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

Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors ®
...... 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
Before You Hire Me to Survey Your Boat
Suggestions to make this easier on both of us.
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My Fee Schedule
A boat survey is often FREE !
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Testimonials
I have doubts about adding this but .
.. .
Boats I Have Surveyed
A list of various models I have surveyed.
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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
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
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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
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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, biling
ual 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 !
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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)
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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