Boating Bitts

If you are planning to spend time on the water, then it is important to have the required safety gear on board for the size of your boat.  Regulations apply to all vessels. The Transport Canada Safe Boating Guide  may be downloaded.

Spent a warm day last week on the water teaching a Basic Outboard Standard   course. If you have access to a boat with an outboard, then you may benefit from the course which covers boat handling, weather, basic chart reading, regulations and boating etiquette as well as other topics. Want the standard, however, no boat? My client rented a boat from Victoria Boat Rentals   at Port Sidney Marina, for the day and hired me to teach the standard.

Knowing how to read Tide and Current Tables is an essential skill for navigating in coastal waters. I have published the following two articles in Street Articles covering this subject: Tidal Currents When Navigating In Coastal Waters Tides When Navigating In Coastal Waters

I have discovered that Garmin g2 and g2 Vision chart cartridges display ebb currents as floods for Canadian data. Further information is available on the BC Boating Forum . If you are having the same problem, please let me know.

One of the methods to fix the position of your vessel is by taking compass bearings. By having three bearings cross in or near the same location you have accurately determined your position. Taking Bearings When taking compass bearings, used fixed aids for best results. Floating aids can move around with wind or current and the charted position is the position of the mooring, not the buoy. Take the bearings off to each side, one after the other. The bearings on your beam will change quickly while the bearings ahead or astern will hardly change at all due to the boat's motion. If you take the bearings on each side first and then take the bearing either ahead or astern, you will have a more accurate fix. Also check that the bearings you take are not about 180 degrees apart. Ideally the three bearings will be spaced about 120 degrees apart for the most accurate fix. If you are using the end of an island, remember to allow for the height of the tide. With a gently sloping ...

Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC) has been phased in over 10 years. As of September 15, 2009 any person operating any powered recreational boat must have proof of competency. Exemptions: Proof of previous training (until 03/31/1999) such as Canadian Power Squadron or Canadian Yachting Association courses. Grace period of 45 days for non-residents of Canada operating foreign boats without a recognized Competency Card. In addition to carrying Proof of Competency aboard, you are also required to carry personal picture identification. For further information or the schedule an exam, visit Gulf Islands Cruising School