Date: Tue, 19 Jan 1999 19:43:12 -0700
From: Philip Wylie 
Subject: [Paddlewise] Canadian Government Regulations- Minimum Safety Requirements for Kayaks, Canoes etc.

Effective January 18-22, 1999 here are 'some'of the official Regulations
from the Canadian Coast Guard where Kayaks and Canoes are concerned:

                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


What's New?  Why the changes in regulations & What has changed
 
             http://www.ccgrser.org/obs/


Minimum Reguired Safety Equipment:
  
             http://www.ccgrser.org/obs/boatgui/canoe.htm


Regulations  governing PFD's are found at 

            :http://www.ccgrser.org/obs/factsht/inflpfd.htm


New Approved Colours for Personal Flotation Devices:

             http://www.ccgrser.org/obs/factsht/pfdcol.htm


Operator Competency Requirements*

             http://www.ccgrser.org/obs/boatgui/operator.htm



Minimum Required Safety Equipment for Unpowered Pleasure Craft
(not over 6M in length):

             http://www.ccgrser.org/obs/boatgui/unpower.htm


The Contraventions Act: What it means to Boater January, 1999:

             http://www.ccgrser.org/obs/factsht/contra.htm


Requirements for Foreign Recreational Vessels in Canadian Waters
January 1999:

             http://www.ccgrser.org/obs/factsht/foreign.htm



Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 00:49:24 -0800
From: rdiaz@ix.netcom.com
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Canadian Government Regulations- Minimum Safety Requirements for Kayaks, Canoes etc.

Philip Wylie wrote:
> 
> Effective January 18-22, 1999 here are 'some'of the official Regulations
> from the Canadian Coast Guard where Kayaks and Canoes are concerned:


Interesting development regarding color of PFDs.  Faced with people not
wearing PFDS, Canada has thrown up its hands.  It believes the reason
for this is that people don't like the colors that were formerly
required, yellow and orange.  It will now approve PFDs in any color and
states its rationale: more fashionable colors may get people to wear
their PFDs more.  But the Coast Guard does suggest that brighter colors
would be better than darker ones.

Also, Canada requires canoes and kayaks to carry a "heaving line of 15
meter or greater length."  I wonder how many paddlers anywhere carry
such a length of line and what would they hope to accomplish with it...I
don't think the Canadian authorities have towing in mind but rather
heaving, i.e. throwing the line to someone to pull them in.  Sounds like
the regulation that was being discussed at one point in the US to have
all boats, including canoes and kayaks, to carry life preserver rings to
throw to people overboard.

Who is writing these regulations?

ralph diaz
- -- 
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter
PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024
Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz@ix.netcom.com
"Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag."
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------



Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 19:42:08 +0100
From: maeg.videau
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Canadian Government Regulations- Minimum Safety Requirements for Kayaks, Canoes etc.

Hello,

I am new in the list server so just a quick introduction to tell you I am based
in Paris, France and that I am part of a sea kayaking club of western France
(Brittany for those who know my country a little bit).

Regarding the Canadian regulations, I can may be bring some French feed back. 
In some regions of France (in particular Brittany) there is a special regulation
that authorises sea kayaks to navigate up to 4 nautical miles from a haven; 
this regulation actually considers sea kayak like any other sail- or motorboat 
and includes it in the so-called "4th navigation category". The prerequisite 
to get this authorisation is first to navigate in group of minimum three boats
and to bring some specific equipment on each boat, among which a towing line 
(yes, Ralph ! and that can be, I experienced it, very usefull) a VHF, safety
fuses, signalisation mirror, spare paddle and some other things.

My turn to ask you all for some feedback : I (with other paddlers from my club)
am planning a trip in the Aleutian Islands next year, I would therefore be
interested in knowing about the eventual experience some of you may have,
usefull contacts, possibility of local kayak renting (what kind of boats?),
relevant books and travel guides...

By the way, is there any kayak-focused bookstore in New York ? In which
bookstore will I find the widest choice of travel guides abnd nautical/
hiking maps (cf. Aleutian Islands) ?

Thks in advance for your help.

Ma=EBg VIDEAU
Paris, France



Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 16:15:50 -0500
From: "Lloyd Bowles" 
Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Canadian Government Regulations- Minimum Safety Requirements for Kayaks, Canoes etc.

>Philip Wylie wrote:
>[snip]
>It will now approve PFDs in any color and
>states its rationale: more fashionable colors may get people to wear
>their PFDs more.

What they forget is that most cheap PFD's are not only ugly, but hot, ill
fitting & just generally uncomfortable. There has been very little choice in
good Canadian Coast Guard approved PFD's.  Allowing more colours doesn't
change that & won't have much effect on use.

I bought a great fitting PFD last year but it isn't Canadian approved. I'll
use it anyway.  I expect that officials will be so happy to see me wearing
it that they will never check it.

>Also, Canada requires canoes and kayaks to carry a "heaving line of 15
>meter or greater length."

Get a throwbag.  A small throwbag from Mountain Equipment Co-op costs $35,
has 21 metres of 6mm floating rope, weighs 550g (1 1/4 pound) & is very easy
to throw.  Easy, that is, from shore but not from a canoe or kayak.
Whitewater kayakers & many canoe trippers have them for river rescue but I'm
not so sure how useful they would be offshore.

>Who is writing these regulations?


Not paddlers.

- -------------
Lloyd Bowles
The Mad Canoeist
"Keep the open side up!"
http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/clearstreets/358/index.html



Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1999 15:53:33 -0600
From: CHUCK
Subject: [Paddlewise] FW: Canadian Government Re

The biggest laugh is that the new Canadian regulations require rowboats,
canoes, and kayaks to carry "one manual propelling device OR an anchor
with not less than 15 m of cable, rope or chain in any combination."

I wonder if I could convince an Ontario MNR warden that my tow rope is
really a throw rope?

N.B. The Minnesota Canoe Association's annual meeting and paddle sport
show on February 13 will have as a speaker Mike Jones from the Ontario
MNR. Mike is a sea kayaker, and it would be interesting to get his
perspective on the new regulations. He also spoke at the Great Lakes
Sea Kayak Symposium and the Minnesota Canoe Association's Far North
Symposium last year. For those of you who haven't heard him, he is a
very funny, enthusiastic, and entertaining speaker. He will be giving
slide talks on a couple of western Ontario wilderness parks and his
kayak trip on Lake Titicaca.

Chuck Holst