Jan 10, 2019
There is something extra special about bright lights that decorate communities during the Holiday Season that brings people out on brisk winter nights. The residence of Victoria and the many tourists bundle up and head to the harbour taking in this special time of year with big smiles and hellos as they pass by each other.
The biggest concentration of lights on Vancouver Island are downtown in Victoria Harbour. Most of the boats that are docked in the harbour across from the Empress Hotel are lit up to the max. The multi-coloured lights that frame the Parliament buildings of British Columbia create a magical backdrop for the boats in the harbour.

Whether walking along Government Street, Belleville Street in front of the Parliament buildings or down by the water’s edge, everyone was stretching her neck’s taking pictures of friends and family in front of the Parliament buildings and the boats in the harbour.
At year end boaters in the harbour were in the perfect place to ring in the new year watching a spectacular fireworks display.
To our OnBoard readers a toast: To the ships we sail, the crew we sail with, and the people we love. May we keep safe for the new year 2019.
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....................
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.
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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...
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By Andrew McDonald, Lakeside Marine Services
“They don’t make ‘em like they used to”, is a phrase that many of us are familiar with. Most of the time it is in reference to a bygone era of better, and it’s used to lament the sorry state of what we have today. It is a phrase that can be applied to many areas of our lives: architecture, art, furniture, tools. Boats? I would argue that they don’t make them like they used to. But, is that lamentable, or is it progress?
Progress, I think. With this concept in mind, as we enter another season of putting boats to bed for the winter, why do we winterize as we always have?
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