Poets Cove/Maple Bay 2019 factory cruises

[Sam Bisset]

Hi all,

We are excited to announce our 2019 Poets Cove and Maple Bay Cruises!

Join us for a long weekend cruise to either Poets Cove in South Bedwell Harbor or Maple Bay Marina on Vancouver Island.

Both locations will be supported with a factory team on hand. Both locations will have identical schedules including happy hours, blindfolded dinghy races, and hosted bbqs on Saturday evening.

Maple Bay Marina is located in the diverse Cowichan region of Vancouver Island and has been providing a fun and beautiful harbor to recreational boaters since 1945. While the marina has grown over the years into one of the largest in British Columbia, it continues to maintain its secluded, rural ambience. Maple Bay Marina provides a welcoming, secure environment for boats and people.

Poets Cove is located in Bedwell Harbour on South Pender Island in the Canadian Gulf Islands. Poets Cove Marina has been rated one of the top ten anchorages in the Western Hemisphere, according to Motor Boating and Sailing magazine! They have a beautiful website with lots of useful information on their amenities: http://www.poetscove.com This trip is the perfect way to start the cruising season.

You can either meet us at the destination or cruise up with us. There will be factory teams leaving from Cap Sante Marina in Anacortes on Thursday morning. We will announce departure times in the coming months.

Once you've registered with us here, you do not need to make moorage reservations with Poets Cove or Maple Bay, we have reserved all available slips in each marina. We will send our registration list to the marina before the event so they can prepare a dock plan. The marina staff will do what they can to accommodate special docking requests but cannot guarantee anything due to the size of our group.

This cruise does require clearing Canadian Customs and is a pre-requisite to our Desolation Sound Cruise. (Participation in prior cruises also counts toward the pre-requisite) You will be responsible for paying for your own moorage and power but there are no additional fees for Ranger Tug and Cutwater owners.

Space is limited for this cruise! Registration can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2019-poets ... 5082910468

 

[ANTIDOTE]

Thanks, Sam,

We'll be at Poets Cove!!!

Greg & Cathy

 

[Sam Bisset]

We’re making a change to the upcoming Poets Cove/Maple Bay Cruise. In order to accommodate everyone on the waitlist, we’re switching from Maple Bay Marina to Ganges Marina on Salt Spring Island. Ganges can fit 40-50 boats on their breakwater which should allow us to accommodate everyone. There’s no change to the Poets Cove itinerary.

Ganges Marina is located in Ganges Harbour on Salt Spring Island and is within easy walking distance to many local amenities. There’s no shortage of activities to occupy visitors. From treasure seeking to night life, art events, nature walks, theatre, dining, and a fantastic Saturday market. There’s plenty to keep us busy which is one of the reasons it’s a premier destination in the Canadian Gulf Islands.

We’ve grown to love Maple Bay Marina, especially Carol and the crew. In order to accommodate everyone, we had to find a destination with more space. We encourage you to visit Maple Bay Marina anytime you’re in the area. It’s a great facility and the people who run it are top notch. They have even offered a 10% discount to Ranger Tugs/Cutwater Boats owners (I’ll post details on how to take advantage of this soon).

If you’re currently signed up for Maple Bay Marina, we’ll automatically switch your reservation to Ganges Marina. If you’re currently signed up for Poets Cove, we won’t change your reservation. If you’d like to switch marinas, please email me at sambisset@rangertugs.com. We’ll do our best to get everyone signed up for the marina of their choice. We’ll handle reservations with the marinas, you do not need to contact them directly.

We can’t wait to see you on the water! Thank you.

Sam

 

[Rocky]

Hi Sam,
I just went to Eventbrite to register for Ganges. It sent me directly to a waiting list with no place for a preference. jusy so you know, my preference is Ganges.

Thanks,
Rocky

 

[Sam Bisset]

Hi Rocky,

we're working through the waitlist right now. You'll see an email from Eventbrite as soon as we get to your spot. We want to give everyone time to respond in the order they signed up.

thanks.

Sam

 

[Kimberly Dawn]

Hi Sam,

Kim and I will keep our Poet's Cove reservation... we were able to free up our other social engagement for that same time.

Also, my recent experience with Ganges Marina (a great summertime venue), setting up my Annual Roaming Rondy, a "group" leader can reserve space for "x" number of boats as of March 1st, but GM wants "individual" boaters to call after April 1st under the group reservation to secure moorage. I don't know if that's the same procedure using Eventbrite.

Bob & Kim
The Doghouse 2

 

[Sam Bisset]

Hi Bob and Kim, you do not need to contact Poets Cove or Ganges Marina if you are signed up for this cruise. We will handle all the reservations with the marinas.

thanks.

Sam

 

[baz]

Whooopeee.... I'm signed up for the Poets Cove cruise after weighing in rather late here.

Go my official Everbrite invite today. 😀

My schedule is a bit complex in as much as my daughter Vanessa will be cruising with me. She's in San Francisco and has to really 'work' on her boss to get time off. So my float plan is as follows...

My intention is to leave Port of Edmonds and cruise solo up to Cap Sante Anacortes on Wed May 29 and for my daughter to meet me there late Wed PM flying up from San Francisco. Dinner Wed evening at Anacortes anyone ? Next day Thur we can then presumably cruise with the RT crews on Thursday up to Poets Cove.

I will need to make my own slip reservation for my Wed May 29 night’s stay at Cap Sante, and will try to reserve a slip on C dock which is my preference. 🙂

We will return to Cap Sante on Sunday June 2, clear US Customs and Vanessa can then fly back to San Francisco, and I can take a leisurely solo cruise back to my home port of Edmonds.

We will have two dogs with us; my Jake and Vanessa's Lorenzo (Italian mini greyhound). Both do have the Rabies shot and accompanied Vet's certificate for the shot - N.B. A requirement for clearing with Canadian Customs.

 

[FlagShip]

Barry, just made our reservation for Wednesday night at Cap Sante, coming up from Everett. We're on C dock (C-16). We'll be heading to Poets Cove with the Ranger Tug group. I'll keep an eye out for you and your nice new R-29CB.

 

[baz]

Brett & Jasa

Yes, my Cap Sante Wednesday slip reservation is C-6 so we will not be far apart. 😀 I asked Sam about when the RT crew boats would be at Cap Sante and was told they typically trailer their boats so when time gets closer I'll know if they arrive Wed or arrive early Thur and lower their boats to the water. Sam will let us know I'm sure.

In the past I liked the C dock and as close as possible to the ramp up to the office area as my 1st Mate used a wheelchair. However, that is now in the past for me but still like to be close in.

My hull color is Hero Red. What color is your R29 CB ?

I've just returned from the Everett Yacht Service located behind the Scuttlebutt Brewery where my R29 CB is having its hull bottom painted. I will post a Photo album in another posting.

As it happened a R41 (Hull #1 I believe) was in the same yard area as well as a CW30. The R41 had a large crew of Ranger Tug folks climbing and working all over it. The R41 does look big and the Volvo pod engines look very sophisticated. Each pod had dual props and they actually pull the boat forward as apposed to the typical prop pushing the boat. The pod, I was told, can swivel 30º to port or starboard and are controlled separately. Gosh.... the R41 sure has a lot of port hole openings; big area ones for the forward berth area.

I'm glad I stopped in at Everett Yacht Service as I wanted then to bottom paint the base of the swim step braces which sit in water to avoid crud etc from adhering to that wetted portion of the braces. They apply two coats of paint and had the first coat done by the time I left. Once the first coat dries they will lay down another coat and be finished by Thursday as weather is nice and sunny and dry with no rain in sight. Then the schedule calls for RT to pickup the boat and take it down to the Kent factory for final detailing and for having the boat graphics applied. Next week on Wed I should be having the boat delivered to my Edmonds marina. 😀 😀 😀

 

[FlagShip]

Barry,

Our 29 is blue with a red hull stripe. We've been moored at Elliot Bay Marina since delivery in July, we just got notice that our slip opened up in Everett, so we'll be moving the boat up there on the 31st most likely. I'll watch for you as we go by Edmonds just in case you're out practicing what you learn during training.

Good to know Everett Yacht Service does Ranger bottom paints, that will be convenient when we need to redo ours.

 

[baz]

Barry,

Our 29 is blue with a red hull stripe. We've been moored at Elliot Bay Marina since delivery in July, we just got notice that our slip opened up in Everett, so we'll be moving the boat up there on the 31st most likely. I'll watch for you as we go by Edmonds just in case you're out practicing what you learn during training.

Good to know Everett Yacht Service does Ranger bottom paints, that will be convenient when we need to redo ours.

As soon as training is over with I'll likely be out quite a bit getting used to the R29 CB's handling. During my sea trial of a R29 CB last year with Andrew onboard with me I was very very impressed with how the boat handled and performed, and this was with me comparing to R-25 Classic, R-21 EC and the R27/OB. The Volvo Penta D4 is simply a very 'sweet' engine and powers the boat with ease. It's quite a big 4-banger with the each cylinder being close to 1 liter in volume. The 4 cylinders keeps the size of the 3.7 liters to be minimum rather being a straight 6. 🙂 The only -ive of 4 cylinders is the need for balancing vs. the 6 not needing that.

 

[scross]

For those going to Ganges Marina on this trip be aware that many of the slip fingers on both A and B docks can be pretty wobbly. We are at B27 right now and it is a real test of your sea legs to keep your balance!

PS: I understand all or most of you will be on the breakwater. There are still a few rough transitions between breakwater sections. Baz is right, wheelchair access would be a real challenge. All that said, Ganges is a great port to stop at - super for provisioning, has great restaurants, a good hardware/marine store and a unique 1970s community feel. Have fun!

 

[baz]

Wheel chair folks be warned no less.... thanks.... but I'll be at Poets Cove.