OPEN HOUSES are back! Join us at one of our three locations in VANCOUVER, SIDNEY, or POWELL RIVER to get to know the people and boats that make up our spectacular COOPER BOATING community. 

JOIN US

• in VANCOUVER on MARCH 25,
• in SIDNEY on MAY 13
• in POWELL RIVER on JUNE 3

Enjoy complementary cruises between 10am - 12pm or 2pm-4pm, while mid day we'll be hanging out with some goodies prepared a-la-barbecue. Learn more about our different programs and paths to the water while getting your daily dose of VITAMIN SEA!

We'd love to take you out on the water and spend some time properly introducing our magic with you, but you need to register that interest with our office to be included in this complimentary offer. Please pre-register your interest here.

SEE YOU THERE!

our open house last month was such a success, we’re having another one!

IF you missed the last one, join us for our season-opening festivities coming up MAY 9th 11-5 PM at cooper boating, granville island (1832 mast tower rd, vancouver)!

boats will be open for viewing including ALEGRIA ~pictured below~ *PLUS* free boat rides and informative clinics will be offered throughout the day!

**PLUS** you can take advantage of charter, club and course open house SPECIALS
 *AND* last but not least... the BARBECUE will be up and running!

Come see what Cooper Boating is all about, meet our Jibset Sailing Club members and some of our fabulous instructors
We can't think of a better way to celebrate the season!

**Limited boat rides are availalbe so give us a call to book your spot**

See you then!
- your friendly Cooper Crew! (crew@cooperboating.com 1-888-999-6419)

Join us for our season-opening festivities coming up APRIL 11th 11-5 PM at Cooper Boating, Granville Island (1832 Mast Tower Rd., Vancouver)!

Boats will be open for viewing *PLUS* free boat rides and informative clinics will be offered throughout the day!
**Last chance** to take advantage of charter and boating school open house specials *AND* last but not least... the BARBECUE will be up and running!

Come see what Cooper Boating is all about, meet our Jibset Sailing Club members and some of our fabulous instructors
We can't think of a better way to start the season off!

**Limited boat rides are availalbe so give us a call to book your spot**

See you then!
- your friendly Cooper Crew! (crew@cooperboating.com 1-888-999-6419)

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

 

celebrate the SIMPLE PLEASURES - great food, great cruising and great people as we wrap up the 2012 flotilla lineup with what has been, at times, our largest event (why we may never know!)

YOUR GROUP our OURS?  - if you have a group, charter one of our boats or bring your own - if you don't, we are rolling out our new CREW membership and you can experience your first event as a trial member of our club - only $349 per person for this great 3 day, 3 night event

so far, we have 4 vessels confirmed - SHADOWFAX V, PRINCESS PATRICIA, CORENIA and GENA II (formerly ARISTA)



a few more details here

we've got two SPECTACULAR flotillas lined up with the DREAMSPEAKER TEAM - a couple to literally wrote the books on cruising this region

later in JUNE we're heading to PRINCESS LOUISA INLET from COOPER BOATING VANCOUVER and in SEPTEMBER we'll sail to DESOLATION SOUND from the POWELL RIVER location

you can join a flotilla with your own bareboat charter here in BC, on a mileage builder course, or hire a skipper to handle the boat for you... one lucky group on each of these trips can have LAURENCE YEADON JONES of the dreamspeaker team as their skipper and ANNE as first mate!

 

many people ask how to get from their first courses to comfortably chartering - FLOTILLAS ARE A GREAT WAY TO do this because you are on your own boat with your own crew, but you have a shepherd of sorts, and these two are THE BEST!

Willkommen  "ACappella"  !!

After much  anticipation, our *NEW* 2011 Bavaria 45 has  arrived at our Vancouver
 docks! She's just visiting, however, as she'll be spending most of this summer
in the natural beauty of Desolation Sound. 

"ACappella"  sleeps 8 in 4 cabins and features a powered retractable aft swim platform for
those warm Desolation Sound waters (22-26 degrees Celsius in the summer)!

This lovely lady is booked up for much of the summer already, but still has some time in August
and September for a lucky charterer!

On the truck at Granville Island this morning and fresh for the current season, NautOnCall is the latest award winning model from Catalina Yachts.  As the second boat to bear this name in the Cooper fleet, she promises to be very well equipped and lovingly cared for by Cooper and her owners.  She is available for bareboat charter from the Cooper Boating base in Vancouver.  Available time shown in real time online.  Book today!
  

Long weekends are great, but lo-o-o-ng weekends are better!! Planning for the May Long Weekend Flotilla is underway!
Typically, we sailors make it a five day weekend ...why not? The fun is in the journey-- and we here are all happiest if that journey is on a sailboat! Especially with a group of boats and friendly sailors. A couple of seasons ago we had a flotilla of 12 boats go into the San Juan Islands and we'd like to do a return trip for this year's May Loooong Weekend, May 20-24 2011.

The boats will be leaving downtown Vancouver on Friday May 20th. First port of call will be Point Roberts Marina. Here we can get our cruising boat permits to enter U.S. waters. Make sure you bring your passports and all the proper boat paperwork. There are local bar/cafes here for an evening social gathering. 
The next morning we head off for Roche Harbour! This is a BIG favourite of Canadian sailors due to the charm of the buildings and services, walks of historical interest, food and drink spots, a spa and some fun shopping.

On Sunday the 22nd of May we have a short haul down to Friday Harbour: there are bike rentals, art galleries, afternoon movies at the theatre, shopping, and maybe some good old relaxing on your boat with your favourite book or a friendly game of cards.

Monday is the 23rd of May and our journey takes us into Bedwell Harbour to become Canadian again, and then it's up to Montague Harbour for an overnight on a mooring buoy or at anchor. Montague Harbour is at Galiano Island and is a lovely marine park for hiking and photo taking. If we're lucky the famous BAKERY BARGE will be there! They make incredible cinnamon buns and pies! We'll have to order ahead.

On Tuesday the 24th, slack water at Porlier Pass is at 1039... plenty of time to have breakfast and get up Trincomali Channel, through the pass and then home to Vancouver by the end of the daylight.

The enjoyment of life exponentially increases with the vacations you look forward to ... one every six months should do it!
Contact Marla@cooperboating.com for information on which boats are available for this spring vacation.

One fun filled evening at our Granville Island sailing school classroom for shore based training followed by up to 4 hours on the water for a total of 7 hours of instruction for the world's best pastime!   

 $139 per person

2011  CLASSROOM DATES (6.30pm to 9.30pm)

Tuesday, April 5   Friday, April 8             Tuesday, April 19             Monday, April 25

Monday, May 9              Monday, May 16         Tuesday, May 24           Monday, May 30

Tuesday, June 7             Friday, June 17           Tuesday, June 14           Monday, July 4

Thursday, July 7           Monday, July 18           Wednesday, July 20       Tuesday, August 2

Thursday, August 11      Tuesday, August 16     Monday, August 22      Friday, August 26

Wednesday, September 7 Tuesday, September 13  Thursday, September 15

At any of of these shore based sessions, we will organize folks into subsequent water based afloat sailing sessions, which will be offered evenings from 5pm to 9pm or dusk (whichever is earlier).  Classroom groups will be divided into on the water sessions offered in the 2 weeks following each shore based session.  

To reserve a space in a classroom session above, please go to our course page for this program.

We are unable to book the water sessions through the office - these reservations are only made at  the classroom sessions. 

Afloat sessions are aboard our Martin 244 pocket cruisers - designed and built locally for maximum sailing fun in Vancouver Harbour.

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