In what is believed to be a BCA first, Cathy and Bill Norrie aboard Pixie, their 28 foot Bristol Channel Cutter, received an unexpected honour on May 5 when Princess Anne and her husband, Sir Tim Laurence, gave Bill a royal send-off. After a brief conversation, they untied his lines and pushed him off the […]
There is no preparation for going offshore quite like being offshore! Each year VICE (Vancouver Island Cruising Experience) provides an opportunity for a group of BCA members to undertake a short offshore voyage in their own boat that gives a sense of what sailing offshore is all about. Read on to learn about this year’s […]
What we heard from Indigenous peoples, stakeholders, and the general public We are pleased to share that Parks Canada has released a What We Heard Report on proposed general regulations for national marine conservation areas (NMCAs). The report can be found at www.letstalknmcas.ca. Why is Parks Canada developing regulations for national marine conservation areas (NMCAs)? […]
The 2024 edition of the Bluewater Cruising Association (BCA) Member Directory has arrived in mailboxes from Vancouver Island to Calgary to Ontario and beyond – have you received your copy? If not, you might want to contact BCA’s Administrator, Amanda Lance, to ensure your membership and mailing address are up-to-date. A PDF version of the […]
BC Parks would like to speak with people who go boating on B.C.’s coastal waters and who visit marine parks. They have sent the following information about their research project. Whom We Want to Speak With We want to speak with all types of marine visitors who stay overnight either on the boat or camping […]
What is VICE? Vancouver Island Cruising Experience (VICE) 2024 is a BCA signature event for members only. There is no preparation for going offshore quite like being offshore and this multi-day shakedown cruise gives you a chance to test your boat and yourselves – cooking, eating, sleeping, using offshore systems, communicating and keeping watch at […]
The Western Canada and NW US branch of the Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) would like to invite BCA members to join them on May 11, 2024 to celebrate their 70th anniversary at Royal Victoria Yacht Club. The OCC is an international club for cruisers; members are identified by a blue and yellow burgee with a […]
Since the last update, the Vancouver Fleet has met on February 27 and March 26. The February meeting started with introductions of new Fleet members and guests: Deb Bryant, Alan Crabtree, Kevin Swanson, Sue Chapman, Campbell Good and Doug Ibbot. Show and Tell was Campbell Good with an EasyAcc dehumidifier. It is much smaller, has […]
Introduction In November 2022, BCA held a strategy session to plan for the future. As a result, a new core value was adopted, and a strategic plan developed. One of the key aspects of the overall strategic plan was to promote environmentally and socially responsible cruising. This document provides a progress report to BCA members, […]
The Myth of Green Many cruising sailors embrace the myth that sailing is by definition a “green” activity. This was largely true until around 1990 when most of our boats were relatively small, our equipment was minimal and many cruisers were younger and willing to rough it in order to engage in the adventure of […]