Pacific Yachting

Summer Plans at Echo Bay

In early July, well-known cruising sailor and regular visitor to Echo Bay, Pat Freeny will do a presentation at the marina on the subject Cruising the Coast of the Great Bear Rainforest in Pursuit of the Spirit Bear. 

In the summers of 2009-2010, Pat Freeny had Paul Nicklen, one of National Geographic's top photographers, aboard his sailboat, Nirvana, to shoot a story on the Spirit Bear of British Columbia, a rare, elusive black bear with white fur, and one of the icons of the Great Bear Rainforest.

Pat followed Paul through the forests and up the rivers to get the shots that became the cover story for the August 2011 issue of National Geographic Magazine. In September 2010, the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) also sent 10 internationally known photographers to the Great Bear Rainforest to document the beauty and fragile ecology of this area which is set to see oil tanker traffic heading to Kitimat.

Pat will show the amazing photos and videos from the National Geographic trip, discuss the many cruising opportunities in the Great Bear, and also talk about the potential environmental threats to both the marine and terrestrial ecosystems and to the First Nations people living along the course of the pipeline and along the coastal route of the tankers.

Mill Bay Marina

The marina at Mill Bay is ready for overnight visitors. It will have 91 slips, 700 linear feet of transient moorage. Services to mariners will include gas, diesel, sani dump, laundry, showers, power and water. A bistro and a store will be located adjacent to the docks. All services are expected to be fully functioning some time in the fall. For more information call 250-743-4303 or visit www.pierresbay.com.

Imperial Landing Pier and Floats at Steveston

There is a new large dock in Steveston that has been placed parallel to the shore west of Number One road. This dock will serve as a landing for visiting mariners wanting to visit the local restaurants and shops. The dock, which belongs to the City of Richmond and not the Harbour Authority, was originally placed outside the harbour in the river to accommodate tall ships and was moved to the harbour for winter storage. It will now be used for some overnight moorage, though no power or services are available at the dock at present. If you try to tie up at the dock mind the large electrical boxes or other structures placed very close to the tie-up railings.

Page’s Marina gearing up for the tourist summer season

This season, Pages Marina has brought in more scooters available for rent, adding to its 21-speed mountain bike and 49 cc scooter rentals. The marina also offers an expansive fish cleaning station, where boaters and fishers alike can clean their daily catch. And for campers and moorage users the campsite area has a newly renovated washroom and shower facility. For more information on rentals, moorage or the cottages and campground at Page’s Resort visit www.pagesresort.com.

Larry Graf, the inventor of the Aspen Power Cat has been granted U.S. patent protection for his design. Graf was issued U.S. Patent number 8,109,221 B2 February 7, 2012. Contact Aspen at 360-668-4347 or at www.aspenpowercatamarans.com.

London Drugs is now selling marine satellite hardware. Boaters can purchase the $269 Delorme InReach satellite communicator at most outlets. The communicator itself will send out up to three preloaded messages, an SOS message that also enables remote tracking after the SOS is triggered. The transmitter can also be paired with a smart phone and the phone keyboard will allow text messaging. Airtime, costing as little as $12.95 per month must be purchased through InReach. Contact InReach at 416-253-6990 or at www.inreachcanada.com.

Atlantide's (Ex. Caleta) history is significant; her pedigree of owners is unmatched. Their stewardship has kept her in pristine condition and she is arguably in “better than new” condition.