Burnaby Power and Sail Squadron
March and April 2010 Information
Night Report
Two great
Information Nights sandwiched a howling Easter Long
weekend cruise. We first met on March 24th
for two presenters and the Squadron showed up with
well over 30 people to listen to our first guest Ted
Vesak. He talked about the history of Ocean Falls
and its surrounding area along with a great slide
show. It brought back many memories for people who
have been to this part of the word and inspired
others to consider a visit. I have never been to
this part of British Columbia but I recalled my
father taking about it as he briefly fished on my
uncle’s Seine boat, the Adriatic Star, in the days
when the boys would go out for weeks, not hours to
catch herring, etc. I was enthralled with the images
of how beautiful and rugged British Columbia is and
how communities rise and fall like our tides. Ocean
Falls was a thriving community, built around a Pulp
Mill, but the world economy and technology overtook
this area and is restoring it back to nature. Thanks
again to Ted Vesak for keeping the history of Ocean
Falls alive.
Our next guests
were Brad Mah from Ocean Yacht Equipment and Jeff
Cote from Pacific Yacht Systems. Brad’s company,
located on Byrne Road in Burnaby, provides all sorts
of equipment for boaters, from marine electronics,
heaters, coolers, stoves flares and other supplies.
Check out their web site at
www.oceanyachtequipment.ca or visit them during
boating from April 12th to April 15th.
Betty Ewasiuk has made arrangements with Brad so we
can have a booth in his store to promote our
Squadron. Thanks Brad.
Jeff Cote gave us
a two part presentation. The first was on March 24th
and we discussed galvanic corrosion and electrical
systems. Jeff definitely has a way of explaining, in
laymen’s terms, what is happening to our boats and
why we need to be on top of what is going on with
electronics surrounding our boats. We have all heard
about someone who has experienced a through hull
rotting out from corrosion but we don’t necessarily
think it could happen to us. Guess again. Jeff
continued his presentation on April 7th
to a much smaller group of just over a dozen
inquisitive squadron members. Horror stories were
shared and valuable information was exchanged. Did
you know that most boat fires at the dock are a
result of your shore power cord? Jeff recommends you
check your power cord on a regular basis. It should
never, ever feel hot. Jeff told us stories including
one where a commercial boat operator thought it was
normal that his shore power cord should feel hot.
There are new shore power connections in the works
and are now available in the States. Soon they
should be obtaining Canadian approval. Keep your eye
out for this innovative product. Jeff’s company is
in the business of Designing, Installing, Servicing,
and Supporting your electrical needs. They can also
provide an audit of your electrical system and
recommend critical issues that need immediate
attention all the way down to your wish list. "Your
boat should help you leave the stress of everyday
life behind – so you can feel safe and enjoy your
boat to its full potential or even taking the
comforts of home along with you." Jeff’s company
describes their services as, "boating made simple –
by design". Check out their web site at
www.pysystems.ca
This is my final
report so I encourage everyone, including myself, to
have a safe and joyous boating season.
Michael Matich
Programs Officer