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Boaters visiting historic Gig Harbor will be rewarded with one of the most extensive and sheltered anchorages in Puget Sound filled with a vibrant array of watercraft and a lively downtown shoreline dense with marinas, docks and boats...
As an attractive destination for sailors and cruisers alike, Midland Harbour doesn’t really have to try hard to impress; the waters of Georgian Bay attract yachts of all sizes from all over the globe. With a history steeped in lumber and boat manufacturing, Midland Harbour today is an integral part of a thriving town, boasting the largest freshwater marina in the world amongst its offerings. The hometown of Sarah Burke, Glen Howard, Adam Dixon and David Onley to name a few, Midland is the heart of the North Simcoe area, the centre of the neighbouring Georgian Bay communities.
Founded in 1871 the town’s main industry was lumber manufacturing at the Playfair Mill which dominated the town’s waterfront until shipbuilding took over, beginning with Dobson’s Shipbuilding and later as Midland Shipyards.
After being without a boat for almost a decade, I decided it was time to own one again. My wife and I recently moved from the city to a slower, less-congested lifestyle on Niagara’s south coast. We were quite taken by the quiet streets, the sound of the breeze blowing through the trees and the beautiful beaches. Before we bought our boat, we wanted to research our options for slipping and storing in the area. We spent some time at several different marinas in order to get a feel for the dock life. We were looking for a place that could store our boat on site, offered fuel and pumpout services and was still located near to everyday conveniences.
Read more: Sugarloaf Marina – Port Colborne’s Treasure for...
I know of no other boating location quite like the town of Gananoque in the Thousand Islands.
The graceful double-ended St. Lawrence rowing skiffs were a swift and effective way to travel through the area in the 1800s carrying cottagers to their islands, visiting millionaires to the fishing grounds and transporting all manner of goods through the beautiful and sheltered island area. Today, you still see St. Lawrence rowing skiffs as well as kayaks, sailboats ranging in size from dinghies to yachts and powerboats of all kinds from trailerable family-runabouts to super yachts and all the way up to Great Lakes freighters that are hundreds of feet long.
Much has been written about the sublime cruising destination of Desolation Sound. Once you pass Lund and the incredible expanse of snow-capped mountains opens up, even the most jaded must surely gasp in awe at the vista of islands, peaks and sparkling ocean. The choice of anchorages is extensive and all offer something special to make them a cruiser’s favourite.
Any list of the “Best of the West” iconic boating destinations (CYW August 2013) simply has to include Prideaux Haven. Indeed, many would consider this scenic anchorage in Desolation Sound one of the “Best in the World.”
Prideaux Haven, including Melanie and Laura Coves, is surrounded by numerous islands that create myriad bays and interconnecting coves that are a wonder to explore by small craft. Against the backdrop of the rugged BC coastal mountains, these islands provide excellent protection from the weather.
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....................
Cruisers Yachts Raises the Bar for Day Boating
By Andy Adams
Once again, Cruisers Yachts is leading the market for day boats with their new 42 GLS model that premiered at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show at the end of October. The concept of a large day boat is now a very well-established trend made possible by the amazing new power and efficiency of the latest four stroke outboards.
Buyers are looking for a different boating experience and we think that the 42 GLS nails it. Fast, handsome and versatile, the 42 GLS is designed for fun and adventure.
Bahamas – There and Back Again - Part II
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. Another commercial centre in the islands, we cleared out of the Bahamas here after provisioning for our offshore passage up to the Chesapeake Bay on the US mainland and out of the Hurricane Zone until mid-November...
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.
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.
Marine Products
Green Ghost, Blue Ocean – No fixed Address
“A Sailing Adventure Across 40,000 Nautical Miles” over a 17-year span, chronicles the adventures of Jennifer Smith and her husband Alex Nikolajevich (Nik) after they have sold their car in Vancouver and backed their boat out of Coal Harbour.
They had willfully severed their land life – was it reckless? Did they know what they were in for? With seasickness overcoming Nik just three days into their dream, all Jennifer wanted to do was to “undo all of this…. To reverse the hundreds of decisions we’d made that had brought us here to this heaving patch of ocean to these towering seas, to the forty-knot winds rushing us south.”
“Why We Roll” - Epifanes Poly-urethane Rocks The Roller!
Who could have imagined it would get this easy? With Epifanes Poly-urethane yacht coatings, all it takes is rolling and it rolls beautifully — with a four-inch, high-density foam roller and without all the painstaking overspray protection that spray painting requires or the double-fisted duty of rolling and tipping.
The crew at Epifanes headquarters in Thomaston, Maine has always known that all you needed was a good roller and good paint. Epifanes paint can deliver incredible results: a head-turning glassy finish — on fiberglass, wood, aluminium, or steel.
