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Sailing north of Desolation Sound, the Discovery Islands and the Broughton Archipelago offer cruisers a bevy islands with ample anchorages. Tides cause swift currents to run through the islands’ waterways.
For a destination filled with exciting things to see and do, make sure you put Coal Harbour Marina in downtown Vancouver on your itinerary.
One of the finest cruising grounds in the world, the Inside Passage is a boater’s paradise with hundreds of pristine islands, inlets and anchorages.
At the 2019 Vancouver International Boat Show I had the pleasure of meeting up with Allyson and Richard Nelson. The transformation of this picturesque marina and resort has been absolutely spectacular.
Normally, our boating adventures are spent weaving our way amongst the picturesque backdrop of the 30,000 Islands of eastern Georgian Bay aboard our Sea Ray Sundancer 268. This time we’ve traded power for sail as friends welcome us aboard their 38-foot Irwin for the Canada Day long weekend.
Situated in one of the best protected places in the Pacific Northwest, tucked between Thetis and Penelakut Islands.
Read more: Thetis Island Marina is a favourite stopover for...
For the adventurous boater Bunsby Marine Provincial Park is a special place, situated due south of Brooks Peninsula / Muquin Provincial Park on the west coast of Vancouver Island, south of Port Alice.
Van Isle Marina, with its proud history dating from the 1940’s, is one of BC's largest full-service marinas with a large variety of services including yacht sales, yacht maintenance & storage, haul out services, dry storage, moorage, fuel and Canada Customs.
There is good anchoring in Cowichan Bay and nearby, and salt water enough to make any boater happy. John and I don’t sail our 44-foot s/v Inuksuk anywhere in the Gulf Islands without the appropriate Yeadon-Jones Dreamspeaker cruising guide and it’s all there...
Sailing in the waters around Quadra Island is fabulous. Admittedly the winds aren't always reliable and you may not be hoisting the sails every day but the overall experience, scenery and atmosphere of Quadra is a sailor’s dream.
Blind Channel Resort
One of my favourite places
By Marianne Scott
Sailing north of Desolation Sound, the Discovery Islands and the Broughton Archipelago offer cruisers a bevy islands with ample anchorages. Tides cause swift currents to run through the islands’ waterways. Few marinas are found in this large, sparsely populated region but one that provides all the services boaters need and especially enjoy is Blind Channel, a marina and resort operated by the Richter family located on Mayne Passage on the east side of West Thurlow Island (50 24. 82N, 125 30. 00).
Read more about the Blind Channel Resort...
Lifestyle
Glenmore Sailing Club
By Katherine Stone
When I was young, I used to love watching westerns on TV.
I think my favourite program was Bonanza. I would rush home after school, get my homework done, clean up the dishes, and then I would watch the ol’ West come alive with those three handsome, funny brothers who thrived on adventure.
At the time, I thought that the adventuresome West - and the pioneers who could handle just about anything thrown their way - was the stuff of make-believe.
Read more about the Glenmore Sailing Club...
Boat Reviews
Beneteau Swift Trawler 47
By Andy Adams
You might look at the pictures of the new Beneteau Swift Trawler 47 and think that this is not a “performance boat”, but I think it certainly is, and here is why; it can top out at 30 mph to get you from A to B quickly or to beat the weather in, so it’s pretty fast, but it can also loaf along doing 1,250 rpm making 9.3 mph and at that pace, it travels 2.4 miles on a gallon of fuel. That’s great performance in my books!
With a light displacement of almost 28,000 lbs, this is a big boat. In fact, it looks and feels more like a small ship than a big boat.
Read more about the Swift Trawler 47......
Beneteau Oceanis 46.1 Wins The “european Yacht Of The Year Awards” 2019
By Andy Adams and John Armstrong
Beneteau Oceanis 46.1When Beneteau introduced their new Oceanis 46.1, they were inspired by the fact that their previous Oceanis 45 was one of Beneteau’s best sellers and the new 46.1 had to be a clearly superior boat. The Oceanis range is about space and comfort for cruising while still delivering strong performance.
The yachting world has now recognized the Oceanis 46.1 as being just such a worthy successor. On January 19th, 2019, the Oceanis 46.1 won the highly regarded title of European Yacht of the Year in the “Family Cruiser” category.
Read More about the Oceanis 46.1......
DIY & How to
Sea to Sky now RYA recognized training centre
Sea to Sky Sailing has just been approved as the only Royal Yachting Association (RYA) recognized training centre on the west coast of North America just in time to deliver an epic 2019 season!
“This transition from our previous International Yacht Training (IYT) certification to RYA is a huge benefit to our students as it provides them certification that is known globally as the gold standard for yacht training. The RYA requires training centres to undergo annual inspections of their vessels, business practices and training delivery in order to maintain a strong standard and guarantee a high quality experience for students.
Read More about Sea to Sky Sailing......
Marine Products
Zipwake controls ride
Featuring advanced, intuitive 3D controls, Zipwake Dynamic Trim Control Systems deliver a more comfortable ride, better performance and improved fuel consumption for any boat from 20 to 60 feet, regardless of the type of vessel or the sea conditions. Offering unmatched control of running trim, heel or heading, the system incorporates patented, durable fast-acting interceptors that provide efficient lift. Installation of the modular unit is simple with four different size blades allowing a near full beam arrangement.
Read more about Zipwake...
Making the leap from landlubber to a life at Sea
Gina de Vere approached me at the Canadian Yachting booth at this year’s Vancouver International Boat Show and introduced me to her book Blue Water Women. Listening to her, it took only a few moments to see her passion for sailing and her joy in sharing her experiences.
In her own words: “This book is for the young and young at heart who yearn for adventure. It is written for those women considering a life-changing direction and those seeking a career at sea. It is not an instruction book, but you will learn from the experience of other blue water women what you need to know to have your own adventures.”
Read more about Blue Water Women...
