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 The old wooden pilings and floats have been replaced by steel pilings, concrete floats, 91 wide permanent berths for boats to 55’, and 700’ of transient moorage for vessels to 200’, all protected by a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
H/H Sailor of the Month of November is Mark Lammens
On November 13 Sail Canada, the national governing body for the sport of sailing, announced Mark Lammens as the Helly Hansen Sailor of the Month.
To many, sailing is more than just a sport - it’s a lifestyle. A living embodiment of that motto is the man himself, Mark Lammens.
For the past 35 years Mark has been involved in many aspects of the sport; as an athlete, coach, volunteer and administrator. He has gone above and beyond with the time, commitment, and passion he has put into the sailing community over the past 3 decades.
Read more about Mark Lammens...............
DIY & How to
Ask Andrew – Shrink wrap
A new shrink-wrap promises more environmentally conscious
In Nov 2019, I was fortunate enough to attend the Boating Ontario conference in Niagara Falls ON. This conference is geared to members and suppliers of the marine industry particularly marina operations. One of the suppliers was Layfield Geosynthetics, offering a new shrink-wrap film called ‘Bioflex MarineShrink’. The Layfield rep that I spoke with described the new product as a more environmentally conscious option (more on what this means, below).
Read more about Shrink Wrap........................
Boat Reviews
J99 - Offshore Shorthanded Speedster
A Great Boat for Canada and Mom Approved Too!
By Jill Snider and Andy Adams
Coming from two different directions, Jill Snider and I met up at Crates Lake Country Boats in Orillia, Ontario to run and review a new Pursuit DC 235, a deep vee dual console boat that is an offshore inspired bow rider with strong fishing overtones and a wide range of family features.
It’s what I would call a handsome, classically styled boat that I suspect will still look fresh many years into the future. Jill had a different take on it.
Read more about the Pursuit DC 235.....................
Destinations
New destination: Moorings announces charters in Brazil
With an increasing amount of interest in South America as a charter destination, The Moorings has responded with a new base in Paraty, Brazil. Surrounded by towering jungles plummeting into the waters of Baia Carioca, this charter cruising region features bays peppered with islands and world-famous beaches.
Centrally located between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Paraty (pronounced “Para-chee”) holds the key to many natural wonders you can only discover by boat.
Read more about Moorings' Brazil Charters......................
Marine Products
Good gear: Test of The Bolt Locking Products
By Glen Konorowski
There is nothing worse for me to have too many keys on your key chain. Even if I move a few to another ring and put them in a safe spot on the boat, I have trouble remembering the secret spot where they are or worse yet, my adult children don’t put the keys back.
If you have had a boat on a trailer for a number of years you have heard stories of trailer/boat thefts. A friend of mind had his boat trailer stolen right out of his driveway while away sailing one weekend just because he couldn’t find the key for the ball lock and thought it safe on his own property.
Read more about Good Gear................
