MSA 2010 CRUISING CALENDAR

See www.sailmanitoba.com for more information.

Basic Cruising Courses
1. Tuesdays, January 19– February 23 (CC Wolfe Smythe)
2. Wednesdays, February 10 – March 31 (CC Bob Modrcin)
3. Saturdays, April 3, 10, 17 (CC Garry Hebert)

Coastal Navigation Course
Wednesdays, March 10 – April 28 (CC George Bush)

Celestial Navigation Course
Wednesdays, Feb 24-Apr 14 (CC Davis Daycock)

VHF Seminar
1. Saturdays, October 17 & 24 (CCJim Robinson)
2. Wednesdays, May 5 & 12 (CC George Bush)

Weather Seminar
Saturday, May 1 (CC Bob Modrcin)

GPS
Tuesdays, May 11 & 18 (CC Wolfe Smythe)

PCOC
1. Saturday, March 20
2. Saturday, April 24
3. Saturday, May 8

Textbooks, Exams and Certifications are included in the registration fees. The courses will be all held at Sport Manitoba until December. With the building move at the end of December we are required to book rooms at other facilities in Winnipeg . The locations will be announced asap.

Proposed Northern Harbour Development Plans

Dear Lake Neighbors and Interested Parties

We can finally tell you what our tentative plans for development are.

Northern Harbour would like to proceed on a combination of new docks, an art park and off shore RV parking that will improve the lake experience, protect the environment with a minimal footprint and create a unique experience for you and visitors passing through Kenora.

Let me share with you how our proposing docking and shoreline improvement will protect and enhance your cottaging and boating experience.

My proposal will offer, for those with cabins part way down the bay on the east side, a regulation size road to your property that Northern Harbour will build and maintain. The docks will take 25 to 30 years to build and will start near the north end so it will be a long time till they get anywhere near your cottage or Howie Blatt’s or George Bones’ islands.

Boats that dock at Northern Harbour go out of the bay on Friday or Saturday and return on Sunday, which is only 2 trips down the bay a week and we do not expect this pattern to change in the future.

The only problem brought to my attention was excess boat wake from some boats, since then we notified our customers that if they wanted to dock here they had to make the bay a no wake area and use the west track coming and going.

There are three main groups that enjoy Lake of the Woods, cottage owners, fisherman, and day boaters and live aboard boaters. All enjoy different parts of the lake. Cottage owners stay around their cottage area, go fishing, skiing, and day trips.

Fisherman and day boaters go where the fish and public beaches are, cottages on day trips.

Live aboard boaters go to wilderness anchorages where there are no cottages. They tend to stay there until it is time to return to harbour and home. They normally have a small boat to run around with and leave the big one anchored. That is why you do not see too many big boats around the cottages. They use different parts of the lake.

The Ontario government has set aside public lands, park lands and conservation areas in the south centre of the lake accessible only by boats and this is where the live aboard boater goes.

The live aboard boater uses a different part of the lake than the cottage owner does. Northern Harbour is the best location for more docking on the lake. We are closer to the anchorages that the boater’s use with the least amount of cottages on route. Pine Portage Bay is wider than Devil’s Gap or Keewatin Chanel which provides safer operation of boats.

This development is good for Lake of the Woods, local residents, Manitobans and U.S. people who use the lake and good for the economy of Kenora and area.

Following is more detailed information on our development. We need the support of the people on the lake and in the area for this to happen. Please let us know your comments or concerns.

We will be at the Mid Canada Boat Show on March 4th to 7th 2010.

Click here to download for more detailed information on the development.

Click here to download a map of the proposed development.

Click here to download a document to provided your comment.

Sincerely,


Gary Hall

Northern Harbour

Northen Harbour Crusie Week 2010

"Cruise Around The World" July 23-30, 2010

This year we are really excited to present our 'Theme" for 2010 Cruise Week. The destination is the beautiful, Whitefish Bay, with a different anchorage each night.
Although the anchorages seem to be the same every year, they are new and improved!

The Cruise Around The World will be a 'Lake Folklorama'. A few of the destinations that are being considered are: Italy, Mexico, Greece. The focus at each 'Port' will be food, drink, music, and of course there is a prize for each day for the best dressed! Hmmmm...., I guess there is the unavoidable 'wearing a white bedsheet night', (toga), hopefully there won't be a full moon that night!

Cruise Week is a layed back week of sailing on the beautiful Lake of the Woods! It is an affordable week of fun for the entire family. It is also a great week for new sailors to spend a week with other experienced sailors who love to share their skills with others

More information will be posted on the Northern Yacht Club Website.

Spring is in the air! See you all soon!

Lisa Phillips - On-A-Call
email- sailinonacall@hotmail.com

Tall Kool Two

Anyone who knows Van knows that he is not scared of taking on a big project, the next chapter of the McLean family, this will be sure to make a good book someday...

The Beneteau 43 is official and rumor has it the McLeans (kids included) are going cruising as early as March to the Bahamas and staying till September when the new Tall Kool One will return to Lake of the Woods for extended summer cruising;-)

Meat Pie in Paridise

We all know Bob does not like cheese burgers, so we will have to call this post Meat Pie in paradise.

An update from Fred on his recent trip to Florida to help out Bob.

The trip began on Jan 10th. Bob met Fred at Orlando airport and they drove to Ft. Pierce where the boat was stored. The boat originally belonged to Kevin McDougall, and Bob purchased the boat last year. The plan was for Bob and Fred to prep the boat and sail over to the Bahamas. The pictures tell the story. They never got to the Bahamas but had lots of fun and got the boat to Miami where Alice will meet Bob on Feb 9th and they will either cruise the Keys or perhaps set off to the Bahamas with Bill and Maureen Johnston.

PS. Bill Johnston in a short conversation while in Winnipeg was heard to refer to Bob and Fred as Felix and Oscar...