We are super excited about our latest canvas offering! Here is your opportunity to take your boat canvas skills to the next level. Join us for two weeks of boat canvas training aimed at those looking to pursue marine fabrication professionally. The marine industry needs more canvas professionals, many are 6+ months out and others a not accepting new clients. This is your opportunity to learn all about this wonderful industry and how you can possibly become part of it.
If you have any qustions, reach out to Mike! mike.reese@skagit.edu
Week 2: Advanced Marine Canvas Fabrication: Bimini Tops and Enclosures.
Constructing Bimini Tops:
• Frame construction and bending techniques for stainless steel tubing.
• Design and layout considerations for bimini tops
• Patterning, cutting, and sewing bimini tops.
• Installation and hardware attachment for secure and functional bimini tops
Enclosure Curtains:
• Design considerations for various enclosure configurations
• Patterning and fabrication of window panels and enclosures
• Installation techniques for a weathertight and functional enclosure
Item Number: M2
Fee: $2,000.00
Instructor: Mike Reese
Capacity Remaining: 9
Dates: 7/22/2024 - 7/22/2024
Times: 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Sessions: 1
Days: M
Building: SK016
Room: Marine Tech
In order to ensure the best possible results, each class is strictly limited to 10 participants.
We will have 5 industrial machines set up and 5 Sailrite machines. Professionals will need and use the industrial machines, but the Sailrite machines are OK during this training period
Course costs covers all the supplies: Fabrics, windows, template materials, stainless tubing, etc.
For most individuals you’ll want to sign up for both weeks. If you have some previous experience, please reach out to the instructor Mike Reese to discuss the course. mike.reese@skagit.edu
Changing weather is one of the things most boaters and their crews fear most. Usually it is not deadly, but it can be downright scary when a pleasant day of boating turns ugly. Knowing the basics can help you interpret the weather, plan a trip, and make a good decision about traveling on your vessel. This course will take you through the basics of how to understand the information available and how to combine it with tide and current information to determine the sea conditions. The class will provide you with many resources and examples of how we’ve planned and enjoyed our time on the water. They say timing is everything, and a few hours difference with the change of current can make all difference in the world. We will use a checklist approach where you can create your own system to create an understanding of the weather that fits your vessel and crew.
Item Number: 03
Fee: $195.00
Instructor: Mike Beemer
Capacity Remaining: 24
Dates: 9/21/2024 - 9/21/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sessions: 1
Days: Sa
Building: SK016
Room: Marine Tech
This two-day seminar covers all things electrical on your cruising vessel. Through a blend of lecture and hands-on practice you will learn basic electrical system design, installation, troubleshooting, and maintenance. We’ll cover safety, specialized tool use, industry best practices, and more.
Self-sufficiency at sea is truly the key to successful cruising. The more you can fix on your boat yourself, the longer you’re likely to stay out cruising. If you are a cruiser who wants to gain proficiency in troubleshooting, maintaining, and upgrading your marine electrical systems in accordance with ABYC standards, then this is the workshop for you. Sail and powerboat cruisers alike will gain essential knowledge and skills that will pay dividends for years to come.
Through a blend of lecture and hands-on practice you will learn basic electrical system design, installation, troubleshooting, and maintenance. We’ll cover safety, specialized tool use, industry best practices, and more. You will learn how to identify boat electrical components, practice making seaworthy wire terminations, correctly install DC equipment, and how to use a multimeter to save yourself hours of frustration trying to track down “boat gremlins”. Your learning and skill development will culminate with the design, building, and testing of a basic electrical system of your own at the renowned Marine Technology Center lab.
This is an introductory workshop that will prioritize safety, hands-on, applied learning. We welcome learners of all skill levels, especially if you have never picked up a tool or played with a battery before!
You will learn how to:
Apply basic electrical fundamentals including Ohm’s Law and the Power Equations
Recognize the differences between series and parallel circuits
Draw circuit diagrams using basic electrical symbols
Calculate wire size based on ampacity and voltage drop
Select appropriate overcurrent protection size, type, and installation location
Properly route wiring and install strain relief and chafe protection
Apply recommended color coding for DC and AC wiring on boats
You will get to practice:
Properly installing the components of a basic DC electrical circuit
Drawing and working from basic circuit diagrams
Performing basic DC electrical circuit safety checks
Applying ABYC standards to evaluate and build circuits
Choosing and using a variety of specialized electrical tools
Conducting essential electrical troubleshooting with a multimeter
Identifying and testing different types of fuses
Building battery cables
Testing battery voltages and recognizing their importance
Building and testing battery banks in parallel and series
Item Number: 01
Fee: $595.00
Instructor: Gio Cappelli, Julie Cappelli, Mike Beemer
Capacity Remaining: 24
Dates: 11/2/2024 - 11/3/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sessions: 2
Days: Su Sa
Building: SK016
Room: Marine Tech
Couples use code TWOSEA at checkout for discounted rate.
This two-day workshop combines the Mahina Offshore Cruising Seminar (180 presented since 1976 to 12,000 sailors) with Skagit Valley College’s Cruisers College top hands-on classes including marine diesel engines and systems, marine electrical systems, plus sail repair, canvas making, sewing and line splicing. Included in the seminar cost of $595 per single or $995 per couple is one copy of the Offshore Cruising Companion, the 260-page textbook which retails for $60.
Item Number: 11
Fee: $595.00
Instructor: Molly Howe, Gio Cappelli, Julie Cappelli, Mike Beemer, John Neal
Capacity Remaining: 44
Dates: 3/8/2025 - 3/9/2025
Times: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sessions: 2
Days: Su Sa
Building: SK016
Room: Marine Tech
Mahina Offshore Cruising Workshop Schedule
Couples use code TWOSEA at checkout for discounted rate.
Anacortes, Washington is located one-hour north of Seattle airport and one-hour south of Vancouver airport and is considered the gateway to the San Juan Islands and the Inside Passage to British Columbia and Alaska. There are several hotels within walking distance of Skagit Valley College’s Marine Maintenance Tech Center and the closest are Cap Sante Inn (very reasonable, not fancy and offering a discount rate for workshop attendees) and Majestic Inn & Spa (very nice). The Marine Tech Center is located within Cap Sante Marina.
This two-day seminar covers all the information you need to plan and prepare to cruise the Inside Passage to Southeast Alaska; including sights, activities, and destinations throughout Northern British Columbia, as well as Southeast Alaska. For this popular seminar, we have 5 instructors over the 2-day course, sharing decades of knowledge covering this extensive territory. This is a magical trip, and we want to help you plan the trip of a lifetime.
Item Number: 12
Fee: $595.00
Instructor: Mike Beemer, Mark Bunzel, Leonard Landon, Lorena Landon
Capacity Remaining: 44
Dates: 3/15/2025 - 3/16/2025
Times: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sessions: 2
Days: Su Sa
Building: SK016
Room: Marine Tech