Cowichan Bay Maritime Centre – Kayak and Canoe Building Courses

These popular multi-day courses are being offered in September and October 2012 at the Maritime Centre in Cowichan Bay. The kayak is a 16’ Resolute model, while the canoe is a 15’ Freedom model, both designed by Steve Killing. Depending on attendance, multiple examples will be built by the participants. During the program they will learn all the steps of building a cedar-strip vessel. This includes interpreting drawings, setting up molds, building the keel and stems and forming the hull from bead-and-cove cedar strips. Fiberglass and epoxy will complete the hull. Following the “turn over” the class will lean the installation of coamings, seats, thwarts, and gunwales, and other finishing components. Everything but final varnishing will be finished by course completion.

The class will be guided by CBMS chief shipwright and lead instructor, Tim Doyle. At the end of the class students will be offered the opportunity to purchase a finished canoe for $2,200, or the kayak at $2,500; if not sold they will be offered to the public at $3,200 and $3,500.

Further information is available at 250-746-4955 or email cwbs@classicboats.org.
 


Neptunus 650F Review

Neptunus 650F 400

By Andy Adams

Over the years Canadian Yachting has had the pleasure of doing several boat review articles on new Neptunus models and we are familiar with the qualities that Neptunus is famous for. They have all been exceptional yachts, but this is the one I would most want to own myself. It’s a personal choice and a matter of taste as to whether you would prefer to have a sedan express model or a flybridge but in my opinion, the flybridge layout offers some wonderful attributes.

We met with Neptunus Managing Director Jan Willem De Jong this past fall to take the new Neptunus 650F out in Lake Ontario. 

Read More


Destinations

The Other Virgin Islands

Sunset off St John

By Mark Stevens

I was first seduced by the United States Virgin Islands during a ferry ride from St. Thomas to Tortola to begin one of our earliest British Virgin Islands charters nearly twenty years ago.

A perfect sunset off St. John with St. Thomas views for backdrop.

Clearing Pillsbury Sound, surrounded by voluptuous emerald mountains as the ferry sliced through royal blue waters, I was struck by the unspoiled ambiance of St. John, the island gliding past our starboard beam and the irresistible charm of a village called Cruz Bay visible from our quarter stern.

Read More