With the coming of each summer, there seems to be more and more people spending more and more time on more and more of the lakes in this glorious province of ours. And, as more people head out, I find myself heading to some of the smaller, more remote lakes simply to avoid my fellow outdoor enthusiasts.
There are any number of reasons why I just don’t want to be around other people.
In part, I suppose it is because I am becoming increasingly anti-social. Be that as it may, it is mostly because I simply don’t want to have to deal with some of the yahoos who get behind the controls of power boats and Sea-Doos.
Several years ago, the federal government instituted the Pleasure Craft Operator Card program, which requires one to pass an exam before being entitled to operate a water craft. The problem is, there’s no law against stupidity.
I have had too many close calls out there on the water. I’ve come way too close to being struck in my kayak by some Sea-Doo’er running at full-throttle and not paying any attention. I’ve also come close, again, way too many times for my liking, to being swamped by the wake from a powerboat while I was sitting out on the lake in my 12-foot fishing boat. And, on more than one occasion, I have had my line crossed by someone in another boat who simply didn’t realize what they were doing – or didn’t care. Either way, I know I’ve had to replace several $60 and $70 lines.
All you have to do is look behind you when you are in a powerboat to see that you are creating a wake. All you have to do is use a little common sense to figure out the wake from your boat will have an affect on a smaller, especially non-powered boats. And I really don’t get how people can not know when they are crossing over your line.
People need to be aware of their actions out on the water. Which means they need to watch out for other water craft as well as watch their wake.
The definition of a boat wake is the wave resulting from the passage of a boat’s hull through water. Depending on the size and speed of a vessel, a wake can cause problems for other craft in a variety of ways.
Like I said, I have come way too close to being swamped too many times.
A little less speed can make a world of difference to other boaters.
When overtaking a slower moving or stopped vessel in open water, do so with as much room as depth conditions allow, and be especially cautious of smaller vessels such as canoes or kayaks, which are less stable. Remember that when you are operating any powered vessel, you are not only responsible for the safety of your boat and all passengers on board, you are also responsible for any injury to others or damage caused to other boats as well as personal property (just as you are when driving a car).
I am certainly not against people having fun. I enjoy being out on the water as much as anyone. My point, however, is that with more and more people on the water, there is an ever increasing need for safety.
Yes, safety concerns can be addressed to a large degree through laws and legislation, but indifference and stupidity, that’s another thing altogether. I don’t have an answer for that problem, other than staying as far away from “cigar boats” and Sea-Doos as I can.
By the way, while you are reading this column, I will be up at Dee Lake where no one can get in with a power boat and nobody can bother me.
