 Serving Toronto, Ontario East, West, South and beyond |
The Essential Boating Course |
Marine Surveys & Yacht Deliveries Captain Wallace Gouk AMS® Seal #757 Accredited by the Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors® Transport Canada Licensed Master Transport Canada Appointed Tonnage Measurer Boat US® Approved Surveyor Boat US® Technical Exchange - member American Boat and Yacht Council® - member |
 ...More useful stuff than any other marine site |
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| ...... Transport Canada (TP14673E) recommends you use an Accredited Marine Surveyor ........boatpoker@gmail.com ....or... 416-526-3845........ | |||||
 What are these ? And other cool stuff |
 Diesel Sample Powerboat Survey Gas Sample Powerboat Survey |
SAMPLE SURVEYS Typical marine survey reports with personal information blacked out. Not all boat survey reports are equal. Do not hire a surveyor without seeing a sample of his work. |
 36' Sample Sailboat Survey Smaller Sample Sailboat Survey |
 Great DIY articles |
| Buying a Boat ......if the lobobomy did'nt work. | Mixed bag of maintainance & opinions (mine). | Services, parts, boat specs. and insurance etc. | Worthwhile links for those who love to learn....... | Cruising _ Ontario & ICW, to the Bahamas & Florida Keys |
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Every Marine Surveyor in Ontario List of every marine surveyor in Ontario, at least the 131 that I could find and a link to their web sites. Choose Your Surveyor Carefully Not all boat surveyors are created equal. Do you know the difference between SAMS®, NAMS, ACMS, Navtech, Certified or Master Marine Surveyor ?. Not all who claim to be accredited actually are. Buying a Used Boat From the USA Sure....there are some deals.....a few good and some very very bad. Know the difference and think twice before buying a hurricane bargain. Be sure to read the article below "Whats a HIN ?" Hiring a Boat Surveyor in the US A few tips to find the right surveyor for that great deal south of the border So, You Want to Buy a Boat ! Tips for the novice boat buyer ........ also read the article below "Whats a HIN ?" Buying an Older Boat Many of these deals fall apart after buyers read the survey. With more realistic expectations and a little knowledge perhaps more deals would have been completed. Boat Chek An interesting concept to preview boats for sale before you pop for an airline ticket. For New Power Boaters Boat handling lessons from Dusty Miller. A very good boat handler but more importantly an unsurpassed teacher. For New Sail Boaters Sailing lessons on your own boat by the highly recommended Neil Gillespie. Yacht Salvage.com Check out the salvage vessels for sale here. Buy it cheap, throw on some bondo and paint and you too can make buck. Pascoe on Buying a Hurricane Boat Not all storm damage boats are advertised as such. Beware ! Buying a Hurricane Bargain This links to a Florida yacht broker's site who has some interesting things to say about these "bargains". Whats a HIN ? Understanding this code is the first step in buying a used boat. They are tampered with more often than you'd think. BoatUS Guide to Buying & Selling This guide is a must for novices and experts alike. These guys really know their stuff. BoatUS is for Canadians too |
Doing it Right is so Easy 70% of the gasoline powered boats I survey are unsafe but Its so easy and cheap to make them safer. Stoopid boat tricks by Builders I have split "stoopid" into three parts. I don't know who is worse. Stoopid Boat Tricks by Owners Who is worse? you be the judge. Stoopid Boat Tricks by Surveyors. Masters of all they survey ???? Osmosis & Blister Mythology The most overblown issue in boating. Electrolysis Has nothing to do with boats. Galvanic and stray current corrosion are the issues. Moisture Meter Myths Moisture meters do not measure moisture. Read the section on surveying frozen boats. Construction Standards Understand the mandatory and voluntary standrards in boat building. Carbon Monoxide Symptoms of CO poisoning and seasickness are almost identical. Gasoline + Propane = #*# For boaters with gas engines. Don't play with this stuff ! Poles Apart "My buddy's an electrician and he re-wired it". Things a surveyor does not want to hear. Balsa Core = Compost Some say I am too harsh on balsa. Admittedly my own experience may have coloured my attitude. Boater Training ??? I just delivered a 50' power boat to a guy who did'nt know how to start it. Must Have Accessories Forget the lighthouse pattern place mats and neon floating drink holders. Get some real stuff !' Before the first cruise of the year! Sharpen your skills before you cast off this year. Kudos Too many contractors in this business have poor reputations. Let's give some credit to those who go above and beyond. Biodiesel Wave of the future ? Not as simple as it sounds Sailboat Rigging Corrosion Great photos of rigging failure from DixieLand Marine Surveyors in Texas. Thjese guys are much better photographers than me. |
This first section are those trades and suppliers
with whom I have had positive personal experience. ShoreWest Electronics and electrical; by the electrician I use. Puddle Duck Trading Strange name ... but Robert & David are the mechanics I use. 416-629-8720 Dockside Marine Services No web site but Kim Anderson does master level fiberglass repair . No web site. 416-879-2612 LCF Fiberglass Renewal Superior fiberglass work by Luis Ferreira. No web site. 905-464-0172 City Wide Welding Great prices and great service on propeller repairs by Leo and Frank . No web site. 905-677-0316 Skara Metal Foundry If you can make it out of plaster, plywood or putty, Steve can cast it in stainless steel, bronze or aluminum. Cheaper than you think. No web site. 905-625-9083 Ontario Battery Services Great prices and advice on batteries, chargers, inverters etc. No web site. Paul at 416-675-7671 Fair Deal Machining Inc. Custom machine work is sometimes less costly than buying off the shelf. No web site. 416-234-8446 Bomon Inc. I've installed a lot of their custom windows as on the trawler pictured above. Qualty, service and price are excellent. Yes they do have a web site. J.J.Downs Custom poly water, waste or fuel tanks and all those odd plastic fittings the plumbing store dosn't carry. Aztec Hydraulics Hydraulic steering problems ? These are the guys to see. The Store Masons Chandlery Well stocked and staff that goes the extra mile. Ontario Compass Service Station I have not used this service but I know of no other compass repair in Ontario so I decided to include it. Mirek Serdynski 416-903-6153. MARINE INSURANCE List of insurance companies operating in Ontario and links to their sites. BOATS FOR SALE, SPECS AND TESTS Canada Boat Shopper For those who prefer to buy or sell in Canada. List you boat for sale on line for free. Sail Calculator Cool site, compare comfort and stability indices of most common sailboats. Canadian Yachting Magazine They dropped the very useful reviews of older sailboats and replaced them with new reviews that will tell you all you want to know about corian counter tops and little else. Boat For Sale Magazine All the boats and marine stuff for sale in Ontario and beyond. Common Sailboat Specs Specifications and layout drawings from sailquest.com . More Sailboat Brochures - From Pat Sturgeons web site many older sailboat brochures. More Common Sailboat Specs - A long, bilingual list of general sailboat specifications. 100 Power Boat Specs - From the UK but with some boats we are familar with. 100 Power Boat Tests - More familiar boats. BoatCan Boat Reviews - Power and sail reviews, a mixed bag of sales puffery. Power Boating Canada Boat reviews and "tests" appear to be written by boat salesmen. |
Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors ®. Looking for a surveyor in your area ? Check the Society's geographical roster. European Standards CE Recreational Craft Directive, Almost as good as ABYC Standards but they did the right thing, took it a step further and actually made it law. Quality Marine Services You will never let your kids swim in a marina again after reading this !. Canada Shipping Act The new Act affects everyone in boating. Check it out. Transportation Safety Board Read the official reports of marine casualties in Canada. United States Coast Guard - More on Carbon Monoxide and other serious stuff. Check out the USCG Safety Circulars here. United States Coast Guard Database of recalls on boats and their systems. I check this database for every survey I do. American Boat & Yacht Council® Pleasure craft construction standards. Some of these are now mandatory in Canada and more are becoming so each year. Transport Canada TP1332 - Current legal requirements for construction of pleasure craft in Canada. Chart No.1 This is one of several documents you are required by law to have on board. Collision Regulations - The "rules of the road" should be aboard every vessel Boat US® - Enough info to keep you reading for a month. Their towing insurance is a must for those heading South. Canadian Coast Guard - Marine services. Some pretty good information. Canadian Power & Sail Squadron Their boating course should be mandatory for all boaters. Dept. of Marine Safety - Keep up with the latest boating legislation and safety regulations. David Pascoe The best "surveying" site on the web. I spend hours here (every January) and learn something every time. Boat & Yacht Theft Prevention - Loss prevention from the specialists. Mike Quill Yacht Rigging Ltd. St.Catharines company with some good sailboat rigging info paricularly about Nonsuch's. The Mother of All Maritime Links If you can't find it here, it probably dos'nt exist |
Primer For First Timers Heading South on
the ICW 38 pages of tips. It is a big file with lots of photos and sketches for first timers cruising south on the ICW. Go simple, Go slow, Go now. Salty Southeast Cruisers Net The best ICW site! Actual videos of ICW trouble spots, links to 21 ICW web cams and so much more. Please support this site by buying all your guides here. Erie Canal Cruising The absolute best deal in boating and our personal favourite ! Toronto - Bahamas Cruise Log Log of our trip from Port Credit to Bahamas and return aboard "Isle of Skye" (trawler pictured above, left). Toronto-Dry Tortugas Cruise Log Log of our trip from Port Credit to the Dry Tortugas and return aboard "Isle of Skye". Boat Photographs Just shots of various strange, pretty and sinking boats that have caught my interest. Eileen Quinn - Music For Cruisers Funny , witty and great entertainment. You are not a cruiser unless you have Eileen's CD's. She's been there done that and it comes across as she hits every nerve a cruiser has ever felt. Photo log of our east coast cruises Photo album of our ICW - Dry Tortugas and Bahamas cruises. Cruising.ca Information of interest to cruisers and liveaboards. Atlantic Intracoastal Association Good info for those heading South on the Intracoastal Pat's Boating in Canada Don't let the name fool you, some great info on ICW cruising. Great Lakes Cruising Club For those cruising closer to home check out this great site. Skipper Bob Indispensable and inexpensive cruising guides to the ICW but certainly not infallible. You MUST check his waterway update page before you cast off. Cruising the ICW A long list of ICW cruisers blogs, lots of different opinions on ICW cruising. Tom Neales East Coast Alerts Well known author provides updates on conditions and issues affecting east coast cruising, check it before you head south. Searoom A Canadian site for cruising sailors . Seven Seas Cruising Association You don't have to be planning a trans - Atlantic to get some useful cruising info from this site. Americas Great Loop Cruisers Lots of cruisers logs and blogs for the inside info on the loop. Marine Trawler Owners Association "MTO" , Marine Trawler Owners Association for trawler lovers and real cruisers. Free Docking these nice people are trying to get a "free dockage" exchange going. Help out if you can.. |
| Survey Service Area. Other locations by special
arrangement. Southern Ontario including Niagara-on-the-Lake, Port Weller,Grimbsy, St.Catharines, Fifty Point, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph, Brampton, Mississauga, Port Credit, Etobicoke, Lakeview, Mimico, Toronto, Scarborough, Bluffers Park, Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Port Hope, Coburg, Picton, Trenton, Kingston, Lake Simcoe, Orillia, Barrie, Keswick,Georgian Bay, Penetang, Midland, Owen Sound, Thornbury, Meaford and marine support online by e-mail |
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