Seventeen boats logged in for the September club night. The club minutes can be found here 🔒. Andy Sigrist (Cassiopeia) and special guest Sarah White gave a detailed presentation on the intricacies of boat surveys. The PowerPoint of the presentation can be found here 🔒, and the video of the presentation can be found here 🔒.

Note: the final 15 minutes of the video are deliberately blurred so as to protect information that was being shown in an owner’s boat survey.

The MYCBC family is heartbroken to report the passing of Fred White (Drag-n-Fly) on August 4, 2026. Fred and his partner, Clara Miller, joined the club in 2015. Fred’s hearty smile and cheerful enthusiasm brought joy to everyone who interacted with him, and he will be truly missed. Our deepest sympathies go out to Clara and the rest of Fred’s family and friends.

Blue Water Yachts has announced that the manufacturer that they’ve ordered centerboards and daggerboards from has shut down. While they are actively seeking for a replacement manufacturer, at this point they are unable to fulfill orders for centerboards or daggerboards.

Eleven Macgregors (Undaunted, Teacher’s Pet, Mover, Cedar Wind, Windchime, Mist-A-Sea, Puffin, Out to See, Kittiwake, 2 Wish’N, Rapture) and one Grand Banks attended this year’s August Cruise at Otter Bay Marina. On Sunday we were also joined by three more members (Steve and Cathy St. Amour and Ron Gillies), as well as Mover’s son, Ryan. We also had Kittiwake’s daughter and son-in-law along with their grandchild attend in their own homebuilt sailboat. After an early Saturday morning rain, the weather cooperated and warm sunny skies were the norm. There were trips to the pool, trips across the bay to the museum, lots of hugs, lots of laughs, and lots of great memories. A special MYCBC shout-out goes to Puffin for making their first (of many?) crossings of the Strait. On Monday, 5 boats departed early to cross the Strait back to the mainland while some boats chose to remain an extra day or two and continue with the Macadventures.

Step-2 MacSailing Confidence Cruise June 27, 2026

Congratulations to our latest group of club members who successfully completed Step-2 (MacSailing) of our 3-Part Confidence Cruises Series: Alan Harrer and Serapiglia, Sharron McGowan, Rich Harder.

Special thanks to Alan and Andrea for volunteering O-Bay-Ba to be our “Host-Boat” for us to sail on. Most every boat owner volunteering their boat gains a few tips and tricks about their MacGregor during these day sails and the club gives every boat $30 to help offset the cost of launch and fuel.

We started the day with very light winds which gave us the opportunity to review the unique characteristics of our water ballast system (how more heel generates more righting ability) as we motored up Indian Arm looking for wind, eventually finding it along with several other boats from the Deep Cove Yacht Club out for a day race. A gentle wind soon filled in and we spent the day under full sail going through the set syllabus of topics with everyone getting time at the helm both upwind and downwind sailing with lots of tacks and gibes, as well as practicing Polynesian steering for landmarks, sail trim techniques and creating the slot between both sails, sail twist adjustments with the boom vang and the effect on boom and sail batten positions, and the principles of sail shape and increased/decreased power (adjusting clew positions of both the main and headsail using the outhaul and track cars) all while into detail about boat balance fore-and aft and heel at no more than 23 degrees and letting go of the wheel while the boat steered itself in a straight line. We made time to go into hove-to for a quick lunch break followed by a little more time under sail before heading back to the ramp. It was a great day on the water with a great group of club members, lots of laughter, sharing and learning… and of course a little more confidence.
–Sail Coach Darry Major.

“Women On the Water” (WOW) Confidence Cruise June 28, 2026

Our WOW Confidence Cruise is a unique experience, not only because it is only woman onboard but also the day’s agenda is tailored specifically to what skills those members would like to practice that day and what aspects of being on their MacGregor that they would like to gain more confidence in. Great job to those who sailed our 2026 WOW Cruise: Sharon McGowan, Linda Putman, Joyce and Kim Popendorf, and Andrea Serapiglia.

Special thanks to Sharon for volunteering Puffin to be our “Host-Boat” for us to sail on. Most every boat owner volunteering their boat gains a few tips and tricks about their MacGregor during these day sails and the club gives every boat $30 to help offset the cost of launch and fuel. Also a big shout out to our WOW Representative Shelley Harris for continuing to do such and awesome job with our “Women On the Water” Program.

Before casting off we spent some time discussing dock lines and docking, the unique characteristics of our MacGregors in confined quarters (around the dock) along with the importance of full ballast with rudders and keel 100% down for best control. We reviewed the boat’s pivot point around the keel and how that effects steering inside the marina, plus the differences between how a car steers (from the front) and how a boat steers (from the back). We spent time doing some docking examples by taking Puffin in and out of different types of slips in the marina, we practiced controlling our speed by feathering the shift/throttle controller (in and then out of gear), how to manage boat position by turning the wheel before putting the engine in gear, we practiced backing up the fairways in reverse while steering from the forward side of the steering pedestal looking back (steering like a car) and finally how to turn around in a fairway as we rotated the boat in 360 degree turn in the boat’s own radius.

It was time to get on the water and so we headed out under power as we talked about the differences and speeds of motoring our MacGregor verses sailing and keel and rudder positions for both, how the water ballast system on the MacGregor operates and an understanding of heel and gravity water ballast, and best practices to raise and lower the sails along with a basic sail shape and trim methods.

We started off with perfect light winds with everyone taking turns at the wheel and winches under sail while tacking and gybing. The winds started to build allowing us to heel enough to use the emergency break (releasing the mainsail sheet) to stand the boat back up. We had enough wind to heave-to for a lunch break but as we got underway again the winds began gusting up which overpowered the boat enough that required us to put a reef in the mainsail and furl in some of the headsail to stay at a comfortable angle of heel (like magic) while using the emergency break in the bigger gusts. Lots of boat traffic in Indian Arm tested us on the right-of-way rules and what to do in different scenarios where others may not be following the rules.

Back at the dock we flaked the mainsail on Puffin while reminiscing about the full day of sailing, which included a few “Oh-Oh” moments (or was that Linda’s ring tone?) but so much laughter and high-5’s all around with individual and collective achievements … and with everyone now a little more confident about being on their MacGregor.

-Sail Coach Darry Major

This year’s MacRendezvous at Union Steamship Marina on Bowen Island was attended by 10 boats (Impulse, Mover, 2 Wish’n, Windchime, Journey, Later Mate, Cassiopeia, Rapture, Maquinna, and Undaunted) and four extra crews (Ken and Carole, Teacher’s Pet, Puffin, and Vlad). Saturday morning arrived with a tremendous downpour, but everyone just crowded into the cottage and enjoyed a delicious pancake breakfast. Education Officer Darry Major walked everyone through some nautical knot-tying, and by 11 AM the sun was out and spirits were high. The pirate-themed potluck dinner in Cottage 1 on Saturday evening was followed by a nautical popcorn theater as everyone laughed to the hijinks of “Captain Ron”. Thanks to the many volunteers who helped out with the pancake breakfast, thanks to Mover and 2 Wish’n for acting as Dock Captains, thanks to Ken and Carole for acting as cottage hosts, and a special thanks to Alex (Impulse) for doing the majority of the organization (as well as suggesting the pirate theme for the potluck). You can find all of the photos here.

The May Regatta explored a new location this year while mooring at Fisherman’s Wharf in English Bay in Vancouver. Nine boats (2 Wish’n, Casseiopeia, Undaunted, Mover, Later Mate, Out to See, Just Sayin, Teacher’s Pet, and Journey) and two crews (Puffin and Orinoco) attended the event. Highlights included seeing whales, the “Safety Sail/ Scavenger Hunt”, and the “Life is a Beach” beaching of several Macs on Sunday near Jericho Beach. Special thanks to Cruise Captains Brian and Elaine Rosler (Later Mate) for organizing a spectacular event, and special thanks to Fisherman’s Wharf for being excellent and accommodating hosts.

Club members can find all of the photos from the event at the MYCBC Photo Gallery

Twenty-two boats logged in to hear Darry’s “Spring Tune-Up” presentation. The video of the presentation can be found here 🔒. The minutes from the meeting can be found here 🔒. We are entering the “on-the-water” portion of the year, so we look forward to seeing as many of you as possible out on the water. Remember to post photos in the WhatsApp chat! Also, if you are looking for terrific cruising guides for the Pacific Northwest and Salish Sea, click on the Dreamspeaker Guides link on the left side of the page. They are currently offering 10% off if you purchase two or more guides, and will send you a paper passage planning document and sign your copies of the guides when you order from their website.

Our first on-the-water event of the 2026 season took place this past Saturday, as we kicked things off with the MacSkills (Step-1) Confidence Cruise. 

We sailed with a full complement of five crew, all eager to take part in every aspect of handling the boat and working the sails – well done and congratulations to Alan Harrer, Gaelle Le Penven, Linda Putman, Russ & Gwyneth Born. We were also joined by standby crew member Vladimir Samokhin, who participated in the land-based portion. And a big thank you to Alan for graciously volunteering “Oh Bay Ba” (26M) as Host Boat for us to sail on.

We spent time on the ramp reviewing tips for stepping the mast and rigging the boat more efficiently, helping to get the boat in the water more quickly in future. We launched the boat and proceeded with a dock-talk, including a demonstration of the spring-line technique for safely departing in tight spaces or against the wind.

The weather was beautiful with warm blue skies and calm seas … well, maybe the seas were a little too calm with mostly light winds – but we still had the sails up all day (with some motor assist) as we went through the basics of: rudders and keel, water ballast, sail versus power, setting sails, sail shape, trimming sails and sail twist, reefing, boat balance, tacking verses jibing, heaving-to for lunch, crew overboard procedures, tides and currents, navigation aids, and rules of right of way. We finished with setting the boat to anchor. 

Our 3-Step Confidence Cruise sailing series is designed to progressively build on the knowledge and experience gained in each session, encouraging members to spend more time on the water. The program focuses on developing a deeper understanding of the unique characteristics of our versatile MacGregor boats, along with practical skills for handling them confidently in a variety conditions.

A great way to start the season!

Twenty boats came together to hear Ken and Carole (Nauti Moments) describe their journey “From Vancouver to Panama 🔒“. The dream of blue water cruising was in everyone’s hearts as we listened to descriptions of Costa Rica, the Sea of Cortez, Central American, and crossing through the Panama Canal from the Pacific to the Caribbean. Club minutes can be found here. 

Members are reminded to post their intention to attend any on-the-water events on the MYCBC website. Go to the Mac Events tab, click on the event in question, and post your intention to attend (along with a passage plan, if possible). The May regatta is just around the corner, and we are looking forward to seeing many of you on the water.

Twenty-two boats attended the March club meeting. Education officer Darry (Windchime) gave a talk titled, “How to Catch Your Dinner”. The video of the presentation can be found here 🔒, the PowerPoint can be found here, and a PDF can be found here. Darry covered how to catch crabs, prawns, fish, and shellfish. He also gave cooking tips, complete with recipes. By the end of the presentation everyone was drooling.

Minutes for the meeting can be found here.

Twenty-two boats attended our first Zoom club night of 2026. Andy (Cassiopeia) and Brian (Later Mate) gave an excellent run-down of the latest apps for navigation, tides and currents, weather forecasting, etc. A PDF of the talk and the accompanying video can be found here (just scroll to the bottom). The discussion was lively and informative, turning this into one of the longest Zoom meetings in club history. No one wanted it to end! The minutes for the meeting can be found here. 

Thank you to everyone who attended last night’s AGM. We had 18 boats represented. The minutes from the meeting can be found here.

Our next event is the Year End Dinner and Awards Night on Saturday, November 8.

Lastly, our second annual MacSale will start on Monday at 8 AM. Post any items that you wish to sell or swap in the MYCBC Buy and Sell WhatsApp group. Transactions can be finalized at the Year End Dinner (if both parties are attending) or arrangements can be made via private messaging on WhatsApp or Email. If you haven’t joined the WhatsApp groups, you can do so by clicking on the links near the top right of the page.

September Club Night

Nineteen boats attended the September Club Night. Education officer Darry did  a presentation on Autopilots that was (as usual) a spectacular source of information. New Co-Commodore’s Darry and Kelvin were introduced, as Rick announced he was stepping down. We all know that he will leave big shoes to fill, and we wish him fair winds and following seas.

Members are reminded to get their tickets to the Year End Dinner and Awards Night. An email will be sent out shortly with more information.

Meeting minutes are posted at https://mycbc.ca/doc-current-year/.

8 boats attended this years “Raft-Up”. This was a different year with room available on the dock so the group moved there. Saturday Night saw 3 boats rafted on one side of the dock, 2 on the other and 3 boats moored individually. By Sunday everyone had their own spot on the dock. Socializing was much easier on the dock than it would have been on a raft. We enjoyed 2 potlucks in the shelter (nobody had booked the second night). Activities included kayaking, the hike to China Caves, arts & crafts rock painting and dock parties.

Saturday night we enjoyed roasting marshmallows on Jeff’s firepit on the dock. 

Sunday night featured the 2nd annual Bocci tournament won easily by the red team with members from Mover, Blue Glass, and Later Mate. The sunset was spectacular.

Next up was Tracey’s popcorn on the dock while watching the light show from the passing thunder and lightening storm. A shower of large raindrops chased us onto Mover to finish the evening.