Currents
In 1938, three members of the Windsor Yacht Club crossed the Ambassador Bridge into Detroit, Michigan. Under the direction of the Detroit Power Squadron, Fred Dane, George Ruel, and G. William Bowman passed the United States Power Squadron's Junior Piloting Course. They soon formed the first Squadron in Canada, Windsor Power Squadron, with G. William Bowman as its first Commander. He later became the first Chief Commander of Canadian Power Squadrons, the organization that later became known as Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons/Les Escadrilles canadiennes de plaisance, or CPS-ECP, with over 26,000 members in 155 squadrons across Canada.
CPS-ECP's mandate is to increase awareness and knowledge of safe boating by educating and training members and the general public, by fostering fellowship among members, and by establishing partnerships and alliances with organizations and agencies interested in boating. To this end, many local law enforcement agencies and municipal authorities consult CPS-ECP on matters of training and navigational hazards. Training has been given by CPS-ECP's members across Canada to such organizations as the Boy Scouts, Sea Cadets, and law enforcement agencies, to name but a few. Whenever requested, our members are available to teach, lecture, or advise on boating safety.
Since 1938, CPS-ECP has taught 850,000 plus boaters from coast to coast. To celebrate this milestone, CPS-ECP has organized a Flag Relay. Two CPS-ECP Flags will make their way from Windsor, Ontario to travel east and west across Canada making stops at each Squadron from coast to coast. To symbolize how CPS-ECP has touched every major waterway in the country, dipping ceremonies are planned, occurring in Windsor, Ontario on May 5th, 2013, the Atlantic Ocean in St, John's, Newfoundland on October 12th, 2013 and the Pacific Ocean in Sooke, British Columbia on October 11th, 2013.
With planned participation of various levels of government officials, the celebrations will culminate at the CPS-ECP National Conference in Toronto October 2013.
Track the flags and check out our history, awards, and events as we mark the occasion by visiting our website at www.CPS-ECP.ca.
The Royal Naval Sailing Association will host the 40th annual running of the Singlehanded Race from Vancouver to Nanaimo from June 1–2. Over the years the race has seen singlehanded vessels ranging from 24 to 70 feet, with outright racers to cruisers attempting the challenging course.
Acruising division will be included for the first time this year for those who would like to try singlehanded sailing, but don’t necessarily want to race in the more competitive racing divisions.
The race starts on the Saturday, from the Point Grey Bell Buoy to Snake Island, and back on Sunday from Snake Island to the finish line at the Point Grey Bell Buoy.
The Nanaimo Yacht Club provides the venue for overnight moorage, and a social evening with a great buffet dinner, interim results and door prizes.
Trophies are to be awarded during the awards night later in the year, including best overall, first over the line, a team trophy, novice trophy (first timers), old salt trophy (65 to 74), and ancient mariner trophy (age 75 and over).
Entry fee is $85 and includes moorage at NYC and dinner. Additional dinner guests are welcome at a cost of $30 per person. Participants can sponsor other boats that have not raced in the past three years and receive a $10 discount on their entry fee.
There will be an informal skippers meeting and registration in the False Creek Yacht Club boardroom on Wednesday, May 29 at 19:00. Late registrations are accepted until 19:00 on Friday, May 31.
This RNSA event is hosted by the FCYC and supported by the Eagle Harbour and Nanaimo yacht clubs. Contact FCYC at 604-682-3292 or check the website www.fcyc.com.
“Cool” Clothing
Columbia’s latest effort in the world of light-weight breathable clothing is Omni-Freeze ZERO. The line is a culmination of a four-year effort to develop a new line of apparel that becomes cooler in hot, moist conditions. Embedded in the material of the fabric are little blue rings which, when exposed to sweat or moisture, swell up (like goose bumps) and create a cooling sensation. The technology is a break from the longstanding school of thought that sweating is a problem. Omni-Freeze ZERO sees sweat as a “renewable resource.” Boaters will find Columbia’s latest effort the ideal clothing for hot summer days. (Those days are coming. At least we hope so.) These tops retail for $75.
Remote Monitoring System
“Monitor, Track, Control.” With Siren Marine’s line of products, boaters can track almost all the systems on their boat. The remote monitoring system allows up to four text-enabled cell phones to track everything from the temperature of the boat to the position of the boat to the water level in the bilge. According to Siren, “each model has three open accessory inputs (some accessories can be daisy chained together on the same input) that enable customers to access and implement the wide range of features we provide.” After purchasing one of two sensors, which run from $500 to $600, customers select from either a monthly fee of $18 or an annual fee of $180. Additional accessories can be purchase for added peace of mind.
www.sirenmarine.com
GPS-Enabled Smart Watch
Garmin’s Quatix is a high-sensitivity GPS navigator marine watch that is loaded with marine navigation features including automatic man overboard detection, remote control of Garmin equipment, and streaming NMEA 2000 data. It combines a number of sailing features into one watch, such as race countdown timer, virtual starting line, tack assist and tidal information. This watch also features built-in remote capabilities allowing you to control a Garmin autopilot so you can move around the boat while having information and control on your wrist. This piece of technology makes James Bond’s gadgets look archaic. It’ll cost you $450.
www.garmin.com
Hatch-Mounted Fan
Caframo’s air exchanging hatch fan is an interesting solution to a common problem on boats—overheating cabins. The Taku is easy-to-install and comes with push button controls. It mounts on the hatch providing maximum air flow down below. The unit installs on hatches at least 17-inches across and can be directed exactly where you want the air to go, whether that be fresh air into the boat or stale air out. A suction cup holds the fan to the hatch so no drilling is required and the sealed, brushless motor draws less than one amp at high speed so it is both energy efficient and quiet. The hatch fan costs $180.
www.caframo.com
Beach and Boat Shoes
Crocs has expanded its line of shoes into the boating market and the brightly coloured, highly comfortable and very durable new shoes are sure to make a splash. Crocs is offering a wide array of boat shoes for men, women and children. The Beach Line Boat Shoe, pictured here, is clearly a direct descendant of the original rubber Crocs that seemed to polarize fashionistas everywhere. They have the same rugged, rubber material and similar ventilation holes, but the similarities end there. These shoes appear to be much more style-friendly than the original without losing any of the slip-resistance, making them ideal for boat decks. They are also odour-resistant and easy-to-clean. The Beach Line shoes are available for $45 for the kid’s and $65-$70 for the adult’s.
www.crocs.ca
Handheld Night Vision Cameras
FLIR’s new First Mate II and First Mate II MS handheld thermal night vision cameras provide vision even in total darkness. The First Mate II and First Mate II MS make darkness visible by showing tiny differences in heat, helping to see landmarks, obstacles, and other vessels as clear as day. The cameras will see through smoke and light fog as well and come in compact and easy-to-use designs. The units run off batteries and come with a built-in screen on which the video is displayed. The video can be adjusted to 240x180 or full 320x240 thermal resolution, which gives better image detail and range performance. The First Mate II has the option to capture still images and video and both units are designed to be fully submersible. The handheld devices start at $2,000.
www.flir.com/CA
Smarter Shore Plugs
SmartPlug Systems is hoping to revolutionize shore power with their new 50-amp inlet and connector.If they want to be successful, they will have to replace the current twist-type design, not an easy feat, but possible with the features offered. These include increased pin and connector clip contact area—maximizing electrical transfer and eliminating excessive heat; a locking system makes it fully waterproof with three waterproof seals that prevent water intrusion and corrosion. It’s also a little easier to use than the twist design found on most docks. The SmartPlug System pushes straight in so there’s no guesswork and no chance for misalignment. The 50-amp system won an award for innovation at the Miami International Boat Show in February. The inlet and connector are priced at $325. They can be purchase separately for $210 and $115 respectively.
www.smartplug.com
Throwable Rescue Platform
The MOM 600 is the latest throwable rescue platform from Switlik. It is a lightweight, four-person rescue platform that can be stowed anywhere and is 100 percent reversible, meaning that it can be boarded no matter which way it inflates. It weighs in at 15 pounds and is about the size of a standard throwable boat cushion, making it easy to carry or transfer from one boat to another. The MOM 600, as the name suggests, has 600 pounds of inflated buoyancy and includes a water-activated strobe light for visibility and ballast drogues for added stability. It is vacuum sealed, allowing for a five-year recommended service interval. The MOM 600 is $1,100.
www.switlik.com/marine
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