ProBoat Radio

  This week, Ray Toth of Swiftsure Marine Surveyors (Ontario, Canada) joins our surveyors to discuss the finer points of conducting a marine-electrical systems survey and writing up the report. Toth says he uses Force 5 software, and follows the same guidelines as a C/V report, established on ABYC, CFR, and Transport Canada regs/guidelines. Our regular roundtable members will have their own comments to add. Some of the points to be covered will include: safety and tag-outs, bonding systems, grounding systems, AC- and DC-system requirements, the report itself, and pitfalls and misconceptions.

Our ProBoat Radio WEST host Ann Avary has been out checking on new developments in the marine industry at the Seattle Boat Show, and new composite materials and methods at the ACMA conference in Las Vegas. She'll bring us up to date on what she found as she walked the floor of these two important shows.

On a previous show, Dwight Escalera (Executive Marine Services) gave us a primer on some of the new battery technologies that are entering the marine market, and explained how they differ from lead-acid batteries.  On this show, we'll go into more detail about installation procedures to ensure that safety hazards are eliminated and battery advantages are maximized.

This episode is a replay of a 2010 interview with Rob Kaidy (Ocean5 Naval Architects Inc., Stuart, Florida). In a few weeks, we'll have Rob return to tell us what has changed since then in terms of the state of the Naval Architecture business today, and how it relates to the overall marine industry, so be sure to send your questions for Rob to us at Radio@ProBoat.com.

One of our most popular shows to date has been about surveying fiberglass boats. This week, we’ll go in a little deeper to define what the marine surveyor can really do, in the field, when looking at an older fiberglass boat. Chances are, there's been repair work, which may or may not be immediately visible. What can a surveyor report on the condition of the repaired  fiberglass? And how does a surveyor conclude that the laminate structures (hull, deck, rudder, et al) are okay, whether or not they show evidence of repair?  Send your questions now to radio@proboat.com.

Broadcasting from the Seattle Boat Show, ProBoat Radio West host Ann Avary interviews Bryan Hennessy, President of  Anacortes Marine Electronics about new and emerging electronic technologies. Listen in to hear this industry expert describe challenges for installation, integration, and troubleshooting. We’ll talk about system compatibility, and what happens when newer systems don’t play well with older systems.

If you are thinking about moving to gel-cell, AGM, or lithium-ion batteries, be sure to tune into this week’s show. Dwight Escalera (Executive Marine Services LCC) will tell us how to maximize the advantages of these new batteries, and we’ll also find out how they differ from lead-acid ones.

  This week, we'll interview Survey Advantage CEO Michael Casey to learn how comprehensive market intelligence can pay off for you in terms of company performance and better relationships with your customers. Since 2001, Survey Advantage has been creating customized online feedback solutions for a variety of businesses, including boatyards and marinas. Tune in to find out how surveys can help you analyze your business, make decisions based on accurate data, and improve customer satisfaction.

  We've talked a lot in past shows about career ladders and bringing new people into marine surveying. For this show, we'll consider what current surveyors can do to ensure that they are on track with their own training and continuing education program. Where do you go to find out what you need to know?  

  Courtney Chalmers (Dominion Marine Media) and Wanda Kenton Smith (Kenton Smith Marketing) will be on the air to help you plan and launch an effective grassroots marketing campaign for your company. We’ll introduce the core applications for social media—Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube—and we’ll describe additional Web-based strategies, including search engine optimization (SEO). Bottom line? Engaged customers and prospects, increased sales, and brand loyalty.  

This week, Ann Avary offers an informative and entertaining discussion about marine weather with our guest Lee Chesneau!  Lee is a nationally known marine weather expert, having served as a marine weather forecaster in the US Navy and Senior Marine Meteorologist for NOAA. Join us to learn about weather tracking and forecasting technologies, why weather is so important to the marine industry, and how yards and marinas, as well as commercial and recreational boaters and cruisers, can better utilize marine weather tracking tools.

  How have our surveyors seen the office part of the lives changed? We used to be concerned about fax machines, photocopiers, boilerplate word processing, and filing hard copies of every piece of correspondence. But what about now? We'll give some serious consideration to the marine-survey office of the future. What's on the must-have list? And what seems just plain silly? Let us know what your favorite tech tools are for staying organized and making sure that the paperwork gets done.

  Very few studies are ever done measuring the economic impact of the marine trades. Join ProBoat Radio West Host Ann Avary as she interviews Peter Schrappen of the Northwest Marine Trade Association about the study that his group recently completed on this very topic. They will discuss the importance of this new data and explain how it is driving key initiates to better support this vital industry.

Our guest is Wendy Mackie, CEO of Rhode Island Marine Trades Association (RIMTA). We’ll find out about the state’s skills-training fund program and how it is supporting the marine industry. Recipients of these funds had to engage in a competitive application process, with preference given to new applicants and to those training proposals that promised to deliver increase in skilled workers in high demand areas, as well as cross-over skills training. We’ll also learn about other RIMTA programs, including its partnership with  Clean the Bay to ensure that the state’s coastal waterways and shorelines are clear of large marine debris.

  After operating in Wareham for three years, North Atlantic Marine has opened its second shop at Plymouth Boat Yard, expanding the company's market, both in terms of the size of boats it can service and in terms of the boating areas it serves. According to co-owner John Bernier, North Atlantic Marine is not your ordinary service center: it's also a training facility for both customers and marine techs. How has this combination affected customer service and job profits? Join us to find out as Bernier explains how North Atlantic Marine has grown as a company, and as an AMTECH partner.