PSGBOA has a new website which provides a new look combined with a better user interface, on-line registration capability, and space for member pictures in addition to the forums and information available on the previous website. Equally important, the new website updates the backend software and management to make it easier to maintain. We are excited about the new features and hope that you will take the time to browse through the site, participate in the forums, and add some pictures of your boat and boating adventures.

In addition to the physical changes to the website we also have new volunteers working on the site:

Tony Ward-Smith is retiring from the PSGBOA Web Editor position after many years of service. As many of you know, this is a challenging and largely invisible job (and all voluntary). Tony has kept our website running and up to date even when he has had to push hard to get information. He has put in countless hours, is always ready with ideas, and has been a huge supporter of the PSGBOA over the years. We are looking forward to seeing a more relaxed Tony out cruising in the future. Please extend a giant thank you to Tony Ward-Smith when you see him.

Kim Nance is taking over the position of Web Editor and with the help of Web Design by Steve, has already successfully tackled the tough job of re-designing the site and putting it onto a new server. Many of you met Kim while she was in charge of the Potluck dinner at last year’s rendezvous. She brings wonderful enthusiasm, skills, and organization to the PSGBOA. She is anxious to hear your ideas and comments.

Please make use of the website; browse, communicate, participate, contribute, become informed. Let us know what we can do to continue to improve the website to effectively support the PSGBOA.

Yeow! Such a title generally refers to a review of the dead! Buy Holy Cow, Rendezvous 2009 was anything but dead. We’ve had some very nice accolades come in…clearly people, once again, had a really good time. And already, there’s talk about next year’s event. Now, there’s no one better qualified to speak to that than our own Bill Douglass, this year’s Rendezvous Chair. He’s the one who calls his own review of the just-past event a “Post Mortem”! We, on the other hand, choose to see it as a darn good summary of how things went this year, along with some great suggestions for next year. We have a copy of Bill’s write-up for you persual, and offer it here with the proviso that, if you read it, you’ll think to add your own thoughts about this year’s event… in anticipation of an even better one next year! Bill’s review is a one-page pdf file. Download it here!

Don’t you love peeking at messages not necessarily intended for your eyes? Here’s one that contains some very positive, very encouraging info that we might all want to hear…about some of the specific plans for the up-coming rendezvous. We thought we’d share this with you, but remember– YOU DO NOT KNOW where you heard it! See you at Roche! Continue reading →

One might reasonably assume that people who own beautiful boats and enjoy the many pleasurable experiences they afford year after year would have little cause for angst. But such doesn’t quite seem to be the case, as news of a troubling, behind-the-scenes dispute comes to light. Since the revisionist issue of renaming our local cruising waters made major headlines (in what is now the remaining throes of regional media– see story below!!), turmoil has been the order of the day among the elected leadership of the Association. And now, just as April gets itself underway, the raucous discussions and disagreements are spilling out of the dark halls of administration, and into the light of day.

(click on image to view full size)

Or maybe, what’s with Bert? Bert Webber is a man who straddles the boarder, and has designs on our collective waters. The 67-year-old Canadian is a long-time resident of the U.S. and, apparently, a bit of a change agent. If he gets his way, that is. The particular change he has in mind…is the total renaming of our several favorite cruising territories into a singular identity– to be hereinafter known as “The Salish Sea”. This is no idle gesture. The campaign has been underway for almost thirty years, and is now gaining momentum. Continue reading →

Note just in from Lynne Thompson, M/V North Star, 49 Classic GB: “I have set up a Grand Banks Owners group on Facebook. If you would post this on the PSGBOA site I would appreciate it. Just Google Facebook, then do a search for Grand Banks Owners.” So there you are. Lynne sees this as an opportunity to meet another GBer. “I now know a couple in Ontario who own a GB, their friend who bought a GB, and someone new from Europe that I haven’t connected with yet.” Facebook has a great (very simple!) way to post photos and movies, in addition to messages about trips and destinations (of course, we do too!). Lynne has posted some things she found on the internet regarding GBs– for example, a news piece (great little video…in Italian!) on the GB factory in Singapore and Bob Lane’s Passagemaker Blog. Oh, and there’s also a link to gbbeacon.com where you can find more blogs by GB owners! So now, friends, go to it!

Grand Banks Owners group on Facebook