2026 Selene East Coast Owners' Rendezvous Recap

September 16–20, 2026 | Baltimore, Maryland

The 2026 Selene East Coast Owners' Rendezvous was held at the Baltimore Inner Harbor Marina from September 16–20. This marked the fourth consecutive year at this iconic waterfront venue, an ideal setting for a gathering of Selene owners and enthusiasts. Eighteen Selene trawlers arrived and tied up at the docks. Although the fleet was spread throughout the marina due to slip availability, all of the boats were easily accessible, and the turnout was impressive.

With the trawlers in place, everyone enjoyed three days of celebration, exchanging ideas, learning, camaraderie and most importantly, FUN! This well-organized rendezvous reinforces the value, importance and strength of the Selene brand while bringing together those who own these remarkable trawlers and those who aspire to own one.

JMYS was again one of the event sponsors, and Jeff Merrill is very proud to be part of the Selene Yachts Americas team. Jeff flew to Baltimore for the gathering and enjoyed reconnecting with many JMYS clients. The relaxed schedule gave him the opportunity to spend quality time with nearly every owner in attendance, catching up and, of course, talking trawlers.

The event program has been refined over the last couple of years and this year’s rendezvous chairs, Steve and Cindy Covington, owners of the Selene 53 Kallisto, did a fantastic job organizing the gathering. Jeff helped Steve and Cindy purchase their Selene several years ago, making it especially gratifying to see them become such enthusiastic champions of the brand.

The weather cooperated, although at times it may have been a little too warm! Attendees experienced a mix of sunshine, humidity, occasional rain, passing clouds that provided welcome shade, and gentle breezes to help cool things down.

Wednesday, September 16 — Arrival Day

Wednesday was dedicated to arrivals, check-in, and a casual meet-and-greet. Attendees picked up their welcome bags, complete with wine and snacks, and began reconnecting with fellow Selene owners. It was also Jeff's travel day, and he arrived in Baltimore after dinner, just a little too late to join the evening's festivities.

Thursday, September 17 - Let the Rendezvous Begin!
The full program began Thursday morning at 9 AM with coffee and donuts under the large tent on the docks. The Selene East Coast Owners' group does an amazing job, with volunteers managing the many moving parts of this event. The level of coordination is truly extraordinary.

One particularly special souvenir was the event program, a glossy, full-color brochure featuring the schedule, attendee list, and sponsor advertisements. Jeff especially enjoyed the word search puzzle at the end, which cleverly incorporated the names of all the attending boats. A nice touch!

The rendezvous officially opened with a welcome from Wayne Goldman and Paul Cifka, co-founders of Selene Yachts Americas and primary sponsors of the event.

Following a break, attendees enjoyed a shipyard update featuring news about the construction of new Selene trawlers. Wayne and Paul were joined by Arina Chen, senior project manager at Jet Tern Marine and daughter of Selene founder Howard Chen, to share the latest developments.

A welcome addition to this year's program was the opportunity for owners to sign up for U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel safety inspections, an offering that many attendees took advantage of.

Brandt Pemberton of 39 Pixels, who handles much of the photography and video production for Selene Yachts Americas, invited Jeff to participate in an impromptu dock walk video tour of the event. The unscripted adventure included a little playful photobombing during a presentation in the tent before heading down the docks to showcase the impressive collection of Selene trawlers.

VIEW THE VIDEO

A simple but tasty lunch of pre-ordered sandwiches kept everyone well-fed before the afternoon sessions began. Sponsor CMC Marine presented information about its active fin stabilizers, the standard stabilizer choice on new-build Selenes.

Later in the afternoon, owners gathered under the tent for a lively discussion about the many aspects of Selene ownership. Dubbed the "Admirals and Captains" session, the conversation featured plenty of good-natured banter, practical advice, and valuable insights from experienced owners.

After a chance to freshen up, everyone returned to the docks for a fantastic barbecue dinner, a perfect ending to the first full day.

Friday, September 18 — Learning, Sharing, and Celebrating
Friday began with the now-familiar coffee and donuts, followed by another excellent lineup of presentations. The first session featured Ed Tillett discussing navigation, while U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel safety inspections continued throughout the morning.

After lunch, a new Selene recognition program made its debut, celebrating owners who have logged thousands of nautical miles aboard their trawlers. The Nautical Mile Flag Recognition Program, created by Steve and Cindy Covington and sponsored by Selene Yachts Americas, honored owners for their cruising accomplishments. Recipients were invited forward and presented with flags representing their respective mileage milestones. It was a wonderful way to recognize the adventures and experiences of the Selene community.

Steve Zimmerman then delivered an informative presentation on inspecting and maintaining a vessel's powertrain.

Another highlight was the group photo, with attendees proudly wearing their Selene rendezvous shirts. A special thank you goes to Jim and Oksana, who graciously welcomed everyone aboard their beautiful Selene 64 Ocean Explorer, Discovery, for this memorable photo opportunity.

Saturday, September 19 — A Celebration of the Selene Community

Saturday, the final official day of the rendezvous, began with coffee, donuts, and an update from Corey Chamness, owner of the Selene 53 Leizu and a board member of the Selene Owners' Association. Corey shared news about the association, including exciting website features recently added and others currently in development.

The late-morning session featured Josh Collier of AP Corporation, who discussed boat wrapping as an alternative to traditional repainting.

After lunch came one of the most anticipated highlights of the weekend: the dock walk and boat crawl! Getting aboard different Selenes is always a treat. Although not every boat was open for tours, most owners welcomed visitors, offering a wonderful opportunity to explore different layouts, see custom features, and exchange ideas firsthand.

Everyone gathered that evening for the banquet dinner, which included a special surprise appearance by Nathan and Lindsey of 71 Percent, fresh from completing their Pacific crossing. Joining remotely from the new Selene facility in British Columbia, Nathan and Lindsey were accompanied by Dylan Hildebrand and several Selene owners for a question-and-answer session about their remarkable adventure aboard Ruth Pearl II, the now-famous Selene 49. At the time of this writing, this well-traveled trawler is available for purchase by one lucky buyer!

Sunday, September 20 —The Selene Parade

Sunday was departure day, but not before one final tradition: the annual Selene parade!

Jeff had a blast aboard Dock Holiday with owners Jeff and Kami. Also aboard were Brad and Megan, future Selene owners, and Arina Chen.

The crew was good-naturedly recruited to lead the parade, coordinating the lineup via VHF radio and cell phone with Brandt Pemberton of 39 Pixels, who was busy capturing the procession on video and in photographs.

It was a fitting finale to a wonderful weekend, with the Selene fleet making an impressive showing as the boats cruised through Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

Several vessels continued out of the harbor toward their next destinations, while Dock Holiday and her crew returned to the dock. And just like that, the 2026 Selene East Coast Owners' Rendezvous was a wrap!

Looking Ahead

Reflecting on the weekend, it is easy to see what makes this gathering so special: remarkable boats, enthusiastic owners, and a shared passion for cruising.

The leadership baton has now been passed to Dan and Bethany, owners of the Selene 59 Blue Phoenix. With their enthusiasm and dedication, there is every reason to expect another spectacular gathering next year.

Selene Yachts Americas said it best in this year's event program: