July 16 – 31, 2011

Georgian Bay Circle (16 days)

Midland – East coast Georgian Bay, including Parry Sound – Killarney – Tobermory - Midland

Adventure Sail + Sea kayaking [optional CYA Intermediate Certification]

Prerequisites: none

Looking for adventure? Well this one is right in our backyard.

The eastern coast of Georgian Bay is also known as the "30,000 Islands" and is considered the world's largest freshwater archipelago. This area is now recognized as an international Biosphere Reserve.

 Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve is one of over 530 UNESCO biosphere reserves throughout the world and currently one of only 15 in Canada.
The biosphere reserve covers 347,000 hectares of shoreline ecosystem stretching from the Severn River to the French River. It contains over 100 species of animals and plants that are at risk in Canada and Ontario, including unique reptiles and amphibians. The only way to experience this archipelago is by water. We will sail Voyageur to isolated destinations, then use it as a base camp as we explore the land and seascapes more closely with our kayaks. At two destinations a local guide will lead us on our tour. Kayakers around the world marvel about the beauty and joy experienced while kayaking in this area. We will spend 5 or 6 separate days on our kayaks. Each day will finish up back on Voyageur for refreshments and a hearty meal, sleep, followed by a day of sailing to the next destination.

As on all our trips, crew members will have the opportunity to build their sailing skills. Crew members will also experience navigating using paper charts and dead reckoning, GPS and chart plotter, as well as radar and forward looking sonar . There will also be 1 overnight passage from Tobermory to Midland. We will be covering all skills required to meet the CYA Intermediate Standard  and beyond during the trip. If you would like to get this certification there will be a $100.00 fee to cover testing and administration and you must have CYA Basic Cruising Standard as a prerequisite

Cost: $ 2,800.00  Back to top

  Includes all meals (except 2 meals ashore), wine with dinner when not underway, Kayaks and specialty equipment. For a list of what you need to bring click here.

August 13 – 28, 2011

Midland – North Channel – Tobermory – Parry Sound – Midland (16 days)

Adventure Sail + Sea kayaking [optional CYA Intermediate Certification]

Prerequisites: none

The objective of this trip is to spend as much time as possible cruising and kayaking in Lake Huron’s North Channel, reputed to be one of the best cruising areas in the world and chosen as a destination in the book “Fifty Places to Sail Before You Die” by Chris Santella.

To read an article by Mark Stevens on the North Channel published in Cruising World -  click here

We will start by completing a checkout of the boat, safety briefing and review the intricacies of night sailing. Then we will set out from Midland on an overnight passage to Killarney, which marks the start of the North Channel cruising grounds. After a dinner out at the mountain lodge and an overnight rest we will set out to spend the next 10 days intimately exploring the waters interspersed with granite and quartz outcroppings. We will sail from island to island, bay to bay, and set the anchor of our base camp, Voyageur .At each of the destinations we will lower the dingy to go explore ashore and the kayaks to get to the real isolated spots. Don’t forget your camera!

Our sail back to Midland will include stops in Tobermory and Parry Sound. We will have dinner out in Parry Sound as well as experience some local live theatre. Spend the rest of the night sipping back beverages, and reminiscing about the North Channel experience. Back to Midland in the morning.

As on all our trips, crew members will have the opportunity to build their sailing skills. Crew members will also experience navigating using paper charts and dead reckoning, GPS and chart plotter, as well as radar and forward looking sonar . There will also be 1 overnight passage from Tobermory to Midland. We will be covering all skills required to meet the CYA Intermediate Standard and beyond during the trip. If you would like to get this certification there will be a $100.00 fee to cover testing and administration and you must have CYA Basic Cruising Standard as a prerequisite.

Cost: $ 2,800.00  Back to top

Includes all meals (except 2 meals ashore), wine with dinner when not underway, Kayaks and specialty equipment. For a list of what you need to bring click here.

September 10 – 25, 2011

Midland – Parry Sound - Killarney – North Channel – Sarnia – Tobermory – Midland (16 days)

CYA Advanced

Prerequisites:

1. CYA Intermediate Cruising
2. Coastal Navigation
3. VHF (DSC) Radio License
4. Basic first aid + CPR
5. Cruising experience acting as skipper for min. 20 days
6. Proof of prerequisites as well as a log of your experience on the water must be submitted with your application

The objective of this course to have the student demonstrate their ability to act safely as skipper and crew of a sailing cruiser of 8 to 15 meters, operating by day and night, in coastal or inland water in any weather. Complete course description is available on the CYA website

This trip will build and test all your skills to meet the advanced standard. We begin in Midland with a complete safety at sea briefing and boat check out, followed by provisioning for the trip. While at the dock we will review the students’ expectations of the course and what is expected of them.  Since a large part of passage making is weather related and sailing at night, these topics will be covered before setting out. [weather basics, standing watch, navigating at night and full collision regulations]

We will work on piloting and docking techniques in Parry Sound, anchoring skills in the North Channel and sailing skills on the open passages in Georgian Bay and Lake Huron. Longest passage will be 200 miles from the North Channel to Sarnia taking up to 40 hours. To meet the advanced standard students will be navigating most passages using dead reckoning, however the curriculum will be expanded to teach navigation techniques using electronic methods, with GPS, chart plotter, radar and forward looking sonar.

While in the North Channel we will take a break from the curriculum for a couple of days and just enjoy the surroundings – kayaking, hiking and snorkeling

Sail trim and seamanship topics will be covered while underway. Voyageur has a large inventory of sails to meet all conditions – light winds with over 2000 square feet of canvas down to severe storm conditions flying only the 110 square foot storm staysail. Learning and understanding boat systems is easy on Voyageur with its walk in engine/mechanical room.

At the midpoint of the course the students will be briefed on their progress and areas that may need improvement. The formal CYA exam must be written prior to the last day of the course.

Cost: $ 2,800.00  Back to top