Past Feature Articles
Write-off or Repair?
Hit a channel marker at 75 klicks (45 MPH) and you can rip the freeboard out of your boat. Try it at 120 (70 MPH) and you might think your boat’s a write-off but it’s worth your while to think again.Consider these two boats.
Write-offs? Nope. These are two of hundreds of boats, repaired, repainted and [...]
Hammer Diagnosis
Sometimes, damage to the hull is not as obvious as a gaping hole in the freeboard. That’s when a hammer becomes a useful diagnostic tool. Structural wood in the hull of some boats can rot when water seeps through microscopic cracks and holes in the fiberglass that covers them. Stringers are a case in [...]
All Our Friends are At the Boat Show!
All you have to do is look around… you can feel the summer sun and the deck under your feet. The Toronto International Boat Show is a little bit of summer in the middle of winter. Come on down and enjoy!
Some of our Friends at the Boat Show
Toronto International Boat Show has… well… everything to do with boating. Including these great people… ready to put you in a new boat, find you a place to moor it, insure it, and more.
Carp-e Diem
An invasion of silver carp and bighead carp could be disastrous for the Great Lakes. Natural fish stocks - pickerel, bass, trout and the rest - could wither and die; recreational boating - even waterskiing and tubing - could become dangerous! Can you imagine wearing a motorcycle helmet and visor to go for a spin [...]
Lost Your Card?
Now that you need your PCOC, do you know where it is? And do you know what to do if you can’t find yours?
Even though you have your card - you got it years ago - getting caught without it could cost you $250. In fact, if you’re at the helm of someone else’s boat, [...]
Bayliner Takes Three CSI Awards… Again
Bayliner Boats will receive three Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) Awards from the NMMA this fall. This is the second year in a row that Bayliner has earned such high levels of customer satisfaction. The awards are in recognition of Bayliner’s earning satisfaction ratings of 90 percent or better over the past year. Customer satisfaction is [...]
This is it - September 15!
All boaters across Canada need PCOC (Pleasure Craft Operator Cards) as of today. The millions who have not yet passed the test face a hefty fine next time they go out on the water.
The fine for operating a boat without a PCOC is $250.
Now, OK, you’ve decided to put the boat away and not go [...]
Port Credit In Water Boat Show Set for this Weekend
The slips are full at Port Credit Harbour. Lori Mason, who has presented this show for 19 years, said “We have a great assortment of boats to view this year. Our docks are absolutely full, and we are pleased to say that we indeed have a boat for everyone’s budget.”
Crates Marine will feature the eye-catching [...]
Lu Robitaille Show at Doral Marine Resort
Works from the renowned Georgian Bay artist Lu Robitaille are coming to Doral Marine Resort on August 27. The ”Spirit of the Bay” show of original watercolours and limited edition giclée prints will last to August 30. ”My biggest desire,” said the artist, “Has always been to bring awareness about the very rugged landscape, vast terrains and [...]
Toronto In Water Boat Show Suspended
The NMMA has taken the unusual step to cancel this September’s In Water Boat Show at Ontario Place. In an email sent to exhibitors, the NMMA stated, in part, “In response to the industry’s feedback and commitments, it has been determined that the show should not go ahead this year. Due to market conditions, minimal [...]
Navigation Now Easier than Ever
Discover new simplicity and flexibility with GPS Marine Navigation Software from NavSim Technology.
BoatCruiser 2.0(TM) offers power boaters easier-than-ever ways to plan trips, connect with all major marine instruments, custom design your own screen, and keep on top of fuel consumption rates, other boats in your vicinity and so much more.
SailCruiser(TM) is specifically for passage making [...]
Bill’s Rules
Captain Wallace Gouk is an accredited marine surveyor serving the Toronto region and beyond (Port Credit Marine Surveys). He has given us permission to tap into his font of knowledge and experience.
Bill was Wallace’s father, an engineer and, according to Wallace, a meticulous craftsman. “He could paint the entire house inside and out and only [...]
Early Season Boating Takes Caution
Hypothermia is only one of the problems a fall in cold water can bring. And the others are more immediate and just as dangerous. Research has shown that few people who fall into cold water actually live long enough to suffer hypothermia. They die long before it sets in.
Here’s what happens. The initial cold shock [...]
What’s a black redhorse and what does it have to do with me?
Well…if you go boating, the black redhorse and species like it may have an impact on your boating plans. First of all, what is it? The black redhorse is a fish, specifically a bottom-feeding sucker that feeds on crustaceans, insects and tiny plant particles. It’s widespread in the US, and southern Ontario is at the [...]
Family Cruise
A hundred years ago – give or take – commercial fishermen would clean up their boats on Saturday night in preparation for a Sunday cruise after church.