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.


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~ DAY three ~ notes from the crew on INTREPID  IV ~

Contrary to our expectations, last night was dead calm. We slept well, awakening early with the sun at 0430. Corus called on the radio at 0600 and all the boats checked in.  We left the anchorage at 0630 and motored up through the Lower Rapids.  Currents ran up to five knots against us and we were stalled down to a knot or so some places, but got through in short order.

From there, the group motored into fifteen knots of wind on the nose until we arrived at Port Neville.  A few tied up there, but the rest of us went on to Baresides Bay and anchored. Port Neville is not much, just a dock and a small historic store.  The whale watcher tours from Campbell River show up here sometimes.
Some in the group dinghied back to see the historic site.  Others enjoyed the day on deck and on the beach.  There was even a report of a cougar sighting.

Predictions are for strong winds again tonight. This time, maybe they will be right.  As sundown approaches, we find we're anchored out in the wind and waves on the exposed side of the channel. We let out two hundred and forty feet of chain for 7:1 scope and set an anchor alarm.  I see others letting out more chain, too.  I expect to sleep well after a day in the fresh air and rocked by the swells coming down the channel.

Tomorrow, Port McNeill.

Follow us in real time on the Spotwalla or Spot website.

 
~ follow the 2014 Cooper Dreamspeaker Broughtons Flotilla in real time on the FLOTILLA TRACKER ~

DAY two ~ notes from the crew on INTREPID IV ~
 
After a quiet night at anchor we cast off, one by one, around 1100 hours bound for Surge Narrows.  Our plan was to meet at the entrance to Beazley Passage and proceed through at slack, predicted to be after 1300, as a group.
 
Intrepid found good wind, and we sailed some of the way, but motored a fair bit to meet the schedule and because we encountered unpredictable gusts from all directions as we got into the narrower sections.
 
Most of us arrived early, so we drifted and had lunch while the stragglers caught up, then proceeded through as a group, one after another.  One sailboat went through an hour early and reported on the radio that they encountered four knots maximum current, but most of us stuck together and waited for slack. 
 
We all entered the sheltered bays of the Octopus Islands Marine Park, anchored near shore and stern-tied, well protected from the gale-force winds predicted for Johnstone Strait late tonight or tomorrow.  The depths along shore in spots were such that some were able to back right to shore and step off.  The afternoon was spent exploring this enchanting spot and visiting other boats.
 
At present, our plans for tomorrow are uncertain due to predicted gale-force winds ahead.  We have a net on channel 68 tomorrow at 0600 to decide, once the day's forecast is available and in time to make the Upper Rapids at slack if all is clear.
 

THANKSGIVING FLOTILLA
So many of us look forward to this excellent event - a long weekend sharing boating, food and friendship!

This year our trip boards Friday October 11th in Vancouver with a couple of boats joining us from Sidney.
We’re heading thru Porlier Pass on the 12^th ….  Around noon and so our departure time should be 0800hrs.
 
Thetis Island Marina and Pub is our destination.  The PUB will be open with its regular menu.
The next day we’re heading for Silva Bay  - slack current thru Gabriola Pass during daylight hours is near noon on Sunday.
Recommendation is to go through the pass at noon and take in the wonderful Gabriola Art Studio Tour.
 

Silva Bay Marina has reservations for us and the Pub is serving Thanksgiving Dinner …. Reservations will be required.  

Call to get your favourite boat booked now!

http://artsgabriola.ca/events/annual-thanksgiving-studio-tour/

march 17^th FLOTILLA ~ BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
 
if you missed out on our january FLOTILLA to BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS?? never fear… here is another opportunity!!

it starts march 17, 2013 and we’re boarding two of the narliest catamarans in the CARRIBEAN SEA at noon on march 17th 2013

our sailing vacation is 7 days long and ends at noon on march 24
 
can you just picture you and your family on WILD THING or TOP SECRET??

COOPER BOATING sailors have vacationed on these boats and gave big thumbs up!

these boats are 58 feet long with 5 staterooms and 6 heads. our sailing vacation is 7 days long

price per double cabin $3,499 CDN funds

price per person $1,749 CDN for shared cabin



FAMILY  friendly? for sure!

SKIPPERED? yes!

want to BE the skipper and book the whole boat? let us know

timing - it’s bc SPRING BREAK time!

includes: bedding, galley equipment, snorkel gear, safety equipment, dinghy and outboard, marine park permits

costs to share: food, beverages, moorage, & fuel

for INFO on how to get to the B.V.I.'s and more you can call the COOPER GALS at 604.687.4110 or toll free 888.999.6419

CALL TODAY

our EARLY BOOKING SPECIALS are coming to a close.  If you havn't yet booked your charter or course for 2013, contact our office and let us help you plan your next adventure.    tel 1-888-999-6419

met this morning with loyal COOPER client CHAD BREMNER in CALGARY - CHAD is doing the CLIPPER ROUND THE WORLD RACE & brought this heartfelt information to our attention:

Looking for a little support from the sailors around the World. 15 sailors will escort "Tyler the Monkey" around the world in support of a 5 yr old boy and his fight with cancer.

Tyler Puetz from Regina Saskatchewan Canada was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor in Sept 2012. He is currently receiving treatment in Saskatoon Canada.

To support Tyler in his battle with cancer, a team of 15 sailors from the CLIPPER RTW race who are currently training to sail and race around the world in 2013 have joined together and will carry our mascot "Tyler the Sailing Monkey" around the world. For the full story check out the Facebook page "SAILING AROUND THE WORLD FOR TYLER"



LIKE the page and follow the story about Tyler and the race.

we are very pround of our new office and it just keeps getting better as the finishing touches get completed ~ if you are in the SIDNEY area drop by and visit us at our new location ~ we are just on the right hand side as you walk through the main entrance into the Marina, you can't miss us! 

we are here 7 days a week to help you explore the best options for your upcoming BOATING ADVENTURES.


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Seen a Canadian dime lately?  That's not just any boat.  Bluenose II is officially a huge part of our sailing heritage and something to be proud of as a Canadian.  The original Bluenose doubled as both fishing schooner and undefeated racing machine of her day and was sadly lost on a reef years ago (nb - take your navigation courses!)



The current incarnation is Bluenose II, built in the same yard in Nova Scotia by many of the same people.  Now a handful of them and their kids and grandkids are busy at work putting her back together as can only occur on a wood vessel:



We thought Don Martin's Lady Van project was intense.  This is officially takes 'keeping up with the Jones' to another level.

Thanks to the miracles of modern day technology, all of Canada (and the world for that matter) can watch the rebirth of a legend.  Visit the live webcams and youTube channels. 

Some of us were delighted to be part of hosting Bluenose II when she came to Vancouver Harbour to welcome the world to Expo '86.  Okay, some of us were cutting class to stowaway on her as much as we could!!  We're digging for those photos now... so stay tuned here to the Bluenose's west coast connection right here at Cooper Boating!!

Our last Martin 242 is now available.  As the saying goes, we saved the best for last.  This boat was hauled in 2007 and completely refurbished with all new gelcoat applied to the hull (above the waterline) and deck.   The bottom was peeled off and epoxied.  We had this boat in BC PLACE STADIUM for the Vancouver Boat show as part of our display for learn to sail classes.  So, she might be a few decades old, but nobody that has seen this one up close can believe it. 


We've thrown some nice black sailcovers on her and have spare sails (including a few that would be great on the race course - the local fleet remains strong).   We even have a spare mast.  Hull #262 (also known as 263 for some reason). Call it two for one (numbers anyways).

Put it under the Christmas Tree for only $14,400!!  We need to make room for some more boats at Granville Island... take her away!!