After spending a great deal of time in the bilge with a bright light and an ice pick, I found the Pacemaker to be sound. It needed some hard work, tender care and tasteful decoration

Read more: Pacemaker 34

The Italian yacht builders Azimut and Bennetti are a very large organization, well known for their Italian styling and modern designs. The Atlantis line is a “brand belonging to the Azimut and Benetti” organization...

Read more: Atlantis 55

The term "fast trawler" might at first seem to come from the same family is the term "jumbo shrimp" but there really is a good reason for a fast trawler. Recently, there has been a groundswell of interest in trawler boats because they deliver a unique combination of seaworthiness, comfort and space in a fuel-efficient package.  They also suit the demographics of the North American population with an increasing number of people reaching retirement at earlier ages. Trawlers are often referred to as blue water cruising boats because they're well-suited to handling rough water and offshore conditions.  Taking a Mainship 34 Trawler down the Intercoastal Waterway to the Carolinas, Florida or even out to the Caribbean is a very realistic goal, even for those new to cruising. Fast trawlers are designed with more support in the aft hull sections and given sufficient power, can move from displacement speeds of 8 or 10 mph to full planing at over 20 mph.

Read more: Mainship 34 Trawler

Sleek and fast, this family cruiser has roots in narrow V hulls of ocean racers, but it handles better. Cliff Cruickshank has been boating out of Dawson’s Marina in Keswick, Ontario, for most of his life. In ranging from a Greavette dispro (disappearing propeller) to  a 36 foot Pacemaker. Now he owns a 27 foot Century Cortez and he’s delighted. Over the years boating has changed for the Cruickshank family, as it has for many others. Children grow up and begin lives of their own. No matter how much they like boating, they often prefer time on their own in the city to spending a weekend under the watchful eyes of parents at a marina. When Cliff found himself in that position, he decided to try life without a boat. That was the winter of 1979. But one night, as the snow fell and his thoughts turned to the warmth of summer, boating withdrawal symptoms hit. Not surprisingly, Doug Dawson was able to alleviate the problem with a call to Bruce Brown of BMB Distributors, the Century distributor. Brown was able to promise a new Cortez 270 for Cruickshank to launch when the ice went out that spring.

Read more: Century Cortez 270

Craftsmanship and luxury are hiding out in Muskoka. It’s a fibreglass I/O but it smells like varnish. I have often wondered if boats used to be somehow more friendly or more fun, or had more character. I won't say they were better, but after driving the Greavette Montique, I’m tempted to say they were. It all started in Gravenhurst, where in the 1920's, the Ditchburn boatworks and later the Minett works were situated. The lakes were small with no really large open areas, but with over 1,500 miles of shoreline, there was a lot of ground to cover in getting from place to place. The roads were bad or worse and extensive travel by boat was clearly the best way to go.

Read more: Greavette Montique

The Azimut 55 S offers the discriminating buyer a unique combination of Italian style and design innovation. The express cruiser style in this boat is refined in a number of interesting and unique ways...

Read more: Azimut 55 S Express

We had the pleasure of traveling to Wisconsin to attend the Cruisers Yachts dealer meeting this past summer where the company launched their new flagship, the Cruisers Yachts 60 Cantius. The dealer reaction was overwhelmingly positive to this new addition to the Cantius line that Cruisers Yachts began several years ago. There are now 41, 45, 48 and 60 foot models in this elite line which is named after K.C. Stock’s father, Cantius. This brings up two important points; the design philosophy of the Cantius line is to redefine the express cruiser style to deliver gracious living on one level, improving the social aspects of the boat and making it feel more spacious. Mission accomplished there. The other thing is that this company is owned by K.C. Stock who, with his were on hand to personally work with their dealers at the meeting.

Read more: Cruisers Yachts 60 Cantius

When in Rome – do as the Romans do, so when in BC we did as many lucky Western Canadians have done, and got aboard a Westcoast 46. It was worth the trip. The Westcoast 46 is built by Westcoast Custom Yachts Limited which is headed up by the now legendary Forbes Cooper. The 46 is based on an impressively seaworthy and efficient hull design by Ed Monk Jr. The original hull design was actually marketed as the 43 foot Tolleycraft but has now been significantly modified and in fact, one of the most interesting aspects of these boats is that they really are built on a custom basis, one at a time to the owner's own specifications. The first choice you need to make is whether to order the 46-foot Express, 46 Sedan or the 46 Cockpit Motoryacht, which was the model we tested. Your next choice is to decide between single or twin-engine installation. The test boat was equipped with twin Cummins 270 diesels.

Read more: Westcoast 46

Fast, dry cuddy cabin. High freeboard, easy planning and lots of power keep the Canadian built Wilker up front in Lake Ontario charter fleet. Low price makes it an easy choice. If Wilker Boats rings a bell you've probably been around powerboats for a few years. The 28-footers that Floyd Wilker used to build in his shop in London, Ontario were highly regarded but not very numerous. After 23 years Floyd retired and Tom Crowford took over with, if possible, even greater enthusiasm. Tom still gets inquiries about wooden cabin cruisers, but these days all Wilker boats are fibreglass. Unlike many of his competitors, however, Tom builds only hand laid moldings with mat and roving - no chopper guns. It costs more but the boats are generally better for the extra time and energy.

Read more: Wilker 20

I am actually laughing at myself as I sit down to write this review of the Neptunus 625 MotorYacht because what I want to tell you first, is how much I like this boat! Are you surprised? You are allowed to laugh at me. For the “as tested” price of approximately US$2.6 million, you get a handsome three stateroom MotorYacht with separate crew quarters, comfortable cockpit, sliding glass doors into a main saloon that includes home size seating, a dining area that seats six and a galley that deserves to be called a kitchen. And, let's not forget the flying bridge! Of course I like this boat! But there is something more. It's a feeling I got when I was onboard. Yes, it's a magnificent big boat with every imaginable feature and yet it seems warmly welcoming, even friendly. 

Read more: Neptunus 625 MotorYacht