VI South Hybrid Club Night: The Selection and Purchase of an Offshore Boat

Ever wonder where to begin when selecting a boat to take you safely offshore?  Or what to look for when considering your options?  This presentation covers two parts on the path to getting your boat for offshore adventures. First, how to choose the right boat for offshore voyaging: sail or power, monohull or catamaran, new or used; and second, the practical steps to buy that boat safely, wherever in the world it happens to be.

BCA members and bluewater sailors, Max and Elizabeth Shaw, draw on two perspectives: their own tumultuous experience buying their Stevens 47 Fluenta for their Pacific loop and then the nearly 200 transactions as yacht brokers across 22 countries, states and provinces.

Presenters

As active “doners”, Max and Elizabeth are no strangers to BCA. Max taught the Offshore Weather seminar for several years and Elizabeth now leads the Psychology of Voyaging course.

Both are accredited yacht brokers who learnt to sail through the Royal Yachting Association system. After retiring from the Canadian Armed Forces, they set off with their children on a 7.5-year, 36,000nm loop around the Pacific. On returning to Sidney, they founded Fluenta Marine Services and now offer brokerage services through Yacht Sales West.

They speak regularly about offshore sailing at boat shows across North America and have more recently taught alongside friends at Mahina Expeditions and Totem Sailing. Elizabeth has been a keynote speaker at Women on Water events and Max is a Yachtmaster Instructor who still gets out on the water occasionally to teach whether on a transatlantic crossing or here in our amazing local waters.

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Hybrid Meeting Format: November 17, 2026

In-Person Attendees (Check-in and pay cash at the door):

• Doors open: 7:00 pm, meeting starts at 7:30 pm, presentation to follow
• Cost: $5/Members, $10/Non-Members

Virtual Attendees: via ZOOM

• After you register, you will receive the Zoom meeting invitation by email.  If you don’t receive it in a few minutes, please check your SPAM/JUNK folder.  If you still don’t see it, please contact us.
• Members – $5 per connected device (if signed in)
• Non-Members – $10 per connected device.
• If you have any questions, please contact us.

Note to Zoom Attendees: Due to the small cost of virtual tickets, and an equal or greater cost to BCA of issuing refunds, no refunds will be issued unless VI Chapter is unable to deliver the Club Night via Zoom. The Zoom room opens at 7 pm for social time, with the meeting at 7:30 pm and the presentation to follow.

For More Information and to Register – Click Here