He loved the ladies

Howie Colt

June 14, 2018

Howie ColtHowie Colt with a portrait of Scotch

On a delightfully summery Friday evening earlier this month, I entered into the Gone Sailing Adventures ‘Party on the Pier’, to unveil the naming of the newest member of the Gone Sailing fleet, the Dufour 382 Grand Large.

What a party! With the boat all taped up we spent a fine time mingling with the Gone Sailing crew, fueled with snacks and drinks. The Gone Sailing crew is quite an eclectic group, made up of members from all over the world. Many of the skippers were there, coming from as close as the United States to as far as Australia and New Zealand.

An hour in, after spending some quality time drooling over the Dufour 382, Gone Sailing Adventures’ founder and ship master Howie Colt stepped onto the boat to the delight of quite a large crowd. He kept us waiting, explaining how he’d chosen the name for the new boat. He had received plenty of suggestions, but ultimately decided on an ode to his precious dog Scotch. Though Scotch is no longer with Howie, he recollected how not a foot was left uncovered by Scotch (a professional foot warmer), particularly none of the female sailors. What can we say? Scotch had his type. Howie ultimately revealed the freshly named the Dufour 382 ‘Aimants pour les Femmes’ to an appreciative crowd.

Party Goers Party goers on board for their moment!

The cheers ensued and fun was had by all, exploring the boat inside-out. Fit with all the newest features from Volvo Penta and Raymarine, the Dufour 382 is a sight to behold complete with a sumptuous galley/lounge, glam head and three cabins, one of which is a delightfully large master. The Dufour is the newest addition to the Gone Sailing fleet, but they have many other boats in their fleet worth checking out. What a glorious night it was, ending in a final toast to the ‘Aimants pour les Femmes’.

-Amelia Morris, Party Editor

For more information on Gone Sailing Adventures, and their new Dufour 382 Grand Large, visit their website: https://www.gonesailingadventures.com/


Neptunus 650F Review

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Over the years Canadian Yachting has had the pleasure of doing several boat review articles on new Neptunus models and we are familiar with the qualities that Neptunus is famous for. They have all been exceptional yachts, but this is the one I would most want to own myself. It’s a personal choice and a matter of taste as to whether you would prefer to have a sedan express model or a flybridge but in my opinion, the flybridge layout offers some wonderful attributes.

We met with Neptunus Managing Director Jan Willem De Jong this past fall to take the new Neptunus 650F out in Lake Ontario. 

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A perfect sunset off St. John with St. Thomas views for backdrop.

Clearing Pillsbury Sound, surrounded by voluptuous emerald mountains as the ferry sliced through royal blue waters, I was struck by the unspoiled ambiance of St. John, the island gliding past our starboard beam and the irresistible charm of a village called Cruz Bay visible from our quarter stern.

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