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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.
By Greg NicollIt 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.”
Paul and I seem to love the extremes of cruising – long ocean passages where our skills and stamina are tested followed by lots of gunkholing where we poke along exploring creeks, rivers, cuts and canals to gain insight into the heartland of our destination. Boating began for both of us on the Trent-Severn Waterway in Ontario and after setting sail for foreign ports in 1989 we have travelled through numerous canals including the Erie Canal and Intracoastal Waterway of the USA, the Corinth Canal in Greece,
Related Articles
Boat Reviews
Regal LS36 Luxury Crossover
By Andy Adams
Regal Boats’ new LS36 is what we call a day boat. Regal says the LS36 merges their luxury yacht series with their bowrider series and the result is the LS36. This comfortable bowrider is perfect for cruising the lake or hosting friends and family for the day on the weekend.
We feel the styling deserves mention right off the top. This is a big boat at over 37-feet on an 11’7” beam but the clean and almost traditional lines give the LS36 a timeless sporty look that we think, really sets it apart. It’s a Yacht-certified vessel. I counted approximately 21 places for people to sit! You would probably never take a crowd that big but it can certainly handle a gang.
Dufour 37
By Zuzana Prochazka
Every few years, boat builders update their lines with refreshed designs and new features that eventually proliferate throughout their entire offering. Dufour Yachts is in mid-process of such an evolution as the builder changes up their line of sleek sailing cruisers.
One sign of this transformation is the naming convention that is morphing from triple-digit numbers ending with a zero, to simple double-digits that one would guess designates the LOA – more on this later. The latest model in the refresh is the Dufour 37 which replaces the previous Dufour 360.
Hidden in plain sight: Western Lake Ontario
I start every article, story or TV segment about boating out of the biggest city in Canada the same way. Citing the multiple people who told me I would “quickly get bored of Toronto harbour” or that “there’s nothing to do in Lake Ontario” and that it was only a matter of time before I moved marinas to a much more appropriate setting just north of the city.
With all due respect to my pals who boat in Georgian Bay, I don’t foresee that happening anytime soon. Next year will be my tenth in Toronto Harbour and I love it more each year.
Lifestyle
By John Morris
McDonald’s Canada founder, George Cohon, adores his Hinckley 48 Talaria
On a leisurely summer afternoon, what could be more relaxing than a cruise up the river aboard a stunning 48-footer with the most gracious host and a few very happy guests? If you have never met George Cohon; the founder of McDonald’s Canada, you might picture him as one tough hombre, a relentless business type who achieved staggering success.
But aboard McHappy III, the coolest boat on the lake, you’d never describe him as anything but charismatic, relaxed and enjoying life to the fullest.
Introducing the next graduate in our CYOB marine career path series, Nathanial Stabenow from the East Coast of Canada.
An individual of many hats, Nathanial has had a diverse career in the marine industry taking part in commercial diving, marine navigation, rigging and boat building. He now works as a marine engineer on the LaHave ferry in Nova Scotia. Here is Nathanial’s unique career path.
DIY & How to
Ask Andrew: Maintaining your anchor and anchor rode
‘A chain is only as strong as its weakest link’ is a cliche that is quite applicable in boat maintenance. In a literal sense, a weakest link can apply to an anchor rode, and a weak link in this chain can spell disaster.
Transport Canada specifies the sizes of anchors required in the Canada Shipping Act, detailed more commonly in the Safe Boating Guide:
For Sail and Power boats up to 6 m (19’8”): One (1) anchor and at least 15 m (49’3”) of cable, rope or chain in any combination...
Marine Products
Avator is Mercury’s next step forward in marine innovation and the 7.5e model is the first in a series of electric outboard products to be released in 2023. Mercury also plans to display concepts for its Avator 20e and 35e outboards, which will be in market later in 2023.
The Avator 7.5e outboard generates 750W of power at the prop shaft and produces similar speed and acceleration as a Mercury 3.5hp FourStroke outboard. Offered with tiller or remote steering, it’s ideal for powering many small boats, including tenders, jon boats, inflatables and kayaks.
New Gear: Compact Antenna Brings TV/FM Onboard
Televisions on a boat are increasingly commonplace. With the simple-to-install Glomex Avior VT300 Omnidirectional TV/FM antenna from GA Communications, it's never been easier to bring analog and digital broadcasts onboard—at a price that's hard to ignore.
The most noticeable feature of the Avior VT300 antenna is its compact white, anti-yellowing radome. At only 4" dia. x 8" H and 8.8 oz., it's specifically made for smaller boats that can't accommodate large TV antenna domes and only need short range reception, depending on height and conditions.
The Samana 59 Smart Electric is a new sailing catamaran equipped with alternative energy solutions and EODev’s electro-hydrogen REXH2.
To reduce its carbon impact, the Samana 59 Smart Electric has a virtuous energy architecture composed of a REXH2 that can provide up to 70 kW of continuous power, a battery composed of LiFePO4-EVEPOWER (Lithium Iron Phosphate) cells of 63kWh integrated by EVE SYSTEM and Alternatives Energies and 42 m2 of “slim” type solar panels that can provide up to 6145 W. This energy mix allows to take advantage of all the embarked renewable energies (solar, wind).
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