OnBoard Update

Raft-Up

Photo: Lissa Maslen

Aug 22, 2024

The news from here is pretty great. As we enter the off-season (don’t hate me, I am only the messenger) in a couple of months, Canadian Boating’s OnBoard digest is booming. Our subscriber base has really expanded over the summer so we are now even further ahead as the country’s leading online source of Canadian boating information. BTW, if some of your friends are not yet on the subscriber list, they can easily get aboard for free at this link.

Our goal is to cover the entire boating spectrum – power, sail, cruising, racing – in every sort of boat that our Canadian readers enjoy. I was recently speaking with the owners of LazyBones, a 41-foot cruiser that in some ways tells the whole story. In the photo, you can see that they are welcoming a packed cockpit full of friends on a sunny afternoon. Their boat lives in a Hamilton Harbour Marina and they are members of the adjacent Royal Hamilton Yacht Club. Mike and Lissa’s tastes and activities encompass many aspects of boating; they even took their SeaRay along on a GHYRA (that’s Golden Horseshoe Racing) for a fine time and contribute to the club’s social committee. (Join Lazybones at their upcoming Raft-UP.

Recently visiting at Mimico Cruising Club in the GTA, it’s interesting to see that that the mix of power and sail adds to the club’s summer. Cruises, club racing and just hanging out on the dock draw friends from every dock for active hospitality. So many marinas and clubs are adopting that model of working as a boating and social venue so we can squeeze max enjoyment out of that all-too-short season. We are here to cover the ride, twice a month, year round.

John Morris, Online Editor

Related Articles


Boston Whaler 350 Realm

By Andy Adams

You might be dreaming of an adventure boat, or a luxury cruiser, or maybe a serious fishing platform. You might dream of an overnight exploration boat, or a boat that entertains a big group of friends or family. Whatever your ambitions, the features and appointments, and the stellar performance of the Boston Whaler 350 Realm, equipped with triple Mercury Verado V10-cylinder 425 horsepower engines, feels like it could do just about anything. It’s the Great Entertainer.

Read More


Destinations

The Whitsunday Islands

By Mathew Channer

On my first day as a commercially registered yacht captain, I sailed a Fontaine Pajot 38 catamaran from mainland Australia across the Whitsunday Passage to the western shores of the world-famous Whitsunday islands.

We cruised northeast on a 15-knot beam reach… perfect catamaran sailing conditions, watching the hazy shapes of the islands colourize and morph into crescent beaches, jungled ridgelines and rocky outcrops. 

Read More