At the 2019 Vancouver International Boat Show I had the pleasure of meeting up with Allyson and Richard Nelson. The transformation of this picturesque marina and resort has been absolutely spectacular.
The John Henry’s Marina & Resort that you know and love today has an interesting history. The current owner, Allyson Nelson, bought two adjacent Garden Bay, BC businesses in 2015 - Fisherman's Resort & Marina and John Henry's Marinas – combining them into one operation. These Pender Harbour institutions had served the needs of the local community, seafarers and landlubbers for decades.
For boaters, they were a popular moorage, refuelling and provisioning stop en route to Desolation Sound, Princess Louisa or Alaska, and for others, a base from which to explore the hiking and cycling trails, tourist attractions and artisans the local area has to offer.
It was initially the marina that brought these businesses to Allyson’s attention. She and her husband, Richard, were looking for a new home for their 53ft Jeanneau sailboat. They came to Garden Bay to see if the marina was right for them, fell in love with the area and what it had to offer… and bought both businesses! They have invested heavily in John Henry’s to make it even better for locals and visitors alike.
You Can Do All Your Provisioning at John Henry's
The Café at John Henry’s was added in 2016. Much has been upgraded, from the General Store, to the marina facilities, to the cottage accommodations. Guests and visitors have been delighted with the changes Allyson and Richard have made. And their Jeanneau is delighted with her new home!
If you’re planning to chart a course anywhere near Pender Harbour this year make sure that you plan a stop over at John Henry’s Marina and Resort.
There’s nothing like owning your own boat – a dream come true for many boating enthusiasts! But along with the joys of boat ownership come the headaches, frustrations, time-consuming repairs and maintenance, and a constant outflow of cash.
Someone once told me that owning a boat was like having a hole in the water into which you poured money – an accurate description if ever I heard one!
For many years now, we have used gasoline in our cars and trucks that contains some amount of ethanol, a form of alcohol, and just as a few drops of water combine almost instantly in your Scotch, moisture from the atmosphere can combine with the ethanol in the gasoline that is in your boat’s fuel tank.
Your motor vehicle has a sealed fuel system to control evaporative losses that are a source of air pollution. Fuel is moved into the engine under pressure and any drips that might escape, drop onto the pavement. The engine is open to the pavement below. In an inboard boat, the hull is below the engine and any drips will collect in the bilge with potentially explosive consequences.
The Canadian market has always been a tough nut for yacht designers to figure out. Summer days get really hot; other days are downright cold. There is always the chance things could change in the blink of an eye and let’s be honest, who among us hasn’t stepped off the boat wearing shorts, flip flops and a warm jacket? Canadian yachting has always been a world of contradictions, which is why designing cruising yachts for this market has never been easy. It’s not like Florida or the Med, where weather is dependable throughout the year.
Austin, Texas, USA (25 April 2019) – In the wake of last month’s termination of its contract with its European builder, the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) announced today that, from 25 April 2019, all new, class-approved boats will be sold and raced under the “ILCA Dinghy” name. This change will have no impact on existing ILCA-authorized boats and equipment, which will be able to race alongside ILCA Dinghies in all class sanctioned events.
“It’s a big change for a racing class that hasn’t seen anything like this in our almost 50- year history,” said Class President Tracy Usher.
Take your boat and a beautiful waterfront setting, pair that with a fantastic musical lineup of over 100 Canadian and international performers, spice it up with an awesome food truck alley, add in an artistically diverse artisan’s marketplace and finish it with a Folkplay area dedicated to children’s fun and you have the successful recipe for the Mariposa Folk Festival.
Each July this longstanding musical tradition kicks off the summer at Tudhope Park in Orillia on the picturesque shores of Lake Couchiching and you can get there by boat. This year’s festival runs July 5-7 and is celebrating 20 years back in the city where it all began 59 years ago.
Mercury Marine is pleased to announce the launch of the new MerCruiser V8 6.2L 370hp Jet Ready inboard engine. The new Jet Power Inboard uses MerCruiser’s 6.2L small block V8 powerplant in an inboard configuration and has a tailstock in place of a transmission to allow for an easy connection to a jet pump via a jackshaft.
“This engine provides boat builders, dealers and consumers with a Mercury inboard jet option that provides easy integration with a jet pump, a full warranty on jet applications and enables consumers to leverage Mercury’s best-in-class dealer network for service,”,,,
After developing the Figaro Beneteau 3, the first production foiling sailing yacht, Groupe Beneteau has launched a new innovation, unveiling its concept foiling motor yacht.
DEMS Sarrazin Design, Noval and SEAir brought on board a range of design, technical and mechanical skills, alongside the innovation, naval architecture and product design experts from Groupe Beneteau.
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For boaters, they were a popular moorage, refuelling and provisioning stop en route to Desolation Sound, Princess Louisa or Alaska, and for others, a base from which to explore the hiking and cycling trails, tourist attractions and artisans the local area has to offer. 
Katherine Stone
For many years now, we have used gasoline in our cars and trucks that contains some amount of ethanol, a form of alcohol, and just as a few drops of water combine almost instantly in your Scotch, moisture from the atmosphere can combine with the ethanol in the gasoline that is in your boat’s fuel tank.
The Canadian market has always been a tough nut for yacht designers to figure out. Summer days get really hot; other days are downright cold. There is always the chance things could change in the blink of an eye and let’s be honest, who among us hasn’t stepped off the boat wearing shorts, flip flops and a warm jacket? Canadian yachting has always been a world of contradictions, which is why designing cruising yachts for this market has never been easy. It’s not like Florida or the Med, where weather is dependable throughout the year.
Austin, Texas, USA (25 April 2019) – In the wake of last month’s termination of its contract with its European builder, the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) announced today that, from 25 April 2019, all new, class-approved boats will be sold and raced under the “ILCA Dinghy” name. This change will have no impact on existing ILCA-authorized boats and equipment, which will be able to race alongside ILCA Dinghies in all class sanctioned events.
Take your boat and a beautiful waterfront setting, pair that with a fantastic musical lineup of over 100 Canadian and international performers, spice it up with an awesome food truck alley, add in an artistically diverse artisan’s marketplace and finish it with a Folkplay area dedicated to children’s fun and you have the successful recipe for the Mariposa Folk Festival.
Mercury Marine is pleased to announce the launch of the new MerCruiser V8 6.2L 370hp Jet Ready inboard engine. The new Jet Power Inboard uses MerCruiser’s 6.2L small block V8 powerplant in an inboard configuration and has a tailstock in place of a transmission to allow for an easy connection to a jet pump via a jackshaft.
After developing the Figaro Beneteau 3, the first production foiling sailing yacht, Groupe Beneteau has launched a new innovation, unveiling its concept foiling motor yacht.
