A holiday often is defined by the experiences we make in unique and beautiful settings. But what about that indulgently lazy contentment of doing nothing that turns a holiday into a vacation? Croatia has taken their sentiment of Fjaka to heart.
This summer my husband, Paul, and I bought our fourth offshore cruising boat, a new Southerly 480 built by Discovery Yachts in the UK.
Read more: Mediterranean Shakedown: A Summer Cruise in Spain
This month, Spirit of Portopiccolo, steered by Furio Benussi, with Alberto Bolzan at the mainsail, and tacticians Lorenzo Bressani and Gabriele Benussi, won the 50th edition of Barcolana, the largest regatta in the world held in Trieste, Italy
I don’t know what I expected the first time we made landfall in the Canary Islands but I have to admit that after sailing from the lush mid-Atlantic island of Madeira, I was seriously surprised when the barren desert-like landscapes of the Canary Islands came into view.
We did breakfast yesterday in the Greek port of Piraeus, just outside Athens:strong coffee, crisp bacon, fresh bread, and omelets spiked with Feta Cheese.
After much speculation Prince Harry finally popped the question to American actress and longtime Toronto resident Meghan Markle and people are EXCITED.
We had been out on the ocean for 17 days, just the two of us, keeping watch around the clock. One of us was always asleep while the other kept a sharp...
The sun rises over green hump-backed hills, backbone of an island called Prvic in the Adriatic Sea, off the coast of Croatia, in the region of Dalmatia. We’ve docked overnight in one of the most beautiful cruising grounds in the world. The hills look across a blushing expanse of water riffled by winds whose names we discovered yesterday morning at the chart briefing that began our Sunsail charter flotilla near a village called Primosten.

It was great to get back on Le Boat this past summer, this time on the historic Thames River. Our vessel was the Royal Mystique, a 43 footer with everything we needed for a week’s cruise in style.
John Burns, an English politician and noted London historian from the late 19th century coined the phrase “The Thames is a liquid history.”

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X Shore EELEX 8000
By Andy Adams
100% Electric performance available now
When we arranged to interview the designer and manufacturer to write a profile of the X Shore Eelex 8000 for the June 2021 issue of Canadian Yachting magazine, it was on the understanding that we always prefer to actually drive and experience the boats we write about, and we were especially keen to drive the X Shore when BCI Marine here in Canada, got their first boat from Sweden.
There has been a lot of media attention around everything electric lately, especially electric vehicles, but so far, most electric boats are a concept, not yet a reality. The X Shore Eelex 8000 is a reality and a very impressive one at that.
Neptunus 650E
By Andy Adams
Last August, we were again invited to the Neptunus Yachts facility in St. Catharines, Ontario to run and review their latest yacht, a 202650E at their marina by Lake Ontario. Keen readers of Canadian Yachting might recall reading about a Neptunus 650 back in 2016 and while this is the same proven hull, Neptunus is a custom builder and the 2022 650E here has a totally new interior design and layout.
Neptunus builds bespoke yachts. The reality is that no two Neptunus Yachts are the same. Each is individually tailored to its owners tastes and activities and is finished to their specifications.
The Lady-like Atmosphere of Ladysmith
By Marianne Scott
Instant towns have sprung up in the past, especially on the BC coast. In the late 1850s, Victoria grew overnight into a tent city when hordes of prospectors stopped by to provision for their quest to get rich in the Fraser goldfields. The tents were followed quickly by brick hotels, stores and brothels. Prince Rupert began as a tent town after it was chosen as the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway’s terminus, then built more permanent structures.
But no place went up overnight like Ladysmith, where coal baron James Dunsmuir moved his miners “stock, lock and barrel” after coal seams further north on Vancouver Island had been exhausted.
Lifestyle
By Andy Adams and Allegra Smith-Herriot
From cottage boats to luxury cruisers, there have been a host of major design changes over the past decade and the latest boats for 2022 are significantly different from the new models we saw back in 2012. To better understand what is driving these design changes, we contacted the designers, product specialists and marketing experts at several of the top boat builders.
More than anything else, we learned that people’s lifestyles are changing, and boats are changing to serve those new priorities. Maybe you will see your own boating plans reflected in their comments.
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DIY & How to
Choosing a Marine Surveyor
Story and photos by Timothy J.S. Martin
It seems like everyone has their “guy”, usually a marine surveyor they either know personally or have been referred to by another boater (or someone in the marine or insurance industries). Marine surveyors are often hired based on this type of referral, rather than on the merits of their qualifications and skills.
I often hear boaters express their displeasure about an experience where a marine surveyor “condemned” a boat, or the surveyor was viewed as unreasonable in relation to their recommendations. As a result, surveyors known to be less thorough and less detailed in their work tend to be favoured by boaters, especially for insurance surveys.
Marine Products
SeaKits now available in Canada via Canadian Yachting Ecommerce Store
Don’t let offshore emergencies turn into disasters. SeaKits help to prepare you for emergencies at sea so you can take on the challenge with confidence.
There are three SeaKits available at www.canadianyachting.ca/store:
• SeaKits Expedition - Offshore emergency damage control and repair kit. Be prepared to save your boat - SeaKits Expedition gives you the tools to fight the battle. Each kit comes with more than two dozen emergency tools in a waterproof PelicanTM 1500 case. Retail - $1399.99
SailGP, the international racing series featuring high speed F50 wingsailed catamarans, is partnering with RS Electric Boats – sister brand of sailboat manufacturer RS Sailing – to use the Pulse 63 electric RIB as chase, coach and support boats.
RS Electric Boats will supply SailGP with four Pulse 63s, which were designed to be electric boats from the outset. The unique aerodynamic hull form is designed to support the weight of the batteries while allowing rapid acceleration, functional speeds up to 23 knots and ample range.