March 4, 2016
Boston Whaler 11 w/ Volvo 90
Powerboat yachtsmen and cruising sailors both use tenders. Boston Whaler is the worldwide, hands down favourite, and since Volvo seems very keen…
March 2, 2016
Beneteau Swift Trawler 42
Its elegance immediately elicits an admiring whistle. What a look! What style! Beneteau has not missed the mark with this entry into the trawler yacht category…
March 1, 2016
Beneteau First 44.7
Beneteau’s First series is the world leader in production-built, racer-cruisers. The current series of First boats are the product of the teamwork of Beneteau…
March 1, 2016
Beneteau First 36.7
So. You sail your first boat for 24 years, then you decide that it is time to change. What is it like taking delivery of your second new boat…
February 29, 2016
Bayliner Victoria 2750
In the realm of popular-sized cabin cruisers, the Bayliner Victoria Command Bridge 2750 is a standout. De-sign and construction features put it ahead of other…
February 29, 2016
Bayliner 2650 Explorer
The eight-foot beam and deep sheer give this boat the look of some of the classic offshore power yachts. In fact, it’s a…
February 26, 2016
Bayliner 3870
At 38 feet, two inches, the Bayliner 3870 boasts two private staterooms, two heads (one with a bathtub!), a walk in engine room and other features normally found…
February 25, 2016
Bavaria 42
Given our knowledge of the reputation of Bavaria boats, built by a company dedicated to providing boats efficiently and effectively and creating a high-quality product…
February 25, 2016
Bavaria 37
Great sailing. Great layout. Great value. The Bavaria 37 Cruiser is an excellent family performance cruiser entry into the mid 30-foot category…
February 24, 2016
Back Cove 29
Don’t let the traditional lines fool you into thinking that the Back Cove 29 is a lobster boat. It may have some of the styling cues…
February 19, 2016
Altima 60 Pilothouse
My first view of the Altima 60 Pilothouse was in Fort Lauderdale, at New River Marina. Backed in with her stern against the pilings, the Altima looked like many…
February 18, 2016
The Purpose-Built Albin 31 Tournament Express
“I like a purpose-built boat,” says Charlie Tatham, the owner of this month’s test boat, an Albin 31′ Tournament Express. We couldn’t have put it any better ourselves.
February 18, 2016
Albacore Passion
Dinghy sailing is a passion for many and enjoying keen racing in Albacores is part of that passion. An Albacore is a 15 ft. vision of the boat’s designer…
February 17, 2016
Pacemaker 34
After spending a great deal of time in the bilge with a bright light and an ice pick, I found the Pacemaker to be sound. It needed some hard work, tender care and tasteful decoration
February 16, 2016
Hanse 371
The purpose of a boat review is to present the boat is a fair light, without prejudice or bias so that a person thinking of buying or chartering this boat gets an insight into whether or not it fits their purpose. The review should reward effective innovation in design and manufacture and point out any pitfalls or perceived problems. The better we understand the purpose of doing something, the easier it is to stay on course and reach our goal. Honest. I wasn’t hot-dogging. But it did give us the opportunity to put the Hanse 371 through its paces. We had a two-hour window to complete the sailing portion of this review and to attempt to get a cover photo at the same time. Unable to secure a chase boat, we put CY photographer Bill McLeod ashore on the sea wall at the entrance of the Credit River. The winds were light with some gusting and it was the only place where there was open water to capture the shot you see on the cover of this issue.
February 12, 2016
Bavaria 36
When Len Baronit of Yacht Sales West in Vancouver went to Europe to source a new sailboat to import, Bavaria Yachtbau wasn’t even on his list. After looking at a number of builders, Len went to see Bavaria. Being familiar with J& J Designs of Slovenia, Len was interested in how the German boat builder would stack up against some the better known competition. When he got back to his hotel, Len compared the specs of the Bavaria to the other boats on his shopping list; the Bavaria came up as a great value. Added to the attention to detail and quality construction, Len decided to go with the Bavaria and started importing the boat in 1997. He has just brought in the lOOth boat. Bavaria Yachtbau builds a cruising line from 32 to 49 feet and a new racing line available this spring – starting with the Match 38. In fact, few realize that it was a Bavaria 46 that Ashley Judd sailed in the movie Double Jeopardy which was shot in Vancouver. But I digress.
February 12, 2016
Atlantis 55
The Italian yacht builders Azimut and Bennetti are a very large organization, well known for their Italian styling and modern designs. The Atlantis line is a “brand belonging to the Azimut and Benetti” organization…
February 11, 2016
Kelt 7.6
The Kelt 7.6 is a very French boat (reborn as a North American performance cruiser. Its Canadian builders surveyed the market, identified a need, and then developed the boat to fill it. Introducing the Svelte Kelt. On the French boating scene, the Kelt 7.6 has the reputation of an inexpensive but rugged boat-cheap and serviceable…
February 11, 2016
Mainship 34 Trawler
The term “fast trawler” might at first seem to come from the same family is the term “jumbo shrimp” but there really is a good reason for a fast trawler. Recently, there has been a groundswell of interest in trawler boats because they deliver a unique combination of seaworthiness, comfort and space in a fuel-efficient package. They also suit the demographics of the North American population with an increasing number of people reaching retirement at earlier ages. Trawlers are often referred to as blue water cruising boats because they’re well-suited to handling rough water and offshore conditions. Taking a Mainship 34 Trawler down the Intercoastal Waterway to the Carolinas, Florida or even out to the Caribbean is a very realistic goal, even for those new to cruising. Fast trawlers are designed with more support in the aft hull sections and given sufficient power, can move from displacement speeds of 8 or 10 mph to full planing at over 20 mph.
February 10, 2016
Goman 20
Best of both in a 20 footer. Sailing that narrow line between day-racer and full sized cruiser, Goman’s 20 succeeds. Since the time I saw the drawings in early June of last year, I had looked forward to sailing the Goman 20. Almost five months later, on a pleasant Indian summer day in October, I got my chance. Would it be, I wondered, one of those good ideas on paper that can never quite be realized as a boat – the sort of thing that looks like an affordable, if modest, compromise on the boat show floor and turns out to be an impractical proposition on the water? At 20 feet, with a cabin and a full keel, the Goman is in that dangerous area between daysailer and yacht where the unyielding demands of human scale can defeat the best practical and stylistic intentions of a designer.
February 10, 2016
Century Cortez 270
Sleek and fast, this family cruiser has roots in narrow V hulls of ocean racers, but it handles better. Cliff Cruickshank has been boating out of Dawson’s Marina in Keswick, Ontario, for most of his life. In ranging from a Greavette dispro (disappearing propeller) to a 36 foot Pacemaker. Now he owns a 27 foot Century Cortez and he’s delighted. Over the years boating has changed for the Cruickshank family, as it has for many others. Children grow up and begin lives of their own. No matter how much they like boating, they often prefer time on their own in the city to spending a weekend under the watchful eyes of parents at a marina. When Cliff found himself in that position, he decided to try life without a boat. That was the winter of 1979. But one night, as the snow fell and his thoughts turned to the warmth of summer, boating withdrawal symptoms hit. Not surprisingly, Doug Dawson was able to alleviate the problem with a call to Bruce Brown of BMB Distributors, the Century distributor. Brown was able to promise a new Cortez 270 for Cruickshank to launch when the ice went out that spring.
February 10, 2016
Greavette Montique
Craftsmanship and luxury are hiding out in Muskoka. It’s a fibreglass I/O but it smells like varnish. I have often wondered if boats used to be somehow more friendly or more fun, or had more character. I won’t say they were better, but after driving the Greavette Montique, I’m tempted to say they were. It all started in Gravenhurst, where in the 1920’s, the Ditchburn boatworks and later the Minett works were situated. The lakes were small with no really large open areas, but with over 1,500 miles of shoreline, there was a lot of ground to cover in getting from place to place. The roads were bad or worse and extensive travel by boat was clearly the best way to go.
December 21, 2015
Azimut 55 S Express
The Azimut 55 S offers the discriminating buyer a unique combination of Italian style and design innovation. The express cruiser style in this boat is refined in a number of interesting and unique ways…
December 21, 2015
Jeanneau 54
This elegant new cruiser shows where the future of production yacht design is headed. In fact, it’s already there. Some boats just “feel” right, and we had a very good “feeling” about the strikingly new Jeanneau 54 before we even stepped aboard. But we were not surprised. Recent designs this French-based builder have launched—especially the superyacht sexy Jeanneau 64—have raised the bar on what a production boat builder is capable of. So the only real question was: could this 54-footer live up to the high standards of style, space, and performance set by its attention-grabbing big sister? We had our answer even before we left the dock.
December 21, 2015
Cruisers Yachts 60 Cantius
We had the pleasure of traveling to Wisconsin to attend the Cruisers Yachts dealer meeting this past summer where the company launched their new flagship, the Cruisers Yachts 60 Cantius. The dealer reaction was overwhelmingly positive to this new addition to the Cantius line that Cruisers Yachts began several years ago. There are now 41, 45, 48 and 60 foot models in this elite line which is named after K.C. Stock’s father, Cantius. This brings up two important points; the design philosophy of the Cantius line is to redefine the express cruiser style to deliver gracious living on one level, improving the social aspects of the boat and making it feel more spacious. Mission accomplished there. The other thing is that this company is owned by K.C. Stock who, with his were on hand to personally work with their dealers at the meeting.
November 26, 2015
Viking 28
the object of any boat association is to foster and encourage its class as a club racer, and/or a one design racer and/or an affordable, family cruiser. The Viking 28 association was saved from extinction in1989 by Dave Smith of Crown Royal and four other owners who each chipped in to help and donate $20. Each year since then ,it has grown a little, hosted a formal AGM or two and held a few regattas. All owners, crew or interested would-bes are very welcome. The Viking 28 is a great racer/cruiser as long as the lack of standing headroom is not an issue.
November 25, 2015
Westcoast 46
When in Rome – do as the Romans do, so when in BC we did as many lucky Western Canadians have done, and got aboard a Westcoast 46. It was worth the trip. The Westcoast 46 is built by Westcoast Custom Yachts Limited which is headed up by the now legendary Forbes Cooper. The 46 is based on an impressively seaworthy and efficient hull design by Ed Monk Jr. The original hull design was actually marketed as the 43 foot Tolleycraft but has now been significantly modified and in fact, one of the most interesting aspects of these boats is that they really are built on a custom basis, one at a time to the owner’s own specifications. The first choice you need to make is whether to order the 46-foot Express, 46 Sedan or the 46 Cockpit Motoryacht, which was the model we tested. Your next choice is to decide between single or twin-engine installation. The test boat was equipped with twin Cummins 270 diesels.
November 25, 2015
Wilker 20
Fast, dry cuddy cabin. High freeboard, easy planning and lots of power keep the Canadian built Wilker up front in Lake Ontario charter fleet. Low price makes it an easy choice. If Wilker Boats rings a bell you’ve probably been around powerboats for a few years. The 28-footers that Floyd Wilker used to build in his shop in London, Ontario were highly regarded but not very numerous. After 23 years Floyd retired and Tom Crowford took over with, if possible, even greater enthusiasm. Tom still gets inquiries about wooden cabin cruisers, but these days all Wilker boats are fibreglass. Unlike many of his competitors, however, Tom builds only hand laid moldings with mat and roving – no chopper guns. It costs more but the boats are generally better for the extra time and energy.
November 19, 2015
Neptunus 625 MotorYacht
I am actually laughing at myself as I sit down to write this review of the Neptunus 625 MotorYacht because what I want to tell you first, is how much I like this boat! Are you surprised? You are allowed to laugh at me. For the “as tested” price of approximately US$2.6 million, you get a handsome three stateroom MotorYacht with separate crew quarters, comfortable cockpit, sliding glass doors into a main saloon that includes home size seating, a dining area that seats six and a galley that deserves to be called a kitchen. And, let’s not forget the flying bridge! Of course I like this boat! But there is something more. It’s a feeling I got when I was onboard. Yes, it’s a magnificent big boat with every imaginable feature and yet it seems warmly welcoming, even friendly.
August 31, 2015
Props to Power Catamarans
Canadian Yachting magazine has always taken the lead in promoting the charter experience, exploring the Caribbean as well as more distant world destinations. Many of us across Canada start getting ‘twitchy’ in late August thinking about shrink-wrapping our boats and the long stretch of winter that lies ahead…
August 31, 2015
Dufour 500 Grand Large
Dufour in partnership with Felci Yacht Design wants nothing less than to optimize the sailing experience through design, performance and comfort. The Dufour 500 Grand Large provides space and amenities with style, efficiency and performance. This yacht is an embodiment of that objective. Contemporary, sleek design is combined with innovative features using modern construction techniques, materials and components. The 500GL has a low profile and wide side decks. The plumb bow and full beam, carried well aft with a visible hard chine, are design features found on current racing profiles. The expansive drop transom is a feature shared with many modern cruisers along with twin wheels and a foldout sunbed in the cockpit. It’s the design innovations in the interior that sets the Dufour 500 Grand Large apart.
May 15, 2015
Azimut Magellano 43
Italy’s Azimut Yachts was founded in 1969 but the company’s line of vessels is something of a novelty to Canadian boaters, with only two authorized dealers here and a handful of boats on the water so far. The introduction of the Magellano 43, however, may see that change. The 43 is the smallest of the Magellano line — the Magellano 76 and 50 were introduced a few years ago, and the 66 is launching this year. The 43 hits a sweet spot in the marketplace, being large enough to offer plenty of room on board for entertaining and family cruising, yet small enough to allow easy handling by a couple.
April 21, 2015
Beneteau Gran Turismo 35
For the Canadian Yachting readers who are not yet familiar with Beneteau’s broad range of power boat models, the Gran Turismo 35 may come as a bit of a surprise. Our test boat is a head-on competitor to the North American built express cruisers and the latest day boats that are coming on the market.
March 16, 2015
Neptunus 63 – A Sneak Peak
These pictures are a sneak preview of the new Neptunus 63, which will launch in September and be highlighted in Canadian Yachting’s January/February 2016 Boat Show Issue.
March 16, 2015
Bavaria Cruiser 37
Bavaria Yachts pride themselves in their German traditions of craftsmanship, efficiency, and excellence in quality, engineering and performance. Like many German manufacturers they strive to continuously improve. Efficiency and precision are enhanced at Bavaria through the use robotic automation in the manufacturing process. The company was a pioneer in using assembly line techniques in yacht production. In conjunction with Farr Yacht Design, the Bavaria design team create laminate and reinforcement plans for each design based on individual yacht load profiles. The result is a structural bulkhead which gets fitted into the hull to very precise tolerances. You can see pieces of this structure in storage compartments.
March 6, 2015
Hanse 575
As a semi-recent transplant to the Pacific Northwest from New England’s historic waters, I was thrilled to learn that the boating season here in Seattle is much longer than it is back East, provided, of course, that your boat is up to the task. While our summer months here at 48 degrees north are characterized by massive high-pressure systems that park-up over the Olympic Peninsula and Vancouver Island, delivering bluebird days that are void of any real breeze, our fall, winter and spring months offer plenty of pressure, usually combined with some lively seas, especially when the wind angle disagrees with the tide. This combination of distinctive seasonal weather, paired with the Pacific Northwest’s (in)famous rain and grey, rewards cruising boats that offer some on-deck protection from the elements, as well as a comfortable saloon and galley for après sailing, once the sails have been furled and the cabin heater has been switched on.