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The Port of Everett Marina in Washington State, the largest publicly operated marina on the West Coast, was among more than 20 marinas nation-wide considered for the prestigious industry award.
Read more: Destinations: The Port of Everett Marina honored...
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.
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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 – Shrink wrap
A new shrink-wrap promises more environmentally conscious
In Nov 2019, I was fortunate enough to attend the Boating Ontario conference in Niagara Falls ON. This conference is geared to members and suppliers of the marine industry particularly marina operations. One of the suppliers was Layfield Geosynthetics, offering a new shrink-wrap film called ‘Bioflex MarineShrink’. The Layfield rep that I spoke with described the new product as a more environmentally conscious option (more on what this means, below).
Read more about Shrink Wrap........................
Boat Reviews
J99 - Offshore Shorthanded Speedster
A Great Boat for Canada and Mom Approved Too!
By Jill Snider and Andy Adams
Coming from two different directions, Jill Snider and I met up at Crates Lake Country Boats in Orillia, Ontario to run and review a new Pursuit DC 235, a deep vee dual console boat that is an offshore inspired bow rider with strong fishing overtones and a wide range of family features.
It’s what I would call a handsome, classically styled boat that I suspect will still look fresh many years into the future. Jill had a different take on it.
Read more about the Pursuit DC 235.....................
New destination: Moorings announces charters in Brazil
With an increasing amount of interest in South America as a charter destination, The Moorings has responded with a new base in Paraty, Brazil. Surrounded by towering jungles plummeting into the waters of Baia Carioca, this charter cruising region features bays peppered with islands and world-famous beaches.
Centrally located between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Paraty (pronounced “Para-chee”) holds the key to many natural wonders you can only discover by boat.
Read more about Moorings' Brazil Charters......................
Marine Products
Good gear: Test of The Bolt Locking Products
By Glen Konorowski
There is nothing worse for me to have too many keys on your key chain. Even if I move a few to another ring and put them in a safe spot on the boat, I have trouble remembering the secret spot where they are or worse yet, my adult children don’t put the keys back.
If you have had a boat on a trailer for a number of years you have heard stories of trailer/boat thefts. A friend of mind had his boat trailer stolen right out of his driveway while away sailing one weekend just because he couldn’t find the key for the ball lock and thought it safe on his own property.
Read more about Good Gear................
