What a SPECTACULAR EASTER event!  We had 11 boats - power, sail, monohull and multihull - all cruising the glorious Gulf Islands together.  The rain gods stayed away for almost the entire trip, with the exception of the bonfire.  We did get the bonfire warm enough to not worry about the rain.



Corus approaches dock at THETIS.




Raven Magic, Unprincipl'd and Simply Dreaming leave Thetis island headed for Dodd Narrows



None of us could pronounce Past Commodore Peter's boat name, so it was renamed "Eenie Meenie" (tender is Miny Mo)




The crews of GRYPHON and STRAY CAT contemplate life at sea over dinner at the floating Dinghy Dock Pub (some came aboard tender "Stray Kitten")




While the EASTER BUNNY had some trouble had trouble getting the fire started in the rain (umbrellas come in handy).... the end result was fantastic!




You can't find a better spot for an EASTER TREASURE HUNT -- a might treacherous however after the evening rains the night before




"Skipper the kayak coach" watches from the tender as the youngest crew members explore Silva Bay by kayak.



Be sure not to miss the next one:  May LOOONGER weekend flotilla.  Long weekends should be longer... ours is 5 days!  Boats already booked to leave VANCOUVER and SIDNEY locations.

.

There are already 6 boats planning to do the EASTER FLOTILLA.  

The detailed plan is now avaialble, get it today on our EASTER page.

DEALS SO GOOD WE CAN'T DO THIS AGAIN FOR FOUR MORE YEARS!

~ Yes, it's LEAP DAY!  We're not sure about that official term, but time is precious & an entire extra day is wonderful. ~ 

take a moment to check out the deals now 

~ We will send you these right away - they are just too good to publish! ~

.

by CREW member MAX

Not many people know but there is a world class dungeness crab, spot prawn, and salmon fishery right outside of our Granville island and Sidney charter bases.
 

Chances are if you have talked to me on the phone you know that I spend many of my off days out on the water setting crab and prawn traps and fishing for salmon right here in our local waters.  Not only is it a great way to get out on the water but it has been a fantastic source of food over the past year.  Make sure to get your tidal fishing license online and check for any recent fishing closures and you will be good to go! 

 

Opportunities for harvesting crab abound right here in English Bay as well as up into Howe Sound and over in the Gulf Islands.  General rule is if you can find a sandy ledge in about 40 feet of water you have a good chance of finding some crab!  Bait choices can vary; there are pellets you can purchase at almost any gas dock however I have found that nothing works better than a salmon carcass.  These can be purchased right here at the Granville Island Market.  Set your traps and let them soak for a few hours for best results.

 

Spot prawns are plentiful in Howe Sound as you can see from my fish well filled with over 20lbs of them! And from just one set!  Finding them can be trickier than crab but when you locate them get ready for some good eating.  Best places to look are in Howe Sound in depths of 200-300 feet alongside some deeper water.  Make sure you have some willing hands as hauling up these traps can be tiring but if you ask me there is no better reward than a pan of prawns sizzling in butter and garlic to make you forget about your sore arms.  Very effective bait for these guys is the same pellets used for crab trapping.  Same idea as crab set the traps and let them soak for a few hours and then get ready for good eating!  

By far the most sought after fishing in Vancouver’s waters is for the mighty chinook salmon.  There are fishing opportunities available for these beauties year round as well as many smaller species of salmon that make their way into our waters every year.  Fishing for them is generally done with downriggers and specialized equipment however one very effective way of catching these fish with minimal gear is to drift fish for them during the summer Capilano Run.  All you need it a rod and some bait and you can join in the fun!  Either take your boat down to the mouth of the Capilano River off of West Vancouver or anchor and zip over in your dinghy and then it is as easy as hooking a piece of herring onto your line and lowering it down to the fish waiting below.  During the months of August and September and as early as July thousands of fish come into the area as they prepare to swim upriver so get out there after them!   

.

One of the very special things we do around here is build events that people can just PLUG INTO.  Doesn't matter if you are good or not.  Doesn't matter if you have done these over & over or are out for the very first time.  

We organize where, why & how.  Members book in & we draw from an inventory of boats at great prices to take the booking risk away.  Not sure how many or nobody to cruise with?  No problem.  We got you covered.

 

Oh, ya, these events are lots of FUN for everyone ranging from NEWBIES to OLD SALTS.

Browse the schedule & join today!

Great courses depend on great instructors.  

The story of our past chief instructor ALAN BOREHAM, & how he came to be one of our finest instructors started an the unlikely place - KITIMAT, BC.  

As we ring in a new year, we love his philosophy that "while pain is inevitable,  suffering is optional".  

Spend 10 minutes with ALAN here: 




Those small decisions will change your life - big time!


. 

YOU know how valuable, refreshing, and freeing your time is on the water- this year, share that joy with your friends and family with a gift that gives access to boating lessons, charters, and clubs.             

Grow your crew!

                                                               

Gift Certificates are available in any denomination.
Available in person, or by phone- Gift Certificates can be printed, or emailed instantly!
604.687.4110

Christmas hours
Open 9-5pm 7 days a week with the following exceptions:
Dec 24    9am - 1pm
Dec 25    Closed
Dec 26    Closed

SHARE your boating adventure for a chance to WIN a $2,000 gift certificate from Cooper Boating!
 
Submit your favourite boating adventure photos & story, and you could WIN $2,000 to spend on charters, courses, or club memberships in 2016 at Cooper Boating!
 
 
Contest details:
We love hearing about your awesome boating adventures when you’ve finished a class or a charter with us- and we really want to share your story with everyone!   
 
Tell us about great destinations, and the journey getting there.  We’d love to hear about what you saw, what you dined on, that funny thing that uncle Bob did, and just how big that fish was you caught!
 
Winner will receive a $2,000 Gift Certificate from Cooper Boating for use in 2016, and their entry will be featured in Cooper Boating’s February 2016 Newsletter, and on cooperboating.com.
 
In addition, one runner up will be chosen, and will receive a 1 year membership to the Crew Club - a $500 value! 
 
Dates and deadlines:
Deadline to submit is December 31^st, 2015.
 
Winners announced Friday, January 15^th. 2016.
 
How to submit:
Submit 2 - 10 photos, and your story of 500 - 1000 words by December 31^st, 2015.
 
Submissions will be accepted in word or rtf document only, photos in JPG.


 
Email your submissions to Vancouver@cooperboating.com and put YOUR NAME & CONTEST ENTRY in the subject line.
 
Judges & the small print:
Winner and runner up will be chosen by our staff judges: Colin Jackson, Nancii Bernard, Dawn Dexter, and Jeny Cassady.
 
Entry in the contest constitutes your permission to Cooper Boating all rights to edit, and use the entry or parts of the entry in any marketing or publicity of Cooper Boating and Cooper Boating related business.


.