2023 Vancouver International Boat Show

It’s the 60th annual Vancouver International Boat Show, and despite cold, overcast skies outside, the atmosphere inside the event center here at BC Place is warm and inviting. The show officially kicked off on Wednesday, and saw 2,713 attendees; an impressive amount considering it being the middle of the week. Thursday’s numbers were quite higher at 4,502 attendees. As of writing this, the figures for Friday aren’t in yet, but I suspect they will be higher as well. If there’s one thing for sure, people are still interested in boating and all things boats. We can safely say, the boating industry is here to stay.

I arrived on Friday afternoon, not quite as early as I had hoped. A delayed ferry off Vancouver Island set my schedule back. Hey! They’re boats after all, and if there’s one thing we know about boats and crews, not all goes to plan sometimes, yet me make the best out of a given situation. In my case, as soon as I arrived at BC Place I made a beeline for the seminar rooms located on the main level. There is a fantastic line up of presenters this year, and it’s taking a serious serious effort on my part to prioritize them, slotting them into my schedule. Taking place in four different seminar “rooms”, some of the times overlap, which means unless I can clone myself, I have to say yes to some and no to others. Luckily, the majority of seminars are being presented multiple times throughout the show.

First up was an informative and interesting presentation by Sarah White, Marine Surveying – What to Know and What to Expect as a Vessel Owner or Purchaser. Sarah shared tons of great information, including some examples of failed components that were passed around the room. Next up was Laurence Yeadon-Jones, creator and illustrator of Dreamspeaker Cruising Guides. Laurence shared a multitude of must-see anchorages throughout the Pacific Northwest. Boudewijn Neijens, Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) volunteer, shared tips and tricks for staying safe out on the water, including a list of the most common “preventable” incidents he has seen over the years. Last up for the day was one of our very own crew members, Tracy Sarich, with her fun and interactive presentation, So, You Want to be an Instructor. Tracy shared her knowledge of what it takes to make the transition into becoming a full-fledged, accredited instructor.

I have a ton of notes from each of the four seminars I attended yesterday, with plans to write a blog detailing each topic; stay tuned for that! It is inspiring to see so many boaters sharing their knowledge and experience from years on the water. With two more days of the show to go, I have my work cut out for me as I still need to visit the floating show located at Granville Island, peruse all the vendor booths here at BC Place, and find time to attend several more great presentations.

If you’re reading this and the show is still taking place (it ends Sunday at 5:00pm), I highly encourage you to come check it out. It is well worth it, and if anything, a great way to kick off the 2023 season as we all look forward to a long, warm, summer of cruising. See you there!

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Upcoming courses

Whether you seek training in Canada with Cooper Boating or south of the border in Bellingham, WA with NW Explorations, here’s a look at the many training opportunities available.

For more information, email us at:

British Columbiaschool@cooperboating.com
Washington Statetraining@nwexplorations.com 

TRAINING & EVENT CALENDAR – 2022/2023

 

 

Oct 3 & 5

Oct 13

Oct 18

Oct 21

VHF/ROC(M) (Classroom) – Vancouver

Bay Skipper 1 – Vancouver

Coastal Navigation (Classroom) – Vancouver

Basic Power – Vancouver

November 19

VHF/ROC(M) – Online (Register by November 7)

January 9 & 16

VHF/ROC(M) – Online (Register by December 23, 2022)

March 2, 4, 5

March 9, 11, 12

March 10, 11, 12

March 25-31

Day Sail – Crew Course – Vancouver

Day Sail – Bay Skipper – Vancouver

Basic Power – Vancouver

Beginner Crew & Skipper Cruise & Learn – Sidney

April 8-10

April 9-10

April 9-10

April 9-10

April 13, 15, 16

April 14, 15, 16

April 13-17

April 15-17

April 20, 22, 23

April 22-24

April 27-May 1

April 21-28

April 23-May 3

3-day Power Boat Course – Bellingham with NW Explorations

2023 Charter Client Check-Ride Weekend – Sidney

Refresher Weekend – Sidney

Docking Clinic – Sidney

Day Sail – Crew Course – Vancouver

Basic Power – Vancouver

5-day Power Boat Course – Bellingham with NW Explorations

3-day Women on the Water Power Course – Bellingham with NW Explorations

Day Sail – Bay Skipper – Vancouver

3-day Power Boat Course – Bellingham with NW Explorations

5-day Power Boat Course – Bellingham with NW Exploration

Beginner Crew & Skipper Cruise & Learn – Sidney

10-day Advanced Sail – Sidney

May 4, 6, 7

May 4-8

May 6-8

May 6-8

May 6-13

May 7-8

May 7-8

May 7-8

May 11, 13, 14

May 12, 13, 14

May 13-15

May 18, 19, 20

May 18-22

May 20-22

May 20-22 

May 25-29

May 25, 27, 28

May 25-June 1

May 27-29

Day Sail – Crew Course – Vancouver

5-day Power Boat – Bellingham with NW Explorations

3-day Women on the Water Power Course – Bellingham with NW Explorations

3-day Power Boat Course – Bellingham with NW Explorations

Beginner Crew & Skipper Cruise & Learn (Sail) – Sidney

2023 Charter Client – Check-Ride Weekend – Vancouver

Refresher Weekend – Vancouver

Docking Clinic (Power & Sail) – Vancouver

Day Sail – Bay Skipper – Vancouver

Basic Power – Vancouver

3-day Power Boat – Bellingham with NW Explorations

Day Sail – Crew Course – Vancouver

5-day Power Boat – Bellingham with NW Explorations

3-day Women on the Water Power Course – Bellingham with NW Explorations

3-day Power Boat – Bellingham with NW Explorations

5-day Powerboat – Bellingham with NW Explorations

Day Sail – Bay Skipper – Vancouver

Beginner Crew & Skipper Cruise & Learn (Sail & Power)- Sidney

3-day Power Boat Course – Bellingham with NW Explorations

Sept. 29–Oct. 6

10-day Advanced Sail – Vancouver