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Oakville's Ontario Yachts was founded by Dick and Maria Kneulman. Although he worked as a boat builder before emigrating from the Netherlands in 1951, Kneulman started a construction company when he first moved to Canada. But by 1961 Dick was building boats-mostly kayaks and dinghies. After only a few years in the business, Ontario Yachts established a reputation for high-quality workmanship and soon Kneulman's Snipes were sought after by North America's top one-design racing sailors. Next, Dick established a world-wide market for his dinghy, 6 Metre and Dragon masts.
There are many reviews for the Odin 820, a 28’ motor sailor that includes the comparisons to others like her in the market place. This is not one of them. All that good stuff can be found on the website www.odin-marine.com. Me, I’m a traditional keel boater. I love getting a thoroughbred boat well-tuned with the rail down, going as fast as we can with all the excitement of pushing the boat to her limits. Seeing the water creaming down the hull of a go fast sailboat gives me as much of a thrill at 60 as it did at 20.
Nonsuch, as reported by Brian Shelley, means "without rival" (Without Rival, by Brian Shelley and Mary Beaucock Fryer, 1995. Wishbone Publishing Co. Willowdale). The class was named after the Nonsuch of the Hudson's Bay Company that first sailed in 1968. That vessel was named after Baroness Nonsuch of Nonsuch Park, Surrey, England, who was the mother of King Charles II's two natural sons. The Baroness also bore the illegitimate daughter of John Churchill, who was the First Duke of Malborough, and became governor of the Hudson's Bay company in 1685.
The Niagara 35 is neither traditional cruiser (the fin keel and spade rudder are modern), nor modern racer/cruiser (the fin keel and spade rudder are too traditional). Indeed, it notable sheer further confuses the matter. The Niagara’s high topsides compare to contemporary designs but its coach house hints at the traditional shapes and trim of older designs.
If the Sirius 28 was a racehorse, it would be described as having good breeding. Its designer, Hubert Van de stadt, has in his stable the smaller Sirius 22, a restyling of his Sirius 21, which has proven to be a tough, able, small cruiser. This talent for design runs in the family. Hubert is the nephew of the well-known European designer E. G. Van de Stadt, who has a long and impressive list of outstanding designs, including the lines of the famous 72-foot South African ketch Stormvogel. The Sirius 28's builders also inspire confidence. Vandestadt and McGruer Ltd. of Owen Sound ahs been building boats since the mid-'60s and in spite of such setbacks as major fire and a long industry recession, it has managed to survive and grow...
Built initially by Martin Yachts in Vancouver for IMS (International Measurement System) and ultimately for one design racing, the Nelson/Marek 36 is a design with focus. Until a fleet is established, however, racing under the IMS rule will have to be endured, as the real goal is to race identical boat against identical boat to test the talents of skippers and crews.
It was right in the middle of hot, muggy weather in July when we would have given anything (except our air conditioners) to be out on the water. We had been riding a seesaw with the weather all week waiting for the perfect time to test the new Mirage 275 in Whitby, Ontario.
Love and Anarchy, Mirage 26 hull #51, was launched June 3, 1978 for a new sailor, Diane Wait, who had previously sailed "two or three times with friends." "I went to the Toronto International Boat Show to find a boat I could handle," remembers Wait. "I also wanted a boat I would be content to sail indefinitely. I didn't want to be looking to trade up for something two feet longer in a few years." She went to the show three times that year, looking at boats in this size range over and over again. On the third visit she left a deposit on the Mirage 26.
It is difficult indeed to find a boat under 27 or 28 feet in length that provides civilized cruising comfort for two to four people. We are happy to report that the Mirage 25 is a surprising and successful example of a "livable" boat with an overall length (excluding the bow pulpit and outboard rudder) a few inches over 25 feet. Up to four adults could cheerfully weekend aboard, and with a few minor modifications a couple could cruise comfortably for indefinite periods.
"Since my accident sailing was a very distant thought and only provided me with many great memories as I was lying in my bed at the hospital. Being on the water again was one of the most exciting things that has happened to me since my accident." This is a quote from CY test-pilot Danny McCoy at the helm of the Martin 16, a sport-boat for sailors with mobility impairments.
Related Articles
Neptunus 650F Review
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.
Destinations
The Other Virgin Islands
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.
Lifestyle
By AMY HOGUE
What to look for and ask about as you plan your vacation times. You’ve invested thousands and thousands of dollars into your boat so naturally, you want to find just the right spot for her to live, and where you can enjoy her to the maximum. Marinas and yacht clubs are just like people, no two are completely alike and finding the one that’s perfect for you, may make you feel a little like Cinderella – searching for the shoe that fits just right.
It’s okay to take your time on this search because the marina you choose is arguably as important a decision as the one to buy your boat.
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DIY & How to
Going Electric to Cruise Lake Ontario: A family ditches the diesel
Story and photos by Matt Bera
We settled Svala into what my family and I had come to think of as the most desirable anchorage on Lake Ontario, on a sunny summer afternoon. With an abandoned settlement, an old schoolhouse full of swallows, giant snakes and a rum-running past, Main Duck Island had it all.
That we had to sail past the Psyche Shoal, a magnetic disturbance, and into the middle of the rumoured Marysburgh Vortex made an even better sea story. It had taken us two attempts, two years, two boats and a new sort-of experimental engine to get there.
Cruising with a Captain - It’s easier than you think
By Zuzana Prochazka
Never chartered? No problem. Here’s how to plan, execute and enjoy a vacation on a charter yacht where life is easy and the sunsets can’t be beat.
Decide on a crewed or bareboat charter
A crewed charter means you have a captain who manages the boat and maybe a chef or mate as well. Crewed charters ensure a safe and comfortable vacation with most everything done for you. The chefs are usually outstanding so if you’re a foodie, you’ll be in heaven and you may be able to pick up new recipes too. Larger crewed yachts may also have a mate who works with the captain and will do things like getting toys (kayaks, SUPs, snorkel gear, etc.) ready for you to use so you do very little work.
Marine Products
Marine Electronics – Staying Connected in 2023
By Andy Adams
The world of marine electronics is just on fire in terms of development. You can almost name any function that you could dream up and somebody is offering it. We are just heading into the traditional boat show season and this year there is a big difference from past years.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most boating enthusiasts have not had any in-person boat show exposure to the new products since 2019 or 2020. That means that there are almost three years of new products to catch up on. It's going to be an exciting year in 2023!
News
On November 15th 2022, Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), introduced the industry’s first ever V10 outboard with the official launch of its all-new 5.7L 350 and 400hp Verado® outboard engines.
Consistent with the award-winning Verado brand, the new V10 engines are the quietest and smoothest in their class running 45 percent quieter than a leading competitor at cruise. In addition to NVH, the new Verado’s are not only compatible with the latest Mercury SmartCraft® technologies but will also be offered with an optional dual-mode 48V/12V alternator to seamlessly pair with Navico Group’s Fathom® e-power system, an integrated lithium-ion auxiliary power management system, providing boaters the opportunity to eliminate an onboard generator system.
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