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A favourite destination for many boaters and tourists alike is the lovely Mackinaw Island. Sitting in Lake Huron on the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac in the state of Michigan, it covers almost ten kilometres, of which 80% is park land.
Toronto sailor and former RCYC coach/sailing instructor Ryan May is now a US coast guard captain and is presently accepting bookings in San Francisco California.
The food in the grocery store – where does it come from? There are undoubtedly hardworking people who farm, refine, etc. and when we walk into Sobey’s, there it is...
The sun was just starting to light up the horizon when we departed our home slips in Crystal Harbour, LaSalle, Ontario, and entered the Detroit River. It was June 28, 2014, the first day of our adventure to explore the waters of the Great Lakes and beyond from Windsor to Montreal. We had set aside about six weeks to cruise down Lake Erie and enter the NY Canal System near Buffalo, travel east on the canal to Oswego, head straight north across Lake Ontario to Kingston, traverse the Rideau Canal to Ottawa, cruise down the Ottawa River to Montreal, head back west up the St. Lawrence River to the Thousand Islands, and finally re-enter the NY Canal system at Oswego and follow it back toward Lake Erie and home.
My wife, Hélène, and I travelled on Mystic Blue, a Mainship Pilot Classic. Terry and his wife, Linda, voyaged on their Camano Troll, 4 Buoys. Both 30-foot vessels were designed to cruise at a comfortable and economical speed of about 8 – 9 knots.
Just across the border from Canada’s Gulf Islands – and there’s a story behind that – San Juan is an engaging destination rich in history, culture and opportunities to explore shoreside.
Our first cruise to the San Juan Islands was in 2005, our seventh year of cruising on our wooden sailboat, South Islander. We had heard about how lovely the San Juans were, and even though we have many beautiful anchorages in Canada, we felt it was time to do some exploring south of the border. After all, the San Juans are really just an extension of our own southern Gulf Islands; it’s the international boundary that runs right smack through the middle that makes the San Juans a separate destination.
The Presque Isle peninsula is a 3,200-acre – 7-mile long arm that extends northeast into Lake Erie creating a large, sheltered boating paradise of a harbour. With a string of well equipped marinas, a wealth of facilities and a very impressive yacht club, it has attractions for boaters that place it at the top of a cruising destination list. This may come as a bit of a surprise since Erie, PA is a relatively small community with a population that has hovered around 100,000 for decades. Nonetheless, it is a comparative giant in terms of boating.Boats and Erie have a solid historic connection. If you managed to stay awake during Grade 10 history you’d have traced the communities of the lake back to the early exploration of North America. During the War of 1812 (which we know as our victory in Canada, although it seems to have had a different outcome south of the border) a 27-year-old US Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry built a fleet of ships and defeated (!) the British at the Battle of Lake Erie.
Few cruising boats visit beautiful and remote Prince William Sound. Some 2,800 square miles in area and situated at the very northern tip of the Gulf of Alaska, from which it is separated by a series of major barrier islands, this inland sea has a coastline equal to that of Oregon and California combined. Within its boundaries lie the towns of Cordova, Valdez and Whittier ̶ as well as the native American villages of Chenega and Tatitlek. To reach it, any boat too large to be put on a trailer and towed for hundreds of miles through mountainous terrain must be placed on a barge or brave a 500-mile transit across the open and often tempestuous waters of the Gulf of Alaska.
I have always wanted to go to Baja, but like many of the other 25+ destinations on my bucket list, I still hadn’t got round to it. Imagine my delight when a last minute invite – timed perfectly around a crazy production schedule – found me basking in the beauty of the Marina Costa Baja ready to hop on one of Mooring’s brand new, fully loaded Power 474s with a bunch of like-minded journalists, ready for a first-hand experience of a lifetime. The first day – ‘the getting to know one another day’ – found us only six miles from our departure point in La Paz, Mexico, in the well-protected anchorage of Caleta Lobos.
Adamant 1 has had an adventurous trip since returning from the Bahamas. The Intracoastal Waterway is full of twists and turns, marshland, shallow water and spectacular scenery. It has been very quiet as well with little boat traffic. We pulled into Fernandina Beach at the Florida-Georgia border. We heard it was beautiful there so we rented a car and toured all day. Sadly, we got caught in a tropical depression that lasted for two days with sustained winds of 80 km/h. Once the storm abated, we headed north again. Georgia doesn’t have much to offer except marshland.
Florida is celebrating its 500th Anniversary this year. What you might not know is that it all started in St. Augustine, recently recognized as one of the top 20 places to see in the world according to National Geographic Traveler. Although part of you is likely anxious to get back home to friends, family and terra firma of any kind, a short stay in St. Augustine will leave you wanting more and certainly provide you with one final memorable reprieve before the last leg of your journey.
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Lifestyle
H/H Sailor of the Month of November is Mark Lammens
On November 13 Sail Canada, the national governing body for the sport of sailing, announced Mark Lammens as the Helly Hansen Sailor of the Month.
To many, sailing is more than just a sport - it’s a lifestyle. A living embodiment of that motto is the man himself, Mark Lammens.
For the past 35 years Mark has been involved in many aspects of the sport; as an athlete, coach, volunteer and administrator. He has gone above and beyond with the time, commitment, and passion he has put into the sailing community over the past 3 decades.
Read more about Mark Lammens...............
DIY & How to
Ask Andrew: Winterizing! What if you’ve missed the boat?
Sometimes life gets in the way of boating. A summer wedding, family get-together, or (heaven forbid) work forces you to cancel a weekend on the water.
As summer turns to fall, the excuses tend to get easier. Boat priorities tend to fall further and further down the to-do list. Before you know it, it’s the second week of November, and the first frost (or freeze) of the season has come and gone. But, because boating priorities became less important, you forgot to get your boat winterized.
Read more about Winterizing........................
Boat Reviews
J99 - Offshore Shorthanded Speedster
By Katherine Stone
All set to pull out the Code 0 before dousing the jib.
It was a very cold and wet beginning to the summer and we never thought it would arrive in Southern Ontario. Doing a 100 miler race on Lake Ontario (billed as the COOLEST race on the lake) with my 8 layers of thermal clothing, woolen ski toque and ski mittens, along with a neck warmer kept me on the edge all night, just out of frostbite reach. I shouldn’t have complained, as we also had wind!
July and August arrived, and it has certainly warmed up, in fact, its too warm, AND we don’t have wind. We are now counting 5 Wednesday nights in a row without wind to race.
Read more about the J99 Offshore Shorthand Speeder.....................
Cruisers Yachts 38 GLS
By Andy Adams and John Armstrong
The North American power boat market has begun to see a new trend toward larger day boats for luxurious onboard entertaining and the new Cruisers Yachts 38 GLS is right on trend plus, it brings a different flavour and set of cruising attributes to this market.
The new Cruisers Yachts 38 GLS carries on the styling and accommodation quality of the company's Cantius line of cruising yachts while beginning an entirely new family of day boats.
Read More about Cruisers Yachts..................
Heritage and hip: Kingston as a port destination
By Amy Hogue
Cruise into the city of Kingston, Ontario, and it will quickly become clear that this city and surrounding waterways have something special. Built around the northern shore of Lake Ontario, Kingston is the place to go if you love to explore new waterways, fantastic views, and exceptional boating opportunities.
Sitting at the intersection of three world-class Canadian bodies of water, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Rideau Canal (Cataraqui River from Kingston to Newboro), the water’s influence is deeply woven into Kingston’s culture and history.
Read more about Kingston......................
Marine Products
Akzonobel’s New Awlgrip Single-stage Topcoat Makes Life a Breeze for Yacht Owners
Navigating the process of yacht care and maintenance just got a whole lot easier, following the launch of Awlgrip HDT (High Definition Technology), a new single-stage repairable topcoat from AkzoNobel.
Creating a new standard in topcoat appearance and durability, Awlgrip HDT is a high performance, mirror-like single-stage coating which allows owners to protect their boat with a stunning, long-lasting finish, all without sacrificing convenience.
Read more about Akzonobel's Awlgrip Topcoat................
