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In Part I, Sheryl Shard ended the story at June and the start of Hurricane Season when they were once again joined by friends. This time it was Noel and Tracey Dinan, whose new shallow-draft Allures 49.5 was in build at the time, we headed north from the Exumas across the expanse of the Great Bahama Bank, dodging coral patches as we sailed to Eleuthera then Marsh Harbour, Great Abaco.
You likely aren’t quite ready to travel yet, but we have our fingers crossed that we can all fly soon. If that turns out to be during winter charter season or around the BVI Spring Regatta, you might take the opportunity to what you’ve long wanted to, fly direct to Beef Island.
I leaned my head back into the water and floated easily. Having spent my childhood playing in freshwater lakes in Ontario’s Cottage Country it always surprises me how buoyant one is in salt water. And this water was warm. I could get straight in. No dipping my toes tentatively and inching myself in for a “refreshing” dip.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) never officially shut its borders to tourists and remains open for business, poised to welcome visitors once they are permitted to travel from their respective countries.
NASSAU, Bahamas, July 19, 2020 – Due to the continued increase in COVID-19 cases in the United States, as well as an uptick in cases in The Bahamas, Prime Minister, The Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis, has made the difficult decision to close borders to international commercial flights and commercial vessels carrying passengers from the United States.
Dream Charters has opened new Caribbean base at Compass Point Marina, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands, in partnership with Virgin Islands Yacht Charters.
We’ve just weighed anchor off Thatch Caye, a tiny island nuzzled by Caribbean waters flowing between the world’s second longest barrier reef and the mountainous coast of Belize to our west, and now we’re navigating a serpentine course through a crowded congregation of coral heads.
On Monday, May 6 a flotilla of power and sailboats cruised along Havana’s waterfront in a celebration of the city’s 500th anniversary.
Earlier this winter it became all too apparent that I needed to get away. As a twice a week around the cans racer at ABYC in Toronto I am not part of the big league racing scene, but as it turns out it wasn’t that hard to access.
For at least ten years, six of us, all members at Toronto’s Ashbridges Bay Yacht Club, have been talking about chartering a boat in the Caribbean.
Related Articles
Boat Reviews
CY Virtual Video Boat Tours
We all love boats and nothing can break us up! So, what better way to spend our time than looking at interesting boats and going aboard in a virtual ride or tour. We have asked our friends at various dealers and manufacturers to help us assemble a one-stop online resource to experience some of the most interesting boats on the market today. Where the CY Team has done a review, we connect you to that expert viewpoint. If you can’t go boating, you can almost experience the thrill via your screen. Not quite the same, but we hope you enjoy our fine tour collection.
Read more about the CY Virtual Boat Tours....................
Neptunus 750 Enclosed Flybridge
By Andy Adams
In the February 2020 issue of Canadian Yachting magazine, we featured our review of the Neptunus 750 Flybridge, the company’s flagship yacht. The boat had been bought by a gentleman from Newfoundland and we reviewed it just before it was to be delivered.
We learned later that the boat did not leave immediately after delivery. The story is that the new owner reconsidered the beautiful big open flying bridge layout.
Salt Spring Island with Gourmet Food and Drink
Text and Photos by Marianne Scott
Salt Spring Island, the largest among the Gulf Islands, has a certain mystique—much of it having to do with locally produced food. It started thousands of years ago when the Coast Salish First Nations used the Island as a summer camp, collecting wild foods while also processing the abundant sea food for winter sustenance.
In the 19th century, five main groups settled here and began farming: Northern Europeans—some of whom had abandoned gold rush dreams; Hawaiians brought here by Vancouver Island’s second governor, James Douglas...
Lifestyle
Oak Bay Marina, Photo by Derek Ford
Oak Bay Marina achieves eco-certification in Clean Marine BC, which helps boating facilities to reduce the impact of recreational boating on the Salish Sea and beyond through the implementation of improved environmental measures, including the reduction and containment of toxins, collection and disposal of various wastes, water and energy conservation, and habitat protection.
“It is important for us to be recognized as environmental stewards because we take caring for these local waters seriously,” says Jennifer McKimmie, General Manager at Oak Bay Marina.
This week, Feb. 22-26, is National Invasive Species Awareness Week and the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) released an animated video to raise awareness about the threat Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) pose to the boating industry and what manufacturers can do to limit the spread.
AIS can damage ecosystems and negatively impact fishing and the future of the boating lifestyle. Boat access to many aquatic resources has been limited due to AIS concerns and AIS infestation can result in serious damage to boats and their components. Invasive plant life can foul propellers,
As a life-long marine journalist, it has often occurred to me, that it’s a big leap to lay out the cash, (especially for those with no previous boating experience), to try it out. How does someone even know that they will like boating it if they haven’t tried it?
Well, joining a boat club, or a yacht club that has boats available for members to use, can get you started without the big financial commitment and with the support of the club’s education and resources. Try before you buy.
DIY & How to
So you want to be a better boater? Boating skills for novice to advanced boaters
By Amy Hogue
The COVID-19 pandemic has created unexpected changes in our lives, impacting everything from boating to vacations and these trends look to continue into the future.
In summer 2020, those trends were seen in the unprecedented numbers of boaters flocking to marinas and boat launches seeking a COVID-friendly vacation on the water. While the waterways were more crowded than ever before, the boaters you were likely to encounter weren’t necessarily in the know for boating etiquette, or marine know-how.
Ask Andrew - Off-Season checks for Bilge pump system
By Andrew McDonald
One of the items that gets taken for granted during the spring prep work is the bilge pumping system; it’s one of those on-board features that many of us assume is in working order….until something goes wrong.
Water can get into your boat in a variety of ways: a leaking shaft-seal (stuffing box), ripped or torn bellows, a leaking through-hull, a leaking tank aboard, windows, hatches and deck fittings that aren’t sealed - the list goes on. The catch-22 when considering maintenance in the pre-season, is that you may not know where a leak may start or develop until the boat is in the water and only then do you find that water is getting inside.
Marine Products
BE PLUSH, BE PRACTICAL, BE WELL RESTED
A good night’s sleep on the boat is a great pleasure indeed and custom bedding from SeaSwag can make a world of difference. Their Universal sheet takes the hassle out of buying sheets for the V Berth on your boat.
Available in 4 sizes and 2 fabrics, the set is packaged in a custom reusable bag perfect for storing the sheets on and off the boat.
Stay Winter Cool with a Yeti Tundra 65 Onboard
The YETI Tundra 65 is their most versatile cooler, just as adept at keeping your catch cold as it is storing drinks and food.
This cooler is plenty roomy, built with a Fatwall design and Permafrost insulation, so it has extra thick walls for unmatched thermal retention.
AIS can damage ecosystems and negatively impact fishing and the future of the boating lifestyle. Boat access to many aquatic resources has been limited due to AIS concerns and AIS infestation can result in serious damage to boats and their components. Invasive plant life can foul propellers, jam impellors and cause bilge pump failure. Mussels can attach to boats and negatively affect performance, attach to engines causing component failure, and obstruct water lines causing system failure.
Is Fiberglass Recyclable? Part 2 – Emerging innovations in fiberglass recycling
By Jay Weaver
Interest in finding alternative uses for used fiberglass can spark creativity and innovation. For example, a partnership involving the US, Ireland, and Northern Ireland Universities called Re-wind developed some interesting civil engineering project ideas for reusing and repurposing fiberglass blades. These include using decommissioned blades in civil engineering projects as part of powerline structures or towers, or roofs for emergency or affordable housing. In Northern Ireland, Re-wind is also considering piloting them for use in pedestrian bridges along greenways.
Read More about Fiberglass recycling....
Tug news: Theodore Tugboat heads Halifax to Port Dover
According to the Nova Scotia Tourism website, Theodore Tugboat began his travels in 1989, created by Cochran Entertainment, with master model maker Fred Allen, as a children's television series inspired by the Halifax Waterfront and the stories Andrew Cochran would tell his son at bedtime. The CBC television program Theodore Tugboat ran from 1993 to 2001.
A working replica of Theodore, named "Theodore Too" was built in Dayspring, Nova Scotia. Designed by Fred Allen and Marius Lengkeek, the tug was launched on April 19, 2000 at the Snyder Shipyard. After a successful tour of several North America ports, it made its home in Halifax.
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