America's Boating Club Bellingham

08/25/2026

⚓️ Welcome to the Victoria Classic Boat Festival, Saravan!

Saravan was built for Harry Froome and was named for his wife, Sara in 1938. She was put into service as a harbour tug in Victoria Harbour. Between 1940 and 1942 she was owned by the Royal Canadian Navy as a harbour auxiliary and as a boom defense tug stationed at HNCS Naden in Comox, BC. She was donated to the Ladysmith Heritage Society in 1988 by Ken Mulholland and was refurbished by volunteers. The work was finished in 1991 after which she was used as a passenger vessel for harbour tours. Saravan retired from active duty in 2009 and underwent further restoration to restore her to her original glory.

Check out who else is joining the fleet on our Current Participants page: https://mmbc.bc.ca/classic-boat-festival/current-participants/

08/23/2026

08/22/2026

08/22/2026

⚓ Maritime Unit Converter — Essential Conversions Every Mariner Should Know
From nautical miles and knots to ship’s cable, shackles, volume, and cargo mass, these are some of the everyday units used in maritime operations.
📏 1 NM = 1,852 m
🚢 1 knot = 1 NM/hour
⛓️ 1 shackle = 15 fathoms = 90 ft
🌊 1 fathom = 6 ft = 1.8288 m
⚖️ 1 metric tonne = 1,000 kg
🛢️ 1 m³ = 1,000 litres
Save this as a quick reference for your next watch. ⚓
Know your units. Navigate with confidence.

08/21/2026

Life-saving appliances are the equipment that can make the difference between a maritime emergency and a successful rescue. 🚢🛟
From lifeboats and liferafts to lifejackets, immersion suits, EPIRBs, SARTs and distress signals—every item has a specific role in protecting lives at sea.
⚓ Know the equipment. Know its purpose. Be prepared.
Follow Marine Mystery for more practical maritime knowledge, safety concepts and shipboard insights.

08/21/2026

08/21/2026

⚓ Celestial Navigation: Calculating Hc & Zn
In celestial navigation, Hc (calculated altitude) and Zn (true azimuth) are key outputs of sight reduction.
☀️ Hc tells us what altitude the celestial body should have from the assumed position.
🧭 Zn gives the true direction of the celestial body from the observer.
Then we compare Ho − Hc to determine the intercept:
➡️ Ho > Hc → Toward
⬅️ Ho < Hc → Away
The intercept is measured in minutes of arc, where 1′ of latitude = 1 nautical mile.
Finally, the intercept is laid off along Zn and the LOP is drawn perpendicular to Zn.
📌 A small error in latitude, declination, LHA, or quadrant selection can produce a wrong sight reduction—so every step matters.
Observe → Reduce → Compare → Intercept → Plot.

08/21/2026

After a three month circumnavigation of Vancouver Island, the crew of Yahtzee takes it easy in the late summer splendor of the San Juan Islands.

https://48north.com/cruising/cruising-stories/slowing-down-in-the-san-juan-islands/