Lunenburg, Nova Scotia's Class Afloat has established the Class Afloat ‘Young Sailor Scholarship’ to assist two students - endorsed by their sailing school, sail training program or yacht club - to participate in an extraordinary educational experience — attending high school while ocean sailing aboard a majestic square-rigged tall ship.
Class Afloat offers young people a unique journey of education and personal discovery. For nine months, students live, study and sail aboard The Sørlandet, a fully restored 210 foot 1927 Class ‘A’ square-rigged tall ship.
The 2013 Mobility Cup is set to be held in Nova Scotia at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron. Canada’s national regatta for sailors with disabilities takes place from August 27th to the 30th, with arrival and practice taking place from August 24th to the 26th. Vancouver’s Sam Sullivan founded the Mobility Cup in 1991 by inviting key individuals from other cities to take part in a sailing regatta, whether they had ever sailed before or not, in an effort to promote and grow the sport of disabled sailing.
The Canadian Yachting Association’s annual general meeting concluded October 27 with a vote to change the association's name. Delegates voted overwhelmingly in support of changing the name of the 74-year-old organization to SAIL Canada, enabling the national organization to align its positioning with many other national governing bodies in the sport of sailing. The move is part of a renewed effort to coordinate its training, coaching, judging and high-performance disciplines to allow it to better brand, build and grow awareness of the sport throughout Canada.
The following is from a commentary on the release of the Cohen Report issued by the Georgia Straight Alliance: “The recommendations of the Cohen Inquiry into the Decline of Fraser River Sockeye released in Vancouver on Oct 31, 2012, make clear that though there was no ‘smoking gun’, there are multiple threats that need to be addressed to ensure the long-term health of the Fraser River sockeye. In 75 broad-ranging and specific recommendations, Commissioner Cohen gave the federal government an action blueprint, ranging from the long-overdue implementation of the Wild Salmon policy to actions to ensure that the risk from open net-cage salmon farms are minimized.
Marine Organizations continue their opposition to the planned closures of Canadian Coast Guard establishments. The following was released from the Council of BC Yacht Clubs: The CBCYC has added its voice to the growing chorus of those raising strong objections to the closure of the Kitsilano Canadian Coast Guard base. The council represents over 50 yacht clubs in British Columbia, with over 10,000 members – powerboaters, sailors, canoeists and kayakers, and represents the largest user segment of the recreational boating community in BC.
We’ve written previously suggesting that NOW is the good time to do all those maintenance items that we all usually leave to spring-time. The more boaters can get done before the good weather, the easier and less frustrating pre-season commissioning will be. Our friends at the GPS Store sent along this terrific reminder about doing a complete check on electronics: “People should also pay attention to their boat’s marine electronics and electrical systems, because failures here are just as likely to ruin that first fishing trip or coastal cruise,” said Scott Heffernan, Sales Manager of The GPS Store, Inc. “A few basic steps and system checks can ensure smooth sailing not only on your first trip, but all season long.“
Read more: Time To Prepare For Next Season, Starting With...
There are probably more myths and half-truths about fuel kept aboard during the long winter-time lay-up. The introduction of ethyl alcohols into gasoline has compounded the confusion – arguments abound whether this is a good thing or not and how boaters should react. Here is what has been discussed so far: Nearly full tank or nearly empty tank? That is the big question facing boaters now in the midst of preparing their boats for the long winter hibernation. The concern is that alcohol is used as an octane enhancing gasoline additive that has some unfortunate, harmful side effects on some marine engines.
With the increasing popularity of smart phones and tablets, there are more and more applications being offered. Many are free, and the ones that cost are usually very reasonably priced. Long-time PC users are even now finding the joys of working with Apple Computer products. So many more boaters are using iPads as chartplotters, for example, that RailBlaza reports that their iPad mount is the most popular item sold within their very extensive line of rail-based mounts and accessories.
The devastating tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011 has created an enormous debris field floating in the Pacific, much of IT heading to west coast shorelines. Some US states have already made provision for a clean-up but Canadian authorities have so far not followed suit. The Maritime Museum of BC has stepped up with the creation of a reporting website on which they are inviting reports and, more importantly, photos of incoming debris. The museum is conducting a curated study of the arriving debris, almost in real time. Cooperating with local schools, the museum plans to teach about tsunamis, their damage and the ocean currents that transport disaster-related debris to our shores.
Canadian Yachting West received this sad announcement early on November 6th from Brock Elliott at Campion Boats.
"It is with heartfelt sadness that we announce the passing on November 4th, 2012, of our Chairman, Gordon Elliott, F.C.A., at the age of 82". Brock Elliott, President and son said, "It is difficult to find the words for such an announcement. Our Dad was such a great leader, his life filled to the brim, very diverse and rewarding. He made lasting impressions with so many people; from his professional accounting career, to his strong interest in agriculture, farming and ranching, to the power boat industry.”
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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...
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