Hello all, I am Elaine Reib, Skipper Bob’s first mate and widow. We never attended the Trawler Fest in Port Orchard but I remember the trawler fest in 1997 that Paul Schlechter was talking about in his letter and many others over the years. Just socializing with all the boaters and bumping elbows with old friends and new was so good for the spirit. I often wonder where people are today and where did they go on their boats. I have had people tell me that if it were not for the Trawler Fest events and the classes from Skipper Bob, Mark Richter, Claiborne Young, Bob Smith and all the others they would never have ventured onto the water. It truly was good education for beginners and old salts. I loved meeting all the boaters and 'would be boaters' who were there trying to gather all the information that the classes had to offer. It is an event I miss now that I am out of boating but I will never forget what an asset Trawler Fest was. I remember sharing a space in the tent with Claiborne Young while selling our guides. Now both Claiborne and Bob are gone to their glory. So many friends and so many laughs. The food was always good and the lessons were always well taught and remembered. The people attending would bring recorders and not books. The classes were crowded and extra chairs had to be brought in for different classes. The question and answer segments were so popular that they could have had hours of just Q & A. They were great events and well worth the price of the entrance fee. We attended them for several years. Thanks for the good old days Georgs, Elaine Reib, cofounder, Skipper Bob Publications