In September of every year a number of members of BCA get together to form the Fleets – one on Vancouver Island, one in Calgary and one on the Lower Mainland. These are people who are planning to leave for offshore in the following year or soon thereafter. They meet monthly or more often depending on the program they set up for the year. The members themselves decide the program based on their needs and interests.
Objectives of Fleet
One of the objectives of the Fleet is to increase the participants’ basic knowledge of whatever is necessary to prepare them for safe and comfortable voyages. Examples of sessions presented in years past are: presentations and panels of BCA members who have recently returned from offshore, Satellite Communication, Storm Tactics and Safety at Sea, Heavy Weather Sailing, Psychology of Cruising, Rigging and Rigging Repair, Sail Selection and Sail Repair. and Medical Problems Offshore. Each year’s Fleet can work with the Education Watch to set up sessions such as these.
Perhaps the most important objective of the Fleet is to get to know the people who will be sharing their offshore adventure – people whom they will be meeting in foreign ports, people who will happily help each other out in times of difficulty, people who will become long-time friends. With this in mind we have a number of social events during the year with no specific program other than getting to know one another better.
Another part of the Fleet programs are the Weather Groups where members present weather topics that they have researched and engage in planned virtual voyages.
Vancouver Fleet’s First Meeting
Throughout the year the Vancouver Fleet’s regular meetings are held on the last Tuesday of each month.
The first meeting of the Vancouver Fleet of 2025 will be a Zoom meeting at 1930 hours on Tuesday, September 24, 2024. The program will be:
From Oops to Ouch: a Cascade of Calamities – On May 17, Heather Marshall, while single handing, managed to tear a foresail, wrap a sheet around her propeller, overfill her engine oil, almost failed to retrieve her anchor, and crashed on a rock, resulting in her first ever VHF distress call. It was a cascading series of misfortunes. Heather will discuss how this day of misadventure played out, how she dealt with it all, and lessons to be learned from it. There will also be some discussion of single handing considerations.
NOTE: Members of the Calgary and Vancouver Island Fleets will be invited to join this session.
Registering for Fleet
Vancouver Fleet
A notice regarding joining the Vancouver Fleet of 2025 will be sent to all members of the Fleet of 2024 with a questionnaire and registration form. A similar message will be sent to all BCA Vancouver members. These will be sent out some time in early September.
Calgary and Vancouver Island Fleets
Information about joining the Calgary and Vancouver Island Fleets can be obtained by contacting calfleet@bluewatercruising.org or vifleet@bluewatercruising.org.
The Fleet dues of $50 can be paid on the website at the time of registration. This fee covers the boat and all crew.
Cameron McLean
Vancouver Fleet Representative
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