Canadian boating - Great Lakes and Atlantic region

[LauraleeG]

Originally Posted by anacapaisland42

NEWS RELEASE
Marinas may also begin preparations for the recreational boating season by servicing boats and other watercraft and placing boats in the water, but not open to the public. Boats and watercraft must be secured to a dock in the marina until public access is allowed.


Dam good idea, why didn't I think of that

Lol lol right???? Yep. Guess they figure if they state the obvious it looks like they know what they are a) doing and b) what they are talking about cause Yep , being tied to a dock is pretty important!!!

[AiniA]

Our yacht club is waiting to get specifics from the municipality. Are we a 'marina' in the sense of the announcement? Also we work on our own boats and provide all the labour for crane launching. Ford is doing a pretty good job overall which is a surprise because he was quite inept before all this but the statements from the government are (purposely?) very lacking in specifics. Our tentative launch date is June 10-12.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by SVTatia

At last...

Ontario Marinas can open to prepare for the season, we can work on our boats but cannot be open to the public.
Not sure what "open to the public" means.
Not sure if Yacht Clubs fit in this category, I hope so, but they are never open to the public....

Actually the Marina can work on your boat, but YOU can't The open to the public means us as customers still can't come onsite!

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by pcmm

Actually the Marina can work on your boat, but YOU can't The open to the public means us as customers still can't come onsite!

And, of course, that's the conundrum. Like Mike, my sailing buddy's boat has a big, cumbersome canvas cover with lots of zippers that would need to come off before launch - and then there's the hull work before she goes in...

Also regarding the "Boats and watercraft must be secured to a dock in the marina before public access is allowed..."

Good one, Lauralee! But turning to the underlying intention for a moment - do we think that maybe its intention was to restrict launching to those boats which will be tied up on docks (restricted access to the "public") and not moorings, which might ultimately be harder to control/regulate...? Just my musings.

I agree with everyone who has said that the announcement is both specific and vague at the same time. In fact, I used exactly those words when I emailed Outer Harbour Marina about potentially accessing the boat next weekend to remove the winter cover and do hull work in advance of the launch. We'll see if the now-I'm-sure-overwhelmed managers respond in any way.

Anyway, let's celebrate this small chink of light in the dark!

Warmly,
LittleWing77

[Mike OReilly]

Good news indeed. There seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Unfortunately this current easing up here in Ontario seems to leave all the DIY clubs and marinas out for now. Even my previous "marina" in Belleville required customers/members to work together to launch boats. And there certainly was no staff to do boat work.

But hopefully this is the beginning of the end of the apocalypse .

[Lake-Effect]

Yacht clubs are more like "members-only" marinas than recreation centres, and professionals often travel to club yards to do pre-launch work on boats, so I'm expecting (hoping) that this permission granted to marinas might be extended to professional work at clubs... and from there it's a short step to allowing owners to visit and work on their boats.

The sticking point will be how to manage the numbers of owners there at one time to ensure that distancing guidelines will still be honoured.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Good news indeed. There seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Unfortunately this current easing up here in Ontario seems to leave all the DIY clubs and marinas out for now. Even my previous "marina" in Belleville required customers/members to work together to launch boats. And there certainly was no staff to do boat work.

But hopefully this is the beginning of the end of the apocalypse .

We have the same problem, our YC is a DIY affair where the members are instrumental to the launch. There has also been some concern expressed about what happens if there is a second wave and things get shut down in the fall and we can't hire a crane for the haul....Which would really suck! specially for me as I'm currently stored in a different location with a new cradle ordered for delivery to the YC in anticipation that I will be able to use it there this fall!!!

[skalashn]

Our marina plans to start launches next week, following the procedure below. Obviously this would only work for the boats that are ready as the marina is still closed to the customers.

Customers will not be allowed on or near their boat during launch.
Marina staff will look after the following:

· Remove shrink wrap, cover, or tarp

· Install canvas – if your canvas is not on the boat, please deliver four days before launch

· Hook up batteries - boost if necessary

· Check that the boat is watertight

· Fuel boat, if requested.

· Move the boat to slip and secure

· Check one hour later that the boat is still watertight

· Fog or wipe down interior contact points with disinfectant

The fee for this launch service will be $ 120 plus HST.

If your boat needs mechanical work to start, or to move, you will be notified and billed for that service.

The Travel Lift Bay will be off-limits to Customers during launch.
Customers will not be allowed on their boat for four days before their launch date.
Reception, parts and service desks will be open, but we will limit the number of customers who
can be in the office at any given time.

Parts and service can also be ordered via phone or email – we will deliver parts to your boat if requested

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by skalashn

Our marina plans to start launches next week, following the procedure below. Obviously this would only work for the boats that are ready as the marina is still closed to the customers.

That is awesome service and a very reasonable fee. Glad to see they keep everyone away from the lift area. No place for amateurs and boat owners.

I remember in my youth having a ski boat kept in Discovery Bay in the San Francisco Bay Delta. The boats were stored in a vertical shed, about 6 or 7 boats high. One would call ahead to ask them to use their massive forklift to pick your boat off its protected shelving and place it in the water, fill the gas tanks, and it would be ready and waiting near the fuel dock for you to arrive, load and go. Similarly, at the end of the day, you just tied it up to the dock, unloaded the personal gear and left, and the staff would return it to its spot in the tall shed. Hundreds of boats kept on the hard, well protected and for ready day usage. The keys were just kept in the ignition.

[skalashn]

Originally Posted by Montanan

I remember in my youth having a ski boat kept in Discovery Bay in the San Francisco Bay Delta. The boats were stored in a vertical shed, about 6 or 7 boats high.

We have a similar facility and service in our marina, for smaller powerboats.

[Montanan]

So it must be warming enough to desire to go boating in Canada. I hope you will enjoy some fine days ahead.

Today is my birthday, which my wife and I have a tradition of putting our smallest sailboat into the water for a trip around the islands on Flathead Lake, in northwest Montana. Definitely the first craft on the lake for the season. It is a truly gorgeous day, the forested mountains around the lake are deep in snow, the valley floor has greened up, sunny and forecast to be 68 degrees F with mild breeze, 8 to 13 mph. The only issue is the water is coolish, 41.9 F, so wading in to push the boat off the trailer and beaching on an island will be a bit harsh. But at least there will be a breeze, last year it was calm so we had to pedal with the Mirage Drive on the Hobie Sail-Yak, which gave the legs a good workout for a round trip of about 6 miles. This is our smallest of three boats, and is perfect for taking to remote alpine lakes, the trailer handles bumpy, dirt roads rather well, but the road dust the Suburban kicks up makes it preferable to stay on paved roads to a lake, else one has to give the boat a good washing with buckets to clean the mud before sitting in it. Our mid-sized boat will go into the marina at the end of May when the main lake rises to full pool with the Spring freschet flows. Social distancing will mean we will need to stay on each of our own boats instead of gathering on friends' boats and no rafting up at anchor in the coves.

Take care all.

[Lake-Effect]

Happy Birthday, Montanan.

Flathead Lake looks great! I love that size of lake for the scenery and exploration potential. We have many in Ontario, which is why I'll never part with our trailer-sailor.

In a normal world, our boat would have been launched last weekend, and since we're having some nice weather too for early May, we would have gone out once or twice this weekend.

Cheers.

[Montanan]

The Flathead is sub-alpine surrounded with Tribal wilderness and National Forest Service property, very scenic and clear and uncrowded. I miss not having had a winter get away to the tropics for sailing this year. Oh, well there is always next winter. View of my hometown looking towards the marina with the Mission Mountain Range about 5 miles away in the background, Polson, Montana, the largest town on the lake. It it the largest freshwater lake in the USA, west of the Mississippi. Tiny in comparison to the Great Lakes. It is the remnant of the massive Glacial Lake Missoula.

The little Hobie Tandem Island Adventure sail yak, we call Hobie Wan Kenobi oat is just about ready to be taken to the boat ramp. Got to load up the ama's into the SUV and away we go.

Would love to see some pictures of Canadian waters.

[GordMay]

Happy Birthday, Montanan.

[Mike OReilly]

Happy B-day Montanan. Lovely pics. I lived in Cranbrook, BC for a time and used to paddle sections of Kootenay Lake. Have also paddled Waterton Lake. Never sailed, but your pics remind me of those days.

More recently we've spent winters in Penticton, BC which is sandwiched between Lake Okanagan and Skaha Lake. Lots of small to mid-sized sailboats on both. I'd love to get a little 22-26 footer out there and explore.