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This bag does more than hold your anchor and rode in one tidy little pile. After you’ve anchored you can dunk the whole thing – anchor, rode and bag – into the drink for a rinse, and then let it air dry before toting it back (in organized fashion) aboard the mother ship.
I’ve learned that boat owners may not know what a mechanic needs to know in order to look up parts. I hope that this issue will put the tools in your hands to speak the same language with your mechanic, while also enabling you to research your needs and price-shop effectively.
This time of year, great deals abound. That boat with the ‘for sale’ sign looks quite attractive. The asking price is less than expected – the paint and varnish look great, with a bit of a polish and clean you can already feel the wind in your hair as you make way down the lake.
For less than US$2,500, Jim Leshaw, a lawyer who lives and works in Key Biscayne, Florida, installed an onboard wireless network that allows him to work from many remote locations.
A propeller is only as effective as the rest of the drive system. This is a bold statement; but the two experts I talked with while researching...
This article is the first of 2 parts. Part 1 deals propellers for displacement boats and Part 2 will cover the rest of the drive train...
Absolutely and without a doubt, the biggest advance in boating in recent memory has been the introduction of joystick docking. With these new systems, first pioneered in recreational boating by Volvo Penta in their IPS pod drive systems, docking a large boat in tight quarters, windy conditions, or in strong current was transformed from a task that would challenge the most experienced captain to something a child could do. Children took to it almost immediately because joystick docking was so similar to their videogame controls and so intuitive to use; point the joystick in the direction you want the boat to go and it responds.
There are two kinds of people; those who have thrusters and those who want them! Recently, I was having a conversation with Jon Moles from Toronto Yacht Services and he mentioned how much consumer interest there was around installing bow or stern thrusters. He added that there are often attractive deals at the winter boat shows for smart shoppers who want to save a little money and also be ready to go at the start of the season. So, we set up a time when I could interview Jon and ask what consumers have been looking for from his perspective as the man who actually installs thruster systems.
Investing in a reusable winter cover is a sound environmental choice and a practical way to facilitate winter maintenance on your boat. Over the past few decades, more and more boats in Canada have been put away for the winter under shrink wrap. Properly applied, shrink wrap seals the boat from water and intrusion by creatures, its slippery surface sheds snow (when we get it), and it resists wind and sun all winter. Shrink wrap can also be recycled quite effectively, and some shrink wrap suppliers have created programs to gather used wrap to ensure that it’s recycled and not disposed of in a landfill site.
We all know what a fresh coat of paint can do for a room. The same holds true for the interiors of boats except instead of paint, you can introduce a new swatch of fabric that can do amazing things to a dining area, the salon and even a sleeping cabin. Not everyone can buy a new boat, but a relatively small investment and some taste can provide a fresh new look and feel…and it's not that hard to do.
Read more: Is It Time to Give Your Boat's Interior a Fresh...
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Lifestyle
Burlington Sailing & Boating Club – a successful four-way partnership
By Katherine Stone
It’s always amazing to me how life has degrees of separation that are incredibly small, even when you spend your adult life in another country than the one you grew up in. I grew up sailing on Lake Erie and when my father’s health was on the decline it was decided that I would be appointed to sell his boat. As fate would have it, an older gentleman came to see the boat and decided on the spot to purchase it. Off it sailed, out of Lake Erie, through the canal and into Lake Ontario to reside happily at the Burlington Sailing & Boating Club. Little did I know that many years later, I would be doing their profile for Canadian Yachting.
Read more about Burlington Sailing & Boating Club...............
Katherine Stone
Like many other harbours on Lake Ontario, Cobourg has seen its fair share of changes. Screams used to be heard from kids piled into a toboggan on wheels that went hurtling down a wooden slide into the harbour. Above it all was the bustling din from the waterfront of ship’s whistles, train engines, foghorns and thundering coal cars. It is now a rather serene place for the locals and visitors to enjoy various watercraft. Fortunately, the beautiful beach that lines the waterfront is still a star attraction for the town.
Located 95 kilometres east of Toronto and 62 kilometres east of Oshawa on the north edge of Lake Ontario, United Empire Loyalists first starting arriving in the area as early as the 1780s. The first settlement in 1798 was called Buckville, later renamed Amherst, then called Hamilton (after the township) and also nicknamed Hardscrabble. It wasn’t until 1819 that they finally settled on the name of Cobourg, which was incorporated as a town in 1837. In the late 1820s large schooners with passengers and cargo had to anchor well off shore, as there was only a landing wharf. A group of Toronto businessmen formed the Cobourg Harbour Company which built the wooden Eastern Pier from tolls charged for the use of the harbour.
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. Our Virtual Show will continue to grow so visit frequently and check it out. 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....................
Beneteau Oceanis 30.1
As boat builders clamber to create ever-bigger platforms for ever-more generous budgets, the entry-level cruiser has become an elusive animal. Sure, if you want to daysail, there are plenty of small open boats from which to choose, but if you want a freshly built pocket cruiser, you’re in for a long search. Enter French builder Groupe Beneteau, which identified this gap in the market and set about creating the Oceanis 30.1, an adorable little cruiser that resembles her larger siblings in all but length and price. With all she offers, it wouldn’t be a stretch to call her a mini yacht.
Read More about the Beneteau Oceanis 30.1..................
Destinations
Canadian Cruising - There's No Place Like Home!
By the Canadian Yachting Editors
Canadians are blessed in many ways and especially when it comes to boating. We enjoy some the world’s most beautiful cruising waters and many places are as sheltered as they are scenic.
British Columbia and the Pacific North West plainly have the most breath-taking scenery with the combination of the majestic ocean views and the snow-capped mountains in the distance. It’s like no place on earth when you have a Killer Whale breach beside your little fishing boat.
Read more about Canadian Cruising...........
Marine Products
New Wash Mitt Cleans Fast, Without Swirls and Scratches
Anyone who has repeatedly used a rag to clean gelcoat, paint and delicate surfaces has seen the results accumulate over time: scratches and swirls. Shurhold's new Chenille Microfiber Premium Scratch-Free Wash Mitt provides the confidence to wash the most sensitive boat part without worry and holds a massive amount of soapy water for fast work.
The Microfiber Wash Mitt is made from a premium, scratch-free 80/20 blended microfiber that traps dirt and debris deep within the material. This is essential when cleaning touchscreen displays and other soft, easily marred surfaces.
Read more about the Wash Mitt...............
Blue Guard Introduces Next-Gen Bilge Pump Switch with Integrated Oil and Fuel Detection Sensor
Blue Guard has announced the general availability of the BG-One, a solid-state bilge pump switch, oil and fuel detector. Having no moving parts or mechanical float switches, BG-One will automatically turn off the bilge pump when oil or fuel is detected, preventing potentially costly oil or fuel discharge.
BG-One was designed with boat owners, environment and operational durability in mind, and protects the owners and operators from fines and clean up costs due to unwanted oil discharge from bilges.
Read more about Blue Guard's Bilge Pump Switch........................
