Category Archives: News – Vernon Yacht Club

The 2017 Boat & Watersports Show is just Around the Corner!

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!

Mermaid Bonnie Belle Photography

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 Sandals Kelowna and District Safety Council Unplug & Play Vernon Okanagan WaterWise Vernon Paddling Centre Bonne Belle Photography, Kelowna Vernon 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 t The Salvation Army Logo o 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:

Crane Day and the Story of Gandalf

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.

Fame and Fun at our 2015 Boat Show!

The 2015 Boat & Sportsman Show attracted close to 2000 delegates and the bar was raised again! Taking care of the Scrub Captain booth was TV celebrity, Jillian Harris, who has past connections to Extreme Makeover Home Edition & Bachelorette! Jillian and her Boxer pup Nacho Cilantro, were making everone feel very welcome to her partner Justin’s new mobile boat cleaning and detailing business!

There were 2 Boat Races , one was the “Tunnel Speed Boat” at 100kms and the the McLellan F1 at 140kms with 60kms hairpin turns around the corners! The McLellan F1 is comprised of an extremely dedicated group of volunteers that are not just dedicated to boat racing, but the community they are from, and the sponsors that they represent. Follow driver, Mike McLellan, crew chief Andrew Forbes and the whole team all season long as MIke takes on his second Formula 1 season.

The McLellan F1 is Western Canada’s top Formula1 Racing Team.Updates from all over the continent! Community events, sponsor displays, test sessions, and especially race weekends will be on their McLellan F1 Website.

Absolute Classic Marine brought their infamous “Diddit” boat to show off to admiring visitors. This boat as are all their boats, is impeccably detailed and refinished. Absolute Classic Marine provides neo classic boats from European and North American builders. All boats sold by ACM are either classically styled or involve some form of wood detailing, are limited production or custom ordered – basically designs that set them apart from the sea of white that Absolute Classic Marine Boat making wake dominates our lakes. They pride themselves in their great selection of Classics from the 20’s to the 60’s of all makes and sizes.

Dream Party Productions and Face-painting were two of many events on the kids agenda and the ever popular Disney Princesses put on a party mood with the children and were in the audience grabbing photos with kids whenever possible!

Dream Party Production Princesses

We had over 36 vendors this year including some new water and outdoor & sporting goods companies to fit with our “Sportsman” theme. Our key volunteer organizers for the 2015 Boat Show were Chair: Rob Mathews; Staff Captain: Karol King and Publicity: Chris Grotterod with close to a record 95 volunteer members plus the cheerful and hardworking VYC’s Staff helping them! Without the dedication of these individuals, our events would not be possible! Thank you to our amazing Vernon Community for coming out and supporting our 2015 Boat and Sportsman Show! See you next year!
More photos and stories on facebook and twitter

The 2015 Boat and Sportsman’s Show is almost here!

The Vernon Yacht Club is thrilled to invite our comunity to come down to what
will be a terrific Boat and Sportsman Show May 2nd and 3rd! With the added Sportsman’s content we expect that something for every interest in the outdoors will be present for your viewing pleasure!

Rogue All-Waters ‘Jay Alders’

From demonstration paddle boards from Kalaivida Surf Shop and kayaks to NOSA sail boats and model radio operated boats through to the fastest F1 through hull tunnel racing boat in British Columbia (140 MPH!!!) along side some wonderful custom restored cars. For one of our Fast Boat Featured Displays Chris & Buss Roddis are showing us this 25ft Couger 25MTR:

Other displays and live rescues by Search and Rescue will feature water rescue and helicopter line rescue demonstrations if weather and permits allow, plus the new RCMP boat and Royal Marines featured search and safety boat are on display. Motorcycle custom bike builders, quads, and small water craft will be featured along side some of the nicest recreation power boats made on water and on land. VYC members again this year offer free sail boat rides (sign up at the VYC tent to reserve a sail) as great food in our club house.

Dream Party Production’s characters from “FROZEN” will be on site on Sunday from 10:00 AM till 2:00 PM and you can have a free picture taken with them courtesy of Vernon Telescope! Free face painting for the children (and willing adults….) is on both days with Trina and her wonderful helpers. Please join us in supporting the Salvation Army Food bank with an entry donation at the gate as we step forward to help those in need while we enjoy a great spring weekend of fun in the sun on the water!

Rob Mathews
Boat Show Chair – 2015 VYC Boat & Sportsman’s Show.
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VYC Photographers

The Vernon Yacht Club has a few people to thank for the photos that make up this website and the ones that keep up with the stories on Facebook and twitter. First of all our past member, Hanny Kooyman contributed many photos over the years some of which are featured background images for this site. Hanny was the editor of the VYC Tiller Topics publication for years and her photos can be found in those publications, on the website’s Boating and Membership pages and in some of the Facebook albums. Here is one:

Vernon Yacht Club Marina by Hanny Kooyman

Dagmar Mrazek recently sent us some photos to be used on website and is the photographer of the About Page, the Sailing Page, the News Page and the Contact page photos. Here is one of Dagmar’s photos:

Vernon Yacht Club Picture Sailboats by Dagmar Mrazek

Photo Credit: Dagmar Mrazek

We did a VYC Photo Competition for the Home page Photo of this website. Eleven photos were submitted and Robb Brown was the Grand Winner! Here is the winning photo:

Night Time Panorama of the VYC Marina by Robb Brown

The latest photos were taken last weekend at our 25th Annual Boat Show by our PR Director Debbra Butler. Here is one of the favourites from the Facebook Album>

Dream Party Production's Pirate and Arial with Rob Mathews and Al Cuttriss

Dream Party Production’s Pirate Jack and Mermaid Arial with Rob Mathews and Al Cuttriss