Good news!!!

Date: Tue, 20 May 1997 11:37:06 -0400
From: Water Ski Canada 
Subject: Proposed Boating Regulations

After various meetings with boating groups and the Coast Guard I am happy to
report that we have made tremendous headway in modifying the originally
proposed regulations.

The Coast Guard have now agreed to move the timing restrictions for water
skiing back to the current regulation which is from sunrise to one hour
after sunset. We are also currently discussing the regulation that would
have required a seat set aside in the boat for each person being towed. It
appears that an exemption will be put in place for sanctionned events under
the auspices of WSC, provincial associations and affiliated organizations.
That exemption would most likely require that safety boats dedicated to the
event have sufficient seating for all skiers being towed. This would still
make it illegal for an unaffiliated group of people, say at a cottage, to
get together and maybe try a 6 person pyramid, or some such thing. This is
the Coast Guard's main concern, the unregulated, unsupervised activity.

The Coast Guard will be sending us a letter this week confirming the above.
There is obviously further work to do on the exact wording of the seating
regulation.

We'll keep you posted. Hugh.
Below please find the original proposal:

Proposed Changes To Small Vessel Regulations

 

A joint Canadian Coast Guard-User working group has proposed various changes to Small Vessel Regulations. An overview of those changes is provided in the April 1997 issue of Backwash (Water Ski Canada publication). Of specific interest to water skiers are the changes on page 13 of the document.

Current

Proposed

Water Skiing

Under the Criminal Code of Canada, it is an offence to tow:

  • a person on skis one hour after sunset to sunrise
  • without another person keeping watch

Vessel towing activities

No none will be allowed to operate a vessel while towing a person on water skis or barefoot, on a surfboard, on a water sled, on tubes or any other similar objects or while engaged in similar high speed towing activities:

  • when there is no additional person on board to keep watch of the person being towed
  • when there is no spare seating space to accommodate the person being towed should recovery be necessary
  • during the period from one hour before sunset to one hour after sunrise

Water-skiing will not be permitted behind a remotely controlled vehicle

Propeller driven surfboards

Outboard power-driven surfboard type craft cannot be operated in any Canadian waters

 

The changes are planned to be effective for the 1998 season. If you are interested in responding to any element of the proposed changes by July 1, 1997 there is a contact given below. It would be appreciated if you could copy Water Ski Canada with any of your comments.

"Any interested person(s) any make a written representation concerning the proposed changes to the Small Vessel Regulations. All such representations must be addressed before July 1, 1997 to:

Senior Project Officer
Regulatory Development
Office of Boating Safety
Canadian Coast Guard
344 Slater Street, 9th floor
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0N7