Boat Canvas Bootcamp
Having quality canvas aboard your boat helps to protect your investment and make your time on the water as safe and enjoyable as possible. Professionally made marine canvas can be expensive, however, and many canvas shops have long waiting lists.
If you are interested in making or repairing your boat’s canvas, join us for a 1½ day class aimed at orienting you on the tools and techniques needed to produce and repair quality marine canvas for your boat.
• Tools and equipment needed for boat canvas
• Fabric, hardware, and other materials used in marine canvas products
• Sewing machine setup and use
• Basics of measuring and pattering your project
• Construction techniques
• Repair and maintenance of your canvas
The class is structured to be interactive with presentations followed by hands-on labs that cover key topics. Our time together culminates by using many of the techniques taught in class to make a small project to take home.
Item Number: 11
Fee: $299.00
Instructor: Mike Reese
Capacity Remaining: 8
Dates: 10/18/2025 - 10/19/2025
Times: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sessions: 2
Days: Su Sa
Building: Anacortes Marine Technology
Room: Marine Tech
Important note: I n order to ensure the best possible results, this class is strictly limited to 14 participants. Sign up early to ensure your seat! We have two offerings because on Sunday you’ll have 1/2 day with the instructor and access to sewing machine. We have 7 machines so half of the group will be in the morning and the other half in the afternoon. This class has the morning lab session from 9am-12pm.
Boat Canvas Bootcamp
Having quality canvas aboard your boat helps to protect your investment and make your time on the water as safe and enjoyable as possible. Professionally made marine canvas can be expensive, however, and many canvas shops have long waiting lists.
If you are interested in making or repairing your boat’s canvas, join us for a 1½ day class aimed at orienting you on the tools and techniques needed to produce and repair quality marine canvas for your boat.
• Tools and equipment needed for boat canvas
• Fabric, hardware, and other materials used in marine canvas products
• Sewing machine setup and use
• Basics of measuring and pattering your project
• Construction techniques
• Repair and maintenance of your canvas
The class is structured to be interactive with presentations followed by hands-on labs that cover key topics. Our time together culminates by using many of the techniques taught in class to make a small project to take home.
Item Number: 10
Fee: $299.00
Instructor: Mike Reese
Capacity Remaining: 7
Dates: 10/18/2025 - 10/19/2025
Times: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sessions: 2
Days: Su Sa
Building: Anacortes Marine Technology
Room: Marine Tech
Important note: I n order to ensure the best possible results, this class is strictly limited to 14 participants. Sign up early to ensure your seat! We have two offerings because on Sunday you’ll have 1/2 day with the instructor and access to sewing machine. We have 7 machines so half of the group will be in the morning and the other half in the afternoon. This class has the afternoon lab session from 1pm-4pm.
Cruisers College will take you through the ins and outs of your outboard engine during this 1 day class. Nearly every cruising boat has an outboard powered dinghy, and many fishing/cruising vessels are utilizing these reliable machines for propulsion as well. These motors have been around for a long time and are very dependable if maintained properly. Ethanol in our fuel systems is creating more and more problems for outboard engines. This course will cover the basics for all outboard engines, and will have break out labs all day to practice and build your new skills.
Sample of topics covered:
Oil Changes
Fuel care and handling
Lower unit testing
Water pump impeller replacement
Electrical systems
Routine Maintenance & Tune up
Winterization
After this course, you will understand how to take proper care of your engine and keep it starting easily.
Item Number: 03
Fee: $195.00
Instructor: Matt Mardesich
Capacity Remaining: 24
Dates: 10/26/2025 - 10/26/2025
Times: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sessions: 1
Days: Su
Building: Anacortes Marine Technology
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: 05
Fee: $595.00
Instructor: Gio Cappelli, Julie Cappelli
Capacity Remaining: 19
Dates: 11/1/2025 - 11/2/2025
Times: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sessions: 2
Days: M Tu
Building: Anacortes Marine Technology
Room: Marine Tech
Couples please call to register for discounted rate ($995).
This Cruisers College full-day course will help the students understand how to properly use and install marine electronics on their boat. You will get introduced to the basic electronic components in most marine electronic systems, while gaining a basic understanding of the typical marine electronics installation and how National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) standards apply to your marine electronics installation. You will also learn some troubleshooting tips on how to test new and current equipment, as well as common mistakes to avoid.
Sample of topics covered:
Basic components of marine electronic installations
Basic operation of marine electronics
NMEA 2000 Proper Installation
Networking Marine Electronics equipment
Electronics troubleshooting
New Products for the recreational boater
Jennifer King and Monica Riess are instructors for Skagit Valley College Marine Electronics courses for the last 6 years. They are graduates of the SVC Marine Maintenance and Technology Program. Using course material from the NMEA and field experience, Jen and Monica enjoy teaching future technicians the basics of marine electronic installations. Jen and Monica also run their own marine electronics and electrical repair company, K&R Marine Services, in the Anacortes and La Conner, WA region for the last 11 years. They are both NMEA and ABYC certified and are known for their high quality of work and attention to detail.
Item Number: 06
Fee: $195.00
Instructor: Jennifer King, Monica Riess
Capacity Remaining: 15
Dates: 11/8/2025 - 11/8/2025
Times: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sessions: 1
Days: Sa
Building: Anacortes Marine Technology
Room: Marine Tech
Cruisers College will offer a full weekend course about your diesel propulsion engine. Having your Diesel engine fail while underway can ruin your day. Worse, it could put you and your crew in a dangerous position. In general, marine diesel engines are incredibly reliable. They seem just to need, air, fuel, and water for cooling. You could add electrical power for starting, and you have covered the range of needs for a diesel engine. Most engine problems are due to fuel issues or keeping the engine cool. Using the Marine Tech Centers diesel engine lab, we will work with live diesel engines running where you can walk around the engine and see the different systems. You can look at the injectors and even learn to bleed the engine before starting.
Sample of topics covered:
Annual and Regular Maintenance:
Changing the oil and oil filters
Changing Fuel filters
Overheating can kill a diesel engine. Make sure your cooling system is maintained regular to avoid overheating and costly repairs.
There is no warning for salt water incursion in your transmission cooling system. Gear coolers should be inspected it annually and replace or cleaned every 5 years
Impellers should be inspected annually and replaced every 1-2 years depending on use
Replacing hoses and belts every five years
Learn how to troubleshoot:
Electrical systems on your engine for starting or charging.
Vacuum gauge installation in your fuel system after the primary fuel filter to tell you if the system has a blockage or if the primary filter is dirty from bad fuel or a problem in the tank.
This is one of our most popular courses.. After this weekend course you will have a good understanding of how your diesel engine works and the basic areas for good maintenance and troubleshooting. We have expanded this course to provide more hands-on training utilizing our amazing lab full of parts, training aides, and running diesel engines.
Matt Mardesich is the primary propulsion instructor at Skagit Valley College. Matt has been around the water all his life and still does some commercial fishing when not teaching at the technical school. Matt is an ABYC certified Master Technician and holds certifications in Gasoline/Diesel engines and electrical. Some of the many topics he has done include: diesel engines, gasoline engines, outboard motors, and hydraulics.
Item Number: 07
Fee: $450.00
Instructor: Matt Mardesich
Capacity Remaining: 31
Dates: 11/15/2025 - 11/16/2025
Times: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sessions: 2
Days: Su Sa
Building: Anacortes Marine Technology
Room: