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 The old wooden pilings and floats have been replaced by steel pilings, concrete floats, 91 wide permanent berths for boats to 55’, and 700’ of transient moorage for vessels to 200’, all protected by a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
Destinations
How to be as Polite as a Canadian at Gulf Island Marine Park Anchorages
Story and photos by Catherine Dook
One summer I sold ice cream and knick-knacks at Montague Harbour Marina. I was standing behind the counter one day, when the phone rang. “There’s a boat at anchor in the middle of the bay that’s been playing loud music for three hours,” complained an irate-sounding male voice. “Can you make them stop?”
“Um, no,” I replied. “The marina has no jurisdiction over the anchorage. Besides, my only weapon is a till.” The man hung up on me.
Now when you think about it, you can understand why the poor fellow was annoyed.
Read more about the Gulf Island Marine Park.....
Lifestyle
Hogtown to Hogfish
By Greg Nicoll and John Armstrong
A couple of Galley Guys on yet another culinary adventure…
The Galley Guys had a plan - get out of Toronto, jump on a boat, sail to Cuba, then wine and dine on some great Cuban cuisine. However, just before boarding the plane, we were informed of some technical problems with our boat charter. The Cuban part of our trip was just not going to happen, bummer. OK, let’s turn lemons into lemonade!
The closest we could get to Cuba was some 90-plus miles north in Key West, Florida, a most unusual and entertaining town.
Read more from the Galley Guys...
Boat Reviews
Cruisers Yachts Cantius 42
By John Armstrong and Andy Adams
The latest new model from Cruisers Yacht sis the Cantius 42 and this yacht made its debut in the fall of 2017, at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. We had the pleasure of going all through this newest Cantius there and clearly, the Cruisers Yachts people continue to refine and expand on all the features that have made the Cantius line such a success.
The new 42 continues the Cantius family resemblance with handsome and distinctive lines including a big section of hull side glazing port and starboard that makes the full-beam mid-ship master stateroom feel very bright and open.
Read more about the Cruisers Yachts Cantius 42...
DIY & How to
Marine Products
Smelly Boat?
By Glen Cairns
We have all had the experience of heading down below on a nice boat only to encounter an unpleasant odour. This can come from a wide variety of sources, the most common being the head and sanitation system. We will deal with the issue of heads and holding tanks another time; however, there are plenty of other causes of a musty and off-putting smell.
Too many boats spend long winters shrink-wrapped with inadequate ventilation. The resulting condensation is a wonderful spawning ground for mould and general mustiness, especially if there are a few warm spring days before the boat is opened.
Read more about freshening up your boat.....
