Plentiful drink holders have become expected amenities on today's boats but can be tricky to retrofit to older models, especially if the owner is uncomfortable taking a hole saw to their vessel or unsure of the precise location of hidden wiring and plumbing lines.
Read more: Gear: Quick Release Drink Holders Install Where...
Many consider a tender a utilitarian means to an end—mere transportation. Argos Nautic's RIB tender, such as its semi-custom GT14, is statement about the yacht. With room for seven adults, the 13' 10" outboard-powered vessel reflects the same levels of refined quality and luxurious comfort as its mothership.
We all know a particular sailor when it comes to gear and performance out on the water… and The Nodus factory soft shackles and fittings are the perfect gift.
The versatile new Telescopic Shade 2500 from Webasto Thermo & Comfort North America, Inc., is an industry-changing accessory to provide boaters relief from the sun, whether they're relaxing in the bay or running out to a cruise.
Worn plastic hatch covers can detract from a boat's appearance and its functionality, especially once cracks develop around attachment points.
More than 3/4 of all recreational boats (power and sail) are under 26 feet and towable.
Working alongside a US-based designer and boat building company, Burlington ON-based MarsKeel Technology recently provided a dissimilar metal combination keel for a 76-foot yacht.
With Albin Group Marine's new line of Cartridge Submersible Bilge Pumps, Aerator Pumps and Twinport Aerator Pumps, it's easy to swap the motor cartridge between models.
While collapsible bimini tops offer boaters a welcome escape from direct sun, deployment and storage can sometimes prove a real chore. Accon Marine 400-Series Quick Release Bimini Top Hinges make it easy for even novice boaters to set up or take down shade structures in minutes.
Read more: Quick release hardware eases bimini top operation
I’ve been doing powerboat reviews for Canadian Yachting magazine for over 40 years now and I want to confess to a bias I have – I don’t use the trim tabs in my reviews. I want to feel how the boat naturally runs without using the tabs to adjust the ride angle or the side-to-side trim.
Related Articles
Boat Reviews
Video Gallery
Neptunus 650F Review
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.
Destinations
The Other Virgin Islands
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.
Lifestyle
By AMY HOGUE
What to look for and ask about as you plan your vacation times. You’ve invested thousands and thousands of dollars into your boat so naturally, you want to find just the right spot for her to live, and where you can enjoy her to the maximum. Marinas and yacht clubs are just like people, no two are completely alike and finding the one that’s perfect for you, may make you feel a little like Cinderella – searching for the shoe that fits just right.
It’s okay to take your time on this search because the marina you choose is arguably as important a decision as the one to buy your boat.
Read More
DIY & How to
Going Electric to Cruise Lake Ontario: A family ditches the diesel
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.
Cruising with a Captain - It’s easier than you think
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.
Marine Electronics – Staying Connected in 2023
By Andy Adams
The world of marine electronics is just on fire in terms of development. You can almost name any function that you could dream up and somebody is offering it. We are just heading into the traditional boat show season and this year there is a big difference from past years.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most boating enthusiasts have not had any in-person boat show exposure to the new products since 2019 or 2020. That means that there are almost three years of new products to catch up on. It's going to be an exciting year in 2023!
News
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.