JerseyDog Posted August 13, 2007 Report Posted August 13, 2007 Driving is the most regulated activity we probably all do and there is more idiots and morons in cars than on any lake, anywhere. Try the run through the city at rush hour on the 401. Now thats scary and everyone is (supposed to be) licenses, insured, etc. Doesn't make a lick of difference.
Tarzan's Jane Posted August 13, 2007 Report Posted August 13, 2007 Ken and I were out on our canoe Saturday on the Rideau River... we were not impressed with some boaters...absolutely no consideration for us in a canoe having to position ourselves continuously to ride their sometimes fairly big waves!!! A few times I was quite nervous thinking that "holy crap I don't think they see us" and mind you we certainly kept ourselves as near to the shore as we could without having to unsnagged ourselves repeatedly. Of course there were some who were "aware" and would slow down when near us. Too sad how inconsiderate some boaters are. We did not see one authority figure - but were told that they were out the weekend prior and had given a few boaters tickets. I recall thinking at one point...hey I have the right to be here too...slow the F down.
Marc Thorpe Posted August 13, 2007 Report Posted August 13, 2007 And as far as more money ...if it's too expensive then maybe the weekend warriors will not be able to afford it and will take their rightful spot on a golf course instead of the water. When is your Tee time Matt
Roy Posted August 13, 2007 Report Posted August 13, 2007 Where does the money go? It all goes to private operators. It's a failed make work project.
muskymatt Posted August 13, 2007 Report Posted August 13, 2007 When is your Tee time Matt Nice ......Marc Everyone bow to Marc now With all the opinions stated here it's pretty obvious that the majority feel that there is an issue with boating ettiquet and safety, I chimed in after spending a full week on an island on the big Rideau. Day after day I witnessed unsafe boating practices and thoughtless acts of driving. And weekdays were not the issue as mostly locals and cottagers were out, however the weekend was a different story, and you can't tell me that you haven't experienced the weekend freeway insanity on the Ottawa River Marc. When you see a Father and his two young sons in a 12' boat out fishing get rocked by a 40' cruiser you have to stop and think what the heck. I'm not for more fees and restrictions, but if that's what will make the waterways safer then it has to be considered.
Roy Posted August 13, 2007 Report Posted August 13, 2007 I just can't believe that a sane human being would bring two children out in a 12' tinny out where the 40 footers are.
Fisherman Posted August 13, 2007 Report Posted August 13, 2007 That's no different than a an Austin Mini and a transport truck approaching each other on an undivided 2 lane highway, maybe they should outlaw big boats and keep them in the St Lawrence and they can get run over by freighters.
Zamboni Posted August 13, 2007 Report Posted August 13, 2007 I just can't believe that a sane human being would bring two children out in a 12' tinny out where the 40 footers are. It's a good point Roy, they may have a right to be out there but endangering their kids when they know there will be large cruiser traffic is nuts. Hard to stay away from the big boats though, Scugog is barely more than a swamp and every year there's more big boats. All the Kawartha lakes have large transient cruisers being on the Trent system, and plenty of large boats resident to the lakes. I'm adding a second bilge pump inline where floor drains in passenger area of my boat, right now it exits by a scupper valve. Its mod the jet boat sites recomend as they do "submarine moves"....little added safety when these morons get too close.
Squid Posted August 13, 2007 Report Posted August 13, 2007 (edited) Aaron, I had the same thing happen to me coming back from lake Erie. This guy in a 30 footer decides to give it just as we are about to pass each other under the peace bridge. He had a 4 to 5 foot wake hit the front of my 19 foot boat and almost swamped me in the most dagerous area of the river. I could not believe it. Edited August 13, 2007 by Squid
aplumma Posted August 14, 2007 Report Posted August 14, 2007 If you are a safe boater then you take into consideration the hazards of the waterway you are going to be boating on. I would not take a 28ft boat into shallow body of water or an area that is not the correct enviroment for it to be operated in in a safe manner. The same applies to taking a smaller boat out into the area that large boats with a few stupid drivers frequent. Just because your pride and joy is a boat does not make it right for all bodies of water. A 12ft tinny with 2 kids on a large body of water can easily be a person that by law is allowed on any body of water but why would you want to be DEAD RIGHT to prove it. If you will change your plans for bad weather then you know the boat has its limitations so think of the type of boats that are around you and factor in the stupidy index and act accordingly. Art
Guest Trophymuskie Posted August 14, 2007 Report Posted August 14, 2007 The thing is any size boat can be safe on these large waters including canoes and kayaks. The river I fish is from 1/4 to 2 miles across so there is room for everyone. Sure there are a couple areas where the channel get skinny well you need to stay away from those with your small boats. Just like any boat needs to stay clear of others while at speed, actually it is law and a lot of them just don't do it. Now it that ignorance or just defiance of the laws? Who knows but it's getting worse every year, what used to be a once a month thing is now a daily thing on weekends. Hey Gord maybe he can show you the way.
rapala14 Posted August 14, 2007 Report Posted August 14, 2007 there are a lot of good points here and a lot of things that will/should be considered for future laws/regulations. what it all boils down to is perspective, really. for example a few posts back there was a comment made that a guy in pulling a waterskiier zoomed by a guy who was fishing close to there dock. now that is irresponsible BUT i for one waterski and here's the problem... i start off on two ski's make a quick jaunt and then drop a ski. i ALWAYS drop the ski right close to my dock which makes sure it COMPLETELY out of the way of other boaters. i cant exactly do that when theres a guy parked in front of my dock. luckily for me if there are fishermen parked in front of my dock i jsut drop my ski in front of my cousins cottage. but not everyone has that luxury. my question is, why would you want to fish in front of a dock where someone was previously splashing around in the water and what not? as for the increased expenses for launching boats, docking and what not. i dont agree with that at all. to make boating/fishing an elitest past time is down right rediculous. i thought the idea was to spread the joy and relaxation of fishing. not confine it to the people that can afford it. kinda sounds like golf to me... but i wont get into that. finally, big boats vs small boats. thats a tricky one for sure. personally i think you run the risk of encountering big boats. nothing you can do about. each boat has every right to be there. you'd hope people would use common courtesy but thats not always the case. like people have said previously its a factor that must be considered. kinda like how i will NEVER take my 16.5 ft lund out on lake O. simply because bigger boats, bigger waves and all that stuff. too many factors that could possibly swamp my baby. well thats pretty much the end of my rant. its always interesting to see everyones point of view. oh, just as a side note, i also own a jetski. it kinda blows people away that i fish at least 3 times a week from the march to nov 15 and own a jetski. but you gotta see it from my point of view, i'm a young buck... and girls like jetski's no two ways about it. i stay WAY clear of fishermen (unless of course they're parked in front of my dock, not much i can do about that). so if you see me jumpin your wake when you're goin across the lake... dont think i'm tryin to impress you... i'm tryin to impress your daughter hahaha. anyway guys just my two cents... by all means let me know what ya think
Seaweed Posted August 14, 2007 Report Posted August 14, 2007 (edited) I'm going to chime in on this one....although I usually try to avoid topics like this due to the way people sometimes twist what you say into something it isn't. Basically Lew I think we all have had those days with too many wild boaters and jet sking freaks. What I want to add to the conversation is something I witnessed on the weekend on Mississippi Lake near Ottawa. I was fishing a tournament there and well the traffic during the morning was slim ... most were still sleeping. Things changed quickly though and before long boats and tubes and skiers and jet skis were soon zipping all over the place. The prevailing winds drove everyone to sheltered bays where the fishermen were retreating to for shelter to fish but also the boaters wanted to run due to the lack of choppy water. Long story short it made for some interesting fishing. It wasn't until the event of the afternoon though that I noticed what I think is right along the "Have all boaters lost their minds" kind of behaviour. A motor boat was drifting along on the other side of some islands we were fishing. At first I didn't notice them thinking it was just another boat because I was concentrating on the fishing. Then their voices and waving of paddles made me think ... hmmm is there a problem over there or were they just trying to signal someone? The wind was pushing the boat towards the island so I didn't think much of it because there were plenty of boats on the other side of the island that I assumed would be closer and be able to help them out if they needed it. My partner had moved the boat so we were never really sure if anyone came to the rescue of these boaters or not. Long story short though .... Everyone has to help a boater in trouble... that is the law of the water. My partner rationalized not going to see if we could help because we needed to get to the other end of the lake for the weigh-in and we still didn't have a limit of fish on board and we were catching fish finally... so we didn't help but it left me feeling... well not good. So just hope that the person with the boat trouble got things sorted out and got home safely. Anyway I guess my point would be... it wasn't too long ago that people would jump at the chance to help another boater if they saw the chance to do so. Today things are a bit ... well less driven to do so. Edited August 14, 2007 by Seaweed
canadianguy33 Posted August 14, 2007 Report Posted August 14, 2007 It all goes to private operators. It's a failed make work project. Thanks for the input Roy. Out of curiosity I did a little searching to find some more information about boat licensing. From the globe and mail I found: Each year about 200 people die in recreational-boating accidents in Canada, but the number of deaths in 1996-2000 was 17 per cent lower than in the previous five years. Because the latest national data available are from 2000, it's unclear whether the trend has continued, but experts expect that it has.... If all of Canada's seven million boaters comply with taking the test by 2009, they will have shelled out $350-million. Here's the full article Call me crazy, but doesn't $350 million sound like an awful lot of money to spend considering the relatively small number of people of that die each year in boating accidents?
misfish Posted August 14, 2007 Report Posted August 14, 2007 A quick fix to this problem...make liability insurance mandatory for all PWC's and boats over 16'. PWC insurance is very expensive. I wonder why? So Im thinking here, that you believe owners of under 16 ft are any different then those that own larger? Ever seen a couple of drunk,n teens zip and twist and turn with acouple of 12 ft tinnys with 9.9,s on them playing dodge boat. I believe if it,s powered by machine,you need insurance.Will this help,probly not,but atleast everyone pays and is covered.
canadianguy33 Posted August 14, 2007 Report Posted August 14, 2007 I believe if it,s powered by machine,you need insurance.Will this help,probly not,but atleast everyone pays and is covered. lol I said I was done with this thread a couple of days ago, but I can't help ask, how is that rational? Maybe you don't mind throwing your money away, but I do.
bigfish1965 Posted August 14, 2007 Report Posted August 14, 2007 lol I said I was done with this thread a couple of days ago, but I can't help ask, how is that rational? Maybe you don't mind throwing your money away, but I do. Because some idiot somewhere is going to maim someone. If they don't have insurance,that person is stuck disabled and poor. IF they maim themselves we get to pay for them through their UI or welfare after they can't work anymore. You have insurance on your car and your home, why is a boat any different? Maybe you won't do something stupid, but someone may do it to you. Misfish..I picked 16 ft and up as a starting point.
Tarzan's Jane Posted August 14, 2007 Report Posted August 14, 2007 Maybe you don't mind throwing your money away, but I do. This is no doubt so not worth it...but I too can't help myself. You have issue with throwing your money away yet have so little regard for your life. (referring to your choice to not wear a PFD and your comments regarding that.
Gerritt Posted August 14, 2007 Report Posted August 14, 2007 (edited) I can tell you what I did... as soon as my boat was in the driveway I had it insured... It is called responsible ownership. Accidents can and do happen, I insured for just that reason... do what you wish and if a accident does happen and your being sued for a million then let us know what you think about insurance. It is illegal to drive a car intoxicated It is illegal to drive a boat intoxicated It is illegal operate a car without insurance It should be illegal to operate a boat without insurance Snowmobiles REQUIRE insurance unless your on your private property... <--recreational vehicle I fail to see how your argument holds water... Boat insurance should be mandatory on publicly navigable waterways. I am glad to see though that most of our members believe insurance is a good thing when it comes to boating. Gerritt. I should add that most off-road vehicles also require insurance if driven off your private property... that includes taking an ATV into the bush etc.. or dirt biking at your local track.. Edited August 14, 2007 by Gerritt
tonyb Posted August 14, 2007 Report Posted August 14, 2007 Even worse when they crowd the area you are fishing from shore... This is the St Lawrence seaway...I couldn't believe they were literally directly over top of where we were presenting our baits. They would get right in front like that, drive up the river and drift back down right over top of our setup. It was annoying since they were starting the engine up every time and blasting away, surely spooking the fish. Ignorance is bliss... Tony
canadianguy33 Posted August 14, 2007 Report Posted August 14, 2007 Because some idiot somewhere is going to maim someone. If they don't have insurance,that person is stuck disabled and poor. IF they maim themselves we get to pay for them through their UI or welfare after they can't work anymore. You have insurance on your car and your home, why is a boat any different? Maybe you won't do something stupid, but someone may do it to you. Misfish..I picked 16 ft and up as a starting point. Boat insurance, car insurance and home insurance have absolutely nothing to do with EI, disability or welfare. Only 200 people of over 7 MILLION boaters in Canada die every year in boating accidents. I don't believe the risk is justification for mandatory insurance. Canadians already pay nearly half of what we earn in taxes. The idea that we should be forced to hand over more money to private insurance companies (that make huge profits!) because we have a 1/50,000 chance of getting killed is Bull.
wallyboss Posted August 14, 2007 Report Posted August 14, 2007 Tony!!! Don't you use 3 oz weights for Crap fishing. They would've got the hint with a few of those zinging by there ears.
canadianguy33 Posted August 14, 2007 Report Posted August 14, 2007 This is no doubt so not worth it...but I too can't help myself. You have issue with throwing your money away yet have so little regard for your life. (referring to your choice to not wear a PFD and your comments regarding that. O please. Like I said before, I take a calculated risk not wearing a PFD when it's nice, there's no waves and I don't have kids in the boat. Just like I take a calculated risk when I go snowmobiling, boating, dirt biking or walk down a dark street. Do you guys realize that the odds of dying in a boat accident are approximately the same as being struck by lightening? Should we all have lightening insurance too?
misfish Posted August 14, 2007 Report Posted August 14, 2007 (edited) lol I said I was done with this thread a couple of days ago, but I can't help ask, how is that rational? Maybe you don't mind throwing your money away, but I do. WOW Im thinking you have bird crap on your shoulder or your just one of those guys that will never run into a boat or a dock or god forbid, not see a swimmer in the water and hit them. Yes this may sound rash,but like they say,if it can happen, it will happen.When I had my 14ft tinny I had insurance. I believe Gerrit said it best. Thanks bro. YOU JUST NEVER KNOW. Just to add. I like most DONT LIKE THE HANDCUFFING/BIG BROTHER system that the goverment is putting us under,but you got to appriciate the fact that you are more protected with the newer laws then say back in the 60,s,70,s and 80,s. Really,if you look at it,whats a few hundred bucks to be safe and have a peace of mind. No worries Rick.You know I like to pick on ya.LOL Edited August 14, 2007 by misfish
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