These are just my personal boating related thoughts.

June 15, 2007 - Marina Owners should wise up.

My absolute favourite cruising reference is The Waggoner Cruising Guide, by Bob Hale. I usually end up with two copies each year, one for the boat and another in my cruise planning room at home, right next to that seat beside the shower. I also do a regular round of lookups on the Waggoner website for the latest changes and updates.

Bob and his wife are currently on their annual exploratory cruise through the PNW to get updates and file condition reports and in his latest (that's at now..) report Bob says "Marilynn and I have been out a week, and wherever we’ve stopped anxious marina owners have asked if boats will be coming cruising this summer." This is a recurring theme and every so often an article appears in some boating magazine about the uncertain future of pleasure craft marinas in the Pacific North West. Marinas are being purchased by major developers and being turned into private resorts, fuel prices are going up, boat prices are increasing and just generally the future for transient marinas seems bleak.

Yet, each time we go cruising there is more and more traffic on the water. Our cruise last year to Desolation Sound was everything but desolate and sometimes it was difficult finding a spot where we could just be by ourselves. It is definitely our observation that there are more boats than ever out cruising. But the marinas are emptying up. I found it interesting also, that Bob filed the report while at anchor in Silva Bay, just off the docks of three marinas. I am sure that this is just co-incidence and that there is a good reason but I find it rather sweet irony in view of my opinions on this matter.

So, why are marinas empty? I have a few ideas....

A while back a business colleague and I arranged a cruise for business partners on Kuredu and his boat. The plan was to take a short cruise through Howe Sound and then tie up at Union Steamship Marina on Bowen Island where we would serve our partners a nice dinner, wine and cheese. The boats would stay overnight while the partners would take the ferry back to Horseshoe Bay. This was an important cruise for us and planning was meticulous. We called Union Steamship a week in advance and booked specifically the hammerhead of B dock. They said it would be fine and the booking was made and VISA given to secure the dock. I called again the Wednesday before the cruise to confirm, which the marina did. So again the Friday afternoon. Saturday morning we all departed from Horseshoe Bay and again I called the marina and again I was told they had the reservation, for the hammerhead of B dock, noted and confirmed. An hour before we arrived at the marina I radioed them to confirm and was told to just cruise in and tie up - the dock was waiting. When we arrived at the marina we were greeted by a 60 footer tied to our reserved spot. We were directed to two spots next to the public marina, quite far from each other, which completely spoiled the plans we had for entertaining our guests. We complained and asked to speak to the manager or owner. After more than an hour's wait and several trips to the office, the owner eventually came down to the docks. We explained the situation and told him about the number of calls to ensure the success of the cruise. His response was to tell me - to my face - that I am a liar and that they would never reserve a specific spot and if we didn't want the space we had we should leave immediately because he had other boats that wanted them. I was speechless. Needless to say we left and I have not been back to the marina again. Also, as Cruisemaster of the Capilano Power Squadron I have cancelled (or not re-planned) our annual cruises to the marina.

Two weekends ago we joined a rendezvous cruise to Telegraph Harbour Marina on Thetis Island. There were 7 boats from our cruise and two other whom I knew well. We arrived pretty later Friday night and by the time we all had the BBQ's fired up it was 9:00 and the sun was just peeking over the trees. A merry time was had by all at the dock and after dinner we sat around chatting boating stuff and listening to music, even being entertained by some sing-along to tunes from A Mighty Wind. Now, believe me that I would not have mentioned this incident if we were obnoxiously loud and disorderly but I specifically turned off the speakers on the bridge a limited to music to the cockpit so we would not keep the entire marina up. Low and behold, 10:45 we were visited by a very rude and grumpy marina owner who told us to shut up (his words) and that quiet time was 10:00 pm. We apologized and immediately turned the music off, chatted in hushed voices for a while longer and went to bed. If the quiet time at the marina was 10 pm, 30 minutes after sunset in summer, then so be it, no problem. Next morning another of our boats arrived and after tying up they came over and informed us the owner was warning all arriving boats about the noisy crowd and pointing us out. We were also told by the boats right in front of us that the owner had come around the next morning and asked if they were bothered by us the night before. They told us they did not hear a squeak from our side once they were below deck and had said as much to the owner. When confronted, the owner admitted that he had had no complaints the night before but apparently some boats had "heard" our party on the dock when he asked (everyone in the marina apparently) that morning. Now, I can understand the issue if this was 2:00 am and we were blasting music from all the (very large amp powered) speakers on Kuredu, but this was just not true. And then to go around the dock and making an issue of it was downright unprofessional, especially in view of the fact that we promised we would adhere to the marina's quiet time the next evening. Telegraph Harbour Marina will not see Kuredu or the rendezvous again.

Now where were we again...? Oh yes, the marinas are empty. Now let's look at what boaters get charged for using a dock. It is not uncommon for marinas to charge $1.50 per foot per night, plus anything from $5 and up for power. So, a night at the docks with Kuredu would cost $65 and up. For what? So we can step on a dock if needed? Not really necessary since we have a full galley, shower (and bath), head, TV, music, generator, inverter and every convenience on board anyway and the dinghy will get us to shore for a walk if we wanted. So we can socialize? You better believe that a bunch of boats rafted will be very sociable indeed. Union Steamship charges $10 so you can tie up for a couple of hours and have lunch at their restaurant. Huh?

So, what can marinas do to get boaters to come back. First and most important, make it pleasant (dare I say "fun"?) to be there. We are out cruising to have a vacation after all. To get away from the daily chores of life (you have an awesome job, Bob!) and relax with friends and family. One of my favourite marinas is Secret Cove Marina on the Sunshine Coast. We visit there a few times a year and the owner and staff are always friendly and helpful. Ask for a table on the dock and you will get one. Ask for a spare power cord and one will be brought to your boat. Arrive late and they will ask if someone should come down to the dock and help you tie up after hours. Always a friendly word and smile.  It's nice to be there.

Secondly, make the price worth the purchase. I know this is relative and others may have different prices which they are prepared to pay, but for us, $1.50 per foot is just excessive. You can rent a pretty decent apartment near Disney World in Kissimmee for $70 per night (just done that!). Why is it so expensive to tie to a dock? And if marinas need more income to remain viable, get it by adding services which boaters want. I will gladly pay $5 for a nice burger cooked on the docks for lunch. Or pay a premium for supplies so I don't have to worry about remembering everything before we leave in a hurry on Friday afternoons. Or pay for a great pig roast at the marina. Example - Pierre's Bay Marina, which I have not visited yet but it seems to be the place where a boater will have a ton of fun and pay 75c per foot.

Marina owners should wise up. We will visit marinas where we enjoy being and for the rest of the time, Kuredu will be on the hook.

September 15, 2005 - Stupid Boaters.

When I was about 14 years old, we came upon an motor vehicle accident where several young people were killed. I remember the scene quite clearly as we arrived a very short while after it happened. We asked a policeman what happened and he explained that they were traveling too fast and left the road. It also seems as if they were drinking. Then he said something like "..but this will teach them a lesson."

Teach them a lesson!? They're dead! The lesson should somehow have been taught before this happened.

And this brings me to my first rant on this site. This year I have read or heard of many fatal accidents caused by stupid boaters who killed either themselves, people on their boat or others who just happen to be in the way somehow. And almost all of the time it was perfectly avoidable and had a sensible captain been in charge, would never have happened. Plain common sense would dictate that you don't go screaming around at 70 mph in a crowded lake, or 35 mph at night on a river, or let your boat drift at night on a busy commercial waterway with no lookout or navigation lights, or cut between a tug and a barge with a dozen people on board your boat. What the hell are you thinking when you do this!?

And then there is a whole bunch of people who do not believe that boater education should be mandatory. I realize that one cannot teach common sense, but you can make people aware of the danger of what they are doing and the results, should something go wrong. Sometimes. Perhaps. Take me, for instance. I did the Power Squadron course because I didn't want to die. Or kill my family. I did, however, only came to this conclusion after it nearly happened on our very first cruise out, when we were caught in severe waters and I had no clue how to handle the boat or get us out of trouble. I am thankful it happened before I gained a misplaced confidence in my abilities based on non-threatening experiences. I know it's a little different than most of the examples quoted above, but still valid. As a non-boater/rookie back then it never dawned on me that I am on a boat. Not a car, not a truck or a RV. A boat. When something goes wrong you can't just get out, flip the cell and phone a tow service. When the road gets bumpy you can just pull to the side and have a break. There is no handbrake to pull up when your gears fail. You can't get out and walk a safe distance away when smoke boils from the engine compartment and you're smelling gas. There are no roads, road signs and rest areas on the water. There are no demarcated lanes painted on the water in which you drive to you don't crash into each other. You need to know the rules and how to navigate and the guys bearing down on you from the side needs to know the same. You hope they do, but you should have the comfort of knowing they do - because it's mandatory. How many times have we been out on the water and encountered someone who had absolutely no idea who goes where?. Perhaps they knew and were just idiots, but then the "no boat for you" rule applies.

So, what to do? Educate boaters. Force them to do a Power Squadron or equivalent course. Each of us should also take upon ourselves the responsibility to educate our boater community. If some idiot comes screaming through the marina at full speed, yell at him to slow down before he kills someone. Tell his girlfriend she should not be out on a boat with someone who does not particularly care enough to kill her.

The "no boat for you" rule - if a boater has been educated and is aware of what he's doing, take his boat away when he endangers lives with it. Simply tow it out to sea and let the Navy use it for target practice. Is that very harsh? I hope so. Before you kill me or my family or my friends. You should not be boating. Period. Your right to boat does not include killing people who trust and rely on you to keep them safe. Zero tolerance. "No boat for you".

In Canada, by 2009, all boaters on our waters need to have a Pleasure Craft Operators Certificate. Right now it is not mandatory for boats over 4 meters and if you were borne after 1983. 2009 is still far out, but at least it's a target. And it's getting closer. This past Tuesday my wife and our two boys (16 & 14) started with the Power Squadron course. Because it's fun and educational. And I would not let them have the wheel without it. And they would have to stop using the dink if they didn't. Why? Because for us boating is fun. And fun gets ripped right out of the equation when you die. Or so I'm told....

Safe boating everyone.