Vancouver Fleet Report: September 2018
by Cameron and Marianne McLean 27 Oct 2018 16:42 UTC
Vancouver Fleet Report: September 2018 © Bluewater Cruising Association
The first meeting of the Vancouver Fleet of 2019 was held at 1900h on Tuesday, September 25 in the Caberfeigh room at the Scottish Cultural Centre.
Twenty two boats were registered, represented by the fifty people in attendance. These included doers temporarily back from offshore: Malcolm MacPhail and Dina Aloi, Dale Gebhard, Gary Peacock and Rob Murray.
The Fleet Watchkeepers, Cameron and Marianne McLean, opened the meeting. After welcoming the Fleet and mutual introductions, Cameron described the Fleet committees and explained that these committees are the core of the Fleet. The volunteers who lead the committees determine the programs and functions for the year.
Cameron had a number of recommendations for how to prepare well ahead of time for cruising offshore: gaining local sailing experience (around Vancouver Island, VICE, etc.); learning Spanish; installing an SSB radio; registering one's boat; visiting a travel clinic for vaccinations, among other things.
The presenters for the evening were Dina Aloi and Malcolm MacPhail of Good as Gold. They described their extensive cruising experience, emphasizing conditions at sea. This included navigation, weather and living aboard. They showed us the boatyards where they safely stored their boat, talked about their best and worst experiences, and shared a bit of what was next to come. All of this was accompanied by excellent photos.
The meeting adjourned at 2200 hours. The next Vancouver Fleet meeting is scheduled for October 30, at 1900h. All are welcome!
This article has been provided by the courtesy of Bluewater Cruising Association.