Spring must be in the air! The first sign is sagging attendance at Fleet meetings…well, maybe not the first sign. Too bad, as the V.I. Fleet was treated to two excellent presentations in February. On the 10th, Rudy Witt discussed Electronic Navigation options for PCs and tablets, especially Open CPN and plug-ins, so Fleet members could explore these possibilities with him. Then on the 24th, Glen Wilson led a discussion on anchoring, after ‘show and tell’ with his Jordan series drogue.

Glen Wilson demonstrating his Jordan series drogue.

The other activity the V.I. Fleet enjoyed this month was the first of several Fleet boat tours arranged with and for the group. On the 27th, several members went to Sidney to view two very different examples of offshore cruising boats: Glen Wilson’s Hans Christian 38 Moonshadow VI and Scott Doran and Laurie Ritchie’s Lagoon 40 Muskoka. More Fleet boat tours in Sidney and Victoria are arranged for April, and Fleet members from Nanaimo are setting up tours there as well.

Some of the VI Fleet aboard Moonshadow VI on Saturday, February 27th.

Topics for upcoming Fleet sessions include a group discussion about ‘Tools and Spares; Checklists and Procedures’ on March 9th, and a presentation by Trotac Marine on ‘Alternate Energy Sources, Watermakers and Safety Gear’ on March 23rd.