CYOB Inbox: March 25, 2021

Oceanvolt

Mar 25, 2021

Electric boats?

Hi John,

Great issue.  I’ve got Spring Fever too, going over to pat my 1968 Shark24 every week.

I am writing to say how I like the electric piece. (What You Need to Know Before Buying an Electric Sailboat March 11 CYOB)

 I chartered a Dufour 42 out of Comox, BC two summers ago.  We had another type of calamity due to electric battery.  When winding up our anchor a bad splice jammed the windlass and blew the main fuse.  We were in a remote isolation Sound area and all our nav gear was out.  Luckily a “sparky” in a marina diagnosed our problem.  We called the charterer and told him to bring a new fuse, pronto.  He wanted us to cross the circuit with a coat hanger!!  Not a chance since if we blew out the sophisticated nav then we get stung for the replacement.

I’ll stick with my 8 HP Yamaha (which I rarely use, being old school).

Stay safe and happy

Cheers

Barrie

Barrie Gilbert, PhD
Conservation Ecologist and Author of One of Us: A Biologist’s Walk Among Bears
Wolfe Island, Ontario

 

 

We Miss You Canada: 

Sailing on and around Canadian waters is a normal benefit of the region we live in.  We have many Canadian sailing friends who are integral to our competition and enjoyment of the sport.  We long for the time when the border will reopen and we can reconnect with our northern neighbors. 

This is especially true for us here in WNY since our weekly racing activities involve boats from both sides.  Personally, we can’t wait to take our grandchildren over to Toronto by boat, as we enjoyed doing ourselves when we were kids and then with our sons.  Nobody can predict the future of the border situation but we are keeping fingers crossed that sometime this year we will have some sort of opening at least.  

Don Finkle
RCR Yachts Racers’ newsletter
Youngstown, NY

 

 

 

You can reach our Inbox at CYonboard@kerrwil.com

Related Articles

  • POTW: Paddle to Picton

    August 27, 2026 Our striking Photo of the Week comes from Anton (Tony) Pickard, Professor, Design and Visual Arts at Georgian College, Barrie ON. “This photo was taken at Lock 11-12 Ranney Falls in Campbellford on the Trent-Severn Waterway. July 7, 2026. “The paddler is Luci Dilkus who completed a 500 km solo kayak trip from Tiny…

  • POTW: Shocking!

    August 13, 2026 Shane Griffin caught this Photo of the Week lightning strike perfectly. “The photo was taken at Marina Del Rey in Ramara (Orillia)  facing 332° NW down the channel that leads to Mc Phee bay from my slip.  “I boat mainly on Lake Simcoe but travel the Trent annually in some direction north…

  • POTW: Kids Ride the Wave

    June 25, 2026 SailGP fan, Mike Smith caught the kids breaking the rule while parents took pictures at the Halifax Pier ‘s ornamental concrete wave. The sculpture is meant to celebrate the connection to the sea but it provides a superb climbing and sliding fun spot for kids from all over the world.  Perhaps they…

  • The Boat’s Motor…

    June 11, 2026 By Jerry King Growing up, Jerry spent many years on a boat on Canadian lakes with his grandfather inspiring him to create a lot of boating cartoons. Jerry also offers some great techniques for your cartooning ambitions. Get his book here


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