IBEX Seminar Series to offer technical education

BROOKLIN, ME – For three days this fall, boatbuilders and marine industry professionals from around the world will have access to a seminar series offering everything from fundamental skills to cutting-edge advanced training at The International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX), taking place September 15-17 at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Ky. There will be 55 seminars to choose from in eight tracks: Composite Methods & Materials; Design & Engineering; Survey & Repair; Marine Electrical Systems; Manufacturing Management & Policy; Onboard Systems; ProBoat Editors’ Picks; and Boatyard & Marina Operations.

“IBEX’s annual challenge is to design a program of seminars that are useful to all,” said Professional BoatBuilder editor Aaron Porter. “We do that best with direct input from our attendees, telling us what topics they want to see included, problems they need solved, new materials and regulations they would like explained, and even presenters they want to hear regardless of the specific topic.  With this invaluable input we are able to develop useful technical seminars that meet the evolving needs of the industry.”

“We thank the editors of Professional BoatBuilder magazine and the event’s education partners – ABYC, ABBRA, NMEA and NMMA – for developing a robust technical and pertinent educational seminar series for the IBEX attendees,” said Anne Dunbar, IBEX show director. “In addition to our seminar series, IBEX will offer live, hands-on training in our Super Sessions, and Exhibitor Workshops.”

A sample of the seminars developed by Professional BoatBuilder magazine includes:

• ProBoat Editors’ Picks: Developing In-house Apprenticeship Programs (#104); Engine Room Ventilation Dos and Don’ts (#204); Risks and Rewards of Lithium-Ion Batteries (#304); Best Practices in Aluminum Construction (#504); 3D Printing Working Components: Oracle Team USA and Girlfriend Foiling Tri Case Studies (#604); Detection and Prevention of Stray Current Corrosion (#704); and Improving the Life Cycle of Tooling (#705).  Click here for details on each seminar.
• Aerospace Bond Testing Comes To Marine Composites (#101):  Chris Moody, NDT Systems and Ed Green, Arcadia Aerospace Industries, will educate builders and surveyors to the potential of bond testing as a solution to the inspection of sandwich and secondary bonded structures.
• Adhesives For BoatBuilders (#201): Albert Horsmon, Horsmon & Associates Marine Consultants, LLC and Tom Gast, Scott Bader Inc., will talk about the range of adhesives commonly found in boatbuilding, including polyesters, modified PE, VE, UA, MMAs and epoxies.
• Designing For Large Outboard Propulsion (#302): Experienced naval architects and veteran IBEX presenters Jeffrey Bowles, Donald L. Blount & Associates, and Lou Codega, Naval Architect, will explore those factors as well as others that must be taken into consideration, from hydrostatics to transom strength, the role of buoyancy boxes and impacts to clients or crew.
• Risks and Rewards of Lithium-Ion Batteries (#304): Nigel Calder, Calder Enterprises, will explore the potential of lithium-ion batteries and what it takes to make sure they are safely integrated into onboard electrical systems.

A sample of the seminars developed by American Boat & Yacht Council includes:

• ABYC 2015 Standards Updates (#107): ABYC project technical committees convene annually to review and update ABYC standards as part of a five-year review cycle for each standard. (Electrical standards are reviewed on a three-year cycle.) Brian Goodwin and Matt Wienold, American Boat & Yacht Council, will discuss the revisions and updates to the standards you know, use and trust.
• Handling High Intermittent Current Loads (#106): Wayne Kelsoe, Blue Sea Systems Inc., will look at a mathematical model that takes the effects of high-intermittent current loads into account to answer the question: “Will my electrical design be sufficient when starting currents and other loads are combined? Will I meet actual amperage requirements based on ABYC standards?”

Additional seminars include:

• NMEA 2000 And Onenet: Advances In Systems Integration (#606): Learn how NMEA 2000 and the new standard, NMEA OneNet, help resolve compatibility and compliance problems that have plagued builders. NMEA’s Mark Reedenauer and Peter Braffitt of Gemeco Marine will update boatbuilders on recent advances in NMEA 2000 and provide an overview of the new NMEA OneNet Standard.
• Why Boats Sink – And What The Industry Can Do About It (#505): Beth Leonard, BoatU.S.; Daniel K. Rutherford, Ocean Marine Specialties Inc.; and Brian Goodwin American Boat & Yacht Council, will provide an overview of the BoatU.S. sinking claims, real-world experiences and observations, and current ABYC initiatives to focus on areas where the industry can help to prevent sinking through design improvements, better boatyard procedures, and more aggressive maintenance schedules.
• Pitfalls And Opportunities Of Mixing And Matching Service Work With New Builds (#407): Boatyard businesses are not for the faint of heart and this session will analyze these questions with case studies that offer business leaders perspectives on this challenging topic with speakers Jim Bronstien, Marine Business Advisors, and Randy Ramsey, Jarrett Bay Boatworks Inc.

For a full list of the seminar series schedule, click here.

The seminar schedule for IBEX 2015 is already planned, but to make suggestions for future IBEX shows, please send your ideas to seminar manager Elaine Lembo at Elaine@ibexshow.com.