This is an urgent message from several News Week readers that action needs to be taken immediately, to lower the water levels in the Great Lakes. The International Joint Commission (IJC) is the body that has the authority to control the outflows of water through the Moses-Saunders Dam.
Over the past few months Fisheries & Oceans Canada and Transport Canada have led a number of Technical Working Groups to make recommendations on measures to recover the Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW). Boating BC participated in the process with a seat on the Sanctuaries Working Group.
At the end of last month, Canadian sailors gathered on the Palma Beach in Palma de Mallorca, Spain where they were competing in an important European regatta, to complete an hour-long beach clean-up.
This new legislation from Washington State Department of Fisheries applies to boats launched in Washington State.
Read more: New Washington State fee for Visiting Boaters -...
British Columbia boaters will need to check out the new no-discharge zone before heading off to American waters in Puget Sound.
Mark Mattson is a man of gentle demeanor but don’t be fooled by his calm, cool collectedness. This man moves mountains, lakes and rivers to make sure Canadians will be able to swim, drink and fish anywhere in Canada from coast to coast to coast. Like many of us, Mattson’s love of the water and boating started at an early age. And during his career as a criminal lawyer, Mattson had an opportunity to work on a case with the Ministry of the Environment that whet his appetite for wanting to protect Canadian waters. This and a chance meeting with Waterkeeper Alliance President Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. during a case involving Hydro Quebec fueled his appetite, and in 1995 Mattson left Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP to form the Environment Bureau of Investigation (EBI).
We hear about the plastic problem in our oceans all the time. Scientists on the media talk to us about an island of trash the size of Texas that’s formed in the mid Pacific. They show us pictures of turtles caught in six ring beer holders, dolphins caught in nets and dead seabirds washed up with their stomachs full of broken down micro plastics. For me, it wasn’t until the problem arrived, wind ravaged and sun worn, strewn across my doorstep that that the magnitude of what those scientists were trying to tell us was realized. The beaches on Haida Gwaii have always been a magnet for the flotsam and jetsam that circles the Pacific. The archipelago sits off shore from the mainland and reaches out into the currents and wild winds of open ocean. Some beaches collect the debris and display it for a while and then it’s simply swept back into the sea to continue its journey, but some beaches here hold on to the debris and do not let it go.
Boating and astronomy can be a match made in the heavens. The inky black canvas above the boat is punctuated by sparkling pinpricks of brilliant light. As if on cue, a meteor blazes across the sky, its dramatic trail tracing its path.
It’s a mid-August night at Beausoleil Island in southern Georgian Bay. The moon has already plummeted below the tree line on a cloudless night, setting the stage for the Perseid meteor show, an annual display easily observed from the deck of a boat at anchor.
The 30,000 Islands of Georgian Bay is a boater’s dream destination with crystal clear waters, endless anchorages, amazing angling opportunities, outstanding scenery and diverse wildlife and vegetation. It is also a United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) world biosphere reserve, a designation awarded in 2004 after seven years of intensive work by a collective of cottagers, boaters, residents, First Nations representatives and organizations with support from government agencies.
Many Canadian Yachting readers have likely experienced the beauty of British Columbia’s Gulf Islands. Nestled between Vancouver Island and the mainland, this archipelago of more than 450 islands and islets offers calm seas, a gentle climate and stunning landscapes. What many visitors may not notice are the immense pressures on this much-loved area and the work of numerous conservation groups to save these fragile ecological jewels for all British Columbians and visitors.
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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...............
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........................
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......................
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................
