Day one - notes from the crew on INTREPID IV

On Intrepid IV, the crew was up around 0645 this morning.  The sky was grey, but the wind was building. 

After breakfast and fueling on the way out of the harbour, we passed close enough to Corus, the lead boat which was moored near the fuel dock, to snatch two Dreamspeaker Guides -- "The Broughtons" and "Desolation Sound and the Discovery Islands"-- from Laurence's outstretched hand as we passed.

By 1000 hours the Cooper Flotilla boats, both power and sail were pulling out of the harbor one by one. As soon as we were clear of land, Intrepid raised sail and we tacked north and west. Our course took us between Harwood Island and the mainland, then south of Savary Island.  

There had been talk of passing north of the Island and even of stopping for lunch, but with wind on the nose and clear water to west it was decided best to skip the diversions in order to make our destination around 1800.  At the rate, we had better press on.

By noon the skies turned blue and the wind held steady at ten to twenty knots until mid-afternoon. After some shifting winds, they built enough from the northwest that we were forced to reef the genoa. As I write this, we are on the final tack to make Rebecca Spit where we will join the others and anchor, then go ashore for a barbecue.

The anchorage is well sheltered with good holding and we got a good set first try.  Around 2000 hours, after lowering the dinghy and figuring out the outboard's quirks, we motored ashore to meet the others who already had a roaring fire going in the pit.  When it died down, the food was placed on the grill and we visited until dusk.
About half the entire group of thirty showed up for the informal shore supper, the others having elected to eat aboard and go to bed early after a full first day on the water.
The Park closes at 2200, and we were back on our boats by 2230.   By then the breeze had died to nothing and we spent a quiet night at anchor.

a report from ALLEN as he met up with the flotilla yesterday:

"I arrived by ferry at Powell River around noon and found Intrepid IV without any problems.  I met Syd and we sent the afternoon going over the boat, making sure we are ready for the flotilla.  Syd had provisioned previously, following the list of suggested items.  I don't think we'll starve.

We also met the other crews out on the docks and they seem like quite a varied and convivial lot. Everyone is in a good mood and the occasional drizzle that we experienced on and off all afternoon did not dampen spirits in the least.   At 1800, we all met on Corus for appies and happy hour.  The plan for tomorrow is simple: All boats leave when they like, go where they like and we all meet at Rebecca Spit at around 1700 hours or whenever we get there and have a barbecue on shore.

The meeting lasted several hours, but most had left by 1900 to rest up for tomorrow.  I only thought to take pictures at the last moment.

Tomorrow, Rebecca Split.  

Winds are predicted to be from the northwest -- one the nose all the way"

---

ALLEN is an owner in the fleet out of SIDNEY, currently cruising with a client named SYDNEY who has taken a recent step up from 'student' to 'boat owner'

I post this as we cruise past COMOX on our way to CAMPBELL RIVER having left SIDNEY yesterday afternoon

ELECTRA will join the flotllla later today - connecting with the DREAMSPEAKER CRUISING TEAM who literally 'wrote the book' on this region ~

JENY'S CHOICE: CALINDA  the new new new  WEST COAST 62’

 

As a rookie boater, I’m not so familiar with what makes a boat technically desirable, so my reason for making CALINDA my pick is based solely on her physical beauty & style- and oh boy does this lady have both!
 
Having recently done some condo shopping myself, my house buying eye was immediately drawn to a number of features.  Like the extraordinary patio deck space- you could easily host an afternoon outdoor sangria-barbecue-book club with 12 of your closest friends or relatives over the many levels of deck space.  The clean lines of the boat and it’s crisp white & stainless steel detailing won’t fight with your colourful wardrobe - & the red wine your great aunt Milly spills on the fiberglass deck is easily hosed down without worry.
 
On the interior, it’s all about the details.  This boat has beautiful wood floors, plush carpet, & granite countertops in the kitchen, bathrooms, & dining room/bar area galley, heads & salon.  The kitchen galley is spacious & has an apartment sized refrigerator, & the dishwasher! The size of the dining room/bar area salon so roomy & comfortable ~  furnished with contemporary comfy pieces. 
 
& then there’s the bedrooms cabins.  I am in love with the bunk set up in the smallest of the cabins ~ it’s the coziest looking place to set up for the night.  The smaller of the two double berths is so large, it looks like it should be the master.   And oh…. the master cabin, this one is drool worthy:  CLOSETS that trump any condo in Vancouver, a built in dressing table, a full queen sized bed with room to roam around it, windows portholes, a whole area to lay out luggage, and an ensuite with a bathtub!
 
But probably the real reason I’m picking CALINDA as my staff pick is because I’ve had a great experience aboard her:  She had her naming ceremony recently, &I was invited to be a part of that great time.  I met the fantastic &proud new owners along with their dog, who the boat is named after (they name 2 things in this family in a decade & both get the same name!).  
 
We witnessed the master of ceremonies Colin Jackson wield mightily a bottle of champagne as he spoke to the North, South, East, West and Gods of the sea to celebrate the naming of this incredible vessel.  It was very exciting to experience this fun family enjoying their new aquatic addition!
 
This was my favourite picture from the event (NOTE DOG HIDING BEHIND THE REST OF THE FAMILY!):



welcome to Coopers CALINDA!

~ the boat is coming together ~ the crew is coming together ~ MAUI here we come ~

• in 2012, a decision was made to get the boat ~

• in 2013 the boat arrived ~

• by the end of the year, a crew seemed to appear out of thin air; all tied to our group of owners, instructors & clients ~

• almost as quickly, another crew formed to return the boat home as part of a top level training program

~ the crew racing in the VIC MAUI RACE has sailed together in the daylight & in the dark, in light winds & heavy & undertaken extensive training & practice ~

~ the boat has been through an exhaustive list of preparations & an inspection to comply with pages & pages of safety requirements ranging from storm sails to stability tests to building a completely redundant steering system for the boat ~

~ most of the crew has attended the SAFETY at SEA seminar, which included jumping in the the water to test lifejackets before climbing into a recently deployed liferaft  ~

~ through all of this, the key dynamic has been a team that can both work hard together & have fun together ~ complimentary skills ranging from SAILING through MEDICAL through MAINTENANCE down to 'modern day shipboard' challenges that include updating SOFTWARE on the boat's systems ~

~ as we head into the final month of preparations for this great adventure, we'll highlight some of the crew aboard & how they bring unique elements to the team & come together to be TEAM ALEGRIA ~

~ if YOU are considering your own epic adventure at sea, remember these famous words:

"you can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore"
                                                    - Christopher Columbus

~ REMEMBER, when you are ready, we are here to help ~ YOLO (You Only Live Once)

This could be YOU!
This photo from instructor Marla- she's out on the water right now teaching a Basic Cruise & Learn 5 day on-the-water course.
Wouldn't you like to be out on the water too?  Check out our courses, CLUBS, and charters- or give us a call to get started!

get on the water MORE & have MORE FUN

the dilemma - how to get boating more -

    •    you don't have a boat
    •    you don't always have people to join or join you
    •    you want to stretch your boating buck

WE SAY ~ "PERFECT"

here are a few ideas that you may have considered & a few that you haven't:



LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION


want to get some boating lessons in as we capture some video, just LIKE COOPER BOATING on FACEBOOK & join the "LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION" conversation -- we're also turning our classroom into a studio to capture some of that great theory --- just in time to freshen up your skills for the season


FRIDAY NIGHT RACING


starting MAY 9th, the weekly ritual begins ~ sail & socialize ~ you too may become a "FRIDAY NIGHTER"  with  JIB SET




DELIVERIES


we've been moving boats around a lot to get them serviced & ready - if you would like to crew when we do this, join the conversation on our FB page for that as well





COURSES

refresher courses, clinics on specialty topics ~ they get you back up & going ~ & have a blast in the process




SOCIAL SAIL

april 29 is our first evening social sail - per member price $29




MORE IDEAS?

browse the CLUBS PAGE



maybe you DO  want a boat?

check out our choices for great STARTER BOATS


IN SHORT

we have hundreds of paths to get YOU the water… but there no wrong paths unless you are golfing instead of exploring our wonderful coast!

Follow up to the introduction of Cooper Boating's new course announced April 1st:  
HEAD MAINTENANCE: FLUSH & GUSH   
We have newly acquired a qualified instructor to fill the position of - HEAD INSTRUCTOR. 

Announcing Cooper Boating's new Head Instructor:   John Gourlay! 

We are all thrilled to have John in this new role, and look forward to seeing him put his skills, passion, drive & enthusiasm for boating towards making our courses, coaching sessions, and clinics excel to a level that surpasses our already excellent standards.  (no pressure John!)
We’re confident that you will enjoy John’s friendly demeanour, and his fun and fastidious teaching style. 
 
Welcome aboard John!
 
 
A little background on John:

John started sailing when he was 10 years old in El Toros on Henderson Lake in Lethbridge, Alberta.  The family joined the St. Mary’s Sailing Club a few years later where John sailed and raced Enterprises and Lasers.   He got lucky and won a race in 1967, and was sent to Ottawa to represent Alberta at the Centennial Regatta.  His crew was the youngest crew there, and he was the youngest sailor in the entire Regatta.   He continued sailing and racing during his working career in Ottawa, even gaining the title of a director of the New Edinburgh Yacht Club for a term.  When his career brought him to the West Coast, he upgraded his knowledge of boats and diesel engines by  taking a number of courses with Cooper Boating.   John has been a long time member of Cooper Boating's Cruising Club, which he joined in 2002, and became even more involved with Cooper after his retirement, when he took his Basic Cruising Instructors Certification in 2010.  He has also taken his Intermediate, Advanced, and Off-Shore courses through Coopers.  He is currently working on completing his Intermediate Cruising Instructor and Basic Instructor/Examiner certifications.

And here's John in action on a Cruise & Learn: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rl5yr4gU-g&feature=em-upload_owner

 

~ so, you have to tow your 65,000 lb boat to park it at home?  NO PROBLEM ~ check this out:

just to make it interesting - we have a new JENY - not to be confused GENNY

'new JENY' prefers that to JENY #2, & the other prefers GENNY #1 to 'OLD GENNY'

we would also like to welcome HOWARD, JENNY (not to be confused with GENNY or JENY) & CALLUM to the dock crew & LEANNE TIM ashore in the office… if your name is TIM & you are looking for work, contact us soon so we can be even more confused around here  

all of us want you to have great boating adventures this season

perhaps you have seen JENY before? - here she is cruising across one of our web sites:

Cooper Boating and Sceptre Marine are pleased to announce a new strategic partnership.

In addition to continuing with the refit and repair services currently provided by Sceptre, the new partnership will provide refit and repair services to Cooper Boating, the largest charter yacht fleet in Canada. The higher volume will allow for smoother workloads, greater scale, improved efficiencies, more job flexibility and reduced waiting times for clients and shop alike.

With a focus on larger projects, Sceptre’s yard at Shelter Island (Richmond) affords the space to handle many boats simultaneously and any boat up to 150 tons, including wide boats like catamarans.

After over two decades of building semi-custom yachts and providing refit and repair services, the new partnership brings the arrival of new projects and new team members to Sceptre Marine. Will Butcher, formerly of Rayburn Fine Custom Yachts, the Martin 244 project and the original Cooper Yachts, is the first of several veteran builders to join the team. In addition, some of the Cooper Boating crew will be deployed at Sceptre Marine during the off season, improving efficiencies and increasing capabilities of a cross trained crew at Cooper Boating.

Several conveniences, including delivery to/from the Sceptre’s Shelter Island facility and 7 day per week access to expertise allowing projects to be reviewed at Cooper’s facilities at Granville Island for a more customer-friendly experience. With a business model built on the integrity of both organizations and improved customer benefits by the combined offering, we would be delighted to be entrusted your next project.

For more information, please contact:
 
David Cooper
604.683.6837 ext 15
mrcooper@cooperboating.com
 
          or
 
Heather Rouse
604.500.1952
mail@sceptremarine.com