All course training and the operation of our Oakville Power and Sail Squadron is carried out by dedicated volunteers. Our Oakville instructors are experienced sail and power boaters whose passion is to increase safety and confidence on our waterways through education.
If you have an interest in a particular course that we may not offer in our Squadron or we have too few participants, we will then make every effort to refer you to our closest CPS sister squadron offering the course.
After spending the summers of his youth zipping around Northern Wisconsin lakes on a small aluminum boat with outboard motors in various states of repair, Jim was absent from the boating community for several decades. His return came through weekly vacation rentals of pontoon boats or bow riders. This eventually led to the purchase of a 1996 Donzi Cruiser 275. Jim spends his time on the water cruising the north shore of Lake Erie in the Long Point area.
The son of a former Royal Navy officer, Andy has spent most of his life in and around boats. As a youth, he was a member of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets and spent several summers as a watch officer on the SV St. Lawrence II.
He is an Engineer and prior to retirement he held various interesting positions from Artic Engineering to Aerospace applications.
Andy is married to Louise and they have a son and daughter and three grandchildren. He is an avid boater who has been sailing out of Oakville for more than 40 years. Previously he skippered boats in Kingston and Montreal. Andy and his family spent many happy summers cruising on Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River. Currently he sails a Beneteau 331 out of the Oakville Yacht Squadron.
Andy enjoys skiing when the boat is “on the hard”.
During his long association with the Canadian Power Squadron, he has taught a number of CPS courses including, Boating, Seamanship and Seamanship Sail and a number of short specialty courses.
Bill Frenke has been sailing for over 60 plus years starting in the learn to sail program of the Jolly Roger pub in Gosport England at age of 10 to co-Captain on Charter sailing in BC, Ontario, Chesapeake to the British Virgin Islands and the Aegean Sea. Culminating the sailing of Tyana 52 as a co-skipper from Bermuda to Newport Rhode Island. Bill has been passing his knowledge as National CYA National Sailing Instructor, Head Sailing Instructor of Frenchman’s Bay Yacht Club, Canadian Power Squadron Beyond Basics (B2) and Introduction to Marine Navigation (B3) Instructor. Currently, Bill is sailing of C&C33-2 and participates regularly in various Regattas including GHYRA Race Week, Nonsuch Rendezvous, Oakville Easter Seals, Oakville Yacht Squadron and Oakville Club.
Cynthia Robins has over 40 years of sailing experience, both in racing and cruising. She is the owner and skipper of a 33 ft sailboat, which she sails in Lake Ontario. Whether it is single handing in a fresh breeze, cruising into the Thousand Islands, doing maintenance on her boat or assisting other sailors, the love of sailing is a major part of her life. Cynthia has completed several boating courses, both classroom and hands-on, and has been a co-instructor for the CPS Oakville Squadron Boating 2 and Boating 3 courses for five years. Her profession as an engineer has instilled a safety philosophy into all her sailing activities. As an instructor, she encourages boaters – both new and experienced – to consider safety first in their boating activities.
Gerry Thompson has been a sailor for almost 40 years, initially racing a lot on Lake Ontario in the LORC series, Susan Hood Trophy Race, and the Lake Ontario 300. More recently he enjoys cruising and delivering boats. He likes navigation and has been told he’s a natural teacher. He enjoys teaching CPS Boating 2 and Boating 3 with his fellow instructors. (“We have a strong bench.”) As an electrical engineer, the risk of electricity near water gives Gerry the willies so he teaches electrical safety in Boating 3.
David has been teaching the ROC M course for more than 15 years. He holds a Marine Commercial Radio Operator Certificate (ROC MC) and a Small Vessel Operator Proficiency (SVOP). He volunteers with the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary Unit TOWARF doing Search and Rescue. He also holds Advanced Class (Canada) and Extra Class (USA) Amateur Radio Operator Certificates.
My wife and I have sailed on four different sailboats since the early 2000’s. We have cruised in Georgian Bay, Florida, Bahamas, and extensively on Lake Ontario. My only offshore experience was as crew on a sailboat from Bermuda to Rhode Island.
Born and raised far from the coast, I learned to sail as an adult along the St. Lawrence River and surrounding lakes in Quebec. I raced with both my own 9m sailboat and as crew for others, including a trans-Atlantic race from Quebec to France in 2012. I enjoying cruising in the Caribbean when skating replaces sailing. I started teaching Seamanship (B4) 15 years ago and more recently Advanced Piloting (B5) and Celestial Navigation (B7). I am currently sailing around the world in the Clipper Race 23-24. I will surely bring back am amazing experience and lots of learning to share.
Find out more about boating safety tips, and videos on essential boating knots and battery maintenance.
All course training is carried out by dedicated volunteers. Our Oakville instructors are experienced sail and power boaters whose passion is to increase safety and confidence on our waterways through education.
A discount of 25% applies to a First Year Membership if requested within 60 days of the student’s marks submitted after completing a CPS-ECP course.