Beneath The Waves: Map The Gaps

By Mark Stevens

Photos by Map the Gaps

I first met fellow Canadians Tim Kearns and Colin Thomson last year when the three of us were racing around the Caribbean island of Bequia during St. Vincent and Grenadines’ Sailing Week.

When we began to chat between bouts of winch-grinding I was immediately intrigued.

I was here to report on this series of races and nightly celebrations, while Kearns and Thompson were drumming up support for an initiative with a huge impact.

They’re committed to exploring the part of the earth’s surface that lurks beneath the waves and to raise awareness about the urgent need to learn about the environment under the sea, specifically by playing a role in facilitating the mapping of the seabed.

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?
Kearns is founder and Executive Director of a non-profit organization called Map the Gaps. Thomson is a strategic advisor, having supported the company since 2022.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of this article FREE in the digital version of Canadian Boating Summer 2026


Related Articles


Bennington 22 MSB

By Andy Adams

If you’ve already had firsthand experience with a pontoon, you will easily understand the appeal of the Bennington 22 MSB. But if you haven’t, let’s start by reviewing a few of the reasons why pontoon boats have become top sellers in markets across North America.

Pontoon boats began in the early 1950s as basically four steel drums lashed to a frame. They were not unlike the log rafts of ancient cultures and not much more sophisticated at first.

Read More


Destinations

The Best of Two Worlds

By Mathew Channer

Interior British Columbia might not be as famous for recreational boating as Canada’s Great Lakes, yet it is no less a world-class boat­ing destination. The mountains offer their own flavour of marine adventure with their series of long, deep ribbon lakes, and there is perhaps no area that embodies this more uniquely than the iconic Okanagan basin in southern B.C. One could be forgiven for assuming this valley was purpose-built for nautical fun, with a few delightful perks thrown in to make the area entirely irresistible (wine-tasting, anyone?).

Read More