Hello and Happy New Year. I’m back with a recap of our three-year journey. I must apologize for being so late with this, but life has a way of messing up even the best laid plans.
Read more: From the Helm of Adamant 1 – Blog 32 – January...
In our October 10 issue we featured another blog posting from Adamant 1. Lynn and Pat sent so many great photos, we have reprised the blog so we can share them with you.
Below is a few excerpts from the blog post to set the scene.
We crossed Lake Ontario from Oswego with a minimum of fuss and did a little happy dance when we crossed the border into Canada…that little dotted line on the chart. “Take down the US flag, put up the quarantine flag and lets head for Waupoos Island” shouts the captain (me)!
Read more: From the Helm of Adamant 1: Blog 31 – Adamant 1...
On a sunny and windless day we led Alicia and another sailboat into New York Harbour. There were lots of cargo ships and navy destroyers coming in, but they had their own deep-water channel so our trip was an easy one.
Did we linger in Norfolk to explore? Nope! After being pounded against the dock pilings by wakes from tugs and ferry boats all night we left in the rain before the sun came up.
Read more: From the Helm of Adamant 1: Blog 29 – Norfolk to...
Charleston is an amazing city to visit. There is so much to do and enjoy in that beautiful city. You can walk the cobbled streets and gaze at the antebellum houses, visit a plantation or Fort Sumter and for naval enthusiasts there is the Naval and Maritime Museum complete with the USS Yorktown, a WWII era aircraft carrier.
We left Vero Beach on Saturday morning with Alicia, a boat from Sweden, following close behind. The first stop was Titusville, then Easter Sunday we made it to Daytona Beach. I had a big ham on board so we invited the crew of Alicia to join us for dinner.
Read more: From the Helm of Adamant 1: Blog 27 - Northbound...
After a delightful winter in the Bahamas, we decided at the end of March to head for the US. The weather continued to get hotter and the humidity was climbing daily. It was tough to drop the mooring ball, but we were suddenly excited about starting the trek home.
It has been hot in the Abacos this winter. Whoever said this area was cool this time of year must have visited in a bad year. We have no complaints about the weather. Anyone contemplating a vacation destination should give this area a second look.
Vero Beach, aka Velcro Beach, lived up to its reputation again. Our original plan was to be there for four days, which morphed into a week when we heard high winds were coming in. So we had seven days to visit with friends and finish our provisioning. As it turned out we were there for 17 days.
Read more: From the Helm of Adamant 1 – Blog 24 – February...
Related Articles
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. 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....................
Boston Whaler 230 Vantage
By Andy Adams
The famous Boston Whaler slogan, “the unsinkable legend” has always expressed a safety promise that from their very beginning, set a Boston Whaler apart from other boats, and it’s clear to me that the designers take this heritage seriously.
The Boston Whaler 230 Vantage maintains the virtues that have made Whalers such an enduring success and now the designers have skillfully captured those virtues in a handsome and somewhat more traditional dual console design.
Destinations
Boating In the Birthplace of Confederation
Over the course of four days in September 1864, representatives from Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Lower Canada (Quebec) and Upper Canada (Ontario) gathered in Charlottetown to discuss the idea of bringing these diverse colonies together and forming a country. These discussions laid the foundation for what ultimately led to the Confederation of Canada in July, 1867.
Today, PEI continues to influence the rest of Canada as a vacation playground, known for its laid-back attitude, carefree pace, remarkable food scene and tremendous recreation opportunities. That’s especially true if you choose to explore the island the old-fashioned way – by boat.
William Jones and Evan DePaul claimed Canada’s Olympic spot in the 49er by being the top Canadian team at the 2020 World Championships for the class. A highlight in their history together was winning the 2017 World Junior title on home waters in Kingston, Ontario.
The pair is self-driven to work and train hard in this very tough fleet. Sailing the skiff is hard work in itself making the 49er perhaps the most challenging Olympic class. Early in his career, DePaul raced C420s, becoming a top three youth sailor in Canada. He was drawn to the 49er because of the technical aspects involved and the sailing skill required.
DIY & How to
Why Use a Boat Broker?
Last summer there was tremendous interest in buying a boat to have fun in the restricted world ofCOVID19. People hauled boats to the end of their driveways with “For Sale” signs. Sailboats and cabin cruisers appeared in Kijiji and Craigs List and it sounds like most were sold to new boaters. But, are they happy owners now?
Last fall we interviewed Rob Hopkins, General Manager at Bayshore Yacht Sales. Bayshore operates at six Georgian Bay marinas and are partnered with Maple Leaf Marinas LP. Rob was quick to agree that web sites like Kijiji can work for boat buyers, especially at the lower price levels for private sellers and buyers looking for a deal.
Ask Andrew: Engine/gasoline fires and other scares
Photo Courtesy of Leslie Harper
Boats aren’t inherently combustible. They aren’t firetraps, and they aren’t any more or less dangerous with respect to fire breaking out than an RV, trailer, car or airplane.
But there are certain ingredients that make fires a potential hazard. And because of this, boaters should be aware of that potential, and take steps to minimize the chances of fire breaking out.
Marine Products
Turn your phone into a castable sonar; STRIKER Cast brings sonar to a mobile device to help anglers find & catch more fish – with & without a boat! Designed for use in freshwater and saltwater (and even for ice fishing), STRIKER Cast delivers excellent sonar performance in both shallow water and deep water.
Anglers can even turn on fish icons to view more realistic images of the fish targets and their depth readings directly in the app, so it’s easy to know exactly where to drop the line.
STEINER NAVIGATOR PRO 7x50
Here is a gift that is sure to become a treasured part of your boating experience for years to come. The porro prism Navigator Pro Series is the choice for recreational boaters, weekend anglers and hobby sailors. The Steiner Navigator Pro 7x50 offers exceptional performance in tough marine environments.You should buy a pair to give your sweetie for next summer.
MSRP: $845.00 CAD
News
On Saturday, my boat finally splashed. You could tell it was happy and I was too. This has been painful. Nonetheless, I have not yet left the dock nor had a social moment aboard. My excitement has been limited to standing and admiring the scene while thanking the boat gods for vaccines and declining case numbers.
You are likely experiencing something similar as marinas and boat clubs gingerly step forward amid caution and distancing signs. There is a collective sigh of relief heard across the land because the timing of the delayed launch appears to coincide with a national heat wave. It would have been infuriating to sizzle on the hard with the escape boat stuck in its cradle. I’m grateful for getting this far.
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