July 23, 2020
By David and Barb Gamblin
Unknown to us at the time, the quest for VIA-MARA started in 1973 when I saved the back cover of a boating magazine with the advertisement for the Trojan 42 Motor Yacht.
Four boats, and eight years later we went shopping for a Trojan 42 built prior to 1972 (that year the house and binnacle became fiberglass and the bridge window framing changed to (ugh) black anodized aluminum.)
In love with wooden boats I guess, so we returned to wood from a fibreglass Trojan.
It’s is a longer story of course, but on May 30, 1981, from Port Credit, Ontario, we pointed VIA-MARA’s bow East and headed for her new home in Oromocto, New Brunswick, 1365 Nautical miles away. 13 Days and an interesting trip later, a tired but celebratory crew snuggled into a waiting berth at the Oromocto Boat Club, to the cheers of the many who, unknown to us, were following our trip home.
Now in 2020, 53 years since her keel was laid in Elkton Maryland, 39 years with the current owners, thousands of sea miles, many upgrades and loving care, we are still as proud of her as the day we fell in love with her almost 40 years ago.
While shopping, we had many opportunities to speak to several Trojan 42 owners. A conversation with a 13 year owner in Baltimore stands out. When we asked how he felt about the vessel, he said, after a brief thought… “It’s a good boat that does most everything reasonable well”… Years and many miles later, we realised that, among all the superlatives we have heard about various boats, we came to realize that he was offering the highest compliment I had ever heard about a vessel.
VIA-MARA (“By Way of Sea”) still continues to exceed our expectations. She has since been cruised extensively on the East coast of Canada and the US, and has a long history, including having British Royalty aboard as guests.

- David and Barb Gamblin live in New Maryland, just (4 minutes) outside of Fredericton.
VIA-MARA is at her berth in Oromocto near the Fredericton airport, and wintered in a boathouse near Fredericton.

By Andy Adams
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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By Mark Stevens
I was first seduced by the United States Virgin Islands during a ferry ride from St. Thomas to Tortola to begin one of our earliest British Virgin Islands charters nearly twenty years ago.
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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Story and photos by Matt Bera
We settled Svala into what my family and I had come to think of as the most desirable anchorage on Lake Ontario, on a sunny summer afternoon. With an abandoned settlement, an old schoolhouse full of swallows, giant snakes and a rum-running past, Main Duck Island had it all.
That we had to sail past the Psyche Shoal, a magnetic disturbance, and into the middle of the rumoured Marysburgh Vortex made an even better sea story. It had taken us two attempts, two years, two boats and a new sort-of experimental engine to get there.
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By Zuzana Prochazka
Never chartered? No problem. Here’s how to plan, execute and enjoy a vacation on a charter yacht where life is easy and the sunsets can’t be beat.
Decide on a crewed or bareboat charter
A crewed charter means you have a captain who manages the boat and maybe a chef or mate as well. Crewed charters ensure a safe and comfortable vacation with most everything done for you. The chefs are usually outstanding so if you’re a foodie, you’ll be in heaven and you may be able to pick up new recipes too. Larger crewed yachts may also have a mate who works with the captain and will do things like getting toys (kayaks, SUPs, snorkel gear, etc.) ready for you to use so you do very little work.
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On November 15th 2022, Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), introduced the industry’s first ever V10 outboard with the official launch of its all-new 5.7L 350 and 400hp Verado® outboard engines.
Consistent with the award-winning Verado brand, the new V10 engines are the quietest and smoothest in their class running 45 percent quieter than a leading competitor at cruise. In addition to NVH, the new Verado’s are not only compatible with the latest Mercury SmartCraft® technologies but will also be offered with an optional dual-mode 48V/12V alternator to seamlessly pair with Navico Group’s Fathom® e-power system, an integrated lithium-ion auxiliary power management system, providing boaters the opportunity to eliminate an onboard generator system.
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