Every year about this time the editorial team of Professional BoatBuilder magazine, as well as yours truly, are relieved and excited by the reality that the 50-plus technical seminars we organize as part of the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX) are ready for your consumption. We’ve been pulling them together for nearly 8 months now, but this is the point where speakers have committed, topics are focused, and registration is open. Come and get ‘em! IBEX 2015 is only weeks away!
The full seminar program for IBEX 2015 (Sept. 15-17) includes a range of topics geared to naval architects, yard managers, purchasing agents, and shop-floor staff and marine technicians of any experience level. Of note this year are a couple of seminars (402 and 604) focused on recent advances in digital design and 3D printing of working components, not just patterns and prototypes. We’ll produce a new version of Richard Downs-Honey’s very popular 2-part Engineering Live! seminar (102 and 202). Watch boat design in action with all the setbacks and miracles that make it such a rewarding challenge as Richard coordinates the efforts of a phalanx of engineers, a naval architect, materials experts, and production shop managers.
We’ll have a practical look at the Risks and Rewards of Lithium-Ion Batteries (304) from ProBoat’s Nigel Calder. It’s a particularly timely topic in a year that’s seen the proliferation of the evolving energy-storage technology afloat as well as some concerns about its safety.
Also on the subject of electrical systems, the National Marine Electronics Association will offer an update of advances in integration of the association’s networked systems standards (606).
This year, boatyard core skills topics we all would do well to brush up on include Improving the Life Cycle of Tooling (705) with Karen Travis, Electrical Troubleshooting with a Multimeter (605) from Nigel Calder, and Best Practices in Aluminum Construction (504) with Howdy Bailey and Dylan Bailey.
-Aaron Porter, editor, Professional BoatBuilder
-Elaine Lembo, IBEX seminar manager