August 22, 2023
Boat Nerd: More Improvements to Our Winter Retreat
What are some of the improvements we’ve made to our Leo…
August 9, 2023
Boat Nerd: Improvements to Our Winter Retreat
What are some of the improvements we’ve made to our Leo…
November 24, 2022
Electric Yacht Conversion – Part II
This project started off in a way that many of us can relate to: Matt Bera and his family chose a boat that is perfect for them.
October 17, 2022
Going Electric to Cruise Lake Ontario: A family ditches the diesel
We settled Svala into what my family and I had come to think of as the most desirable anchorage on Lake Ontario, on a sunny summer afternoon. With an abandoned settlement, an old schoolhouse full of swallows, giant snakes and a rum-running past, Main Duck Island had it all.
June 7, 2022
Sail Tech: Slugs, Slides, and Boltrope
Sails are attached to the sailboat rig using several different systems. Let’s begin with mainsail. The most basic attachment is with a boltrope that fits into a mast groove. This is very secure, and the sail is very well supported along the luff edge.
June 22, 2021
Marc Robic’s DIY: Upgrading from manual to electric head
As bareboat charterers for many years now, most boats we’ve had the pleasure of renting had an electric head. Much to our enjoyment and that of our fellow passengers, they are super simple to operate and explaining how to use them is a breeze. Plus it’s a whole lot more pleasant than facing the bowl to pump!
April 6, 2021
Converting onboard icebox into a fridge/freezer
The desire or rather, the argument, to convince my wife (AKA First Mate) to convert our icebox to a fridge came after our first two trips onboard our Catalina 270, Aquaholic 3, up to the Thousand Islands from our home port in Montreal.
March 9, 2021
The Boat Nerd: Remote Boat monitoring
How do you know what’s happening with your boat when you’re not on board? This is especially trying in the Covid world we find ourselves in when many of us may not be able to get back to our boats!
January 8, 2020
1 way to put your anchor aweigh, er, away
This bag does more than hold your anchor and rode in one tidy little pile. After you’ve anchored you can dunk the whole thing – anchor, rode and bag – into the drink for a rinse, and then let it air dry before toting it back (in organized fashion) aboard the mother ship.
April 24, 2019
Improving WiFi on board
For less than US$2,500, Jim Leshaw, a lawyer who lives and works in Key Biscayne, Florida, installed an onboard wireless network that allows him to work from many remote locations.
May 11, 2016
Perfect Prop for your Purpose – Part 2
A propeller is only as effective as the rest of the drive system. This is a bold statement; but the two experts I talked with while researching…
March 17, 2016
Perfect Prop for your Purpose
This article is the first of 2 parts. Part 1 deals propellers for displacement boats and Part 2 will cover the rest of the drive train…
January 21, 2014
Boat-Shopping at the Shows
If you are new to boating, how do you start searching for the right boat at boat shows? We put the question to yacht brokers east and west.The benefit of the boat shows is that they allow buyers to explore all the options available to them. You get to look at sailboats and powerboats, small boats and big boats, and everything in between.
August 20, 2013
Aftermarket Joystick Docking for Twin Outboards
Absolutely and without a doubt, the biggest advance in boating in recent memory has been the introduction of joystick docking. With these new systems, first pioneered in recreational boating by Volvo Penta in their IPS pod drive systems, docking a large boat in tight quarters, windy conditions, or in strong current was transformed from a task that would challenge the most experienced captain to something a child could do. Children took to it almost immediately because joystick docking was so similar to their videogame controls and so intuitive to use; point the joystick in the direction you want the boat to go and it responds.
January 3, 2013
Boating with Thrusters
There are two kinds of people; those who have thrusters and those who want them! Recently, I was having a conversation with Jon Moles from Toronto Yacht Services and he mentioned how much consumer interest there was around installing bow or stern thrusters. He added that there are often attractive deals at the winter boat shows for smart shoppers who want to save a little money and also be ready to go at the start of the season. So, we set up a time when I could interview Jon and ask what consumers have been looking for from his perspective as the man who actually installs thruster systems.
September 12, 2012
Reusable Boat Covers
Investing in a reusable winter cover is a sound environmental choice and a practical way to facilitate winter maintenance on your boat. Over the past few decades, more and more boats in Canada have been put away for the winter under shrink wrap. Properly applied, shrink wrap seals the boat from water and intrusion by creatures, its slippery surface sheds snow (when we get it), and it resists wind and sun all winter. Shrink wrap can also be recycled quite effectively, and some shrink wrap suppliers have created programs to gather used wrap to ensure that it’s recycled and not disposed of in a landfill site.
March 14, 2012
Is It Time to Give Your Boat’s Interior a Fresh Look?
We all know what a fresh coat of paint can do for a room. The same holds true for the interiors of boats except instead of paint, you can introduce a new swatch of fabric that can do amazing things to a dining area, the salon and even a sleeping cabin. Not everyone can buy a new boat, but a relatively small investment and some taste can provide a fresh new look and feel…and it's not that hard to do.
October 18, 2011
Upgrading to Satellite TV
In keeping with our ‘extending the season’ theme for the September issue of Canadian Yachting magazine, we wanted to suggest "Upgrading to Satellite TV" systems for your boat. It is perfect timing. The new TV season is starting, lots of great new shows will premiere and the days will start getting shorter; a perfect excuse for getting cozy in the cabin and watching TV, especially if you have a heating system! (See How To and DIY, Electrical).
October 18, 2011
Extend Your Season With A Non-Electric Heating System
We thought this was a good time to remind our readers that there are a number of highly effective heating systems that you could have onboard to extend your cruising season, but without needing shore power, or running a generator. I know it's tough to beat the comfort and efficiency of a reverse cycle system that provides heat, dehumidification and air conditioning for year-round comfort, but almost all of these systems need either shore power, or a big load of 110 V AC from a generator system.
January 12, 2011
Adding a 12-Volt TV and DVD
As Graham Toms at Payne's Marine Group points out, more and more boats are being used as cottages and the owners expect all the comforts of home including, of course, television shows. Sea-faring TVs have become very popular in recent years because the new flat screen technologies enable people to install a television where previously the depth and sometimes the weight, simply could not be accommodated.
January 6, 2011
Is There a Diesel In Your Future?
With the trend to larger boats and the continued strong market in Canada, many boat buyers will be cruising the shows this winter, looking at diesel-powered boats. Diesel power costs more initially. Is diesel worth it to you? Or, should you stay with familiar and less expensive gasoline engines of the same horsepower?
January 5, 2011
A New Dream Galley on Your Boat?
Here is a TV Show We'd Love to See! The squad of designers and hot shot marine technicians, armed with a load of tools and parts descends on your boat, simultaneously ripping out the soggy, mildewed old galley while ripping off insults about the old design and your personal tastes!
December 16, 2010
Smart Charger Upgrade For As Little As $500
Nobody wants a failure in high season. We interviewed Edward Saunders at Mastervolt about the new generation of smart chargers and he began by saying that electronics have a usable lifespan. Anyone with a 1995 or earlier cruisers may find their chargers are still working, but electrical components can fail; they fail suddenly and often without warning.
February 6, 2010
Webasto Dual Voltage Climate Control System
At IBEX, Webasto announced their dual-voltage A/C and reverse-cycle heating system that operates without a genset. Called the FCF-DV, the new system runs on standard 115-volt AC shore power and then automatically switches to 12-volt DC battery power while away from the dock. The noise and vibration from an onboard generator is eliminated, and the skipper can enjoy a night on the hook in peace and quiet while keeping his or her cool…
November 14, 2009
Is Your VHF Antenna An Annual Replacement Item?
At least one marine electronics dealer we interviewed said your VHF antenna was an item that should be replaced annually. Ken Harrison at Summerhill.ca on the other hand, said that a good antenna should last 5 to 8 years (depending on whether or not it was used as a grab handle)!
November 14, 2009
Installing a High-end Audio/Video System Onboard
My gawd! Don’t we all just love our music and video these days! A cruiser, power or sail boat from twenty years ago was not likely to have a TV onboard. Even a built-in sound system was not always a standard feature. But today, the new boats all come with a system; small boats get audio and bigger boats get audio and video systems. From the mid-30 foot range up, two flat screens are common and three or even four are not unheard of!