In June of 2012, Sea Ray announced that it would launch a new sport boat series featuring the very latest in water-jet propulsion technology.
AT the Atlanta boat show on January 10th, 2013, Sea Ray will officially introduce their new 21-foot sport boat with plans to follow up shortly with a 24-foot model.
An earlier announcement stated that Sea Ray has an exclusive partnership with renowned German engine
The Seattle Boat Show, Indoors + Afloat, is the West Coast's Largest Boat Show featuring more than 1,000 recreational watercraft, seminars and the latest accessories indoors at CenturyLink Field, plus afloat on South Lake Union.
A popular feature with hundreds of boaters, the 2013 Seattle Boat Show features more than 200 boating and fishing seminars. On this page you will find the entire list of free boating seminars. You can search by topic, speaker's name and more. Topics cover a huge range of issues of interest including Plastic in the Marine
The chiefs of the Vancouver Police and Fire Departments have written to Prime Minister Stephen Harper urging him to reverse the government's decision to close Kitsilano Coast Guard Base, at the mouth of False Creek. The station is set to close in May as a cost-saving measure, despite the fact that critics throughout BC’s marine and first-responder communities have warned it will put lives at risk.
Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu and Fire Chief John McKearney have written letters to the prime minister echoing those fears. They say plans to spend more money on a new hovercraft to be based in Richmond and on volunteer search and rescue won’t make up for the SAR capabilities which will be lost in the closure of Kits base.
Parks Canada has announced additions to the Gulf Islands Park Reserve, with the inclusion of new properties on Pender, Saturna and Prevost islands. The new properties are a mix of waterfront and forested areas and include over 2,700 meters of shoreline. Also included is additional natural habitat for Garry oak, a native tree species that is at under risk from habitat depletion.
It is hoped that this acquisition will lead to the development of additional trails, day-use areas and boat-in camping.
With financial support from BC Marine Parks Forever Society and a successful local fundraising campaign, BC Parks is set to acquire land that connects two popular marine parks, a trail network and a lake at the north end of Quadra Island.
The province created Small Inlet Marine Park, on the west side of the island, and the Octopus Islands Extension Park at Waiatt Bay, to the east, in the late ‘90s, and always planned to complete the package by purchasing a 395-hectare property on the high ground between the two bays.
There is probably more misinformation about fuel than any other current boating topic. (See CY Dec 2012 for a review of decommissioning advice). Gasoline with ethyl alcohol added (E-10 nomenclature means there is 10 percent ethyl alcohol in the mix, the most common formulation for mid-grade gas) is actually a good fuel when temperatures drop as the alcohol will absorb quantities of water that enter fuel tanks. However, once the alcohol is saturated, water will remain a separated liquid that may make running difficult, if not impossible next season.
Telus Corp. of Burnaby has donated $10,000 to support the Fraser River Discovery Centre’s education programs aimed at connecting individuals with the living and working Fraser River. The primary recipient is the FRDC’s River School, which offers interactive activities to school groups to increase awareness and understanding of the Fraser and its importance to BC.
The Fraser River drains almost 250,000 square kilometers of the province, an area that that houses two-thirds of BC’s population and generates 80 percent of its economic activity.
Read more: Fraser River Discovery Centre Receives $10,000...
One of the oldest and most respected bareboat charter operations on the BC coast has passed into new hands. Merion Martin and Jennifer Knox-Martin are the new owners of Comox-based Desolation Sound Yacht Charters. They take over from longtime DSYC owners Bob and Lois Stevenson. The Martins are veterans of luxury yacht operations in the Mediterranean and sailing charters in the Caribbean, with extensive ocean cruising miles. DSYC’s fleet of up to 30 sail and power yachts is based just 24 miles from Desolation Sound.
Vancouver Maritime Museum has announced its 2013 Ocean Cruising Speakers Series: January 18 - 18 Years of Sailing Together by Judith and Harry McPhie, January 25 - South to Warmer Climes, Vancouver to Mexico and Back by Steve and Tracey Dolling, February 1 - Vancouver Island Circumnavigation by Ron Ungless and Gordon Milne, February 8 - Around the World at Age 18 by Zac Sunderland,
Marlow Hunter Marine has recognized Vancouver’s Specialty Yachts as Hunter Dealer of the Year 2012. John Petersen, president of Marlow Hunter Marine (right), presented Specialty president Lawrence Fronczek (centre) with the award at the Annapolis Boat Show for 2012. They were joined by Hunter’s director of sales Greg Emerson.
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OAKLEY 245 CC
By Andy Adams
The multi-generational island cottagers of Georgian Bay and serious fishermen are just two of the groups most attracted to the new Oakley Boats models.
Brad Oakley has been around the boat business his entire life and he said to me that he has long admired durable, seaworthy welded aluminum boats. His company WMW Vacuum Pumpout Systems in Waubaushene, Ontario on Georgian Bay, builds highly regarded vacuum pump-out systems and Oakley’s equipment is in so many marinas that he knows a lot of people in the business.
Fountaine Pajot Astrea 42
By Katherine Stone
On a beautiful summer morning in July, I hopped aboard a new-owner delivery from the Outer Harbour Marina in Toronto to the Port Credit Harbour Marina in Mississauga, with the President of Navy Point Yacht Sales, Steve McPherson. I don’t know if I have ever referred to a boat as pretty, but this adjective fits the Fountaine Pajot Astrea 42 to a tee.
The transitions and communication from interior to exterior spaces are seamless and well-thought-out with functional ergonomics.
Destinations
Cruising the Rideau Canal
Following the War of 1812, a battle that Canada narrowly won against the United States, the boundaries of Upper Canada were held and the British army realized that the St. Lawrence River was no longer safe as a supply route. A more defensible route was needed to bring supplies from Montreal to Kingston and on into other Great Lakes settlements.
This new, more secure route revealed itself through the travel and trade of the Indigenous peoples. Surveyors learned that one of the Indigenous trade routes began at the mouth of the Cataraqui River in Kingston (Canada’s first national capital) and connected a series of lakes and rivers all the way through to where the Rideau River meets the Ottawa River in the heart of Bytown (known today as Canada’s national capital: the City of Ottawa).
Lifestyle
How a young woman who was encouraged by her father to enter a contest, became a member of the yachting fraternity (sorority?).
Encouraged by her father to enter, Jessika Patrick emerged the winner of the Yacht Solutions Schaefer Yachts contest. It took a little extra luck to get the prize though. Another entrant actually won but sadly, a medical issue forced them to decline the prize. Another entrant’s name was then drawn. This winner also declined, but for a happy reason; they had just bought their own new boat and were busy with that so, a third winner had to be drawn. The third time was the charm for prize winner Jessika Patrick.
DIY & How to
Keven Talks Sails: Crosscut VS Triradial Sail Cutting
Over the last decade, sailcloth weaving equipment has evolved and allowed the production of low crimp warp oriented woven cloth of medium to heavy weights. We have had light weight warp wovens of 200g/m2 (4oz) or lighter for much longer than that, but the finer denier weaves of light sailcloth allowed that with older looms and setups. Why is this important? This new loom technology is very important because it allows sailmakers to make better warp cut woven sails for boats 25-50’ long.
Let’s start by clarifying what a crosscut sail is. The crosscut panel layout aligns the fill (short) edge of the sailcloth roll with the leech edge of the sail. Most of the sail load goes from clew to head up the leech. Secondary sail loads go from corner to corner along the foot and luff edge.
Marine Products
Product news: Modern pull up cleats
Many boaters prefer the clean appearance and greater safety of modern pull-up cleats that retract flush into the deck when not in use. But depending on where they need to be installed, limited mounting room can make it difficult. Series 490 Rectangular Pull-Up Cleats from Accon Marine feature a sleek, compact design that allows use in even challenging spaces where other flush-mount hardware simply won't fit.
Made from polished, marine-grade 316 stainless steel for extreme durability and a lifetime of good looks, Series 490 Pull-Up Cleats feature a fresh, modern aesthetic that complements the contemporary profile of today's boats.
News
I filled up last week at $1.90. Pundits are suggesting that prices will stay high throughout the summer. Radio and TV news have been flooded with ‘man on the street’ interviews that show the impact on the average driver. How will these prices affect the average boater this year? Will we see more hours spent on the docks and fewer on the water? Will fuel efficiency become a top-of –mind selling point? Will we see a shift toward electric marine engines?
Time will tell – but for the majority of us, we’ll need to weather the storm as best we can. There are a number of tips and tricks we can employ aboard to make the most of our boat’s fuel. BoatUS published an excellent article this week that I’ll break down...