June 1, 2020
Krates Marina
Canadians are blessed when it comes to access to the water and to the boating lifestyle. In centres like Victoria, Vancouver, Halifax, Montreal and Toronto, you can literally take a city bus to the marina or yacht club.
May 27, 2020
POTW: Hooray – Family group back on board!!
It’s a COVID moment we will likely all remember. Our photo of the week of Sarah and Chris was taken just a few days ago when they finally got their Rinker launched. You can see the joy these boaters.
May 26, 2020
Bill Norrie: Around the world
The seasoned sailor mapped out an ambitious course around the world — aboard his 28-foot Bristol Channel Cutter yacht dubbed Pixie, Norrie would sail away from Vancouver Island to the Southern Ocean for a year-long solo circumnavigation of the planet.
May 26, 2020
People: Meet Ben Gartside
Ben grew up in the family boat yard in Cornwall, in the UK, and started his career in the marine industry at a Yanmar main dealership in 1980. When the family moved to Sidney in 1982 he took apprenticeship training in Marine Diesel Repair, subsequently opening Gartside Marine Engines in 1988.
May 26, 2020
Blog: So much for a clean wake
Clean wake: A concept amongst cruising sailors that stresses the impact that individual behaviour has on the group. Bad actions will reflect upon those who follow and potentially poison perceptions for generations.
May 13, 2020
POTW: Ready to go
This line-up of Beneteaus can to us from our friends at RCR Yachts in NY State where they are getting launched. Tarps nicely folded and gleaming, the boats are eager.
May 13, 2020
Pitoraq: Deck Repairs Part 2
As another harsh Victoria winter came to a close, the deck repair and refinishing continued with Pitoraq in the water but still under her shrink wrap cover.
April 21, 2020
CYOB Inbox: We need Patrick Hardy’s message
This story about Richard Reid in the Star is startling. Toronto area sailor, Richard is a champion in B36.7, also sails Farr boats, has has helmed a J/80 and more.
April 21, 2020
VOTW: April 23, 2020
Our Video of the Week comes from a time of lockdown from D. Danger, our own man of adventure. Setting off for Spain, he ended up unable to continue and sends this report about facing hardship in a foreign land.
April 21, 2020
Ontario Boat Builders: Peterborough Canoe
The Peterborough Canoe Company was formed in 1892 and began production the following year after building a new factory complex at the corner of King and Water Streets. It was a successor of sorts to the Ontario Canoe Co., which had closed after its shop burned down in the spring of 1892.
April 21, 2020
Helly Hansen Sailor of the Month: Katie Coleman Nicoll
It’s been no secret that we have been thrown into a tumultuous ride. Stopping regular life as we knew it and being forced to stay home put a huge wrench into society and plans that have been made over the years.
April 7, 2020
POTW: April 9, 2020
On one of the sunny days we had recently, Kyle MacTaggart in Honey Harbour ON fired up the Merc to get in the mood. Will we be out there on the water any time soon, Kyle? Thanks for the photo!!!!
April 7, 2020
Pitoraq: “Windward 30” – the process
For all those OnBoard subscribers who have followed along with the maintenance, repairs and upgrades to the 1979 Windward 30 called Pitoraq, we would like to take a step back to when this all began in late fall at the onset of the winter months at the Canadian Forces Sailing Association in Esquimalt.
April 7, 2020
Club update: Standing by, Ladner style
The marina basin is owned by the club and accommodates 100 vessels. There are approximately 50 members moored at the marina, the remaining slips are rented to the public.
March 25, 2020
VOTM: Yikes!!! Gear up for disaster
We all know that having the right clothing for boating makes a world of difference. Bowman extraordinaire and CYOB correspondent D. Danger Mitchele demonstrates the proper use of foul weather equipment in this short video. You won’t want to miss it.
March 25, 2020
POTW: A sign of the times
We hardly need tell you about the pandemic but it’s worth noting that the marine industry is acting to mitigate the situation where it can. That makes this Photo of the Week an ultra timely. Let’s hope we can take these signs down soon.
March 24, 2020
Congratulations to the Helly Hansen Sailor of the Month – Tim Irwin
If you’ve been to CORK, you’ve probably seen Tim Irwin. Whether he was organizing volunteers, managing gear, helping at the launch ramp, out on the water, or just walking through the boat park, he has always been an instrumental part of events in Kingston.
March 24, 2020
Danger in Spain
This wasn’t part of the plan. Four months ago, I was in Miami. A friend of mine, a fellow Canadian, had bought a boat and was planning to head out around the world. Given that she had absolutely no sailing experience, she asked me to come along.
March 10, 2020
Sarah Douglas named 2019 Rolex Sailor of the Year!
Last Friday at the Carlu in Toronto, Sarah Douglas from Ashbridges Bay Yacht Club was honoured with the most prestigious national sailing award of the year.
March 10, 2020
POTW: Woo Baby!
This issue’s Photo of the Week comes from reader Phil Vogler in the Maritimes who found a photo on a woodworking site. But a quick look on other sites turned up a whole lot of baby on davits ideas. Rock a bye seagoing baby.
February 26, 2020
POTW: Canadian Sailing Development Squad – Laser Radial Women
This brilliant shot comes to us from professional shooter Elle Bruce. These four sailors are aiming to join the Canadian National Team and (let’s hope it happens!) win hardware at the Tokyo Olympics.
February 26, 2020
Meet Doug Anderson, Marine Service Tech apprentice student
Doug’s pathway to a career in marine service is a unique one. A few years ago, as his retirement date with the Canadian Armed Forces drew closer, Doug began planning an exit strategy to transition into a productive civilian life.
February 25, 2020
Bruce Kirby wins Laser judgment
In 1969, Canadian Bruce Kirby designed the Laser one-person sailboat that has revolutionized racing and is a huge part of international competition. The Laser became an Olympic-class boat at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
February 25, 2020
Helly Hansen Sailor of the Month – Pat and Lynn Lortie
In 2008, Pat and Lynn Lortie said goodbye to their everyday life to pursue their dream; making their way into the Great Loop and head out on a three-year sailing odyssey.
February 11, 2020
POTW: When and If
This issue’s Photo of the Week comes from Emily Sipe wintering in Key West. (What a great idea!)
January 22, 2020
POTW: Now this is Revolutionary
Our Photo of the Week comes from AJ Twist in Montreal who was getting away from the off-season in Cuba when he saw this wall mural of the Granma, the decrepit boat that brought Fidel, Ché and the others to begin the revolution. It’s the stuff of legend in Cuba!
January 21, 2020
Keeping a good boat in good repair Part 2
With old boats every repair seems to uncover something else needing attention. Removing the top rudder bearing and enlarging the opening for the new bearing revealed an area of wet balsa core.
January 21, 2020
Helly Hansen Sailor of the Month: Tom Ramshaw
Canadian Sailing Team member, Tom Ramshaw, put his training to the test at the 2019 Finn Gold Cup in Melbourne, Australia last month. Competing against some of the best Finn sailors in the world, this event saw various conditions, from being stuck ashore with no wind to record-breaking 40C days with 15 knots.
January 8, 2020
From the Helm of Adamant 1 – Blog 32 – January 2020
Hello and Happy New Year. I’m back with a recap of our three-year journey. I must apologize for being so late with this, but life has a way of messing up even the best laid plans.
January 8, 2020
POTW: OMG more squirrels
We admit it, this Photo of the Week shot was just too cute to resist even though it was blatant promotion from the Boat Show. Yes, it’s Twiggy doing what squirrels do every day in their natural habitat, water-skiing, captured by Dave Sanford.
January 8, 2020
CYOB Inbox: January 9, 2020
Thank you so much for all the boats you gave us over the years. We have all the White ones we need, all the Blue ones and all the Black ones. You gave us some with sticks in the air and others without. What a lot of choice!
December 27, 2019
The Secret Salmon Recipe – Finally Revealed!
It was during our annual trip to Nova Scotia that I was made aware of the special recipe for cooking salmon that was being held very tightly by an individual in Chester Nova Scotia. It was said that for several years this individual would show up at parties with this cooked salmon that became the centre of attention.
December 18, 2019
POTW: Paddleboard in Polynesia
Reader Lorraine Gentleman took some liberty with our request for Photo of the Week shots from the summer. Here’s hers “It’s always summer in French Polynesia – we’ve been cruising the past 3 years and enjoying being in Tahiti and Moorea.
December 18, 2019
CYOB Inbox: Side-power sneak preview
This may be of interest to you – the launch of the Side-power upcoming E-Vision series at the METS marine show at the end of November. This innovative motor technology is a new direction for Sleipner Motor and they are providing only “teasers” at this point in the product’s development.
December 3, 2019
POTW: The Head Honcho
We love the great signs that crop up in the boat business. This week’s Photo of the Week is one of the best from Emily taken in a Florida marina. Certainly this is one area of boating that doesn’t get sufficiently celebrated.
November 19, 2019
News Week Readers Sound The Alarm On Rising Great Lakes Water Levels
This is an urgent message from several News Week readers that action needs to be taken immediately, to lower the water levels in the Great Lakes. The International Joint Commission (IJC) is the body that has the authority to control the outflows of water through the Moses-Saunders Dam.
November 19, 2019
POTW November 21, 2019: Nap time
This afternoon portrait of her son enjoying a snooze in a pretty unlikely spot comes to us from contributor Laura Briscoe-Schell who boats with her family on Georgian Bay.
November 19, 2019
CYOB Inbox: Ideas and Arrows
I am a long time dinghy racer and have sailed all my life. When I retired to Saltspring Island on the West Coast (from Calgary and the Glenmore Sailing Club) I missed most the lack of good class racing in one-design boats.
November 19, 2019
H/H Sailor of the Month of November is Mark Lammens
On November 13 Sail Canada, the national governing body for the sport of sailing, announced Mark Lammens as the Helly Hansen Sailor of the Month.