Bill's New Zealand Trip 2010

The New Year - 2011

Over the next few weeks I will be updating the website and revising information on the upcoming specialty cruises. I hope to bring many of them back and add a few new ones. If you are wishing to sail without participating in a themed week, please contact me as soon as possible so I can keep your preferred times available. Bookings are already happening.

In retrospect, the 2010 season was terrific. A number of new clients were able to experience some of the many wonders of the North Channel and we were blessed with some terrific winds. There were days when most cruisers hunkered down in secure anchorages but Little Wing reveled in the 40+ knots and big seas. Never once did she ever cause concern for safety or security. The new sails worked out very well and added greatly to sailing enjoyment.

The entire battery and wiring system was totally revamped, and with the added capacity, the autopilot and refrigeration can now run far longer and there are no worries about starting the engine. We can now enjoy ice cubes the whole trip!

In the fall I had the opportunity to spend a month in New Zealand visiting my daughter. Two of the great highlights of this adventure were the opportunity to sail an Americas Cup boat (former contender Nippon from Japan) in the Harauki Gulf and to cruise a Lotus9.6 (31 ft.) in the Bay of Islands. Above you will find a link to my New Zealand slide show.

Below, "Another North Channel Slide Show" has been updated with images from 2010.

Cycling/Sailing Adventure

Join cycling adventurer Rick Goodfellow for a romp around and through the North Channel. Participants will experience some of the best scenery Manitoulin Island and the north shore of L. Huron have to offer while peddling free of tents, sleeping bags, provisions etc. Cyclists will sleep and eat on the boat with a different anchorage or port every night. We will be sailing to some of the most spectacular islands and cycling some great mainland trails.

Rick will be your guide and mentor for the cycling segments of this adventure. He is a former high school and intermediate geography teacher. He owned and operated Salem Cyclery for fifteen years and currently instructs bicycle mechanics at the Winterborne Bicycle Institute. With his wife and children he has cycled across Canada and toured Europe and Israel. Last summer he circumnavigated Iceland - by bike, not boat. The previous year, as part of the Tour D'Afrique flagship expedition, he rode from Cairo to Capetown (the length of an entire continent!) - his own personal "Everest". He has organized and conducted several cycling tours for students and adults. His experiences and commentary on current developments in cycling are chronicled in his monthly articles in the Guelph Mercury newspaper.

Cost: $1 250 per person, $2 300 per couple
Maximum 5 guests.

Nutrition and Diet Cooking Cruise

Birgit Kroll is the owner/operator of Personal Fit Meal Catering in Sault Ste. Marie, ON, and a Registered Holistic Nutritionist. On her wellness journey she has focused on enhancing healing processes through the goodness of real food. She is a passionate advocate for eating locally and sustainably and believes in recognizing the importance of pleasure connected to food. Her cooking celebrates a vast range of recipes and flavours using simplicity as a source for her creativity. She enjoys helping others become food adventurers and encourages them to let their own food consciousness emerge.

Birgit will guide you through the principles of healthy, balanced food planning and preparation while enhancing flavour and presentation. This cruise is fully provisioned and participants will be actively involved in developing and executing the recipes.

For more information on Birgit or her catering service, click on the title above.

Limited to 4 guests.
Cost $1 200 per person or $2 200 per couple

Another North Channel Slideshow

Click the title.