May 9, 2013
Grilled Pepper Salmon with Pineapple Salsa
You will need: Salsa Fresh pineapple Red pepper Cilantro Red pepper flakes Brown sugar
May 9, 2013
Grilled Lobster stuffed with scallops and shrimp and calamari with citrus butter
Grilled Lobster stuffed with scallops and shrimp and calamari with citrus butter 2 Lobsters 2 pounds each cut in half 8 Shrimp jumbo, peeled and de-veined 8 Sea Scallops Jumbo 4 Calamari tubes cut into ½ inch rings
May 9, 2013
Saturna Cioppino with Calamari
This recipe is adapted from Seasonings: Flavours of the Southern Gulf Islands by Andrea and Spalding (Harbour Publishing 2012), who credit it to Chef Hubertus Surm of the Saturna Café. The base is easy to make and refrigerate overnight, then serve with fresh West Coast seafood. We enjoyed it first with halibut, spot prawns, scallops and mussels, then saved the leftover stew for a second meal with calamari (squid). Squid is delicious, quick to prepare, and will travel well frozen in your boat’s new portable freezer. Freezing and thawing also helps tenderize squid meat. We found this dish especially tasty the second night, when the flavours of stew and seafood had time to blend.
May 9, 2013
Blue Pacific Mussels with White Wine
This dish is best served with a green salad dressed with oil and Balsamic vinegar. White Wine: Dry if possible. Chateau Screw Top is O.K. to mix with the nectar Pasta; fresh if you’ve got it, dry if you haven’t. Linguini is traditional, but any pasta will do. Butter if desired Olive oil, cold pressed extra virgin if possible. Your local food coop or natural food store may have it in bulk for less than the big chain gets for lower quality oil. Extra virgin olive oil has more flavour.
May 9, 2013
Oysters with Chipotle Hot Sauce
Oysters with Chipotle Hot Sauce Shuck Oysters or steam them open, squeeze on a drop of fresh lemon or lime, dip in the sauce and gulp ‘em on down. The smoky flavour of the Chipotle peppers fits oysters perfectly. Chipotle hot sauce; Chipotle peppers have a wonderful smoky flavour. Mix (with the hand blender in a bowl) a small can of Chipotle Peppers with a can of unflavoured tomato paste. Add water and the juice of one lemon, to the desired thickness for a hot sauce. It’s still plenty hot and it keeps for a month in the refrigerator. For
May 9, 2013
Caribbean Tropical Shrimp
My name is Tatiana Zanardi, I’m Brazilian and I live in a sail catamaran called Ocean Eyes – a Voyage 43 2000 – with my husband Alcides Falanghe. We moved from Sao Paulo to the boat two years ago and we don’t regret one second of our decision. We have been sailing around Caribbean, from BVI till Aruba, stopping by almost all the islands in the Eastern Caribbean. When I have guests on board I like to serve this dish as the first one, to give them a taste of the Caribbean . They love it and in just a few minutes they are all relaxed and enjoying their vacations. The best place to serve it is in Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean, a paradise for divers and for everybody who loves nature.
May 9, 2013
Sheryl Shard’s Mexican Appetizer
I use this recipe a lot aboard Distant Shores since it is attractive, flavourful and easy to prepare at a moment’s notice from mostly canned and bottled goods that can be stored on board long-term. Adjust amounts slightly to suit the size and type of serving dish you choose to serve it in. I use a 6″ x 8″ x 2″ glass casserole dish (pictured) to show off the layers of ingredients. Everything is prepared in the dish you serve it in so preparation doesn’t mean a lot of dishes to wash up afterwards. Not only does this save water, it leaves you time to relax and enjoy your time on the boat.
May 8, 2013
Balsamic Beets and Goat’s Cheese Crostini
When beets are roasted, their natural sweetness is heightened and concentrated. In this recipe, their flavour is balanced by the sharp tang of goat’s cheese. We use the beautiful chèvres from the Salt Spring Island Cheese Company. The pairing is served on crostini to create a hearty, hand-held appetizer. To reduce your on-board preparation time, we suggest cooking the beets at home in advance.
April 5, 2013
Sailing with the Wind
Is it the journey that counts – or the destination? My wife Sandy and I are avid sailors, although for many years we didn’t actually own a boat. To get our sailing fix, we simply chartered yachts in a variety of destinations. Typically, we would follow routes suggested by the charter company, always returning to the home marina within a week or two. And often, especially on our last day, our course would be directly into the wind, requiring us to beat, motor or both.
April 4, 2013
Protecting BC’s Gulf Islands
Many Canadian Yachting readers have likely experienced the beauty of British Columbia’s Gulf Islands. Nestled between Vancouver Island and the mainland, this archipelago of more than 450 islands and islets offers calm seas, a gentle climate and stunning landscapes. What many visitors may not notice are the immense pressures on this much-loved area and the work of numerous conservation groups to save these fragile ecological jewels for all British Columbians and visitors.
March 8, 2013
Rideau and Trent Severn – Trouble on Ontario’s Canal Systems
Many newspaper headlines appeared in the spring of 2012 with these two names highlighted. The Rideau, a recently designated World Heritage Site, and the Trent Severn, with a combined age of 325 years, were designated as transportation routes until 1972 when the Federal Cabinet moved canal operations from the Department of Transport to Parks Canada. In March of 2012, during Federal budget deliberations, Parks Canada (PC) was given a budget reduction target of $29.2M over 3 years.
March 8, 2013
Back at the 15th Street Fisheries
The “Must Do” Restaurant Experience at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is one of my favourite events each year but I’m never really sure if it’s the show itself or the fact that we always book a dinner at the 15th Street Fisheries when we are there. Next October, or anytime for that matter, if you’re planning a trip to Fort Lauderdale, lovers of fine fish and seafood need to schedule a visit to the 15th Street Fisheries.
March 8, 2013
Wicked Oysters
Easy to collect and prepare, fresh, wild oysters are one of the pleasures of cruising the BC coast. One of my favourite things about cruising BC’s south coast is the local seafood. And nothing beats a few oysters! It was late August and we opted for a dock day at Lagoon Cove Marina on East Cracroft Island because it was overcast and drizzling. We were getting to know new cruising friends at the dock, swapping stories and experiences, when I casually asked if anyone would eat a few oysters if I barbecued them. There was a combination of enthusiasm and skepticism – because oysters are not native to the Broughton Archipelago.
February 6, 2013
Rowing My Own Boat
Fifty years ago, my parents bought a cottage on Gambier Island in BC’s Howe Sound. Facing the snowy Lions to the east and the undeveloped north side of Bowen Island, the tiny cabin – replete with mice, horsehair-stuffed furnishings and antique oil lamps – was accessible only by boat. My parents bought a 17’ clinker boat made by Elia Boat Works in Vancouver, and powered it with a Johnson outboard from Woodward’s Marine. They were set.
November 30, 2012
Feeding the Inner Sailor
Even the simplest galley can produce great food, like these cinnamon buns… A well-fed crew is a happy crew, we say aboard Eleuthera Soleil, our 24ʹ twin-keel British Snapdragon. Robert and I both love to cook. Our galley is utterly simple: a Dickinson diesel stove with an oven, and a stainless steel Lagoustina pressure cooker. We cook as often as possible out in our canvas-enclosed cockpit, on our two-burner Origo alcohol stove, to minimize condensation.
November 29, 2012
Frankly Scallop, I don’t give a clam!
As the Galley Guys travel about we meet great people who share our joy for being on the water — sharing food and wine, and partaking in a little dinnertime storytelling. This particular gastronomic event was in the making for months and began with the mention of Digby scallops and a scheduled trip to Canada’s ocean playground, Nova Scotia. One of these great people is honorary Galley Guy, Jim Grove, who along with his most delightful wife, Dudley, proposed a scallop recipe that he has been tweaking for years.
November 21, 2012
The Voyage of Free Spirit V: Northbound!
Our first summer cruise aboard Free Spirit V changed our lives and introduced us to places and challenges we could never have imagined. Rob and I were complete novices when we bought our first boat, Free Spirit V, a 1991 Kadey Krogen 42 foot full-displacement trawler, in December 2010. Still, we wanted to follow friends north for a 10-week cruise the following summer. Bringing our knowledge and skills up to standard would mean a lot of winter cruising. Between December and the end of May 2011, with our reluctant standard poodle, Blue, in tow, we clocked almost 100 engine hours, and many of them weren’t pretty.
September 27, 2012
Tales of a Catcherman
Did I mention how much I hate standing in the rain in a seaway…fishing? Messing around in boats has been our passion for almost 30 years. Corinne and I currently spend our summers cruising the Pacific Northwest in our American Tug 41, Ocean Mistress. We have a passion for finding new and remote anchorages. We love to explore. About 10 years ago we began adding other activities to our cruising agenda. We do a lot of hiking into the remote areas of British Columbia’s rainforest, and we add to our cruising larder with a little fishing.
September 27, 2012
The Voyage of Free Spirit V – Starting From Scratch
Bitten by boating bug, the author and her husband choose a rugged 42’ passagemaker and start their climb up a steep learning curve…In the beginning…we lived on the prairies. We did not know a tide from a current but we harboured a dream of moving west, where we could see the ocean every day. We had spent a lot of time in Vancouver and, as the possibility of moving there drew near, we felt the urge to be out on the water – not just to look at it.
September 27, 2012
This One’s For You, Tolly
Yacht builder and boater’s boater, the late ‘Tolly’ Tollefson is remembered at a place he loved, Princess Louisa Inlet Princess Louisa Inlet is a narrow cleft in British Columbia’s Coast Range mountains, a four-mile-long appendage near the upper end of Jervis Inlet, 40 miles from Pender Harbour. Dark granite walls rise to peaks 3,000 feet above the surface and plunge straight into the inlet to depths of 600 feet. Beautiful waterfalls fed by snowfields on the heights above wash the rock walls year-round, but the waterfalls are more numerous and more dramatic during peak snow melt in the spring. At the head of the inlet, Chatterbox Falls bursts out, creating a stunning background for boat photos.
September 27, 2012
Our Four-Legged Crew
The perfect crew, Kona the Mastiff is always ready for adventure and never fails to entertain. Watching our boat Sea Foam steam up a channel in the early morning, an observer might notice many things: the red dinghy towing in our wake, the yellow and red kayaks on the pilothouse roof, her salty cabin and graceful lines. But you definitely won’t miss the mastiff riding on the bow. At 120 pounds, Kona is heavier than our largest storm anchor, roughly the same size as our engine and by far the best conversation piece in our 40-foot home. Again and again, we are asked the inevitable question, “Why not get a smaller dog?”
September 12, 2012
Wining, Dining and Playing at Niagara-on-the-Lake
If you truly love great food, or if you are a fancier of great wine, or if great theatre stirs your intellect, then seek out Niagara-on-the-Lake and indulge yourself in this wonderful playground. You may have noticed that we used the conjunction “or” several times in the opening sentence. This conjunction is used to link two or more alternatives – very appropriate for Niagara-on-the-Lake where there are so many alternatives and choices in dining, tasting and culture that our biggest challenge was deciding where to begin. Also, we are in the land of the Shaw Festival and we are trying to appear somewhat “learned.”
August 30, 2012
Our home and Native Boat
The 2012 C&C Yachts Reunion and Conference Brings Canada’s Greatest Sailboat Brand Back to Life. Is there a C&C on your dock? Yes. Did you ever race against a C&C? Likely. Do you own a C&C? Did you ever own one? The chances are extremely high that we have now included every one of the Canadian sailors and crew out there in the Canadian Yachting Nation. Each and every one of us has certainly had contact with this famous brand. I don’t own one, but I race against a C&C 27 and a Viking 28 every Wednesday.
August 1, 2012
Great Meal with a Slight Hiccup!
The Galley Guys are dedicated to the pursuit of happiness through the pleasure of connecting with good friends over great times centered around yachting and dining together on board. We all have our favorite meals and perhaps you have something special you like to make when you’re on board. This time, the Galley Guys went with John Armstrong’s favorite meal. He decided he wanted to treat us to the rich and delicious flavor of braised Lamb Shanks on a bed of German Spaetzle and covered with a flavorful onion garlic sauce.
April 19, 2012
The Galley Guys Go To C
The Galley Guys have heard it said that, “If you are lucky enough to be boating, then you are lucky enough”. This past week, in the middle of a squall, in 90 kilometre winds, three Canadian sailors (one was only nine years old) were rescued in the Pacific Ocean by the 240 metre freighter, Horizon Reliance, belonging to the North Carolina company Horizon Lines Inc. Nearing hypothermia, the three were plucked from the sea, from darkness, heavy rain and six metre waves. Here on the stormy ocean were incredible acts of bravery, courage, skill, unselfishness and luck. "The rescue efforts cost will be covered by Horizon Lines", Spokesman James Story said. “It's part of our obligations as seafarers.”
February 27, 2012
Canal Boating in the Alsace – One Lock at a Time
Dear Galley Guy Andy, Wish You Were Here! Sometimes in the life of a Galley Guy, opportunities to travel to great places just happen. However, sadly, sometimes life just gets in the way. This year, our friends at Le Boat offered the Galley Guys a canal boat to cruise through the Alsace region of France to savour the food and wines of this spectacular and lush corner of Eastern France. Unfortunately Andy’s “menu card” had already been committed for this summer, so sadly we left without him. John and Greg, along with wives Linda and & Katie, cleansed our palates and headed off to France in search of new culinary adventures.
February 10, 2012
The Galley Guys in Chester: Making Julia Proud!
Chester Race Week. What more can a Galley Guy say? Lots of boats. Top notch race committee work. Full on competitive racing. Fantastic people. Too much wind. Not enough wind. Mega rain. Hot and steamy weather. Spectacular scenery. Fun parties. Lots of handshakes. Big-time hugs. And a non-stop supply of Goslings dark rum in a concoction called Dark & Stormies (note the use the plural form). Old friends. New friends. First-time stories. Stories that you may have heard once or twice before.
October 26, 2011
A Sharpie and a Turkey
The Galley Guys have an idea, take out a sharpie and draw a big large circle on your calendar around October 10th, 2011, Thanksgiving Day. Consider this circle a waypoint for your boating season. Maybe even draw an arrow pointing to the circle as a statement that you are taking full measure of both the joy and beauty of your boat and the aboard companionship of friends and family. Many of our friends consider the passing of Labour Day as the hard stop of the season and resign themselves to shutting down for the winter.
October 18, 2011
The Galley Guys Go Cruising For Potluck
What is the etiquette for a potluck dinner? Should you bring a pot roast? Would fortune cookies bring luck? How about something more exotic? For example, a harpooned Canadian swordfish? Why not? Under glorious sunny skies, led by club Commodore Peter Rourke and his wife, along with Cruising Commanders Eva Robinson and her partner Trevor McAlpine, 31 boats set out from the Port Credit Yacht Club for an enjoyable, but short cruise east to the islands of Toronto Harbour on a recent Friday afternoon.
September 7, 2011
Emerging Risks – Boating and the Environment
RSA Insurance and the World Wildlife Fund report on emerging risks as a result of environmental change. The disaster unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico has made abundantly clear the increasing environmental risks to our shoreline. While, as recreational boaters we are directly effected by these risks, the issues are wide ranging, extremely complicated and of importance to everyone no matter where they live, since we will all be affected. Offshore drilling is just one challenge that will have to be faced along with increased shipping and aquaculture, and of course rising sea levels. On June 8, World Oceans Day, RSA Insurance in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released a global report on the marine risks that are emerging as a result of environmental change.
September 7, 2011
Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) – What Are They – What Can You Do?
By definition, an alien species is a plant or animal occurring in an area outside of its known natural habitat as a result of accidental or intentional introduction by human activities. An alien species is considered invasive if its introduction and spread causes harm to the environment, society or economy. Throughout history human activities including settlement and trade have caused the introduction of aquatic invasive species (AIS) quite often to the detriment of native ecosystems. Over 200 non-native species of plant and aquatic life have become established in the Great Lakes; this number grows annually.
September 7, 2011
The Environment and the Community of Boaters
“If you work hard at keeping your marina clean, green and safe, your boaters will too. There is absolutely nothing to match the effect of leading by example” according to Hub Steenbakkers, the proprietor of Collins Bay Marina in Kingston, Ontario. “It is more than setting or enforcing rules, it is all about educating boaters in the critical role they play in maintaining the environment and setting expectations that become the social norm for behaviour.” At Collins Bay Marina, caring for the environment is an essential part of their business.
September 7, 2011
Boating on the Green Side in BC
In many sectors there’s a developing interest in all things environmental and the boating community is no exception. Boaters are taking more of an interest to what is happening in their cruising areas – and in “Beautiful British Columbia” there is much current interest. High on the list is the new pollution prevention regulation under the Canada Shipping Act. The regulation caused a serious uproar before it was made into law, as it seemed to be drafted with big ships in mind rather than small vessels – and because the bureaucrats in Ottawa appeared to have ignored some major recommendations of the west coast work group.
September 7, 2011
Georgian Bay Land Trust
Anyone who has ever sailed the waters of Georgian Bay is familiar with the iconic trees that line the shore and dot the islands. Sculpted by the prevailing west winds, they stand arched and graceful yet still solid and defiant and in their struggle with the harsh climate and sparse soil scattered amidst the prehistoric granite of the Canadian Shield. The Georgian Bay Land Trust (GBLT) was founded in 1997 to help preserve not only the famed trees of Georgian Bay but also the entire ecology of the unique archipelago that makes up the Eastern Channel and North Shore.
September 7, 2011
The International Joint Commission – Controlling Your Great Lakes Water
There are winners and there are losers and sometimes there’s just mud. Which to an environmentalist might be okay, if it means healthy wetlands, but to a boater mud spells disaster. Welcome to the contentious Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River water levels issue that the International Joint Commission (IJC) is tackling. At first glance it seems, well…clear as mud. The commission is trying to balance the interests of municipal water supplies, hydro-electric power generation, environmentalists, commercial navigation, recreational boating and riparian (waterfront property owners) concerns.
September 7, 2011
Asian Carp: A New Challenge for the Great Lakes
Zebra muscles, lampreys, fertilizer runoff, chemicals, low water levels. The list of challenges facing the Great Lakes is a long and worrisome one. Many thousands of people depend on the health of the lakes for their livelihood and many millions are directly affected by their condition. Now the Great Lakes may be on the verge of playing host to some new and unwelcome guests. The Asian Carp are on the move and a lot of people are very worried indeed. Although the carp’s jumping antics have made it a You Tube star, it is their voracious appetite and efficient breeding that have many environmentalists, fishermen and recreational industry experts fearing the worst. That the Asian Carp represent a threat to the lakes is not in dispute, but just how much of a threat and what to do about it, is hotly contested.
September 7, 2011
North America’s Great Lakes – Where’s the Water Going?
Lots of Stakeholders in Lake Water Levels In recent years low water levels on the Great Lakes have boaters and waterfront property owners looking for answers. North America’s Great Lakes hold about 18% of all the surface fresh water on earth and the Great Lakes Basin is home to some 40 million people. From these facts you can be certain of two things: 1) What happens to the lakes is incredibly important and 2) figuring out exactly what is happening to them is incredibly complicated. The 774,000 square kilometers of the Great Lakes Basin includes parts of eight US states and Canada’s largest province, ensuring that lots of different governments, agencies, and interest groups, all want to have their say.
September 7, 2011
Environment Matters
When it comes to matters of our environment, it is action not rhetoric that makes the difference. Going green, protecting and or improving the environment, reducing emissions, greenhouse gas…how many times have you heard or read these words in the past year or two? There is plenty of rhetoric in the media but in terms of real action, how are boaters affected by environmental concerns?
September 2, 2011
Galley Guys 43°15’N, 79°04’W
On a really clear day, from my homeport of the Port Credit Yacht Club, you can just see Niagara-on-the-Lake, one of the most popular cruising destinations in Canada. The trip to Niagara takes about an hour by car or about five hours under sail, most of the time. Niagara-on-the-Lake, the site of the first meeting of the leaders of Upper Canada beckons boaters of all stripes to cruise and enjoy the best that Lake Ontario has to offer as a cruising destination. The Galleys Guys began their voyage optimistically wanting to do a story on the Niagara Peninsula but came to a quick realization that their eyes were bigger than their stomachs.