This year we decided to name our annual Boat Show the “2017 Boat & Watersports Show” because many of our vendors carry an incredible selection of watersports gear as well as boats and the Boat Show will have it all!

New at the Vernon Yacht Club this year is the new 22’x34’ deck expansion added onto our existing 14’x70’ deck. It’s like having an extra room at the club and with most of our events and dinner at capacity most nights, it’s a  very welcome addition! Boat Show visitors are invited to enjoy all areas of the club and marina and we’ll be serving up barbequed burgers, sausages and veggie options for the Boat & Watersports Show as well as hosting a Okanagan Spring Brewery Beer on our deck.

The restaurant is family friendly, the view is out of this world and now more people can enjoy it! The Vernon Yacht Club has also renovated and expanded the VYC kitchen, completed just over one year ago, to allow for a raft of new kitchen equipment so we can offer menu service to our members and guests.

The VYC Marina and Breakwater are also going through an upgrade this year! You’ll notice the docks moved out from the shoreline to accomodate the construction. All water slips will still be available for our Boat & Watersports Show vendors and he public to come down and enjoy!

The SunCruiser Magazine “Vernon Yacht Club is Growing” article is published and our 2017 Vernon Yacht Club Boat & Watersports Show is featured in this issue >>> http://suncruisermedia.com/…/…/vernon-yacht-club-is-growing/  Thank you to Kal Tire for sponsoring the Boat Show Shuttle that will be taking visitors from Marshall Soccer Fields Parking Area to the Boat Show every 10 minutes from 8am – after close…

Thank You Twin Anchors Houseboat Vacations for the GRAND PRIZE for our Boat Show! Thank you also to Okanagan Spring Brewery for donating beer and sponsoring the show! Thank you to Sandman Inn & Suites Vernon for offering special rates for the Boat Show! Thank you VantageOne Credit Union Okanagan Landing Branch for donating your tent for the Vernon Yacht Club booths! Thank you KingFisher Boats for lending a boat for donations to The Salvation Army – Vernon, BC Thank you 107.5 KISS FM and 105.7 Sun FM Vernon for broadcasting and bringing fun for kids visiting the show!

Thank you to Bonnie of Project Mermaid Okanagan for bringing a Mermaid! Thank you Mclellan F1 for the speed demos! Thank you North Okanagan Sailing Association for the Boat Building Children’s activities! Welcome to: High Energy Custom Marine, Darrells Auto and Marine, Distinctive Upholstery & Marine, Elevation Motor Sports Ltd, The Boardwalk, Malibu Marine Kelowna Ltd., Banner Recreation & Marine, Absolute Classics Marine, KingFisher Boats Mabel Lake Resort & Golf Course Seca Surf & Marine, Innerspace Watersports, Jetsurf Okanagan,

BDM Motorsports, Copper Island Docks, Sandale Utility Products – Edmonton Paradise Dock & Lift Inc., Vernon Telescope Nature & Science, BC RCMP Okanagan Recreational Rentals, Karrelea Marine, Alan Christopher Barnes of Nautical Saling Services, Young Living Essentials, Discovery Shoes – Marc’s Footcare and Orthopedic SandalsKelowna and District Safety Council Unplug & Play Vernon Okanagan WaterWise Vernon Paddling Centre Bonne Belle Photography, KelownaVernon Prop, Wheel Repair & Powder Coating, Vernon Volkswagen, Investors Group, Karralea Marine, Western Boat & Lift Sandale Utility Products & Atlantis Marine! 

The annual VYC Boat Show is a FREE public that accepts donations to the Salvation Army in support of the local Food Bank. Look for the KingFisher Boat at the top of the driveway! To get to the show our Kal Tire Shuttle will run every 10 minutes and Sandman Hotel & Suites is offering special Boat Show rates. Outgoing chair, Rob Mathews has done an exceptional job organizing the Boat Show over the past four years and Fred Haight hit the ground running to chair the Boat Show for 2017.

This year we’ve sponsored UnPlug & PLaY, a fun children’s week-long activiy event that includes many venues accross Greater Vernon.

We’re so excited to invite children from Unplug & Play Vernon to Play at our Boat & Watersports Show May 6&7! We’ll have Mermaids by Project Mermaid Okanagan, Boat Making & Launching by North Okanagan Sailing Association,

NOSA will be helping children make boats to launch in the marina

Sailing Tours by VYC, Junior Dragons’ Den‘ winners from Nakusp Secondary School with Fishing Lure & Flint Demos, Coloring activities by Vernon Paddling Centre, Hand-built Remote Control Boat demos and both 107.5 KISS FM and 105.7 Sun FM Vernon have children’s fun planned! This will be the Vernon Yacht Club’s 28th Annual Boat Show! The Boat Show is a Free Public Event and is run by 80+ Volunteers and our incredible staff!

THANK YOU:

Grand Prize donated by:

Beverage sponsor:


Shuttle service by:

Vernon Yacht Club tent by:


Boat for Salvation Army donations by:

Boat Show special room rates by:

Formula 1 demonstrations by:

Vernon Yacht Club’s “Gandalf” was built by A.E Vroom of Brisbane, Australia in 1976.

Crane Day November 2015, was the first time Gandalf was lifted out of the water in 10 years and the hull’s paint was in great condition. After sitting unused since 2010 its new owner, Andrew Spelchan, bought it in 2015, tuned the engine up and it now runs perfectly. The sailboat is made of fiberglass construction, and has a Volvo Penta MD2b diesel engine/running gear.

As the story goes, it was sailed to Vancouver in 1977 by its builder, Alan Earl Vroom

and resided there under his ownership until 1986. From there it changed hands and spent time in Powell River until 1994 then returned to Vancouver under a new owner. In 2002 it was acquired by a Vernon couple and hauled to Okanagan Lake where it has been moored at VYC ever since.

VYC’s Andrew Spelchan acquired the vessel in January of 2015 when the previous owners separated and left Gandalf and a trove of stories for a new owner to take on. Andrew says: “Reality is, next to a body hidden under the floor… I could really care less.” Despite the vessel sitting unused since 2010, the boat is in sound condition, has a new mast and rigging as well as main sail plus a collection of 5 other sails. Overall it just needed some exterior restoration as well as general updating, which happens to be Andrew’s profession as the owner of Distinctive Upholstery & Marine.

Before going back in the water on Crane Day April 16th 2016, Andrew explains Gandalf’s overhauling as follows:

The exterior is being refinished in AlexSeal Yacht paint. The top deck was stripped and completed summer of 2015. Lots of worn out hardware, and many years of single part paint were removed. There was a fine collection of homemade windows/hatches, all of which are being replaced with new Lewmar hardware.  The exterior mahogany is being done in Epifanes wood finish from Holland. Much research went into this choice as wood requires considerable maintenance and research has shown Andrew that this is the best (wearing-UV-refinishing) on the market and he’s been so impressed by it so far, his business now carries their line of product.  

Since Gandalf’s been on the hard, the refinishing of the hull has begun. The same process/product will be used as the top deck, just a different color scheme. The boat will be getting a general equipment upgrade as well and the current manual sanitary system is being replaced with a Raritan Vacuflush. The galley is getting a new Dometic fridge and the fresh water system is being replaced completely as it’s patched together and manual.  Fortunately the interior is in rather good condition, so minus system upgrades, it will be left alone.

The top deck is receiving Lewmar Rope clutches to replace the worn out old cam cleats. The tracks, cars/blocks and lines are all in good conduction so will be cleaned up and reused. The bow will be receiving a roller furling upgrade, as well as the old manual anchor winch system is being replaced with a Lewmar electric system. “She’ll be quite the ship once we’ve completed it,” says Andrew.

Gandalf will be going back into the water on Crane Day April 16th, 2016.

Crane Day is open to the public and will start first thing in the morning, April 16th and end around noon. The public can view the boats being lifted into the water from the Clubhouse Balcony and guests are asked to please park off-site to leave room for the Crane and Boat Trailers. There will be a light meal available for purchase and the Gang Plank will be open.

Andrew Spelchan will be bringing his business “Distinctive Upholstery & Marine“ in a refinished Airstream to the 2016 Boat and Leisure Show April 30th and May 1st! The Boat Show runs from 9am until 4:30 Saturday and 9am to 4 on Sunday with a free Kal Tire shuttle every 10 minutes from Marshall Field starting at 8 am both days. Look for Andrew there, ask about more stories on Gandalf and find out about his upholstery of boats, cars and many other custom applications.