News Release: 'Learn From The Experts' Spring Seminar Series

As part of its mandate to be Canada’s leading Marine Hardware store, ‘The Store’ Mason’s Chandlery continues to host its spring and fall seminar series.

Entitled ‘Learn From The Experts’, The Store recruits marine product specialists to provide lectures and hands-on demonstrations on topics of interest to boaters.

“Our goal is to continually provide information seminars on various aspects of boating, whether it’s about cruising down the ICW; how to maintain your winch or how to work your VHF” states Lori Mason owner/operator of The Store – Mason’s Chandlery. “We feel it’s our responsibility to not only sell marine products but to provide boaters with information on the equipment that we are selling. It’s our way of making sure that our customers are current on all the new products and techniques that the industry has to offer.”

A complete seminar listing can be found on The Store's website. 'Learn From The Experts' Seminars begin January 29th are held Saturday mornings in February and Saturday mornings and afternoons in March. All seminars are free unless otherwise specified. Pre-registration is required either online at thestoremasons.com or by phone at 905-278-7005.

“We want The Store to be a place where boaters feel they can just drop by anytime and ask questions” concludes Mason.
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Heather

The Store - Mason's Chandlery is your choice for marine hardware. We are conveniently located in the Port Credit Harbour Marina, Mississauga, ON. We are open 6 days a week. See us at the Toronto Boat Show Booth G555 from January 8 -16, 2011.

Lori Mason, founder of WOW=Women on the Water will be speaking at the 2011Toronto Boat Show - Saturday, January 8th at noon and Friday, January 14 at 5PM.

Her seminar entitled 'Tips Women Need To Know To Feel Comfortable on the Water' is a continuation of the WOW seminars and events we host here in Toronto.

WOW=Women On The Water was founded in 2008 when a group of women boaters asked Lori to do a safety seminar exclusively for women. WOW events are designed to be both educational and fun. The seminar series is designed to teach women how to react to basic May Day situations such as shooting off flares; manoeuvring vessels in MOB situations; calling on the radio; recognizing their positions and basic boat handling skills. On-the-water events provide women with a hands-on opportunity to hone their skills. To date, over 400 women have participated in a WOW event.

WOW is generously supported by The Store – Mason’s Chandlery, Robertson & Robertson Yacht Insurance | Skipper’s Plan, North Lakes Yachting.

Join Lori and I at the Toronto Boat Show - January 8 to 15th for our seminars.

You'll recognize me, I'm the one that get's to demonstrate how an inflatable PFD works! :)

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Heather

The Store - Mason's Chandlery is your choice for marine hardware. We are conveniently located in the Port Credit Harbour Marina, Mississauga, ON. We are open 6 days a week - until 3PM on December 24th. See us at the Toronto Boat Show Booth G555.

Cheddar and Beer Soup

LYC sailor, Jen Zimmerman has started a blog entitled The Sailing Chef: Local Eating and Eating Locally. Jen is also a member of WOW = Women on the Water. Jen was featured at a summer WOW event entitled - Cooking On Your Boat!

Jen catered The Store's Christmas dinner last weekend! And what a treat!
The menu included:

• Goat Cheese with Leeks & Leek and Green Peppercorn Tarts
• Gnocchi with Beef Ragu filled with lots of local in-season vegetables
• Garlic bread
• And the piece du resistance - Pavlona. All that crunch, creaminess, sweetness, topped with cranberries, sour cherries and shavings of white chocolate. It was impossible to resist!
  

Jen is all about local - supporting the local eateries and the suppliers. She uses only fresh ingredients and therefore only cooks what's in season. As she says in her blog - she doesn't want to do chocolate dipped strawberries in February - because they won't be fresh.

Check out Jen's latest blogged recipe Cheddar and Beer Soup. She challenges us to identify which is our favourite ingredient - beer or cheese? Hmmm

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Heather
PS. Truth be known, I had two pieces of the Pavlona... Yummm

The Store - Mason's Chandlery is your choice for marine hardware. Conveniently located in the Port Credit Harbour Marina, you will find all that you need for your boating needs. Open 6 days a week. Free parking. Open until December 24th at 3PM for your holiday shopping. thestoremasons.com

Take a break and enjoy lunch with at Shellbacks

The Shellbacks are a fine group of sailors, even if they make you sing. The Club started in 1934 when a group of local sailors decided to continue meeting during the winter for fellowship and to replay the summer's sailing events.

The Club meets weekly from October to mid-April for lunch and to listen to speakers on maritime adventures and other nautical topics. (In February Lori of The Store - Mason's Chandlery will be talking about WOW and anything new in marine equipment.)

There are no annual fees but to become a Shellback and share a lunch with them - but you need to sing a shanty. (Solos not required.)

The Shellback guys and gals meet every Wednesday 12:15PM sharp at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club - 141 St. George Street - N of the Bloor Subway Station (416-967-7245). Lunches are around $15, extra for wine or beer.

No need to make reservations or tell anyone you're coming - just drop by when you're in the neighbourhood. The Shellbacks are a relaxed kind of crowd. Just remember to bring your guitar for the shanty!! :)


December 1 - Tanya Eyrans
Tanya is Assistant VP Of Personal Insurance for Chubb Insurance of Canada. She will discuss insurance for boats and tips for trips. This is a return visit for Tanya who spoke at the 'Safety at Sea' seminar last fall.

December 8 - Maurice D. Smith
Maurice retired after 23 years as Executive Director of the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes in Kingston. He is now active as Curator Emeritus. Sailor, mariner, author and one of the founders of the Toronto Brigantine for youth sailing.

December 15
The Shellback Club's annual moose milk celebration at Mimico Cruising Club. Only for the brave at heart -- and those that can sing shanties.
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Heather
The Store - Mason's Chandlery is your choice for marine equipment, supplies and information. Located in the Port Credit Harbour Marina, it is open haul-out Sundays October 12 to Sunday Nov 6 10AM-4PM. Have a haul-out question - give us a call. 905-278-7005.

Rob MacLeod Talks About Cruising At The Store - November 27

The Store Mason's Chandlery will host Rob MacLeod from Informedboater.com in our Fall Learn from the Experts Seminar Series.

Rob has just returned from a year long cruise with his wife Mary, and he's funnier than ever. You see, Rob is an experienced boater and cruiser. After teaching sailing and boating for 15 years, Rob left the boating industry to pursue more corporate challenges. 5 years ago Rob and Mary purchased a 1981 CS36 Traditional, upgraded the boat’s systems and headed south to Florida and the Bahamas for a year - his dream. Now that he has returned - he wants to share his real experiences...

9 Things I Learned This Year About Cruising
(After 35 Years of Boating)

• You are never really ready
  
• You never have all the right tools and spare parts
• It costs more and takes longer than you think
• There is more information available – especially weather
• Customs and Immigration is not as bad as I remembered
• Provisioning is better than I remembered
• It is more fun and rewarding than you imagined
• It’s about the people
• It’s truly worth the effort

The Store's Learn from the Expert Seminar Series runs in November, February and March. We take boating seriously, and want to make sure that you not only have the right marine equipment but the best information. To discover what other seminars are scheduled for this fall - check the seminars feature on our website.

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Heather

The Store - Mason's Chandlery is your source for marine equipment, supplies and information. Located in Port Credit Harbour Marina - we are open 6 days a week, 7 days during launch and haul-out. Check out our website for weekly specials.