Weather shmeather

Oct 12, 2023

One of our primary duties here at OnBoard is to chronicle the weather and its effect on the collective disposition of the boating community. It’s probably not helpful to point out that last week here in Ontario we had the AC on while this week the furnace is chugging. And haulout is Saturday, likely in driving rain.  Is this fair?

You’ve heard it all before of course. Why couldn’t Canada’s founding fathers (mothers?) have located the place in San Diego or South Carolina where we’d get less wind chill and a longer boating season.  It’s an incredible tribute to our True North spirit that we can get so much out of a brief six month season that we can manifest a full year’s enjoyment out of this truncated boating allocation.

Of course, we never tire of bitching about it. To be honest, it somewhat defines us. Tubing, cockpit parties, Wednesday night racing and coastal cruising screech to a halt each year when the Jays bomb out of the World Series. But by next spring we’re back at it with unbridled gusto.

Contributor Richard (D.) Mitchele and I were discussing the recent passing of Ced Gyles who served as commodore of RCYC and contributed mightily to our boating landscape. D shared a photo he took in 2017 of three passionate long-time 8-Metre skippers now passed – his dad Dick Mitchele who owned Thisbe, Joe Balogh of Quest and Ced Gyles who cherished Norseman.  “I took this shot in 2017. Those dudes raced each other for fifty years.” Not only that, but they also kept up their boats, which dated back to the 1920s, were made of wood, and were continuously pummeled on the racecourse. That’s dedication, especially in our ghastly climate.

John Morris
Online Editor

Related Articles


Canadian Boating’s 2025 Gallery of Great New Boats: Part 1

40 new boats you need to know about!

It’s boat show season! From cruisers to pontoons to deck boats, there are so many exciting new vessels hitting the market in 2025. Are you planning an upgrade? Or are you getting ready to buy your first boat? Whatever you’re looking for, the team at Canadian Boating Magazine is here to help. We’ve put together an expansive gallery of great new boats that we’re super excited about this boat show season. Whatever your boating style, we’ve got something for you!

Read More


Destinations

Destination: Trent Severn Waterway ONE MORE TIME!

By Greg Nicoll

Photos by Andy Adams and friends

Just when you thought you might never see the Galley Guys again, there they were waving from the flying bridge of a Le Boat Horizon 3 gliding down the Trent Severn Waterway (TSW) in the sun. Glorious!

In the past the Galley Guys have travelled far and wide to great locations to explore the good life on a boat. However, this year we stayed in our own backyard for a real treat; cruising The Trent Severn Waterway.

Read More