Maritime Museum Garage Sale

Spring commissioning should include a look at everyday items that we often take for granted. Easily overlooked are inflatable PFD’s, but they shouldn’t be. These important safety items – which automatically or manually inflate with the tug of a pull cord – have been around over 25 years, but there are still quite a few misperceptions about these life saving devices and how they work. The BoatUS Foundation set out to debunk some of the myths:

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.“

The Vancouver International Boat Show has launched a new photo contest celebrating BC’s love of boating.  The “Why BC Loves Boating Photo Contest” invites boaters to share with the world why they love boating the more than 27,000 km of ocean coastline, hundreds of lakes and countless rivers, that make the waters of BC amongst the finest boating destinations on the planet. The grand-prize winner will receive a $1,000 shopping spree at the 2013 Vancouver Boat Show and a pair of tickets to the show; plus, 10 honourable mentions will each receive a $100 shopping spree and tickets to the show.

In the moorage-challenged Lower Mainland, word of a new marina creates a definite flurry of interest. Construction of Milltown Marina and Boatyard, the first new full-service marina in the Vancouver area in more than a decade, is expected to begin this summer. But marina management is already flooded with moorage inquiries.
The marina is a partnership between Bastion Development Corp. and the Musqueam Indian Band, and will be