Welcome to the RCR Yachts On The Water blog, your source for expert tips, news, and insights on sailing and boating on the Great Lakes. Written by our experienced brokers and staff, our articles cover everything from practical sailing advice and boat maintenance tips to the latest boating products and trends, ensuring you’re always in the know. Whether you’re an avid sailor, a first-time boater, or simply passionate about the Great Lakes, you’ll find valuable information to enhance your on-the-water experience. Dive in and explore the best of Great Lakes boating new and tips with RCR Yachts!
Cross-border boat sales in the Great Lakes are a normal part of boating in this area. Many buyers and sellers move boats between the U.S. and Canada each year, and with the right guidance, these transactions can be straightforward and efficient. However, cross-border deals require careful handling. A mistake in documentation, taxes, or registration can…
When boat buyers and sellers see the term “full-service brokerage,” they often assume it simply means someone who lists and sells boats. But on the Great Lakes—where logistics, seasonal storage, and maintenance are major factors—full-service means something deeper. A full-service brokerage integrates brokerage expertise, marina operations, and marine yard services into a single coordinated experience. That combination matters because…
Surveys, sea trials, and offers are standard parts of most boat transactions—and while they can feel unfamiliar, they’re designed to protect everyone involved. On the Great Lakes, where seasonal timing and freshwater conditions play a role, understanding this phase helps keep deals on track and reduces last-minute surprises. When handled correctly, this stage is less…
Preparing your boat for sale is one of the most important steps in achieving a timely sale and protecting your value. On the Great Lakes, where buyers are highly informed and seasonal timing matters, preparation can be the difference between strong interest and months on the market. The goal is not perfection—it’s confidence. A well-prepared…
Many boat owners begin the selling process with a simple question: Should I sell my boat myself, or use a broker? At first glance, a private sale can seem appealing. Avoiding commission, controlling the process, and handling the sale directly all sound straightforward. In reality, many owners underestimate the complexity involved in selling a boat—especially on the…
There’s no single answer to how long it takes to sell a boat, but several key factors consistently influence the timeline. On the Great Lakes, most boat sales occur within a defined seasonal window, and sellers who understand this cycle tend to achieve faster, more successful results. Timing, condition, pricing, and exposure all play major…
Pricing a boat correctly is the single most important factor in a successful sale. On the Great Lakes, pricing is influenced by unique regional factors that online valuation tools often overlook. Freshwater use, seasonal timing, and local demand can all significantly affect a boat’s true market value. Online estimates rarely reflect real Great Lakes market…
Timing matters when buying a boat on the Great Lakes. Inventory, pricing, and negotiating leverage change throughout the year. Understanding seasonal trends can help you get the best value, avoid competition, and make a confident purchase. Here’s how the buying landscape typically shifts throughout the year: Spring: Best Selection and Early-Season Opportunities Spring is when…
Boat ownership is more than a purchase—it’s a long-term investment. On the Great Lakes, the cost of owning a boat goes beyond the initial price and includes seasonal storage, maintenance, and operating expenses. Understanding the full cost picture upfront helps you avoid surprises and keep boating enjoyable year after year. Whether you’re buying new or…
Choosing the right boat size is one of the most important decisions a Great Lakes boater will make. Boat size impacts everything from comfort and safety to handling, storage costs, and long-term enjoyment. Bigger isn’t always better—especially for newer owners or those boating with smaller crews. The right size boat should feel manageable, predictable, and…
One of the biggest decisions buyers face is whether to purchase new or used. On the Great Lakes, freshwater boats often enjoy longer lifespans, making the used market particularly strong. New boats offer: Used boats often provide: A knowledgeable broker helps evaluate availability, pricing, and long-term costs so you choose what best fits your goals—not just what…
Choosing the Right Boat for Great Lakes Conditions Lake Erie and Lake Ontario offer some of the most rewarding boating and sailing in North America—but they also demand the right boat. Short, steep chop, rapidly changing weather, and long open-water runs mean boat selection on the Great Lakes isn’t just about style or size—it’s about…
Selling a boat can feel complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, working with a boat broker can make the process faster, smoother, and less stressful. Instead of managing everything yourself, a broker handles the key steps—from pricing and marketing to negotiations and closing paperwork. This allows you to focus on your next adventure while…
Selling a boat can feel overwhelming at first, especially if it’s been your trusted companion for years. However, preparing your boat for sale is the first step toward a successful transaction, and it’s often the difference between a quick sale and a long, frustrating listing. First, start with cleaning and detailing. Buyers notice the small things, and a…
Good boating habits make a bigger difference than many owners realize. While major systems matter, most problems on boats start with small things that are overlooked. For that reason, developing simple, consistent habits can greatly improve safety, reliability, and overall enjoyment. Even better, these habits do not require special tools or advanced skills. Instead, they…
Proper boat storage and seasonal preparation are essential parts of responsible boat ownership. In fact, many of the most expensive problems boats experience happen while they are not even in use. For that reason, taking the time to prepare your boat for storage—and to recommission it correctly—can save significant money and stress. Whether you boat…
Your boat’s engine is the heart of your vessel. Without it, nothing else matters. That is why proper engine care is one of the most important parts of boat ownership. Fortunately, good engine maintenance does not have to be complicated. Instead, it is about consistency, awareness, and addressing small issues before they become expensive problems.…
Regular boat maintenance is the most effective way to protect your investment, reduce unexpected repair bills, and ensure safe, reliable time on the water. Many of the most expensive boat repairs begin as small, preventable issues—corrosion, leaks, worn hoses, or neglected fluids—that go unnoticed. Consistent basic maintenance combined with proper seasonal care keeps systems running…
As racing sailors, our adjustment to bluewater cruising hasn’t been without some challenges—especially for Brian. Racing, in some ways, is rather straightforward: spend as much money as you possibly can on the very best sails covering every conceivable wind angle and then collect your trophies. At least that’s how we remember it! Now we live…
Some of the most common boat engine issues and electrical problems our service teams have to deal with are preventable with basic maintenance and checks that you can easily do yourself. Here are three boat engine troubleshooting areas to monitor and address, especially if you’ve just bought a boat.
Part Three of YBAA University: We recently returned from the annual Yacht Broker’s Assn of America University session. This is a gathering of yacht brokers and new boat sales people, along with industry experts in various fields. We collected lots of great information to share and this is the third and final article. Click here…
Mid-July is when both races to Mackinac Island, Michigan—one from Port Huron, MI and one from Chicago, IL—take place. Held on alternating weekends, these two races comprise some of the longest freshwater sailing races in the world and are significant tests of the sailors and boats that participate. This year, 196 entries made the start…
The Fallacy of Cost: Sailboat racing is often blamed for being too expensive. Yes, it can be, but it doesn’t always have to be. Looking at the fleet at the CanAm this past weekend, we see numerous boats that are between 20-40 years old, including many of the winners. These boats can be purchased quite inexpensively. Some have…
The CanAm Regatta, successor to the famous Youngstown Level, was held last weekend at Youngstown YC. This year’s event marked the 50th time that YYC has held a regatta at the end of July. The first 40 were the famous Level (if you were here for any of those days you would know why we used the…
We got away on Essential for a few short days over the 4th of July, but our normal summer cruise group elected to wait a few more weeks to schedule our main cruise around the Ideal 18 Lake Ontario Challenge Cup, which was held at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club this past weekend. We pulled out…
Part Two of YBAA University: As I wrote last week, we just returned from the annual Yacht Broker’s Assn of America University session. This is a gathering of yacht brokers and new boat sales people, along with industry experts in various fields. We collected lots of great information to share. Click here to read part…
Twenty boats participated in the 2nd Annual Firecracker Regatta this past weekend at the Rochester Yacht Club. Designed by Reichel/Pugh and built by Melges, the Melges 15 prioritizes stability, comfort, ease of use, and performance. With the main design goals focused on stability and performance in a variety of conditions, the boat features a narrow overall…
The Sandusky Sailing Club recently hosted the 2023 Snipe National Championships. It was filled with five days of sailing, along with good fellowship on land after the races. As Commodore, I had the honor of welcoming the class to the club. A club that is proud to be celebrating 90 years of existence with its main…
I just returned from the annual Yacht Broker’s Assn of America (YBAA) University session. This is a gathering of yacht brokers and new boat sales people, along with industry experts in various fields. The meeting alternates each year between Newport and Annapolis, this year we were in the latter. The YBAAU is part of the continuing…
As I write this, we’re about to embark upon the last of our longer passages for the year—fingers crossed! We’ve done several 5-7 day passages now, this one will be around four days, taking us from the northern tip of eastern Australia to Indonesia. I’ve learned since our first week-long passage last year that it’s…
We are in a world where everything seems to be bigger, better, more of this, more of that. Event planners need to avoid the “same old, same old” if they want to maintain, and hopefully grow, their regatta or other event. Here are a few ideas for a successful activity that you might try in your…
I am a truly lucky guy; my whole family loves the boat. Sailing on it, swimming off it, sleeping on it—the whole package. There are two keys to creating this situation. First, spouses with less sailing or boating experience need to be comfortable, feel safe and trust that you won’t put them—or children/grandchildren—in a bad spot. You…
Mid-June on Lake St. Clair marks the annual Canadian Club Regatta, hosted by Windsor Yacht Club. The race is a medium distance nighttime affair that stretches from WYC at the mouth of the Detroit River, north and slightly west to the Point Huron lighted buoy, then back toward WYC for a total of 30.5 nm. …
We were finally able to take our stock boat out for a sea trial in Buffalo recently. We had Kris Werner of Quantum Sails in Rochester along with Tim, Dave and me. Kris made the sails, and we were all very pleased with them. We set up a base tune on the rig and went…
Beginners generally find docking the boat one of the more challenging parts of learning to sail. It is worth the time spent in practicing, and when we sell someone a new boat this is an area we focus on. With proper technique anyone can learn to dock like a pro.
We pulled out of Rochester last Friday afternoon for a five-day Independence Day weekend sprint up to Grindstone Island on the St. Lawrence, via Fair Haven, Sackets Harbor and Clayton. Visiting our friends on Grindstone and watching the Clayton Fireworks has been a tradition for us for many years. Friday when we left Rochester, I dialed…
Not so fast… At a recent meeting, I had dinner with a rep for one of the major diesel engine manufacturers. I asked him why we were are still seeing new models and developments in internal combustion engines when the world seems to be diving headlong into electric propulsion. He made several interesting points. Current battery technology does not…
Last time, we focused on why more people don’t wear life vests, lifejackets, or inflatable PFDs. Now, let’s talk about who should wear one, when and why. The obvious answer is everyone, all the time, because it is the number one safety tool on the boat. After all, you wear your seatbelt all the time,…
This was our third time crossing north/south to or from New Zealand and I’m relieved to say that—hopefully—it’s our last! We’ve been told it’s a tricky passage and we’ve found that to be the case. Picking a good weather window is crucial and we’ve been lucky that we’ve been able to wait it out each…
Why don’t more people wear PFDs (personal flotation devices), aka lifejackets? It is a fact that most drowning victims are not wearing a PFD. We wear seatbelts, helmets when we ski or ride a bike (at least you should, my bike helmet has two dings in it from falls), and in general we are more…
Growing up here as a kid in the 1950s and early 60s in Youngstown, NY, on the Lower Niagara River, we would watch the new Shepard mahogany runabouts being tested on the river each spring. They were built right across the river in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Before long the Hinterhoeller and C&C plants came along, again…
We have been looking for a weather window before Memorial Day to finish our trip home from Hilton Head Island on Essential, our Back Cove 37. Last month we ran to Annapolis to get out of South Carolina before we rubbed up to the 180-day rule subjecting us to state taxes. We also arranged for some…
‘Tis the time of year when used boats are selling rapidly and almost all of them need condition and valuation surveys. Marine surveyors are harder to find these days since many have retired, and their reports are more expensive. However, insurance companies and some lenders want a survey, and you would be wise to have…
Circumnavigators talk taking the leap with Back Cove When Mike and Donna Hill decided to embark on the Great Loop, they knew they needed the right boat to take them on this new adventure. The Hills are not new to boating. They are veterans in every sense of the word—longtime sailors who have traveled 60,000…
On April 10th I flew from NYC to Norfolk Virginia to finish the escrow items on the sale of a 2015 Bavaria 42 Vision that I had found in my role of “buyer’s agent” for a client from Katlynn Marina. Four years ago, I sold this client a Hunter 33.5 as his first boat, and he has been learning and working…
Bow thrusters and back-up cameras: what do they have in common? They both reduce the possibility of hitting something you don’t want to hit, and they take much of the anxiety out of close quarters maneuvering. Most would never buy a vehicle that didn’t have the back-up camera, and likewise it is becoming almost standard…
The rudders are on, provisioning is done, the task list has gotten smaller (is any task list ever really complete??) and there’s nothing keeping us from going offshore to New Caledonia—except weather. Since we sailed north from the Hauraki Gulf almost three weeks ago, it’s been an almost unbroken string of bad weather in New…
For years, boaters didn’t much worry about obtaining insurance on their boats, they were mainly concerned with who gave them a better quote. The tables have turned. Prices for coverage have gone up and insurance carriers are pickier about what they will insure. The main reason is the number of “catastrophic losses” over recent years,…
As we get back to boating after a seasonal layup, we often take stock of safety items and inventory them to ensure we’re properly equipped and legal and refresh any items with expiration dates. While having serviced, operable equipment is important should a safety issue arise, do we give the same time and attention to…
The last two summers, I had the privilege of sailing our J/9—both non-spinnaker racing and daysailing. With that much time aboard, I feel very confident in writing about it. For starters, the J/9 was designed first and foremost as a daysailer; everything about it was created with that purpose in mind. Like all J models,…
Our Back Cove 37 Essential had a very good winter in Windmill Harbor Marina on Hilton Head Island and so did Donna and I. But the time has come to move north for two reasons—to get her closer to the Erie Canal to get back to Rochester, and to not to rub up against the…
As our time in New Zealand winds down, our to-do list seems to get ever longer. Though our upcoming passage to New Caledonia will only be five to six days, then another five to six to Australia, both countries are planned to be relatively short stops on our way to Indonesia. Once we’re in Indonesia…
High school sailing, spring fling at Shumway Marine and Lake Ontario salmon Spring has finally landed, and activity has picked up in all the marinas and yacht clubs. It’s heartwarming to see boats launching on a regular basis. Makes it almost possible to bury memories of the last six months of winter weather! Irondequoit HS…
I was finally able to look this new boat over in more detail, and the more I looked, the more impressed I became. We would like to point out some of the features that are new and different from most others we have seen. The boat is built in a Slovenian factory by different craftsmen…
When and how to check the hoses on your boat What comes to mind when you think of the words “boat smell?” Is it a fragrance reminiscent of the expensive sandalwood and lavender candle you smelled that one time at the day spa? How about musty basement mixed with a pile of wet wool sweaters?…
We’ve been living aboard our boat full-time now for almost two years. While I’m by no means an expert, I definitely have some insight into the trials and tribulations of boat life that I didn’t have when we moved aboard. The Good* The novelty of new places. We’re happiest when we’re moving and exploring. If…
What are the must-haves for today’s boat buyers In keeping with what today’s customers expect in a new boat, the list of options and standard equipment includes many things not seen before, at least on most production boats. Some are to increase comfort and convenience, others are to allow new boaters to safely get up…
We began writing about this all-new model last week, and we will continue in segments going forward because there is much to talk about. She is built in Slovenia, in a plant known for quality builds, as they have been turning out the Seascape line for years—a very popular product in Europe. Beneteau became involved…
When’s the right time to take your kids sailing or boating? For us, the answer was (almost) right away. We sold our Melges 20 and started weekend cruising with our older son when he was 18 months old. Our younger son, born in December, was on the boat when he was five months old. It…
In this day and age, new performance designs are not introduced anywhere near as often as they used to be. This is even more the case with a design intended to be dual purpose; meaning not only for competitive racing, but also with nice accommodations for cruising or simply spending time aboard. Flat-out racers have…
Consolidation in the industry has always been there, but for years it was a gradual merger of companies as some of them aged out or went belly-up. Often the owners would tire, or be forced to sell for health reasons and the company would be sold. This was hardly unique to the boat business, but…
Change is constant and the marine industry is no different—and we have a front row seat. Here’s a look at some of the major changes and top boating trends we see coming for 2023 and the next few years. We’ll expand on these in later posts, but for now, a brief overview.
Most cruisers in the Pacific head to Australia or New Zealand between November and May to wait out cyclone season, which is how we’ve found ourselves in New Zealand for several summer months. Due to the unexpected need to replace both rudders, we’ve been hesitant to head offshore very far or sail in rough conditions,…
Last week, we talked about engine hours and how important—or less important—the number can be. If the engine is in good shape and maintenance is carefully documented, the next item of worry are the moisture meter readings determined through survey. For some people, high moisture readings are absolute showstoppers, while for others, they garner a…
From a very early age—18 months, if my mom is to be believed!—I’ve suffered from motion sickness. When I took up sailing in my late teens, my parents were surprised. I think one of their first questions was how I was going to handle it when—not if—I got sick. Truthfully, in 20-plus years of sailing,…
Compared to most other industries, changes in recreational boat design have been gradual. Mainly because boating is small potatoes versus other areas where the market is far more substantial. There have been changes, of course, and one area has been the shape of sailboat keels and rudders. Fifty years ago they were often shaped like…
I start moving north tomorrow, leaving my floating condo/remote office (aka “Essential”) and returning to our Rochester Office. I am hoping the weather up north will continue to warm up and we will have an early spring. Last week, I took a short trip to see relatives down on Jekyll Island and then in Venice, Florida. Jekyll…
One of the useful, but not always available indicators of engine health is the total number of engine hours throughout its life. Boat buyers usually ask the “How many hours?” question early in the process, but what the numbers actually mean is the subject of some debate. We typically encounter three types of engine hour…
In the late 60s, 70s, and early 80s, boat dealerships proliferated, as did manufacturers. Prior to this time, few dealerships—as we know them today—existed. Boatyards might build their own wooden boats or maybe represent one builder. The advent of fiberglass changed everything—with exponential growth in terms of manufacturers, dealers, and of course, customers. It was…
As you’re gearing up for boating season, now is the perfect time to take a look at your safety equipment and assess what you might need to upgrade or add. Make sure you’re checking the following basics before getting out on the water: — Inflatable life jackets and tethers Check your inflatable lifejackets according to…