Deep Waters Archives

COVID19 and Sail Training (Updated: Jan 2022)

by Fin | Wed Jan 2022 | Boat Smart, Deep Waters, Head to Wind, Rules & Regs

Topmast is committed to conducting courses in a safe and responsible manner to ensure the health and safety of our students and Instructors. At Topmast we are mandated by the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act and will act accordingly. We carefully examine...

Heart Attack in Paradise

by Fin | Mon Mar 2018 | Deep Waters, Head to Wind

Jim Garvin is the kind of student Sailing Instructors really enjoy – he’s teachable, he gets along with everyone and he’s along for the experience more-so than the certificate. Jim Garvin is low maintenance. So low maintenance in fact, that when he had a...

Becoming an RYA Instructor: the nitty gritty.

by Fin | Thu Dec 2017 | Deep Waters, Head to Wind

Topmast gets a few enquiries from Sail Canada and ASA instructors who want to become RYA instructors. Because of the difference between the schemes there is no easy cross-over. Find out how below. This is the process:1. Become an RYA Yachtmaster with commercial...

Where To Find Books On Sailing? Call Nautical Mind

by Fin | Thu Jun 2017 | Boat Smart, Deep Waters, Rules & Regs

Sailors are a literate crew and we at Topmast get a lot of questions about where best to satisfy their maritime intellectual cravings. Probably the best nautical bookshop we’ve encountered over the years is in Toronto, aptly called Nautical Mind. Located at 249...

Clipper Race Fatalities Highlight Basic Safety Practices

by Fin | Sun Apr 2017 | Boat Smart, Deep Waters

In the 2015-16 Clipper Around the World Race, two people died. One crew member was struck by the mainsheet and had his neck broken during an uncontrolled gybe and the second was washed overboard in poor conditions at night, tragically it took 80...

Can’t Fathom Depth in Metric?

by Fin | Fri Mar 2017 | Boat Smart, Deep Waters, Head to Wind, Rules & Regs

Being back in North American waters has highlighted a rather unique feature of being a Canadian – units of depth. Canada falls somewhere between the metric system and the US (Imperial) system of measurement. We’re caught at that dangerous crossroads between modernity...