Ocean Forest Voyaging

What is it like to be offshore sailing newbies en route from Victoria to San Francisco? Read this play by play account as first time voyagers go to sea and experience the trials, tribulations and wonders of the open ocean.

Sidney to San Francisco - The Journey Within - Currents Bluewater Cruising Foreword Three years and six months after purchasing Mazu, we cast off the dock lines to voyage to places further afield than our home province of British Columbia. Those years were spent shoring up many systems on our 2005 Tayana 37 in preparation for the offshore bashing she will endure. The learn...

Shopping for a new feathering prop? Here are some thoughts from John Neal of Mahina Expeditions.

After 15,000 miles and 2 years we love our new propeller because….
• Increased fuel efficiency.
• Feathers with blades closed so it doesn’t snag lines or kelp.
• Super low maintenance: no greasing or rebuilding. - We'll be sure to stop by their booth Dock S at the Annapolis Show.
The only downside is less reverse power compared to our previous .

Great courses from BCA coming up in Vancouver and Victoria! Check them out!

VI and Vancouver Chapters already have 20+ educational courses open for registration! Everything from fibreglass repair to HAM radio to weather to offshore prep to the psychology of cruising to tides & currents, diesel and more. For details / to register: http://www.bluewatercruising.org/events/event_list.asp. Non-members welcome!

This summer we are taking a break from teaching sailing. Instead we are heading to Southeast Alaska on a personal adventure cruise! If you are interested in following along to learn about our route to Alaska and interesting stops along the way you can follow us on our blog, The Adventures of Sarah Jean II. http://www.sailblogs.com/member/sarahjean2

Gotta love classic yachts!

JUNO, (65' Nat Benjamin schooner, built by Gannon and Benjamin Marine Railway, 2001).
Photo by Christine Yurick

Here is a photo that caught my eye. Not only is this a gorgeous yacht that has been refit by Royal Huisman, builders of world class super yachts, but our daughter, Amanda is currently in Amsterdam working on the refit of another Royal Huisman yacht called Gliss. Looks like this yard does some very special work!

As soon as HEARTBEAT's steering wheel is installed she is ready for departure from Vollenhove.
The Truly Classic sloop (Claasen, 2007) has found a new home at Royal Huisman after taking advantage of Huisfit for a third time. Could Huisfit be the smart choice for your project too? Visit us at the upcoming Palma Superyacht Show from tomorrow until 2nd May.
Huisfit: Royal Huisman quality – on time and within budget.

MAINTENANCE TIP: Salt water and marine electrical systems do do mix well. And some places are just hard to keep dry. You can protect electrical components and connections in damp areas with a spray on sealant. These photos show a windless relay before and after. In the second photo the relay and connectors have been cleaned up with a small wire brush and then sprayed with a product called Corrosion Block, available from Galleon Marine in Richmond.

Ever wondering if you are sailing in a shipping lane? Check out this cool video showing ship traffic patterns around the world. Some of the main shipping lanes become obvious.

This Mesmerizing Interactive Map Displays Ship Movements Across the Globe – gCaptain Researchers at UCL Energy Institute together with London-based data visualization and digital journalism studio Kiln have released this amazing interactive map that plots 250 million data points to show the movements of the world’s commercial shipping fleet during the year 2012. (Hit the play button...