This year’s campaign ‘Ready, Set, Wear It’ has 5 key messages –

• Always wear your lifejacket or PFD – In Canada every vessel must carry an appropriately sized lifejacket or PFD for every passenger on board. The Canadian Safe Boating Council however, takes it one step further – Don’t Just Carry It – WEAR IT.
• Don’t drink and boat: If drinking and driving is illegal, it makes sense that the same would hold true with boats.  Boating under the influence is not just illegal, it’s irresponsible. Wait ‘til you get back to the dock before you have that beer!
• Take a boating course: Every boater must obtain a Pleasure Craft Operator’s Card. If you haven’t taken the test, there are a number of operators who can administer it. The CSBC also recommends that you take a boating course – both in-class and onboard. An on-the-water refresher course every year – in your boat – is also a good idea
• Be Prepared: In addition to the right safety gear and sufficient fuel, be sure to do a vessel check, weather check and leave a sail plan with someone who will contact emergency services should you not return when expected.
• Beware of Cold Water Risks: We don’t believe that the water on Lake Ontario warms up by August 23 only to start cooling down August 24 – but we like the joke just the same!  Certainly in the early spring and late fall, always be ready for Cold Water Immersion.

Boating is one of Canada’s greatest recreation past times! It’s a great way to spend time with friends and family and enjoy the outdoors. Be safe on the water this summer.

The Genco Team
- Nick and Nat

This is a chance to see all the major sail and power brands in one place, right here in Mississauga. There will be a large selection of new and used power and sail boats including  new sailboats from Hunter Marine, Dufour Yachts, Bavaria Sailing, C&C Yachts, Tartan Yachts, Jeanneau, Hanse, J Boats, Moody, Delphia, Lagoon Catamarans and Beneteau. New power boats on display will include Mainship, Cruisers Yachts, Regal and Back Cove.

And since you’re in the area Saturday, April 28th, be sure to drop by Genco’s Port Credit Loft and say hi! We’re here until 2PM, but give us a call ahead of time so that we can put the coffee on.  We’d love to take you around the loft and show you how we make biminis, dodgers and boat covers.

On Sunday, April 29th, check out the Annual Season Kick-Off for SailTime GTA. SailTime is an interesting proposition for people who want to boat but don’t want the hassle of ownership. Meet the SailTime GTA members at Port Credit Yacht Club from 10:30AM to 4PM. Check out their fleet and take part in the pre-season orientation session. RSVP at gta@sailtime.com or 905-278-6299.

An entire weekend of boat events – Saturday, April 28th and Sunday, April 29th!

The Genco Team
- Nick and Nat

The reunion on Saturday is for former employees of C&C Yachts and industry personnel that were closely associated with the company from its founding in 1969. The Sunday symposium is open to everyone interested in the history and legacy of C&C Yachts. A panel discussion moderated by Maurice Smith, Curator Emeritus of the Marine Museum will begin at 8:30AM. The event is limited to 225 people. All attendees will receive a free one-year membership to the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes.

During our 45 years as canvas makers, we’ve created a number of dodgers and biminis for several C&C Yachts, including the the C&C 25 Redline, C&C 34 Plus and many others. To view our complete selection of  Natty dodgers and biminis see our photo gallery in our dodger & bimini section.

Regular maintenance and cleaning of your dodger and bimini helps extend the life of your boat canvas. If you are unveiling your boat this weekend and notice some rips and tears in the boat canvas and upholstery, don’t worry, give us a call, and we’ll have it repaired in time for launch.

The Genco Team
– Nick and Nat

Now is the time to check your winter boat cover for rips and tears, missing weights or ropes, and torn grommets. That makes our job a whole lot easier when it comes to repairing your cover and saves you some dollars as well. We’ll clean and repair your boat cover, store it and have it ready for you in time for haul-out.

We know that you only take your boat cover off once a year, so here is a step-by-step refresher guide – before you get down to the boat.

Genco’s EZ Guide to removing a winter boat cover:

• Make sure that your boat cover is good and dry, topside and underside. Begin by untying some of the fastenings and sandbag weights to allow the air to circulate. Don’t remove them all at once – you may lose your cover to the wind!
• While your boat cover is drying do a close inspection. With a piece of chalk mark anything that requires fixing (broken zippers, torn grommets, rips and tears) so they can be easily identified once your cover is off the boat.
• Unzip each section and roll it carefully off your boat. Avoid just pulling it off. It’s easy to get a cover hooked on something resulting in either a torn cover or broken equipment.
• Once on the ground spread each section out as flat as possible. Fold the ends in first and then the sides until it’s about 2-3’ wide, depending on how large the cover is.
• Neatly roll or fold your boat cover. With a piece of masking tape, mark each section so you’ll know where to start for haul-out.
• Store your boat cover in a dry, clean and well ventilated area. Large vinyl storage boxes will insure that it’s kept safe and dry. You can also store all your fastenings and weights to make sure that nothing gets lost during the season.

Taking the time to identify rips and tears and folding your boat cover neatly, makes our job a whole lot easier and in the end saves you money. And if your cover does need repair, avoid the fall rush – bring it to us this spring, and we’ll have it ready for haul-out.

The Genco Team
- Nick and Nat

Genco Boats Covers for Power and Sail boats

While you are piling, pushing and shoving last season’s shrink-wrap into a plastic bag or a yard bin, ever wonder how long  shrink-wrap sits in land fill sites and how big the pile is getting after all these years? Sure, there have been numerous shrink-wrap recycling programs, but for us at Genco, the question is why not avoid the shrink-wrap blues altogether and opt for a permanent solution – a custom boat cover.

It’s not just the opportunity to be ‘eco’, having a winter boat cover has lots of advantages:

• First and foremost a custom boat cover will last  at least 8-10 years and probably pay for itself within 2-3 years. When you crunch the numbers, long term, a winter boat cover is cheaper than shrink-wrapping.
• Freedom. Since it’s your personal boat cover, you aren’t at the mercy of the shrink-wrap schedule of your yacht club or marina. You may even get an extra day of boating in.
• Most boat covers are made of lightweight coated polyester that breathes – certainly better than plastic. And you can leave the hatches open with a boat cover – helping to avoid moisture build-up.
• With a permanent winter boat cover, you don’t have to purchase new supplies every year.

It takes about as long to remove a winter boat cover, as it does to remove shrink wrap. It can be a little tricky, folding and  then storing it for the summer, but there isn’t a canvas shop that wouldn’t be delighted to have your winter boat cover to work on over the summer – and probably store it for you as well.  All canvas shops, want to avoid the fall rush.

This year, while removing the shrink-wrap from your boat, contemplate a winter boat cover. And if you are removing your cover – be sure to check for rips and tears that inevitably occur over the winter – bring them to your canvas shop this spring.

The Genco Team
– Nick and Nat