Vancouver International Boat Show - 31 Jan to 4 Feb 2024

 

 

We will be at the Vancouver Boat Show again.  Elizabeth will be doing three series of seminars throughout the week:

 It's Your Trip, Too !

Is this familiar? Your partner is daydreaming about sailing away to exotic destinations, overcoming challenges, and having amazing adventures, while you have more questions than answers…Maybe you even have a boat and are open to the idea of cruising, but you are wondering about storms, finances, family, career, seasickness, and so many other things. Navigating all these questions and setting your course towards a life you both dream of is profoundly satisfying. In this workshop, Elizabeth Brown-Shaw will highlight key areas that can affect a shared cruising dream, help you tune into any doubts and fears to uncover the skill sets, boat modifications, or lifestyle factors that matter to you, and inspire you to dream once more.  After all, it’s your trip too!

 A Family of Four (then Five) on a Seven Year Loop Around the Pacific

Follow this family of four and then five on their seven-year adventure around the Pacific as they face dirty diapers at sea, maintenance in exotic locations and uncharted reefs.

Trends and Tips for Women Boaters 

 With Tracy Sarich, Elizabeth Brown-Shaw, Amanda Stars and Edith Eaton

Women are one of the fastest growing demographics in the industry – as boat buyers, owners, skippers, and adventurous experience collectors. Whether your goal is to cross an ocean, learn to dock, own a boat, or just see new horizons – this interactive conversation will help you understand how to leverage your strengths (physical and mental) and embrace your instincts to achieve your dreams of boating. Bring your questions, hear about gear that will make your time on the water more comfortable and fun, and join us after for a Happy Hour with our friends at Women Who Sail to make new friends.

The full schedule is here: https://www.vancouverboatshow.ca/education/

I will be at the Yacht Sales West display chatting about Nautitech, Bavaria and Dufour yachts.

Coast Guard RHIOT Course - "Life Begins at 40 kts"

At the helm.  Zoom Zoom.

I am just back from the Canadian Coast Guard Rigid Hull Inflatable Operators Course on the west coast of Vancouver Island.  A bit chilly this time of year but such an honour to attend this prestigious course.  Only six students (from a police department, the Coast Guard, the Royal Navy and RCMSAR) and 70 hours of instruction over six days in all sorts of conditions day and night.

The school put together this video as a souvenir for us:

 

All the students were already experienced mariners and course started with a Colregs exam.  Over the six days we increased our skills in low and high speed manoeuvring ("Life Begins at 40 kts"), navigation, towing, search, rescues, risk management, and heavy weather. 

I have been lucky enough to take a lot of courses over 23 years in the military and now the last 12 years boating full time but this was the best.  The three instructors did an excellent job pushing us to increase our skills and knowledge so we can do a better job when we return to our home units.

Capsize Training on the coldest day of what was the coldest RHIOT Course ever.

A bit of ice !

Night Vision Goggles to assist with the night navigation exercises

Towing Practice

And pacing at various speeds.

Atlantic Rally For Cruisers on a Nautitech 44 Open

Preparing for the start at Las Palmas, Canary Islands.

This November/December I had the honour of doing the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) across the Atlantic onboard a client's 2023 Nautitech 44 Open.  I had previously sailed the boat when we oversaw the commissioning and did the orientation/handover in May.  Of course, as much fun as it was sailing in La Rochelle, it was another level of adventure to help prepare the boat for the crossing and then get back offshore again.

The key to a good passage is good preparation.

We had a great passage - as expected for a vessel that won the European multi-hull "Yacht of The Year"  - and not only did we place well we did it in comfort.  Home schooling continued uninterrupted ! 

I will write more about the passage as I have promised to write at least one magazine article but here are a few pictures of the trip. 

There was some fishing !

And beautiful sunrises

And beautiful sunsets ...

 

And no problems making the boat go fast !  Just under 200nm that day.

Despite the speed we ate well !

Lovely days under spinnaker.

A quick note to commend the ARC staff - better known as the "yellow shirts" - for the amazing job they did organizing and facilitating this event.  I have been in quite a few sailing events but never one as well run as this !

ARC Awards in St Lucia. - Second in Class (and top Social Media for @Sailing_June)

I also had the chance to put my "instructor hat" back on and go through the CRYA Yachtmaster Offshore requirements with them which was was no hardship with such experienced sailors.

Newly Qualified CRYA Yachtmaster Offshore.

Another highlight:  Elizabeth and Benjamin were able to fly down to St Lucia so that Elizabeth and I could have meetings with the various brokerages in St Lucia and Martinique that we have worked with over the last few years.

My favourite office !

Lots more pictures and video in Instagram: @FluentaSailing and @Sailing_June

Toronto Boat Show Presentations - "It's Your Trip, Too !" - 19 to 28 Jan 2024

And zoom zoom ... it is Boat Show season again ... Elizabeth will be leading the charge at Toronto presenting in person 20 and 21 Jan 2024 and livestream the remainder.  I will tag along for the discussion of our trip around the Pacific.

The summary of her new presentation:

"It's Your Trip, Too!"

Is this familiar? Your partner is daydreaming about sailing away to exotic destinations, overcoming challenges, and having amazing adventures, while you have more questions than answers…
Maybe you even have a boat and are open to the idea of cruising, but you are wondering about storms, finances, family, career, seasickness, and so many other things.

Navigating all these questions and setting your course towards a life you both dream of is profoundly satisfying.

In this workshop, Elizabeth Brown-Shaw will highlight key areas that can affect a shared cruising dream, help you tune into any doubts and fears to uncover the skill sets, boat modifications, or lifestyle factors that matter to you, and inspire you to dream once more.  After all, it’s your trip too!

 and then the combined presentation is:

"A Family of Four (then Five) on a Seven Year Loop Around the Pacific"

Max and Elizabeth spent most of their adult lives in the Canadian Forces but after 23 years decided they needed a new adventure, and one they could share with their children, so they sold their house, purged their possessions and went sailing with their two young children.  They spent seven years travelling some 36,000 nm in the Pacific with what is now their family of five.  

Max and Elizabeth now work helping others to get started on their own adventures. Both Max and Elizabeth started their sailing with the RYA while in the UK.  Max is a CRYA Yachtmaster Offshore Instructor with some 54,000nm of experience in power and sail, monhulls and catamarans.

The link to the show is here: torontoboatshow.com

More to follow about our participation in the Vancouver and Seattle Boat Shows.  I will be at the Miami Boat Show and La Grande Motte shows too but not presenting.