Mahina Expeditions, sailing and navigation training expeditions around the globe and offers offshore sailing seminars and boat consultation services.




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NOTE: Many of the venues have airport shuttle service and discount room rates for attendees.

SAN FRANCISCO SEMINAR

April 18, 2009:
At the Holiday Inn San Francisco Airport North
The Strictly Sail Pacific Boat Show will run April 15-19, location TBA, somewhere in the Bay area, so here's your chance to attend the boat show and our seminar at the same time!)
Click here for directions to the Holiday Inn SFO North.

SEATTLE SEMINAR

April 25, 2009:
At the Radisson Hotel Gateway Seattle Tacoma Airport
18118 Pacific Highway South Seattle, Washington 98188
800-297-0144
Click here to register for the Seattle Seminar.


Mahina Offshore Cruising Seminar Timetable 2008

7:45 - 8:30 Registration

8:30 - 9:00 Introduction

9:00 - 9:40 Getting Started in the Cruising Life: Encouraging and Understanding Your partner.

9:40 - 10:00 Boat Selection: Design and Construction Criteria - what makes a boat safe and comfortable for offshore.

10:00 - 10:15 Break

10:15 - 10:45 Boat Selection: Specific Boat Recommendations - based on price, suitability and availability

10:45 - 11:30 Priority Equipment: What do you really need

11:30 - 11:45 Engines: Spares and Maintenance.

11:40 - 12:00 Galley Essentials: We're not talking about camping out!

12:00 - 1:00 Lunch

1:00 - 1:20 Seamanship: Self reliance, awareness and responsibility.

1:20 - 1:50 Storm Survival Tactics: Details of ten specific tactics.

1:50 - 2:25 Optional Equipment: Outfitting with the cool gear that makes cruising more comfortable.

2:25 - 2:35 Break

2:35 - 2:55 Rigging and Sails: Keeping the mast up and sails set.

2:55 - 3:15 Anchors and Anchoring: What really works worldwide

3:15 - 3:40 Communications: Realities of staying in touch

3:40 - 4:00 Psychological: The nuts and bolts of keeping the balance

4:00 - 4:10 Break

4:10 - 4:30 Managing Your Escape: How much will this cost? Piracy, firearms and security issues, clearing into a foreign port, insurance, pets, keeping a home base.

5:00 - 5:10 Break

5:10 - 6:20 Worldwide Cruise Scenarios

6:15 - 6:30 Graduation Certificate: Questions and answers.

6:45 - 8:00 Optional: No-host Dinner, wear your wildest, brightest tropical attire!

  • Experience a unique opportunity to learn the fine points of ocean cruising from master voyagers.

  • Let us help you realize your dream of cruising within your budget, in comfort and safety.

    Many of the 8,000 sailors that have attended our 125 seminars since 1976 have realized their cruising dreams!

    THE SEMINAR CREW

    John & Amanda

    John Neal was born on the banks of Sudan's Blue Nile River, but sailed away from Seattle on a 27' sloop to the South Pacific in 1974 at age 22, wrote Log of Mahina, a best seller, and has since sailed 272,000 miles. Since 1976, John's passion has been sharing his knowledge of ocean cruising to exotic locations. John has conducted 133 sail-training expeditions since 1990 in the South Pacific, Patagonia, Antarctica, Atlantic, Scandinavia and the Arctic aboard Mahina Tiare II & III. John's personal interests include kayaking, trail running, cycling, swimming, flying and studying history.

    Amanda Swan Neal grew up in Auckland, New Zealand and sailed to Seattle as a teenager aboard a boat she helped her family build. Upon returning to New Zealand, she became a sailmaker and rigger, completing the Whitbread Around the World Race as rigger aboard Maiden, the first all-women Whitbread boat. Following the Whitbread, Amanda continued as an international sailor, logging 230,000 miles including two Sydney-Hobart Races and seven Cape Horn roundings. Amanda was involved in tall ship sail training in New Zealand for ten years prior to joining Mahina Tiare in 1994. She author of The Essential Galley Companion and enjoys introducing women to the joys of the cruising lifestyle. Amanda's personal interests include photography, Celtic step dancing, triathlon training and sewing.

    Amanda writes the monthly "Galley Essentials" article for 48 North magazine and both John and Amanda write for Cruising World, Blue Water Sailing and Latitude 38. Amanda holds New Zealand Commercial Launchmaster and Ocean Yachtmaster licenses and John holds a USCG masters license.

    Annually Amanda and John present seminars at three major boat shows as well as conducting several Offshore Cruising Seminars preparing sailors for safe, self-sufficient voyaging worldwide on their own boats.

    When not at sea, John and Amanda live on San Juan Island, Washington.


    Nigel Calder
    Nigel will only be speaking at the Chicago show this series.
    Nigel's says his philosophy degree entitles him talk and write about anything! He got into motorcycles and sailing dinghies as a teenager and before becoming a writer, he worked on automotive assembly lines, in foundries and machine shops, and on offshore oil platforms.

    Nigel and his wife Terrie, and children Pippin and Paul, have built and lived on canal boats in England, sailed the North Sea and Caribbean on their previous 39' Ingrid, and are awaiting delivery of a new Malo 47.

    Nigel is the author of Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual, Marine Diesel Engines, Cruising Guide to the Northwest Caribbean, and Cuba and has just completed Nigel Calder's Cruising Handbook.
    B Nigel will speak only at the San Francisco seminar this year.



    INFORMATION

    Seminars run from 8:00 am to 6:30 pm Saturday. Registration is at 7:45.

    Accommodations are available in hotels where seminars are held. Hotel reservation information and map are included with your receipt. Pre-registration by mail or telephone is necessary as seminars often sell out.

    COST

    $165 per person · $275 per couple
    Includes one 265 page Offshore Companion Book per single participant or couple. Lunch is available nearby in Philadelphia and is included in Seattle and Oakland.

    CANCELLATION POLICY

    Refund, less $30 booking fee, for cancellations received in writing more than seven days prior to seminar. Later cancellations may reschedule to a future seminar without charge.

    TO REGISTER by phone, contact Armchair Sailor 1-800-875-0852

    The Offshore Seminar...

    This 10 hour course is packed with information that has taken the presenters years to acquire. Presented logically, intelligently and professionally, the course includes lectures, charts, diagrams, Power Point images and an invaluable 265 page Offshore Cruising Companion notebook. The seminar atmosphere encourages questions and interchange with the instructors, as well as with other participants.




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    MAHINA EXPEDITIONS
    P.O. BOX 1596
    Friday Harbor, WA. USA 98250
    PHONE (360) 378-6131
    FAX (360) 378-6331
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