Tag: boating

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Cottage Life

6 Canadian laws every cottage owner should know about

Photo by Burdun Iliya/Shutterstock.com

Learn all about the laws you need to follow if you own or are visiting a cottage in Canada.

Cottage owner responsibility 

Under the Ontario Occupier’s Act, cottage owners must do everything they can to ensure their guests’ safety. “For example, cottage owners need to check that their dock, waterfront access, deck, boat, and cottage interior are safe for people to use,” says Catherine Simons, a lawyer with Dietrich Law Office in Kitchener, Ont. This law also applies to cottage activities, such as boating. “Equipment must be safe and in good condition, and owners must provide safety tools, like life jackets,” Simons says. 

Guests aren’t off the hook either. Visitors must take responsibility. In 2016, a man drowned at his friend’s cottage, and his family sued the owners using the Ontario Liability Act for not warning them about the lake’s conditions. The court ruled in favour of the owner because the man went out to the lake in an inner tube without knowing how to swim, explains Simons.  

Tip: Catherine Simons advises that cottage owners should inform their insurance companies if they are renting their cottages short-term. 

Camp fires and burning 

Thinking about roasting a marshmallow? First, check your municipal bylaws and provincial regulations. If you are in a fire region (designated by the yellow borders) of the Forest Fire Info Map, follow the Forest Fire Prevention Act and local rules. Outside of these parameters, follow local regulations. 

In a fire region, you don’t need a permit when a campfire is smaller than 1-by-1 metre. Burn wood, brush, leaves, and grass so long as the fire is no larger than two metres in width, there are safe burning conditions, and you are not in a restricted area. For special circumstances, purchase a permit in-person at your local fire management office.  

People start half of all wildfires, according to the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry. To reduce fire-related risks, visit FireSmart Canada. If there is a fire south of the Mattawa and French rivers, dial 9-1-1, otherwise call 310-FIRE.

Life jackets 

All boaters need life jackets or PFDs when using a motorized- or human-powered craft (canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards). They are important for protecting you from drowning and cold-water shock, the first stage of sudden submersion in water. According to Transport Canada, most boaters who die on the water are not wearing life jackets at all, or they are wearing them improperly.

When choosing the best option, look for Canadian-approved flotation devices with a label that Transport Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard, and/or Fisheries and Oceans Canada have approved. When deciding, know that life jackets offer more flotation than PFDs. While PFDs are typically more comfortable, you must wear them at all times while on board.

Shore-line speed restrictions

Unless otherwise posted, there is a speed limit of 10 kph when you are boating within 30 metres of shore in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia. This speed limit does not apply to rivers less than 100 metres wide, canals, buoyed channels, and while water skiing (where the boat launches and drops off skiers by heading away from or into shore).  

Check out the Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations for more information on waterway speeds. 

Parks and camping 

Before you visit one of Canada’s national parks, educate yourself on the visitor guidelines set out by the Canada National Parks Act. For example, only consume alcohol at registered campsites, private residences, or on licensed premises. Only camp or have a campfire in designated areas. You may operate a drone, fish, and take commercial photography only after obtaining a permit. Skip hunting and fireworks—the act doesn’t allow these activities under any circumstances. Ride an e-bike on trails, but keep motorized vehicles in the parking lot. Lastly, your furry friends are welcome, but keep them on a leash.

Flying a drone

Follow the Government of Canada’s privacy laws when you’re out flying your drone. To safely operate your drone, don’t go beyond reasonable privacy, engage in voyeurism or mischief, create a nuisance, or violate provincial or municipal laws. 

You are accountable for your drone use and information you collect. Only collect necessary information and ask for consent to do so. The drone also needs to be stored safely and operators should be open about their drone use to anyone who is asking. 

For more information, visit Transport Canada’s privacy guidelines for drone users.

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Cottage Life

Parks Canada to partially reopen locks along Trent-Severn Waterway

Photo by JHVEPhoto/Shutterstock

After several weeks of partial closures, Parks Canada has decided to reopen the locks along the Trent-Severn Waterway that have been closed to boaters due to high water levels caused by significant precipitation.

Since June 10, locks 1-19 and 22-27 have been closed to boaters due to safety concerns, shoreline erosion, and property damage.

According to Parks Canada conditions have shifted and now permit the reopening of the locks on June 24 at 9 a.m. Boaters are encouraged to lower their speed to limit their wake.

As Parks Canada cycles water through the Severn River, locks 42-45 will be closed outside of operating hours: Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Friday to Sunday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

For the most up-to-date information, boaters can turn to the @TSWBoaterInfo Twitter account.

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Cottage Life

What three words can save your life?

By bodnar.photo/Shutterstock

If you were in an emergency, what three words would you choose to get help to your location as quickly as possible? Smartphone’s GPS services are not 100 per cent reliable and, even street addresses can be too vague.

A new application, what3words, has assigned every three square metres in the world a unique and precise address, using three distinct words. The words are randomly assigned to each square and are unchanging.

Ontario emergency services are increasingly using the app to find people who are lost, like a 70-year-old Huron County man who lost his way going out one day in April and was not rescued until 6 a.m. the following day.

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) introduced the app to locals December 1, 2020, and since, provincial communication centre agents recognize and are trained to coordinate emergency rescues with the app. What3words uses minimal cellular data to generate the three-word address. If the caller does not have the app already, dispatchers can send a link that can quickly generate the address.

“It’s a real game changer for us in the north,” says Andrew Hurlbut, the boating, safety, and emergencies rep for the Georgian Bay Association (GBA).

When the app launched, Hurlbut thought, Wow. The Georgian Bay itself spans 15,000 square kilometres. When you include the kilometres of coast and its 30,000 islands, “there are all kinds of places you can disappear,” Hurlbut says.

While longitude and latitude coordinates are just as precise, the three-metre-square approach is easier for the everyday person to relay over the phone, Hurlbut finds. This is why the association is actively encouraging their members to adopt the app.

“Whether I’m at my dock, whether I’m out back, whether I’m off to the side in the woods, or on my particular island…it makes that kind of rescue that much easier,” says Shannon Farquharson, the GBA’s communication and executive services coordinator. “My in-laws, who are in their 80s, have it on their phones, and my son, who is 11, has it on his. It’s something that anybody of any age can use, and can figure out how to use in a hurry,” she says. The GBA wants the bulk of their members to be at least aware of the app, and hopefully also start downloading it and using it.

Before technology like what3words, people relied more on themselves and good samaritans, Hurlbut says. Not long ago, marine radios were used to contact the Coast Guard—an asset in and around Georgian Bay, he adds—and rescues went from there, often coordinated by the Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers dotted around the bay. Otherwise, boaters relied on paper charts.

“Imagine,” Hurlbut says. “Big waves, rolling thunder and winds and this map is blowing around,” he says. “Technology has been a boon to boating safety.” He reminds us that outdoor safety starts with a few basics: “If you’re travelling out, it’s best not to go alone. Go with someone, and notify people of what your intentions are, where you’re going, and when you expect to get there, so people know to look for you when you don’t show up.”

For emergencies at your cottage, Hurlbut says to consider giving the three-word address for your dock if it’s the easiest access point to your property. Before you go off hiking in the woods, figure out the what3word start point and end point. This is useful for trips on foot and boats. “You can be 3,000 metres off and it can point you back in the direction you came from.”

Farquharson says the app can also help you mark, for example, a picnic spot you found and want to get back to. “Every family on the Bay,” she says, “has a story about a rescue.” On the Bay, she adds, quoting Hurlbut, “you’re your own first responder and you have to rely on yourself first.” A tool like what3words makes the responsibility a little less daunting. “If I can pull out my phone and say ‘911 can get me’, it’s a load off.”

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Cottage Life

Changes may be coming to address noise emissions across Canada

Photo by freevideophotoagency.

We love boating—but we know noisy boats can be disruptive to both cottagers and aquatic life. While current legislation mandates all power-driven boats to have a muffler, noise emissions have no specific performance limits. Transport Canada is proposing five policy options to avoid unnecessary noise disturbances. 

What is Transport Canada proposing?

The first policy option will make no changes to existing regulations, and the second will modernize existing regulations. The third option introduces performance measures for manufacturers, while another introduces performance measures for boaters. 

The last option is the most comprehensive, introducing new regulations for both manufacturers and boaters. According to Transport Canada, this policy option would ensure that new and existing boats don’t exceed noise emission limits, will allow police to use a tool to measure decibel limits, and will require operators to modify their boats to meet new standards.

So many options. What do the people want? 

Rob Bosomworth, chair of the Decibel Coalition, is passionate about keeping Canada’s lakes quiet and safe. He supports policy option five. “We need to put decibel limits on both manufacturers and operators to regulate manufacturing importers and to ensure all boats are compliant,” says Bosomworth. “This would not be an overly difficult job for Transport Canada because they already have safety standards and environmental measures for boat manufacturers.” 

Bosomworth also believes that option five would address the larger part of noise emission issues: boaters who do not comply with current regulations. “By increasing performance measures for operators, we manage the largest portion of the problem,” he says. “This would address the outliers whose boats have no mufflers and make an extreme amount of noise.”

The fifth policy proposal would make waves in the movement, not accomplished by previous strategies. For example, municipalities have tried passing by-laws but have been unsuccessful because they do not have jurisdiction. There has also been an increase in public support. Safe Quiet Lakes’ 2021 survey, consisting of almost 6,000 participants, indicated a strong correlation between enjoyment on the lake and noise limits. 

The Decibel Coalition is in frequent talks with Transport Canada and are encouraging supporters to write to their MPs. 

Is option five best for everyone? Let’s dive in further. 

Sara Anghel, president of National Marine Manufacturers Association of Canada (NMMA), supports policy option four. According to Anghel, it would support “building to the standard that would meet the limits that Transport Canada may wish to impose,” while meeting the best interests of all stakeholders. 

The association is concerned that introducing stricter performance measures for manufacturers will make it more difficult for people to enjoy boating. “As an industry, we support people getting into boating and believe that of all the critical priorities that the government should be addressing, boat noise is not at the top of the list,” she says. ”There are more pressing issues, such as improving boating safety, modernizing the pleasure craft licensing system, and supporting the boating community through opportunities to expand recreational boating.” 

While the NMMA doesn’t believe that noise is of top priority, Anghel acknowledges that, “there’s a small number of boaters that pose a nuisance on the Canadian waterways, and we don’t want to promote that kind of boating.” Anghel says the larger issue resides with boaters who use outdated engines or add aftermarket modifications. 

How about the ones who have to enforce the policy? What do they have to say?

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) support option four and five, with concerns rooted in officer and boater safety. According to Sergeant Dave Moffatt, the provincial marine coordinator of the Highway Safety Division under the OPP, these options would allow police to use an instrument to determine decibel limits, similar to the one used when assessing impaired driving. 

Currently, it can be difficult for officers to determine decibel noises or check if there is a muffler present. “This instrument would give us a quantitative result like a pass or fail,” says Sergeant Moffatt. “This will also assess noise emissions for boats that have a muffler and comply with current regulation, but are still loud.” 

Sergeant Moffatt says that noise emission issues are limited to small pockets of the country, yet the OPP receives many complaints about loud boats. “Everyone deserves the right to enjoy the water,” says Sergeant Moffatt. 

Transport Canada is currently analyzing the comments received through public consultation. They will provide updates during the next meeting of the Canadian Marine Advisory Council in fall 2022. 

Categories
Cottage Life

Kayak buying 101

By Rock and Wasp/Shutterstock

I cringed when my mother told me she’d just bought a kayak from a big box store. I’ve worked as a sea kayak guide and instructor on the Great Lakes for more than 20 years; I take pride in the fact that my sleek and seaworthy fibreglass touring kayak is worth more than my car. People like me use terms like “bathtubs” and “kayak-shaped floating objects” to refer to boats like the nine-foot, $300 plastic kayak my mom asked me to transport to her cottage on Lake Huron’s North Channel. I averted my eyes and cartopped it as fast as I could. 

My attitude softened when I noticed how often my mom ended our phone calls with, “Okay, I gotta go paddling now.” I understood the joy she’d discovered in gliding silently through narrow channels lined with polished granite and towering pines. As my mom came to love kayaking, she realized the limitations of her boat. She complained about its slowness and inability to track in a straight line. However, with COVID-19 driving a surge in demand and causing supply shortages for everything from bicycles to kayaks and cross-country skis, she couldn’t have chosen a worse time to shop for something better. Fortunately, I knew a friend selling a used 14-footer. It had all the features of my touring kayak, but in a smaller, easier-to-handle package—perfect for my mom’s morning outings. Soon, she was spending more time on the water than ever before in a sleeker, safer, and more comfortable kayak.

Tim Dyer smiles at my mom’s paddling discovery. Dyer, the long-time owner of White Squall, a paddling centre and kayak retailer in Parry Sound, Ont., sees the inexpensive kayaks sold in big box stores as gateway vessels. “Our days of looking down on Canadian Tire kayaks are long gone,” he says. “It’s about getting folks to go paddling, so who the hell cares what they are using? We cheer them on for choosing a great way to recreate.”

However, both Dyer and Kelly McDowell, the president of the Complete Paddler in Toronto, insist that cheap kayaks lack safety features, such as floatation chambers, that are important if you want to paddle in open water. “Cottagers think, We’re not going long distances, we don’t need an expensive kayak,” says McDowell, who has been selling kayaks since 2002. “We ask them, ‘How far away from shore will you paddle? If you flip, can you swim that distance dragging your flooded, partially sunk kayak back to shore?’ ” If these questions raise any doubt in the buyer, McDowell advises them, “You need a proper kayak.”

Sit-Inside Kayaks

These kayaks are direct descendants of the Indigenous hunting vessels of the High Arctic, featuring decks to shelter the paddler from waves, wind, rain, and sun. A ridge on the cockpit rim, called the coaming, allows a paddler to attach a sprayskirt for additional protection from the elements.

Many types of sit-inside kayaks are available in several general categories. The most popular recreational kayak that McDowell sells has a key safety feature that’s most often absent in kayaks sold at department stores. The Wilderness Systems Pungo 125, for example, has a foam wall (known as a bulkhead) separating the cockpit from a watertight rear compartment. Sit-inside kayaks without bulkheads have no floatation should they capsize; swamped with water, they’ll barely float and submerge if the paddler attempts to re-enter. A bulkhead (touring kayaks have watertight compartments fore and aft of the cockpit) keeps the kayak afloat when the cockpit is filled with water. But, “I still wouldn’t paddle the Pungo 125 too far from shore,” McDowell says.  

Length is a factor in how well a kayak will track through the water, and width is a good determinant of stability. The 12.6-foot Pungo glides better than shorter kayaks, and it maintains a broad 29-inch width through most of its midsection for good stability. McDowell says the boat’s greatest selling point is its seat: a foam-padded, multi-adjustable version with a comfortable backrest that’s also found in Wilderness Systems’ kayaks. The Pungo 125 is “great for cruising the shoreline, fishing, or floating out on the lake with a coffee in the morning,” McDowell says. “It’s such an easy boat to paddle.”

Dyer’s most popular touring kayaks (a.k.a. sea kayaks) are in the 14- to 15-foot range. These models are longer and narrower than recreational kayaks—and therefore faster and somewhat less stable—reflecting the interests of more adventurous paddlers wishing to explore larger bodies of water, such as the Great Lakes. The Delta 15.5 is popular for Georgian Bay weekend camping trips. (The shorter Delta 14 has less volume and is easier to control if you’re primarily interested in day trips.) British Columbia-built Delta kayaks are popular for their thermoform plastic construction, a glossy laminate that’s lighter than both rotomolded polyethylene kayaks (such as the Pungo 125) and fibreglass, with a price point right in between. (The Delta 15.5 weighs 49 pounds.) This sleek material won’t withstand being dragged along the ground or dropped on hard surfaces as well as other plastics, says Dyer, “but we’ve been renting them for years and never had a major issue.”

The persuasions of Bob Putnam, the co-owner of Deep Cove Canoe & Kayak in North Vancouver, often steer him to make a different kayak recommendation or new paddlers. Putnam—who calls himself a “fitness freak”—likes to remind his customers that recreational boats are slow and inefficient compared to sleeker touring and fitness kayaks. He inquires about their other interests in outdoor sports. If they like road cycling and cross-country skiing, Putnam says, “they’re often best in a high-performance kayak.”

For Putnam, the 14.5-foot Epic 14X strikes a nice blend of speed, comfort, and safety. Most high-performance kayaks are 17 feet long or more; this model is sportier and far less cumbersome to maneuver for novices. Made of a high-tech mosaic of fibreglass, Kevlar, and carbon, it’s responsive yet reasonably stable, Putnam says. A foot-operated rudder adds directional control. “Inside the cockpit there’s a fixed footboard with hinged rudder-control pedals on top,” he says. “The paddler can engage their legs while paddling, allowing them to use bigger muscle groups to generate power.”

 

Sit-On-Top Kayaks

These kayaks don’t have cockpits, so they’re easier to clamber on and off and won’t flood with water if they capsize. Recreational sit-on-tops look like surfboards. The Ocean Kayak Malibu 11.5 is super stable, easy to paddle (but relatively slow), and makes a great inexpensive, durable, beginner- and kid-friendly boat for use on cottage lakes when the water’s warm in the summer months. Putnam’s favourite sit-on-tops, meanwhile, are surf skis. These fast, torpedo-shaped kayaks are popular for racing in coastal areas. He recommends the rotomoulded plastic Epic V5, which is comparable to the sit-inside Epic 14X, as a solid beginner model. 

 

Five Things to Remember Before You Buy

 Aim for “just enough” 

Consider how you’ll use the kayak and where you’re most likely to go paddling. “Some folks imagine themselves in a sleek, expedition hull doing longer trips,” says Tim Dyer. “But the truth is they’re only going to be day paddling. Purchasing a longer, bigger boat to accommodate the camping dream means you end up with a boat that’s way more than you need.”

 Take a test paddle if you can 

At White Squall, Dyer insists customers go for a test paddle. “Engage with the boat in all the little ways,” says Dyer. “Carry it to the water, try getting in and out, and learn the adjustments. It’s all a learning experience while you discover the attributes of a boat.” Of course, it’s not always possible to go for a test paddle. No matter where you’re shopping, take a moment to sit in the kayak to see how it feels: brace your legs in the cockpit; tweak the seat and footrests; and then get hands-on with some of the other features, like hatches and rudder. “You’ll know pretty quickly if it’s comfortable,” says Kelly McDowell. 

Lighter is better (but more expensive) 

Like most sporting equipment, a lightweight kayak (usually constructed from composite materials) will perform better than a heavy one. “The lighter the boat, the longer, faster, and further you can go,” says Dyer. “Your muscles will thank you, and the enjoyment dividend goes up.”

Floatation is key 

Most kayak-related near-drownings and drownings have two common elements: the paddler wasn’t wearing a PFD, and the kayak lacked proper floatation. Your kayak is a serious liability if you capsize offshore and it starts to sink. You can purchase air bags to stuff into cheap recreational kayaks. Better yet, McDowell says, is to choose a kayak with a bulkhead that creates a watertight chamber within the hull. Touring kayaks with bulkheads fore and aft of the cockpit allow trained paddlers to perform rescues with such a kayak on open water, making it a far safer choice if you want to paddle offshore.

It pays to take some lessons 

The first thing you should do after buying a kayak, says Bob Putnam, is to sign up for a paddling course. Paddle Canada offers one- and two-day introductory kayaking courses in all parts of the country. You’ll learn proper posture, efficient paddling strokes, and rescue techniques. 

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Cottage Life

Changes could be coming to pleasure craft licensing in Canada

Photo by Andrea Berg / Shutterstock

Heading out on the lake to cruise on your boat this year? Don’t forget to check out potential new regulations around pleasure craft licencing. 

Transport Canada is proposing changes to modernize pleasure craft licensing, which will come into effect in the winter of 2023. 

Proposed changes to pleasure craft licencing include:

  • Introducing a five-year validity period for pleasure craft licences (PCL). 
  • Expanding the Small Vessel Regulations to include all pleasure crafts equipped with motors of 10 hp or more and all pleasure crafts (including all power-driven and sail-alone vessels) above six metres in length. 
  • Owners must notify Transport Canada of a name or address change and of a sale or transfer of a vessel within 30 days. 
  • Easier cancellation of a pleasure craft licence, if a lifetime PCL holder fails to apply, a PCL holder fails to renew a PCL, or a PCL holder wishes to remove their pleasure craft from service.
  • Introducing a $15 service fee to process an application to obtain, renew, or duplicate a PCL.

Is it really necessary to renew my pleasure craft licence every five years?

Sergeant Dave Moffatt, the provincial marine coordinator of the Highway Safety Division under the Ontario Provincial Police says, yes. He believes the change to the validity period is long overdue and will assist enforcement officers in cleaning the database. If accepted, the changes will create a more streamlined process for locating missing people, finding owners of abandoned boats, and removing them to prevent a navigational hazard. “In the past, we could spend days trying to find out who the owners are,” says Sergeant Moffatt. “Someone could have registered the boat 20 years prior and then sell it. In my experience, you can have 10 different owners before you find the right one.” 

Sara Anghel, the president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association Canada also supports the changes. “There is a lot of old data that may make it challenging when there is an incident or law enforcement is trying to find a boat.”

While there are some licences that have a ten year validity period, this proposed pleasure craft licencing change will greatly affect the holders of a grandfathered licence, which currently have no expiration date. Sergeant Moffatt affirms that this change is key to prioritizing boater safety by ensuring boat owners are connected to their vessels. 

But, what’s the deal with the fee?

Without the change, costs will continue to be absorbed by taxpayer dollars. There is a lot of maintenance that occurs on Canadian waterways, such as maintaining markers and protecting Canada’s marine environment. This fee would help support maintenance costs. 

What are people saying about the proposed changes? 

Public consultation was completed over 65 days, and Transport Canada received 900 comments. Canadians (including recreational boaters), marine stakeholders, law enforcement agencies, boating safety advocates, pleasure craft dealers, associations that represent cottagers and associations that represent anglers, hunters, trappers and recreational fishers were among those that provided comments.

The proposed changes received mixed responses. While some feel that the changes are positive, others believe that there is still something missing. “I would like to see the system given back to boaters. For example, the changes don’t address climate change, the environment, or more access and infrastructure. I want people to get back what they are putting into it,” says Sara Anghel. 

Many participants, while agreeing with the proposal, also suggested using a service fee to fund abandoned vessels, inadequate black water disposal facilities, and mooring buoys. Others recommended mandating liability insurance when new boaters obtain a licence. Respondents were also in agreement that they would like to see Transport Canada take a more active role in education. Such campaigns could include updating information regularly and clarifying the differences between a pleasure craft licence and a Pleasure Craft Operator Card. Lastly, participants believe it would be beneficial to engage more stakeholders such as anglers, hunters, and trappers (to better understand the socioeconomic impacts of the proposed changes) and marine trade associations (who administer the Pleasure Craft Licensing Programs).

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Cottage Life

Cottage Q&A: Cleaning pontoons

By Mark Herreid/Shutterstock

I have a 10-year-old pontoon boat. The pontoons are dirty. What can I use or do to bring back the lustre of their original shine?—Wes Green, Meadow Lake, Sask.

Their original shine? That may be unrealistic, especially if you haven’t cleaned them in a decade. “Pontoons are tough because they stain and oxidize over the years,” says Sean Horsfall, the owner of Len’s Cove Marina in Portland, Ont. “It’s very hard to make them ‘new’ again.”

That said, he recommends pressure-washing to get rid of as much loose surface grime as possible, then washing the pontoons with an aluminum-specific cleaner. There are plenty of brands; check marine retailers. Follow the product’s application instructions carefully. “Some of these chemicals are strong,” says Horsfall. You’ll need skin and lung protection, “and be aware that the products can damage the paint on boat trailers.” 

After an aluminum cleaner, Mitchell Wolfe, with North American pontoon boat-maker Bennington, recommends following with an aluminum polish, then buffing (you can use a car buffer). “Boat ‘fouling’ is natural when water meets aluminum,” he says. “But you’d be surprised how much buffing can help restore it.”

If you want a gentler, greener option—and for the sake of the environment, we’ll always recommend that—you can mix a mild dish detergent, such as Dawn, with water, says Wolfe. Use a sponge, a soft-bristled brush, or a one-gallon sprayer to clean the pontoons—well away from the lake, of course. 

Let’s be real: dish soap and water (or baking soda and water, or vinegar and water, or magic and water) won’t remove stains that have built up over years. If shiny pontoons are really important to you, and you don’t want to deal with scary, paint-stripping acid washes, take the boat to a professional.

“We do this job with a forklift,” says Horsfall. “And respirators for the staff.”

This article was originally published in the March/April 2022 issue of Cottage Life magazine. 

Got a question for Cottage Q&A? Send it to answers@cottagelife.com.

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Cottage Life

Supply chain disruptions could mean you’ll be waiting a while for that new boat

Photo by Shutterstock/Adam Melnyk

Worker shortages, factory closures, and shipping delays have caused a crushing blow to the global supply chain. The disruption, which is a result of the COVID pandemic, extends to a variety of industries, including boat manufacturing. So, cottagers, if you had your eye on a new boat this summer, expect delays.

In spring 2021, 73 per cent of marine manufacturers reported backlogs in demand, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). Sara Anghel, president of the NMMA, says that while the supply chain disruption has caused a slight depletion in the number of available boats, there is still a healthy inventory out there. So if there are boats to choose from, what’s made acquiring one so difficult? It’s the surge in demand over the last two years.

New boat sales rose by 15 per cent in 2021, reaching 46,500 units—the highest number since 2012. Pre-owned boat sales jumped by 22 per cent in 2020, reaching 71,700. The number increased again in 2021 to 75,100, the highest sales numbers in the last 10 years.

There was also a significant increase in Canadians earning their pleasure craft operator cards. In 2020, 237,000 new cards were issued, compared to 2019, which saw fewer than 150,000.

The reasoning behind the surge in boating demand, Anghel says, is simple. “It’s a trend we’ve seen happen almost all around the world. People are not able to travel, so boating is this fantastic thing to do while social distancing with your immediate family members not far away from home.”

The increase in demand combined with supply chain disruptions means Canadians could experience a prolonged period between purchasing a new boat and actually acquiring it. According to Anghel, the waiting time depends on the type of boat you’ve purchased, who’s manufacturing it, and where the parts are coming from.

“If families are looking to purchase smaller aluminum fishing boats or smaller fibreglass boats, things that don’t take as long to build and are made within our domestic market, those may be easier to obtain more quickly,” Anghel says. “When you’re looking for a customized, larger boat, that’s where the challenges are going to come into play.”

If you’re not willing to wait for a new boat, an alternative is purchasing a pre-owned boat—no waiting on parts. But beware: demand for pre-owned boats remains high, so the variety of inventory available is limited.

If you are thinking of purchasing a pre-owned boat, the first step, Anghel says, is deciding how you will use the boat. Are you looking to go fishing? Do you want a boat that’s good for water sports? Or are you looking for something you can cruise around on the lake? She suggests checking out discoverboating.ca, where you can look at different types of boats and their manufacturers. You can also find local boat dealers on the website.

Once you’ve settled on the type of boat you want, Anghel says it’s best to contact a local dealer and have them walk you through their pre-owned inventory. This prevents any issues with online scams and ensures you have the dealer’s expertise at your disposal.

Before purchasing, Anghel recommends contacting insurance providers to get a quote. An older boat may be cheaper upfront, but it could cost you more in insurance.

Finally, check that the boat is NMMA certified. “That guarantees that the boat was inspected by one of our inspectors when it was brand new, and it meets all the certification and safety requirements,” Anghel says.

“People who want to get into boating, we always encourage them to do their homework on boating safety to ensure the best experience once they pick whatever boat they want.”

Categories
Cottage Life

Supply chain disruptions could mean you’ll be waiting a while for that new boat

Photo by Shutterstock/Adam Melnyk

Worker shortages, factory closures, and shipping delays have caused a crushing blow to the global supply chain. The disruption, which is a result of the COVID pandemic, extends to a variety of industries, including boat manufacturing. So, cottagers, if you had your eye on a new boat this summer, expect delays.

In spring 2021, 73 per cent of marine manufacturers reported backlogs in demand, according to the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA). Sara Anghel, president of the NMMA, says that while the supply chain disruption has caused a slight depletion in the number of available boats, there is still a healthy inventory out there. So if there are boats to choose from, what’s made acquiring one so difficult? It’s the surge in demand over the last two years.

New boat sales rose by 15 per cent in 2021, reaching 46,500 units—the highest number since 2012. Pre-owned boat sales jumped by 22 per cent in 2020, reaching 71,700. The number increased again in 2021 to 75,100, the highest sales numbers in the last 10 years.

There was also a significant increase in Canadians earning their pleasure craft operator cards. In 2020, 237,000 new cards were issued, compared to 2019, which saw fewer than 150,000.

The reasoning behind the surge in boating demand, Anghel says, is simple. “It’s a trend we’ve seen happen almost all around the world. People are not able to travel, so boating is this fantastic thing to do while social distancing with your immediate family members not far away from home.”

The increase in demand combined with supply chain disruptions means Canadians could experience a prolonged period between purchasing a new boat and actually acquiring it. According to Anghel, the waiting time depends on the type of boat you’ve purchased, who’s manufacturing it, and where the parts are coming from.

“If families are looking to purchase smaller aluminum fishing boats or smaller fibreglass boats, things that don’t take as long to build and are made within our domestic market, those may be easier to obtain more quickly,” Anghel says. “When you’re looking for a customized, larger boat, that’s where the challenges are going to come into play.”

If you’re not willing to wait for a new boat, an alternative is purchasing a pre-owned boat—no waiting on parts. But beware: demand for pre-owned boats remains high, so the variety of inventory available is limited.

If you are thinking of purchasing a pre-owned boat, the first step, Anghel says, is deciding how you will use the boat. Are you looking to go fishing? Do you want a boat that’s good for water sports? Or are you looking for something you can cruise around on the lake? She suggests checking out discoverboating.ca, where you can look at different types of boats and their manufacturers. You can also find local boat dealers on the website.

Once you’ve settled on the type of boat you want, Anghel says it’s best to contact a local dealer and have them walk you through their pre-owned inventory. This prevents any issues with online scams and ensures you have the dealer’s expertise at your disposal.

Before purchasing, Anghel recommends contacting insurance providers to get a quote. An older boat may be cheaper upfront, but it could cost you more in insurance.

Finally, check that the boat is NMMA certified. “That guarantees that the boat was inspected by one of our inspectors when it was brand new, and it meets all the certification and safety requirements,” Anghel says.

“People who want to get into boating, we always encourage them to do their homework on boating safety to ensure the best experience once they pick whatever boat they want.”

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Cottage Life

Cottage Q&A: Best paint for an aluminum boat

By HenriqueWestin/Shutterstock

I want to paint the bottom of my aluminum boat. The original paint is chipping off. I was going to use a spray-paint primer, but I’m concerned about the environment. Is there another approach? And after the colour, do I need a clear topcoat?—Mel David, via email

While nobody’s going to argue that spray paint is good for the environment—it does release volatile organic compounds—it’s at least not as bad as it used to be. Today’s spray paints no longer contain chlorofluorocarbon propellants. (Countries began banning those in 1978.)

A spray-paint primer is convenient, but if you don’t want to use one, don’t. Brad Schmidt, a specialist with the Yacht Division of AkzoNobel, suggests a thinned-down epoxy primer instead. You can apply it with a brush or a roller; a thinner formula “will allow the primer to get into all the nooks and crannies” of the boat. Follow with a multi-purpose epoxy primer before you put on your colour; use a marine-grade polyurethane paint.

None of our experts thought that you’ll need a clear coat overtop. But everyone emphasized—repeatedly—how important prep is going to be. “Painting aluminum is always tricky,” says Schmidt. “It’s a different beast.”

Five painting tips that our experts swear by

Sanding properly is key—you need to remove every bit of that old, chipping paint. “Everything needs to be sanded down,” says Ryan Mack, the owner of Northern Lakes Boat Works in Gravenhurst, Ont. “You can’t bond to bad paint.” 

Shop around for the right products first. Plenty of companies have coatings for marine applications, says Gary Wedemeyer, a product specialist with the Automotive/Marine Aftermarket Division of 3M. It’s easy to find info on application procedures on their websites, so you can investigate before you buy. “I have personally applied a high-quality marine-grade exterior enamel to the bottom of a 12-foot aluminum boat using a brush and roller,” says Wedemeyer. “I cleaned and scuffed the surface according to the paint company’s recommendations, and I didn’t topcoat it.” A few years later? His tinny is still looking great.

Happy painting! Or, uh, cleaning, cleaning again; sanding, more sanding; priming a bunch…then painting. 

This article was originally published in the October 2021 issue of Cottage Life magazine.

Got a question for Cottage Q&A? Send it to answers@cottagelife.com.