This series of talks is open to the entire sailing and boating community of Ottawa, is volunteer run and is donations-based. Donations support the NSC Legacy Fund. This is one of the best kept secrets of winter for sailors and boaters!

The following schedule is subject to change. Please check back regularly in case a speaker has to reschedule

January 23   Geoff Green:  Sailing from Pole to Pole 

Geoff Green will entertain us with tales from his many expeditions to the Arctic & Antarctic regions on sailing and motor vessels with a focus on the environmental issues he champions.  Expect great photos and videos in addition to tales as colorful as the Northern Lights. [Regrettably, this talk had to be cancelled due to a winter storm.]

January  30   Christine Winiarz Searle, Cyndie Eedson, David Searle & Ted Eedson:  Retiring to Lake Ontario – Expanding Our Horizons

The Searle & Eedson families, long time NSC members, moved to the Prince Edward County & Kingston areas several years ago taking their beloved sailboats with them. Our panel will provide an entertaining overview of the highs and lows of moving houses & boats into new communities. Their focus will be on their sailing experiences in these new waters but will include a broad overview of such a move from Ottawa.

February 6   Matt Davidge & Doug McGahn,  Competing in the I14 Worlds in San Francisco

Matt will, in his extremely entertaining manner, take us to the 2018 I14 Worlds in the notoriously wicked waters of San Francisco Bay to experience what it is like to compete at this level with the world’s best !!!

February 13   Barry Lovett, Buying a Boat

Barry is an active boat surveyor in the Ottawa area & has surveyed many boats for insurance & purchase purposes. Barry is a retired RCMP officer will provide us with an overview of what to look for when buying a boat to realize the dream. How to decide whether to buy or run.

February  20   Mike Landreville,  Sailing the West Coast of BC: Powell River to Bella Bella

Geographically this region includes (from South to North): the Sunshine Coast, Desolation Sound, the Broughtons and northwest coast of Vancouver Island, and a small part of the north coast of BC. The presentation will cover such topics as trip planning, provisioning, fuel and water, winds, tides and currents, tidal gates and tidal bars, weather, marine and wild life, the stunning scenery, the BC communities we visited and the interesting people encountered. Mike and Sue are long time members of NSC, currently sailing Wanderer: a Catalina 320.

February 27   Tig Shafto,  Sailing from the Falkland Islands to Cape Town

Tig sailed as crew from the Falkland Islands to Cape Town in 2018, and will take us along on this daring & exotic passage with his wonderful slides and video footage !!

March 6   Commissioner of the CCG, Jeffery Hutchinson,  Coast Guard Plans for Addressing the Safety Needs of Canadian and Foreign Small Craft and Harbours

This presentation will address such topics as CCG fleet expansion, advances in electronic aids to navigation, AIS systems, etc.

March 13  Peter Falus,  Polynesian Sail Craft Construction, Navigation and Seamanship

This will be Peter’s 4th presentation in the Winter Speaker’s series. In the previous 3 seasons Peter has delivered highly entertaining presentations on the history of sailing and sail craft – a subject in which he has amassed immense knowledge. This year Peter will provide a detailed overview of the amazing sailing technologies, knowledge and skill sets that allowed the immense Pacific Ocean to be settled by the Polynesian people.

March 20  John & Eleanor Tutton,  Sailing the Greek Islands in a Flotilla

Long time NSC members John & Eleanor will take us along on a sailing boat flotilla through the Greek Islands, embellished with their photos. If you have ever dreamed of sailing the fabled Grecian Islands, come to obtain insider information and advice for realizing your dream.

March 27 Advantage Boating Ron Schute, Doris Parolin & Panel,  Sailing along the Croatian Coast in a Flotilla in the Adriatic

In September 2018 Advantage Boating hosted another successful flotilla; this time sailing the Adriatic sea along the Croatian coastline. They explored ancient medieval ports, gorgeous islands, crystal clear waters and numerous UNESCO heritage sites. Over the two weeks they leisurely covered over 300 nautical miles! Starting near Split, we first sailed north to explore Krka and Kornati National Parks. They then altered course south and meandered through numerous picturesque islands along Croatia’s breathtaking coast finally arriving in the famous port of Dubrovnik.

April 3 Dominic Goodwill,  Cruising, Anchorages and Racing on Lac Deschenes

Protected, popular anchorages on the Ottawa River & services that are available there; The racing program (what’s on each night, weekends, how to get involved as crew, as skipper, insurance)

April 10 Dominic Goodwill, How to Race  on Lac Deschenes

Racing start times, start sequences, regular courses, rules, etc.

April 17 David Neasmith/Dominic Goodwill,  Getting into and onto the Water this Summer

Options for Getting in & out of the water – service providers, commercial cranes, “do-it-yourself”, crane operation, co-ops, pump outs, fill ups, etc.   Other Fun stuff group activities this summer – Bring on the Bay Swim & The Mobility Cup, Get out on the Water, Baskins Beach, Sunday Funday & Regattas

Saturday May 11 Art Grant, The Ropeman: Splicing Workshop

Art will return for his ever popular splicing workshop at 1pm. He will be onsite in the parking lot outside the clubhouse from 11am to 2pm  with his trailer full of bargains on lines and ropes.

2019 Speakers Coordinator: James Kelly.
Web page updates by: Tony Wright.

Check out the Speaker Series from previous years: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 (missing), 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, & 2009.

Page updated: 2019-01-29.