Missing Boater Lake Ontario

Willhound

Apparently this young man was riding on the bow of a Captiva. Non-swimmer, no life jacket. Just a disaster waiting to happen, and apparently it did. Quite a ways out on Lake Ontario off of Bluffer's Park marina in Scarborough. I was out on Simcoe yesterday and we had about a 10 knot east wind blowing about a 3 foot swell. It was bumpy. Would have been worse on Lake Ontario. Sad, but incredibly stupid.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/search-missing-boater-bluffers-park-scarborough-toronto-fire-1.4700598

Michael T

......and I have to ask what kind of idiot captain (I use the word captain reservedly) lets a anyone ride up on the bow without a life jacket. Heck I don't let anyone on the bow when I'm underway no matter what they're wearing or how well they can swim. Totally preventable!

Willhound

Totally agree. And yet, coming across Simcoe that same day I saw the very same thing on a boat that crossed my wake. Guy hanging on the rail with legs dangling over the bow. No PFD. I pointed it out to the Admiral with the comment "if he falls off, he's hamburger".

Stodge

@Willhound that's actually illegal more and more down here.

Dream_Inn

Every time I see a boat cruising with people on the bow I just cringe and want to put that captain in a strangle hold!  (sorry, I just really can't understand stupid people!)

Willhound

Stodge said:

@Willhound that's actually illegal more and more down here.

As it should be here. I don't beleive any of our jurisdictions have a law in place but it will likely lead to a spot check on the water.

Stodge

Willhound said:

Stodge said:

@Willhound that's actually illegal more and more down here.

As it should be here. I don't beleive any of our jurisdictions have a law in place but it will likely lead to a spot check on the water.

That's surprising given how safety conscience Canada is about boating.  You have the license that requires a practical test.  And the list of required safety equipment to be carried aboard is longer than ours.  

Willhound

Yes, a watercraft operators card is required but just a written test and quite frankly anyone with even half a brain can pass it. Some providers even advertise a no pass/no pay policy. In other words you can keep trying the test at no extra charge until you pass it then pay the fee to get the card. If done through a local Canadian Power and Sail squadron there is a classroom component, but there are online providers and booths set up at sports and boat shows where you buy the book and immediately write the test.

MarkB

Stodge said:

Willhound said:

Stodge said:

@Willhound that's actually illegal more and more down here.

As it should be here. I don't beleive any of our jurisdictions have a law in place but it will likely lead to a spot check on the water.

That's surprising given how safety conscience Canada is about boating.  You have the license that requires a practical test.  And the list of required safety equipment to be carried aboard is longer than ours.  

No practical needed. Just a test that can be written over the internet. My son got his pleasure craft operator card when he was 14.  You need I believe a minimum of 80% to pass.

It was harder for me to get my marine radio certification (to use my VHF).

Stodge

MarkB said:

No practical needed. Just a test that can be written over the internet. My son got his pleasure craft operator card when he was 14.  You need I believe a minimum of 80% to pass.

It was harder for me to get my marine radio certification (to use my VHF).

I was at the Toronto Boat Show a few years ago and had flooded the ice rink to be like a bog pool.  At one point there were folks being supervised while operating a pontoon boat.  I (wrongly) assumed it was part of the license.

We don't have a license requirement for marine VHF.  But I wouldn't expect it to be much worse than my ham license tests.

Michael T

The VHF licence is a pretty rigorous test in Canada. Both the Admiral and I took the course from the Canadian Power Boating Squadron. There was no fooling around - those guys were serious. BTW when the Admiral and I took the first mandatory Canadian boating tests waaaay back there was no fooling around then. No open book cr*p or on line help. It was easy to fail if you didn't know the data and there were no free repeats. It was pay up again. Even today with the watering down of almost everything the Canadian Boaters' Test at least makes people think once. LOL

Willhound

I also took the Power Squadron course and obtained my ROC:M (Restricted Radiotelephone Operators Certificate:Maritime with DSC endorsement. Very interesting and informative course and you're right, no fooling around. Although the penalty for operating without the license is severe the reality is hardly anyone ever gets charged. Far as I'm concerned you should have to produce a license to even buy the radio judging by the yahoos I hear out there everyday treating it like a CB. 

Stodge

Do they have the study material for the radio test on-line?  I'd be curious to look at it.

Black_Diamond

I have friends who boat in MN. They do this all the time.  I mentioned something to them and they were litterally calling BS on the whole safety thing. Cannot fix stupid. 

Black_Diamond

Some irony in his name:  Subramaniam

Willhound

Stodge said:

Do they have the study material for the radio test on-line?  I'd be curious to look at it.

Nope. At least I don't beleive so. The CPS (Canadian Power Squadron) has the sole contract for delivery of the program as far as I know. The course with material and the test fee and registration is $110. Or you can order the material for $55 and then pay the test fee. But I found the real value in the course. Very knowledgeable instructors and provided a lot of personal anecdotes and even got into a bit of navigational advice etc.

Michael T

Our course was limited to six participants with instructor. We took the DSC endorsement too.  For one aspect of the final exam - we had to use the call letters (in Canada its referred to as the Military Alphabet or NATO Phonetic Alphabet) for our boat and if you hadn't named your boat you had to use your own name.....he made me use the long form for my name....no Mike ...Michael LOL. 

Well worth it. For laughs sometimes we'd listen to what I can only refer to as total idiots clogging the specialized marine channels to discuss restaurants, etc.

One time off Kingston, Ontario, Canada two idiots were discussing potential night activities when a voice interrupted them and said - go to a higher channel - this channel is restricted to marine navigation correspondence with proper call procedures, only. One of the guys told him to F-off. The reply - stand to and prepare to be boarded......then as we watched we saw an O.P.P. (Ontario Provincial Police) boat come from behind an island and light-up its light bar. We had been docked in Confederation Harbor (Kingston) and already had our first Margarita before the Officers let the idiot go.....great entertainment! 

Stodge

Sadly there is no enforcement of proper VHF use around here.  

I learned the standard phonetic alphabet as part of my ham radio training.  While it's not the correct word I still say "zed" when I ID myself on-air as N4IZO.  

Michael T

@Stodge not a lot of enforcement regarding proper VHF etiquette here either - usually just an educational warning - unless of course you tell a Police Officer to F-Off.