Welcome to CS West

About Us

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CS Yacht Owners West was founded in 1997.  We are a group of boaters primarily from the Pacific Northwest, who race and/or cruise CS (originally, "Canadian Sailcraft") sailboats (CS 27, 33, and 36T designed by Ray Wall, and the CS 30, 34, 36M and CS 40 designed by Tony Castro.  We also welcome owners of the Quanta, a 28 ft. sailboat designed by Ray Wall who is retired in the Victoria area and is a member of our group.
Our regular cruising grounds include: Puget Sound, San Juan Islands, Gulf Islands, Howe Sound, Georgia Strait and Desolation Sound and beyond. Most of our members live in the Vancouver, southern Vancouver Island and Seattle areas.
CS or Quanta Owner?  Join us for -
- Spring & Fall Rendezvous 
- Flotilla Cruises 
- Discounts at chandleries
- Technical discussion about our boats
Holland Marine Products is the source for those parts that in the past were only available from manufacturers such as CS Yachts including the old style grey window gasket for CS
CSOA (Canadian Sailcraft Owners Association) Forum
This is a source for CS discussions. The "digest" form is recommended as the most compact form of receiving the email. Any user can change to digest mode, and receive one message daily grouping all the messages sent that day.
 Marine Weather reports:  Swanson Channel  I  South of Nanaimo   
North of Nanaimo   I    Trincomali Channel |   Washington | WindyTV
 Tides:  Fulford Harbour | Sidney | Pt. Atkinson | Washington
Currents:  Active Pass | Dodd Narrows | Porlier Pass

Memories of the 2023 CS Fall Rendezvous at Bowen Island

Our thanks to Arvita and Garry for organizing the fall CS Rendezvous at Snug Cove, Bowen Island.  A great success!  Friendship, lots of food, and fun.
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2023 CS Rendezvous at Bowen Island
Click on images below to enlarge
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Appies at arrival day
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Bocce
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Tech talk
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Circle group before the warmup
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New bocce champs, Arvita and Garry. Trophy presented by past champs, Alison and Andrew
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Dinner at Doc Morgans gp 1
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Gp 2
CS 2023  Fall Rendezvous: 
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​Friday, Sept. 15
  • Arrive and get settled in
  • 17:00, appies on the lawn - a table for food with be provided - bring a chair!! No tent provided. Bring appies to share. The Marina restaurant is on the edge of the lawn - they have good take out appies, there is also a grocery store 3 minutes away, so if you don’t have time to organize something - food is easily available.
  • If you don’t want to cook dinner on the boat Friday night, there are numerous really good restaurants within 5 minutes walk

Saturday, Sept. 16
  • 9:30 - Short Chinese Arm Swing on the lawn.
  • 10:00 - Bocce in the park - Lysol wipes will be provided - many geese. We will need to borrow a Bocce set and of course the trophy.
 
  • Lunch on your own - many good places to eat.
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  • 14:00 - 16:00? Tech round table. On the lawn or maybe in the park shelter. possible topics - anchors/anchoring and water tanks. All ideas welcome. Bring your stories, your problems, your solutions and hopefully we will all learn something.
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Dinner on patio at Doc Morgan's
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  • 17:30 dinner on ​Doc Morgan's brick patio.
  • ​​They have offered us a special of a 25$ dinner (with gratuity of 20% added on top as we are a larger group.) So we would collect 30$ per person for the dinner. Dinner would be a BBQ on the patio (we do not have the option to cook our own because it is a patio shared with other diners --choices are beef patties, chicken, fish or vegan - all are burgers. We would have potato salad, caesar salad and fresh potato chips (not fries)
  • Dessert will be provided by CS West.​ ​
  • ​After dinner, we will stay on the patio and play board games.
  • Quiet time is from 10:00 PM – 8:00 AM.

Sunday, Sept 17
  • 9:00 - hopefully someone is willing to lead a morning warm up.
  • 9:30 - Breakfast pastries on the patio, provided by CS West.
  • 11:00 - Check out is 11 am

Memories of the 2023 CS Spring Rendezvous at Port Browning Marina

Video

Let's start off our recap of the Spring Rendezvous with a video created by our resident videographer, Alex D.  Thanks, Alex for putting this together.
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Here is the link:  https://youtu.be/MNbW2miGeio

Make sure your volume is up.
On the May 26 - 28 weekend the CS West club held its annual Spring Rendezvous at Port Browning Marina, Pender Island.  Sixteen CS boats with 31 members attended.  The weather cooperated as we had our events outside on the front lawn of the marina.  

Thank you to Pt. Browning Marina for hosting our rendezvous, and a special thanks to Lindsay, the marina event coordinator.
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2023 CS Spring Rendezvous at Port Browning
16 CS boats, 31 attendees
​Thanks to Bert Vermeer of Good Old Boat magazine for taking this photo
and to Murielle for getting us organized
By the time everyone arrived on Friday we had 16 boats: Abracadabra (Ladysmith), Wind Dancer (Sidney), Heron (Sidney), C-Otter (Squamish), Verdia II (Maple Bay), Tack-Tic (West Van), Far Fetch (Brentwood Bay), Slipstream (Ladysmith), Slip Stream II (Sidney), Rosmond (Maple Bay), Cahoots (Sidney), Musashi (Sidney), C'est la Vie (Mayne Island), Grace (Maple Bay), (Minnedosa (Nanaimo), Chaka (Maple Bay). Three of our owners reside in Alberta - Edmonton, Calgary, and Sundre.  Other owners came from Burnaby, Ladner, Langley, Squamish, Port Alberni, Nanaimo, Victoria, and around the Gulf Islands.
Click on images below to enlarge.
Friday, 5 pm - Welcome and Happy Hour
  • We helped each other as we arrived at the docks and then gathered under the Event Tent for introductions, the weekend schedule, apples, and time to socialise.

Saturday 
  • Breakfast on own
  • Warm up exercise led by Angela, getting everyone limbered up for bocce on the front lawn.
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  • Bocce Tournament 
The defending champions were Alison and Andrew.  Guess who won again?  Yep, A & A, beating Rob and Cliff for the coveted Fred Draine trophy.  Thanks to Joanne for organizing the tournament.
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Bocce winners - Alison and Andrew on the right. Runners up - Cliff and Rob
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  • Lunch on own.  Thanks to Nic for looking into disc golf for us but the course was reserved for a big disc golf tournament.  Next time ...
  • Buy/Sell/Swap​
  • A Good Old Boat
Spotlight on Musashi, one of "our" CS 30 sailboats, owned by Jack and Marilyn Williams.  Congratulations on being reviewed in Good Old Boat magazine by Bert Vermeer.

At our rendezvous, owners Jack and Marilyn, as well as writer, Bert Vermeer shared their boating and writing experiences.
  • Tech Talk
This is one of the most important reasons for CS owners to attend the rendezvous.  Lots of questions and answers about our CS boats.  This Tech Talk was led by Bob who brought in a heat exchanger.  Lots of good discussion.
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  • BBQ Dinner
Dinner was a do-it-yourself BBQ at the Event Tent.  Thanks to Alex for looking after the BBQ's and to Judy, Gian and Arvita for helping with the food.
  • Gift Exchange Game
​​ A great way to end the dinner gathering.  Thanks to Molly for organising this fun activity, one of the highlights of the weekend!
, Sunday Departure
  • Yoga for mind and body with Pat under the Event Tent.  
  • Continental breakfast with pastries purchased from the Driftwood Bakery courtesy of the club.  Thanks to Judy and Joanne for organizing breakfast.
  • This was followed by a very efficient AGM led by Wayne.
Then it was time to go down to the docks and cast off for home.



Thanks everyone, 
Cliff and Judy Kiyooka
C'est la Vie, CS33, Mayne Island


PS. Next rendezvous will be this September 15, 16, 17 at Bowen Island
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Sailing Courses for Women 

Instructor:  Marla Hedman is based in Vancouver Island, Vancouver and Desolation Sound
  • Her niche in the world of sailing is to provide instruction to enhance the skill set, confidence and enjoyment for female sailors including those who all ready sail or neophytes that would like to take up the sport and lifestyle. 
  • Her approach is highly social and hands-on. Perhaps, one of female members could take the lead and enlist others that would enjoy a women-centered sailing school led by Marla. 
Expertise
Coastal Navigation,Tide and Current Charts, Dead Reckoning and heavy weather trip planning. VHF Radio Operators certified w/DSC. Personal Skipper on sailing vessels to 53 feet in the Pacific Northwest, Mediterranean and Caribbean. Basic Mechanical knowledge of boat systems, electronics and diesel engines. Catamaran cruising yachts: I run “train the trainer” programs, and also teach clientele coming for learn to sail programs in Canada. Coach cruising instructors on Advanced Docking and Line Handling.​

Memories of 2022 CS Fall Rendezvous at Ladysmith Community Marina

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2022 Fall CS Rendezvous at Ladysmith. Photo by Alex

Video of CS yachts at the Fall Ladysmith Rendezvous 2022 -
click here  https://youtu.be/A6Q6hQkbPNk
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Gian,Gail, Cathy, Heidi. Photos by Joanne
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David, Jenny, Henry, Gian, Jean, Derek

Memories of 2022 CS Spring Rendezvous at Telegraph Harbour

May 27-29, 2022
Summer Snow carefully backing out with lots of helpers at Telegraph Harbour, 
Spring Rendezvous, May 2022
​Movie by Jeff
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Saturday BBQ with the fixings catered
Thirty-one CS members in 14 sailboats and 2 cars attended our Spring Rendezvous at Telegraph Harbour on Thetis Island.  
A highlight of the rendezvous was welcoming several new members from Victoria, Duncan, and San Francisco/Nanaimo!
Check out the complete photo gallery .....

Memories of 2021 CS Fall Rendezvous at Salt Spring Marina


September 7-10, 2021
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The crew's all here (minus 2 who had guests on their boat)
We held a very successful Fall rendezvous at Salt Spring Marina.  13 CS boats and 33 folks attended including several who drove in plus two more boats could have attended except they were already on Salt Spring.    It was great to see some former CS owners as well as welcome new members.  Highlights included the artisan tour, the prize draws, tech talk, new bocci champions, dinner at Moby's, and the farewell breakfast.  Thanks to organizers Joanne and Judy, with help from Mike (bocci), Jeff and Maria (tai chi), Yvonne (prizes), David (tech talk) and Cliff.  Thanks also to Salt Spring Marina, Tour Salt Spring, Moby's, Calibre Yachts, and Barb's Bakery.
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Michael Terides CS 36T "Wanuskewin" with new dodger
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After leaving Bahia Tortugas, Mexico. Will be cover pic for an issue of the Bluewater Cruising Assoc. Currents magazine
Michael Terides from Duncan is one of our CS West members.  After recently retiring he refitted his CS 36T and sailed it down to Mexico where these pictures were taken.  He has given us permission to post them.
2022 Cruising Memories
Here are a couple of articles about CS adventurers:
Two CS36T sailboats, STV Goldcrest and HMCS Tuna, were part of the fleet of 37 sailboats that embarked on the 20th anniversary  of the Vanisle 360 race this June (2019).  Both CS boats, Canadian Forces Sail Training Vessels,  were from Canadian Forces Esquimalt.
STV Goldcrest placed second in her class in the Winter Harbour to Ucluelet leg.  According to CS member, Eric, the original HMCS Tuna  was a RCN torpedo boat in WWI, commissioned from 1914 to 1917.  The CS36T named HMCS Tuna was commissioned in 1985.

Here are a couple links to the CS36T racing boats:
Here is an article on a cruise around Vancouver Island in a CS 36T.  This is a link to the story in the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, Spring/Summer Special Edition of Mainsheet, Oct 11, 2018.  Thanks, Henry for bringing this to our attention.
"We had been living aboard our CS 36T, Mamaku, in Victoria for almost two years ...." 

Click on the following link to read the rest of the article, "Cruising Around Vancouver Island" by Sarah White, p, 12. 

Here is a follow up link to Sarah and Harry's blog, called Mamaku Sailing.