Warm water and hot racing are guaranteed at the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival, March 25-31, 2013!
With less than three weeks to go until the 42nd edition of the BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival at Nanny Cay, a truly international cast is making ready to take centre stage in the beautiful sailing grounds off Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
The BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival has always attracted sailors from around the world to take part and this year is no exception. Entries from at least 12 different nations will compete and include: Australia, Germany, USA, Netherlands, Sweden,
As winter progresses into spring, it's never to early to dream wistfully about those cool 'sweater-weather' evenings 'downeast' in Maine and Nova Scotia, cocktails in hand, with delicious munchies of cheese and crackers and lots of veggies with yummy dips at hand, watching the spectacular sunset settle across the bay and the distant rolling hills-- it's simply magical for those lucky enough to have experienced them over time.
Perhaps one of the world's best kept secrets is Chester Race Week, held in Chester, Nova Scotia, just a stone's throw away from the bustling metropolis of Halifax. Chester Race Week (scheduled August 14-17, 2013) has been sailing since 1856 and in recent summers has had consistent entries of 130-150
Barry Goodyear of Ra Kon Marnie Surveyors in Innisfil, Ontario was telling us about a boat he recently surveyed. Severe electrical problems prompted the owner to re-wire an accessory. A 6’ length of wire was carefully stripped and even in the middle of the insulated area, there was the tell-tale green “fuzz” corrosion that results from saltwater exposure.
The boat had sunk in saltwater. Years later, the damage was coming to light.
The BoatUS organization is a major American marine insurer and
Visitors to Saanich Inlet will find a dramatic new Mill Bay Marina on the site of the old marina on the inlet’s western shore. The old wooden pilings and floats have been replaced by steel pilings, concrete floats, 91 wide permanent berths for boats to 55’, and 700’ of transient moorage for vessels to 200’, all protected by a state-of-the-art floating breakwater.
The new marina, on the edge of the Gulf Islands, also has a fuel dock (gas and diesel), while a dockside bistro called Bridgemans and a marine store are set to open this spring.
Marine meteorologist and educator Lee Chesneau offers his two-day seminar “Toward Self-Reliance in Marine Weather and Forecasting” March 14-15 at the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend, Washington.
Chesneau is a veteran forecaster for the US Navy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and private industry who now focuses on teaching marine weather and advanced weather routing techniques to mariners. His aim is “to provide every capable seagoing mariner with the knowledge, tools and culture to embody self-reliance and independent decision-making in weather forecasting, route planning and heavy weather avoidance.”
As the May target date looms for the federal government’s planned closure of Kitsilano Coast Guard Station, opponents among first-responder organizations and at all levels of government are stepping up their campaign to reverse the controversial decision.
Among recent developments:
At the Vancouver Boat Show, hard-working volunteers from the Jericho Sailing Centre Association, a leader in the campaign to save the station, collected more than 3,000 signed letters to Prime Minster Stephen Harper. The letter sets out key arguments against the closure, accuses local Conservative MPs of “abandoning ship” on the issue, and concludes: “I will not vote for a party that closes the Kitsilano Coast Guard Station.” The letters were sent to the PM at no cost using MPs’ free letter-mail privileges.
Read more: Opponents of Kits Base Closure Step Up Pressure...
The 51st Vancouver International Boat Show drew steady traffic throughout its five days, including BC’s first Family Day, Monday, February 11. Strong boat and retail sales at the show bolstered confidence in the local recreational boat industry heading into the 2013 season.
To take advantage of Family Day, organizers switched from the show’s usual Wednesday-Sunday slot to open the show on Thursday, which may have been the show’s single best day. Field and concourse exhibits at BC Place were busy from the opening and exhibitors began reporting strong sales almost immediately. One dealer was surprised to find they had made 20 major sales of boats or motors on Thursday alone.
The 45th Annual Southern Straits Classic is set for March 29-31, 2013. The West Vancouver Yacht Club (WVYC) is making preparations to host its Annual Southern Straits Classic for the 45th time. The Easter Weekend racing tradition will see sailors criss-crossing Georgia Strait testing their strategy, skill, and endurance while racing overnight in early season conditions.
The Classic Short, Medium, and Long courses range from 55 to 132 nautical miles. The race committee has redesigned the Medium course, eliminating the leg from Ballenas Is. to Entrance Is., opening it up to new tactics for racers.
Read more: West Vancouver Yacht Club’s race hits milestone...
The British Virgin Islands is home to Conch Charters, operated for the past 25 years by Cindy Chestnut and Brian Gandey, a young couple from Montreal.
Everybody that I have met that has taken a winter trip to the Caribbean spends at least one moment fantasizing about “cashing it all in” and starting a
business in a tropical paradise. I know because I have done it many times. The British Virgins Islands is one of these special places; beautiful blue water,
swaying palm trees, gentle people and perfect sailing weather almost all year long. In today’s world this is all but impossible with all regulations, quotas,
bureaucracy maturation of the of the local business society in the islands. But 25 years ago the dream was alive and for the taking for Cindy and Brian.
Nova Scotia Islands documentary airs Sunday, February 17, 2013 at 12 Noon. With intriguing pasts and mysterious happenings, the islands of Nova Scotia have been the setting of stories that stir the senses and rouse the imagination. Abandoned settlements and homesteads, lighthouses and keepers, fisherman and fishing grounds, pirates and treasure, contagious diseases and mass burials, ghostly apparitions and lost cemeteries are all highlighted in this homage to Nova Scotia's colourful island history.
Islands are part of the geography and history of the Maritimes, nowhere more so than Nova Scotia. Jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean, there are more than 3,800 islands that lie scattered along nearly 5,000 miles of
Lifestyle
To Own, or Not to Own? Boating without boat ownership
Katherine Stone
all the fun and no hassles without ownership.
There’s nothing like owning your own boat – a dream come true for many boating enthusiasts! But along with the joys of boat ownership come the headaches, frustrations, time-consuming repairs and maintenance, and a constant outflow of cash.
Someone once told me that owning a boat was like having a hole in the water into which you poured money – an accurate description if ever I heard one!
Read more about Boating Without Boat Ownership......
DIY & How to
Gasoline Containing Ethanol Can Disable Your Engine
For many years now, we have used gasoline in our cars and trucks that contains some amount of ethanol, a form of alcohol, and just as a few drops of water combine almost instantly in your Scotch, moisture from the atmosphere can combine with the ethanol in the gasoline that is in your boat’s fuel tank.
Your motor vehicle has a sealed fuel system to control evaporative losses that are a source of air pollution. Fuel is moved into the engine under pressure and any drips that might escape, drop onto the pavement. The engine is open to the pavement below. In an inboard boat, the hull is below the engine and any drips will collect in the bilge with potentially explosive consequences.
Read more about gasoline containing ethanol......
Boat Reviews
Grand Banks 60 Skylounge
The Canadian market has always been a tough nut for yacht designers to figure out. Summer days get really hot; other days are downright cold. There is always the chance things could change in the blink of an eye and let’s be honest, who among us hasn’t stepped off the boat wearing shorts, flip flops and a warm jacket? Canadian yachting has always been a world of contradictions, which is why designing cruising yachts for this market has never been easy. It’s not like Florida or the Med, where weather is dependable throughout the year.
Read more about the Grand Banks 60 Skylounge............
Olympic One-Person Sailing Dinghy Completes Name Change “ILCA Dinghy” Is New Face of World’s Most Popular Racing Boat
Austin, Texas, USA (25 April 2019) – In the wake of last month’s termination of its contract with its European builder, the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) announced today that, from 25 April 2019, all new, class-approved boats will be sold and raced under the “ILCA Dinghy” name. This change will have no impact on existing ILCA-authorized boats and equipment, which will be able to race alongside ILCA Dinghies in all class sanctioned events.
“It’s a big change for a racing class that hasn’t seen anything like this in our almost 50- year history,” said Class President Tracy Usher.
Read More about the ILCA Dinghy............
Destinations
Make Mariposa One Of Your Summer Destinations
Take your boat and a beautiful waterfront setting, pair that with a fantastic musical lineup of over 100 Canadian and international performers, spice it up with an awesome food truck alley, add in an artistically diverse artisan’s marketplace and finish it with a Folkplay area dedicated to children’s fun and you have the successful recipe for the Mariposa Folk Festival.
Each July this longstanding musical tradition kicks off the summer at Tudhope Park in Orillia on the picturesque shores of Lake Couchiching and you can get there by boat. This year’s festival runs July 5-7 and is celebrating 20 years back in the city where it all began 59 years ago.
Read more about the Mariposa.....
Marine Products
Mercury Marine Launches New Mercruiser V8 6.2l 370hp Jet Ready Inboard Engine
Mercury Marine is pleased to announce the launch of the new MerCruiser V8 6.2L 370hp Jet Ready inboard engine. The new Jet Power Inboard uses MerCruiser’s 6.2L small block V8 powerplant in an inboard configuration and has a tailstock in place of a transmission to allow for an easy connection to a jet pump via a jackshaft.
“This engine provides boat builders, dealers and consumers with a Mercury inboard jet option that provides easy integration with a jet pump, a full warranty on jet applications and enables consumers to leverage Mercury’s best-in-class dealer network for service,”,,,
Read more about the Mercruiser V8 Inboard Engine............
Groupe Beneteau unveils its first motor foiler
After developing the Figaro Beneteau 3, the first production foiling sailing yacht, Groupe Beneteau has launched a new innovation, unveiling its concept foiling motor yacht.
DEMS Sarrazin Design, Noval and SEAir brought on board a range of design, technical and mechanical skills, alongside the innovation, naval architecture and product design experts from Groupe Beneteau.
Read more about Beneteau's Motor Foiler............
