrific new venue: the Kitsap Conference Center, located on the Bremerton waterfront, just a short ferry ride from Seattle.

We hope you’ll join us Nov. 6 and 7 for what is sure to be an informative, thought-provoking event. We’ve rounded up an impressive array of experts and educators to provide a valuable professional development experience for NMTA members. Our seminar lineup includes sessions on, among others: 

• Leveraging technology and social media to get results
• Responding to marina fires
• The Clean Boating Foundation
• Washington’s copper bottom-paint phase-out
• NMTA’s Grow Boating grant program (yes, that means free money!)
• Using words as marketing currency
• Growing boating from a safety perspective
• Washington’s habitat conservation plan
• The state’s new boatyard permit
• Legislative issues impacting the maritime sector
• Marijuana, derelict vessels and the peer-to-peer marketplace: staying legal and current

We’re looking forward to an engaging two days and hope you’ll join us. Additional information and registration is available here.

Discover Boating President to Speak at NMTA's Annual Meeting

Carl Blackwell, president of the national Discover Boating program, will be the keynote speaker at the NMTA’s annual meeting Nov. 12.

Blackwell will provide an overview of the current state of the recreational boating industry and also discuss plans for Discover Boating. The industry-funded marketing campaign, which aims to increase the numbers of boaters nationwide, includes elements such as public relations efforts, webinars, a social media strategy and a documentary series, "Stories of Discovery," celebrating the boating lifestyle.

One of the series’ first three videos features a Northwest family, the Aders, who have been boating for three generations. You can watch their story here.

Blackwell joined the Chicago-based National Marine Manufacturers Association as chief marketing officer in September 2003, overseeing its marketing and communications efforts, including boat shows. In July 2011, he was appointed president of Grow Boating, Inc., which provides the Discover Boating campaign, and was also named chief marketing officer and senior vice president of marketing and communications.

The annual meeting will be held at the Museum of History & Industry in Seattle. Email invites will be sent out to NMTA members soon.