The speakers, including local skippers, will be telling their stories of sailing to destinations around the world, giving advice and inspiring others who may want to explore shores beyond the Pacific Northwest.
Author and circumnavigator Anne Brevig, who coordinates the series, said she hopes the presentations will foster an interest in offshore sailing.
“The sheer excitement of doing offshore sailing, when you sail through the night, and it could be three weeks from port to port gives you a tremendous sense of adventure and accomplishment,” she said. “This year we have a great variety of speakers, men and women, who are excited to share their love of travelling, love of the sea, sailing and their exciting experiences on the open ocean.”
Event Information:
H.R. MacMillan Space Centre Auditorium
1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver
Lectures begin at 20:00 (doors open at 19:00)
Cost is $13 per lecture or $50 for the whole series
Cost is $11 per lecture or $40 for the whole series for seniors, Vancouver Maritime Museum Members and Pacific Yachting subscribers
January 20
Around the world in a 34-foot sailboat
Seven years ago, Bruce and Tiffany Halabisky left Victoria on a 34-foot Wm Atkin-designed gaff-cutter and sailed to Hawaii. Since then, they have crossed the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans and had two girls born along the way. Their presentation will cover their journey and address what it is like to cruise on an old wooden boat, the pros and cons of the gaff rig and voyaging with children.
January 27
B.C.’s remote and spectacular Gardner Canal area
Rick LeBlanc and Carol-Ann Giroday explore BC’s remote Gardner Canal. This remote location south of Kitimat features more than 130 kilometres of sheer granite walls, glacier-fed waterfalls and rivers, and jade green waterways. The anchorages along the canal can be challenging, but the hanging glaciers that tower overhead and the sound of waterfalls that lull you to sleep at night make it all worthwhile.
February 3
A family of six cruise the U.S. Eastern Seaboard, Cuba and the Bahamas
Jeananne Kirwin shares her family’s adventures and life lessons learned during their sailing sabbatical along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard to Cuba and the Bahamas. Although a practicing lawyer and erstwhile sailor, her childhood dream to become a writer was rekindled during the sailing sabbatical that is the subject of her award-winning book Greetings from Cool Breezes, A family's year aboard. Distinctly non-landlubber challenges Jeananne, her husband and four children faced included interminable boat repairs, storms and weather setbacks, the infamous Cuban Guarda Frontera, sharks, stowaway hermit crabs and fish that got away, diminishing food stores, running aground on coral reefs, amateurish docking, and getting their dog ashore each day.
February 10
Racing Canada’s colours around the world with Derek Hatfield
It takes tremendous courage, determination and persistence to race around the world alone. Canada’s Derek Hatfield is one person in a small group of sailors to complete this incredible challenge. Derek will talk about his racing career including the Vendee Globe and the ECO 60 division of the prestigious VELUX 5 Oceans 2010 Round the World Yacht Race where he circumnavigated the world without the use of fossil fuels and came in third place.
February 17
Sweden to Syria and more
Brian Anderson and Barbara Robertson share highlights from their Sweden-Syria-Mediterranean adventure. Barbara and Brian seek experiences that are a bit unfamiliar to many cruisers including visiting St Petersburg, Shetland Islands, Gota and Caledonia Canals, Albania, Montenegro and Syria. Their experiences have provided the inspiration for their “10 New Laws of Sailing.”
Accommodations
