FEBRUARY 2010 Special Boat Show Issue 10+ New Power & Sail Models to Look for in 2010 POWER G Chaparral G Four Winns G Marquis G Mastercraft G Regal G Rinker G Sea Ray SAIL G Beneteau G Catalina G Delphia G Hanse G Hunter G Jeanneau G TES In This Issue Eleuthera, The Bahamas l Nanaimo, BC CYA Update l DIY Oil Change l Radar Systems WWW.CANADIANYACHTING.CA VANTAGE POINT By Greg Nicoll CANADIAN YACHTING FEBRUARY 2010 PUBLISHER Elizabeth A Kerr Boat Show Madness Placates BWD* 416-258-9948 • [email protected] MANAGING EDITOR Andy Adams 416-574-7313 • [email protected] AS THE YEAR 2009 comes to a close with hopefully joyous plans for New Year’s, the ART DIRECTOR Allan S. Bates team at Canadian Yachting along with our boating friends from coast to coast can seek [email protected] comfort in the knowledge that the days are getting longer and the boating season is CONTRIBUTORS Andy Adams, Zenon L. Bilas, John Kerr, John Morris, Greg Nicoll, Sheryl & Paul Shard, Mark Stevens getting closer. & Sharon Matthews-Stevens, Scott Williams, Paul Wohlrab and Anne & Laurence Yeadon-Jones This year’s Toronto International Boat Show should provide an adrenaline boost to ACCOUNTING Eleanor Campbell help us overcome the separation from our boats and life on the water. Another bright 705-527-7666 • [email protected] spot on the winter horizon will be the opportunity for Canadians to cheer our ADMINISTRATION Mary Nicoll Olympic Athletes on at this year’s 2010 Vancouver Olympic. Sadly, due to badly need - 905-535-2866 • [email protected] ed reconstruction, The Vancouver show has been cancelled. However, if you need an ADVERTISING Steve Carey extra boat fix, visit the Miami International Boat Show, February 11-15th. 416-305-7711 • [email protected] Ian Gilson For our friends in the boating community who are starting to show signs of boat 905-719-5152 • [email protected] withdrawal (BWD), such as taking long cold showers and wearing those funny float - Greg Nicoll 416-620-9373 • [email protected] ing hats, you genuinely need a “hands on” remedy to again look south for solace. Flip CIRCULATION Elissa Campbell to the back of this issue and call one of the charter companies listed: CYOA, Footloose, 705-527-7666 • [email protected] or Conch Charters. Or visit the websites of such beautiful Caribbean destinations such as St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands or Grenada. While dreaming of your next vacation or planning your next summer or simply HEAD OFFICE 538 Elizabeth Street, Midland, Ontario L4R 2A3 pining to be on your boat, enjoy this, the boat show issue. In addition to the extensive Tel: 705-527-7666 Fax: 705-527-7662 www.kerrwil.com boat reviews for the Marquis 50LS, the Chaparral Signature 350 Express Cruiser, the PRESIDENT Elizabeth A Kerr Hanse 430 and the Beneteau First 45, enjoy the brief descriptions of 10 new boats to VICE PRESIDENT Greg Nicoll CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER John W Kerr watch for in 2010! Canadian Yachting is published six times a year. Enjoy the Shard’s last Caribbean destination piece, Eleuthera, as they head off to Subscription Rates: 1 year $26.00; 2 years $42.00 Outside Canada: 1 year US $40.00 Europe right after the boat show in January with exciting new adventures to follow. Prices include GST Registration #R102819539 The Yeadon-Jones introduce us to Nanaimo, BC…yet another charming destination The contents of this publication are the property of Kerrwil on the west coast. Publications Limited and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written consent. We encourage letters to Planning a DIY project or saving up for a new toy for your boat. Read more on how the editor, submissions and query letters from writers and our readers. For material to be returned, please include a stamped, to conduct your own oil change on your 4-stroke outboard or learn what’s new about self-addressed envelope. Occasionally, we allow the use of mailing lists to firms offering products and information that we radar for smaller boats. feel may be of interest to you. If you do not want your name made available, please return your mailing label to us marked If you are still looking for something to combat BWD, visit sail-world.com and sign DO NOT RELEASE. up for Canadian Yachting’s latest member of online newsletters – Sail-World We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Canada Magazine Fund toward our Canada…delivered weekly right to your desktop…highlighting current Canadian sail - editorial costs and through the Postal Assistance Program toward our mailing costs. PAP Registration No. 10984 ing news as well as international yachting events. In fact, if you have a story to share, click on the bright red bar in the top right hand corner and upload your stories and photos for the whole world to see. Send all address changes, post office returns and subscription enquiries to: For the less competitive, but still very keen boater, watch out for Powerboat-World Canadian Yachting , 538 Elizabeth Street, Midland, Ontario L4R 2A3 Canada and Cruising-World Canada coming to you early in 2010. T: 705-527-7666 F: 705-527-7662 The Canadian Yachting team has been very busy expanding ways to attract, create, E-mail: [email protected] share and distribute content about boating to Canadian boaters. Join the fun! www.canadianyachting.ca www.sail-world.com/canada * Boating Withdrawal February 2010 Canadian Yacht ing 3 CONTENTS Volume 39 Issue 1 6 12 26 39 FEATURES 52 6 Eleuthera Bound The Shard’s Last Caribbean Stop By Sheryl and Paul Shard 12 The Port of Nanaimo Another Charming BC Harbour By Anne and Laurence Yeadon-Jones 18 Fort Lauderdale Show and Tell DEPARTMENTS CY’s Top 10 Picks for 2010 6 Vantage Point By Zenon L. Bilas with CY Staff 46 Engine Room 49 CYA News BOAT REVIEWS 52 Electronics 26 Marquis 50LS 74 Crossing the Line 30 Chaparral Signature 350 Express Cruiser Cover: 34 Hanse 430 SeaRay 540 and a Hanse 430 39 Beneteau First 45 HOW TO 46 Change Oil for Larger 4-Stroke Outboards 52 Choosing a Radar System for Smaller Boats 4 Canadian Yacht ing February 2010 www.canadianyachting.ca ELEUTHERA, THE BAHAMAS By Sheryl and Paul Shard Eleuthera Bound The well-kept brightly painted homes of Spanish Wells t looked like we were floating in the Bahamas by boat on eight separate are distinctive in the Bahamas. A summer squall the world’s largest swimming occasions and there are still places we darkens the sky behind the town and we are reminded that hurricane season is about to begin. I pool. For as far as our eyes could haven’t seen. There are over over 700 see was the most beautiful sparkling islands and cays (pronounced “keys”) clear water with no land in sight. It was and the area compares in size to the prevails in the spring and summer a warm windless morning in early June entire chain of islands in the months. The surrounding reefs and shal - and as we motor-sailed along over the Caribbean Sea further south so like low banks are also a deterrent but this glassy calm we could see bright red the Caribbean you can cruise for years means the fishing and diving are excel - starfish slide by on the pure white sand here. This would be our first visit to lent which attracts intrepid fishers and bottom beneath us. the Eleuthera island group. divers in search of unspoiled environ - We were heading north over the shal - The main island of Eleuthera lies ments. We were in the second category. low sandy bank called Middle Ground about 30 nm northeast of Nassau. It is a The main facilities for yachtsmen are that separates the Bahamian island very long thin island running north- found in the area of North Eleuthera in groups of the Exumas to the south, south, 90 miles in length and in most Spanish Wells on St. George’s Cay, an where we had just spent the last few places only 2-3 miles wide, except at its off-lying island to the west and home to weeks, and our next destination, south and north ends. Its coasts offer a major Bahamaian offshore fishing fleet Eleuthera to the north. very little shelter; that is why it is best to and Dunmore Town on Harbour Island Over the years, we have explored visit here in calm settled weather that that lies to the east. 6 Canadian Yacht ing February 2010 www.canadianyachting.ca That morning we had been up at dawn to leave the anchorage at Hawksbill Cay in the Exumas. Although we were taking the shortest most direct route across the shallow banks to the north end of Eleuthera, we had a 55 nm voyage ahead of us and wanted to be sure we had good light for the whole trip. This route is strewn with numerous coral heads but with safe water in between, however, you can’t see the heads in fading light or rainy condi - tions. The forecast was for clear skies. There are alternative deep water routes coming in from the west from Nassau to the cut at Egg Island or to the east of Eleuthera from the deep water sound to the cut south of Dunmore Town on off-lying Harbour Island, but Paul and I enjoy testing our skills with challenging navigation and taking the route less travelled.