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The entire state of Florida is celebrating 500 years since the arrival of Ponce de Leon in 1513. Counties all over Florida are marking this year in style… including Pensacola. As part of your Great Loop experience, a stop in Pensacola is highly recommended. Palm Harbor Marina – a frequent stopover for fellow Canadian Loopers – will welcome you with open arms. Palm Harbor is actually home to many Canadian boats kept there year-round. In fact, the Technomarine docks installed there were built in Canada.
The much anticipated envelope arrived in the mail at the beginning of September 2010. It was sent from the AGLCA, the America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association. Inside the envelope was a letter from the association congratulating us on completing the Loop, a gold AGLCA flag that we could proudly fly on our signal pennant and a certificate, our “Baccalooperat” This piece of parchment meant as much to us as receiving a degree from a university. We had done it. We had conquered the continuous waterway that took us through the Great Lakes, the inland rivers of the United States and the Gulf and Atlantic Intracoastal Waterways.
It’s really astonishing. In Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe, there are six million or so of us, crowded into bustling neighbourhoods and driving on packed roads. As Canadians we see the United States as a bigger, even more populous big brother next door. BUT. A mere 30 miles across Lake Ontario, you can find pastoral country in the charmingly American harbour and village of Wilson, NY that defies whatever image you have of the United States as the hub of industry and commerce.
This summer my husband, Paul, and I bought our fourth offshore cruising boat, a new Southerly 480 built by Discovery Yachts in the UK.
Read more: Mediterranean Shakedown: A Summer Cruise in Spain
This month, Spirit of Portopiccolo, steered by Furio Benussi, with Alberto Bolzan at the mainsail, and tacticians Lorenzo Bressani and Gabriele Benussi, won the 50th edition of Barcolana, the largest regatta in the world held in Trieste, Italy
I don’t know what I expected the first time we made landfall in the Canary Islands but I have to admit that after sailing from the lush mid-Atlantic island of Madeira, I was seriously surprised when the barren desert-like landscapes of the Canary Islands came into view.
We did breakfast yesterday in the Greek port of Piraeus, just outside Athens:strong coffee, crisp bacon, fresh bread, and omelets spiked with Feta Cheese.
After much speculation Prince Harry finally popped the question to American actress and longtime Toronto resident Meghan Markle and people are EXCITED.
We had been out on the ocean for 17 days, just the two of us, keeping watch around the clock. One of us was always asleep while the other kept a sharp...
The sun rises over green hump-backed hills, backbone of an island called Prvic in the Adriatic Sea, off the coast of Croatia, in the region of Dalmatia. We’ve docked overnight in one of the most beautiful cruising grounds in the world. The hills look across a blushing expanse of water riffled by winds whose names we discovered yesterday morning at the chart briefing that began our Sunsail charter flotilla near a village called Primosten.
Lifestyle
Burlington Sailing & Boating Club – a successful four-way partnership
By Katherine Stone
It’s always amazing to me how life has degrees of separation that are incredibly small, even when you spend your adult life in another country than the one you grew up in. I grew up sailing on Lake Erie and when my father’s health was on the decline it was decided that I would be appointed to sell his boat. As fate would have it, an older gentleman came to see the boat and decided on the spot to purchase it. Off it sailed, out of Lake Erie, through the canal and into Lake Ontario to reside happily at the Burlington Sailing & Boating Club. Little did I know that many years later, I would be doing their profile for Canadian Yachting.
Read more about Burlington Sailing & Boating Club...............
DIY & How to
Ask Andrew – Delayed Launch
2020 is a year of change – self-isolation, social distancing, quarantine, and working remotely have become the norm. For many, this has been a bitter pill to swallow. Another bitter pill for boaters is the delay of the season. Provincial laws differ – so terms like ‘essential’ aren’t translating widely across the marine world.
In BC, marinas remain open and fuel is available, sometimes with conditions. In Ontario, marinas, boat launches, yacht clubs and the professionals that service the marine industry aren’t considered essential, unless the service and location allows a person to access their permanent residence only accessible by boat.
Read more about Boating in 2020........................
Boat Reviews
CY Virtual Video Boat Tours
We all love boats and nothing can break us up! So, what better way to spend our time than looking at interesting boats and going aboard in a virtual ride or tour. We have asked our friends at various dealers and manufacturers to help us assemble a one-stop online resource to experience some of the most interesting boats on the market today. Where the CY Team has done a review, we connect you to that expert viewpoint. Our Virtual Show will continue to grow so visit frequently and check it out. If you can’t go boating, you can almost experience the thrill via your screen. Not quite the same, but we hope you enjoy our fine tour collection.
Read more about the CY Virtual Boat Tours....................
Heritage and hip: Kingston as a port destination
By Amy Hogue
Cruise into the city of Kingston, Ontario, and it will quickly become clear that this city and surrounding waterways have something special. Built around the northern shore of Lake Ontario, Kingston is the place to go if you love to explore new waterways, fantastic views, and exceptional boating opportunities.
Sitting at the intersection of three world-class Canadian bodies of water, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Rideau Canal (Cataraqui River from Kingston to Newboro), the water’s influence is deeply woven into Kingston’s culture and history.
Read more about Kingston...........
Marine Products
Planning a Cruise with PORTS Cruising Guide
By Rob MacLeod, the InformedBoater
After decades of perusing charts and guidebooks as part of planning a cruise, it was a totally different experience editing PORTS Cruising Guide Georgian Bay, The North Channel and Lake Huron. My copy of PORTS Lake Ontario and Thousand Islands is dog-eared and well worn. That is how it is supposed to look after a few summers of use. If you have one that is still pristine itÕs time to get off the dock and put your PORTS Guide to good use.
Mary and I have a process for planning a cruise. It actually starts well in advance while the boat is laid up for winter.
Read more about PORTS...............
