The Nanaimo Yacht Services @ Stones Boatyard management team comes from more than 35 years of managing boat service-related businesses in various locations before settling in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.
Shari & Ian MacPherson – Directors
Ian, a licensed diesel and gas mechanic, and Shari built and launched an Endurance 40 ketch and then spent ten years cruising, traveling as far as the Caribbean where from 1983 Shari ran a day-charter boat operation and Ian managed Sunsail’s Caribbean operations including 250 yachts spread around 7 islands. In 1993 Sunsail enticed the couple, with their four young daughters, to Greece where they were responsible for 370 yachts, 5 watersports club hotels and hundreds of staff. Ian at this time wrote and developed the maintenance manual for Sunsail’s Mediterranean fleet.
At the turn of the millennium on leaving Europe, Ian and Shari opened Sunsail’s charter base in Vancouver and then in 2007 decided to branch out on their own with the purchase of Nanaimo Yacht Charters & Sailing School, bringing with them a new range of sailboats (Beneteau, Dufour, Catalina and Bavaria yachts). They immediately saw an opportunity to utilize Ian’s training, experience, and skills in boat maintenance on Vancouver Island and started Nanaimo Yacht Services.
Ian is on the board of BoatingBC as Vice President and is also is a board member of the Canadian Recreational Yachting Association (CRYA) as well as a CRYA Yachtmaster Offshore, Yachtmaster Ocean, and CRYA Instructor Evaluator.
Shari is the General Manager of both Nanaimo Yacht Charters and Stones Boatyard, overseeing the business aspect, finance and development of both companies.
Nick Webster – Director
Nick Webster has spent his entire career associated with the sea and boats initially as a naval officer in the Royal Navy and the Sultan of Oman’s Navy. In 1986 he became a senior manager and later a director of Sunsail where he managed and developed yacht charter areas and watersports facilities around the world. He also set-up and ran a shipping operation to transport Sunsail yachts between the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.
Between 1999 and 2005 he was Commercial Director of a UK based boat shipping company, Peters & May, a world leader in this niche global market. At this time Nick used various specialist boat cleaning services to renovate boats stained during shipping and in the summer of 2005 he emigrated from southern England to B.C. to operate his own boat cleaning business, Pro Boat Clean in Western Canada. He joined his old colleagues, Ian and Shari, at Nanaimo Yacht Services @ Stones Boatyard in the summer of 2010. He is a Certified Marine Service manager.
Rob Steele – Customer Service Manager
Rob joined us in 2018 to lead our technical team and ensure we deliver service excellence to our customers. Originally trained in Ontario as an auto mechanic, Rob soon decided that the marine world and somewhere warm was for him. After five years as a sourcing agent for marine equipment Rob worked as an engineer on and around superyachts and cruising yachts for another 12 years, mostly in the Caribbean and the east coast of North America. He holds an MCA Approved Engineering Certificate, and he’s sailed the Atlantic to the Mediterranean as a chief engineer and refitted large yachts in the US, Morocco, England and Spain. Whilst in Antigua he volunteered with Antigua Barbuda Search and Rescue, was a marine salvage diver, and crewed on classic sailing yachts, particularly in the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta. He becamea Certified Marine Service manager in 2019
Robert Hess – Marine Mechanical Technician
Robert, a well-known journeyman marine engine mechanic and published author, is the senior technician in our mechanical, electrical and electronic repair and installation yacht services team. In 2006 he refitted and re-powered his own 38′ cruising sailboat and he and his wife sailed around Vancouver Island. He has marine and automotive technician licences, is a qualified Marine Mechanical Technician and an acknowledged expert in the maintenance of small boat engines, particularly the Universal Atomic 4 engine.
Devon Norris – Marine Mechanical Technician
Coming from the small Caribbean island of Antigua, Devon is no stranger to the mechanical field, with over 10 years of experience in heavy duty mechanics, and advanced training in diesel, gas and Heavy Fuel Oil engine systems. A graduate of Antigua State College with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering he previously worked for Wärtsilä; whose power plants supply electricity to the islands. He has always had a fascination for boats, and now having the opportunity to work on and around yachts, Devon, in his words says, “I can never find a dull moment around the boatyard, and I’m always looking forward to a new challenge, where I’m forced to put my skills to the test while learning new things every day”. He is a certified Marine Mechanical Technician and holds a City & Guilds qualification in Automotive Mechanical Systems.
Michael Taylor – Marine Mechanical Technician
On joining us in the Spring of 2019, Michael enrolled in the Marine Mechanical Technician course, He became fully qualified at the beginning of 2021. He is an avid fisherman and together with his young family, enjoys spending as much time as possible on the water.
Dusty Hankewich – Technician
Dusty is a certified Avionics Engineer with a background in skin and structures. He also has 20 years of custom building and fabrication experience, which he utilizes to breathes new life into yacht restoration projects with an eye for quality fit and finish.
Bronwyn Whiteley – Marine Technician apprentice
Bronwyn has recently joined our technical team and will be doing her apprenticeship to become a Marine Mechanical Technician.
Mitch Hendricks – Boatyard Supervisor/Travelift operator
From Alberta, Mitch worked as a mechanic fabricator, professional driver, and spray foam installer before moving to Nanaimo and Stones Boatyard in 2018. He is quickly progressed to become our senior travelift operator and Boatyard Supervisor and is training to become a Marine Service Technician. He also owns a boat!
Richard Corona – Master Technician: Inflatable Boat Repairs
Richard joined our inflatable repair team shortly after we began offering this service at the beginning of 2018. He has 18 years of experience in repairs in this field. There is hardly an inflatable “anything” in the market that he does not know how to repair.
Daniel Wyatt – Senior Technician: Inflatable Boat Repairs
Daniel has been working and learning about inflatable repairs under Richard’s tutelage since 2019 and has taken a Zodiac MILPRO training course. He also owns a sailboat and is a keen sailor and kayak enthusiast.
Catherine Janes – Marine Store Manager
Catherine joined us in February 2020 after several years in retail. She has a marine science background with experience around the Southern Gulf Islands and Northern Vancouver Island. She has always loved working on and around the ocean and excited to be back working in the marine industry.
James Clark – Marine Store Sales Associate
Once a commercial fisherman, James was for several years a boat captain and scuba instructor in Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Nanaimo. He joined us to open the Marine Store @ Stones Boatyard in 2016.
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The main course of the festival if you will, is most certainly the world renowned Great International World Championship Bathtub Race. Last year saw a change in how this race ran. Previously racers would end their journey at Departure Bay beach, but despite that glorious bit of irony it was changed to mean both the start and finish lines are situated at Maffeo Sutton Park. It was believed this change was made last year, to iron out any potential difficulties before the celebrations of 2016 hit.
Last year festival goers were celebrating the 50th
The race itself can get quite tense, competitive, and very exciting. There have been years where racers have raced on land by foot after the boat race is complete to try and best each other and determine finishing position when it has been too close to call. As well as the fun of it, there is often a serious message behind many of the racers too. It is not unusual for those who take part to utilise the opportunity for some fund raising for local charities or causes that are close to their hearts.
As well as individuals, the boat race is entered by community groups, NGOs, businesses, and even local government officials. It is thought of as one of the best events for bringing all strands of the community together – and that means travellers too! Nanaimo is known as a warm and welcoming place to visitors, and nowhere is this more on display than at events such as the Marine Festival.
It is not just the race area that comes to life over this four day. The city centre in downtown Nanaimo is also awash with activity from farmer’s markets to parades, light festivals and fireworks to music performances. Whilst yachting in Nanaimo in this period, you can be sure that whether your travel party is young or old, the family or your partner, you will not be short of things to do.
someone claimed it was published in a newspaper earlier under a different name such as chocolate slice, or fridge cake. Who knew baking could be so catty?
The best thing about the bar is that it requires no baking – so perfect for whipping up as an after dinner treat whilst on board. You can also add in whatever kind of flavors your heart desires. Some people add a little minty freshness, maybe a slathering of peanut butter, or a little caffeine hit of coffee to make your bar mocha.
Another great thing about Vancouver food culture is that they are all about sustainability. They really care where their ingredients come from, and this means that many menus cite where their stock came from right down to the fisherman’s boat or the farm. Look for the Ocean Wise symbol whenever you are ordering. Vegetables and meat are also locally sourced which is good for the planet and the economy.
If the sweet treat kind of bar doesn’t take your fancy and you find yourself wondering – why is the rum always gone? Well you are in luck, as if you are moored in Nanaimo there is no shortage of late night entertainment venues to keep you going until the small hours. There is the Casino, the Entertainment Centre, The Queens, The Spice Lounge, The Diners Rendevouz, Club 241 and many more!
It is imperative to have your route mapped out, as well as a well thought out 
It sounds simple, and obvious, but you should make sure you check your engine before setting sail. If you aren’t sure what you are looking for, then get someone who does to do it for you. You especially want to check for leaks, and the oil level. Check all equipment too, halyards, rigging, etc. anything that has the possibility of breaking. Drainage systems should also be checked, as well as battery status.
Being prepared is the most important thing when embarking on a
The preparation for heavy weather
Ensure that all crew members know what to do in the case of severe weather, and also make sure anyone aboard knows where to find their personal floatation device and any other safety equipment they may need. It is also key that people remember to keep low in the boat, not go out on deck unnecessarily, and not to move around too much. Ensure that all hatches, ports, windows, and anything else that could swing open or move around is tightly secured. This ensures that there is no risk of injury from things flying around, and also crucially keeps all the water out. Make sure you have the right
It is always the best idea to be prepared for bad weather when taking a boat trip. This also includes making sure you have enough
When the storm hits, make a note of the boats positioning on the chart. Also make sure to take note of the time, your heading, and the speed at which you are travelling.