Boating and Alcohol -Rules in Ontario

Reason #317 not to live in canadia

 

Good reminder for those that don’t know. Been that way for years.
OPP or Canadian Coasties nail U.S. boaters on that all of the time because it is almost impossible to run down the Niagara River without doing a little in Canadian water.
NY allows drinking while underway, even the captain, but the Captain better not be DUI.

 

Wait, did he say about .45 you can't have a porta potty. WTF. Canada sux.

 

No flare guns, either. Considered a firearm.

 

YGTBSM. Unreal. Morons. I tell you they’re morons.

 

Not true. Where did you hear that fake news?
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/...arine-flare-kit-red-0790309p.html?rq=&loc=plp

 

You can’t have a toilet that can be dumped. It has to be fitted for pump out on shore. I guess they don’t want untreated human shit in the lakes and rivers. I don’t either.

 

So what’s worse. A porta potty or some dude hanging it over the side. If you gotta go, you gotta go regardless of the law.

 

U. S. Coast Guard.... During a boarding inspection.

 

That's incorrect. Type B flares including 12 gauge shells, usually twin star configuration, are allowed. Our vessel just passed a marine survey with twelve properly dated flares of this type. Interesting to note that there is currently a temporary approval of specific electronic flares.

 

Apparently the US and Canadian Coast Guard need to talk to one another and get their story straight. I'm all electronic now. My flare gun had smaller than 12 gauge. Maybe that was the issue but they told me no flare guns period if I was to venture into Canadian waters which is easy for me to do.

 

I hear you, but emergency vs routine is the issue. You know that if they allowed porta potties that are portable, that they are not going home full. They are gonna be dumped in the lake or river before the boat gets back to the ramp.

 

Things I like about boating in Oklahoma,
#1. Knowing I wont accidentally wind up in Canada

 

Yeah, the Coasties aren’t always right, they goof up sometimes like the rest of us. Also it makes a difference who you are. The rule of thumb for safety equipment is if it’s legal for your state, they don’t have a problem with it in Canada. I recall something about lighted life rings are necessary for Canadians but we don’t have one and have been boarded by Canadian water law many times but usually they are customs officers looking for drugs, guns and the fruit or vegetable of the month.

 

OPP are the ones that bother us the most, although that has dropped off in recent years. Last year when we were boarded by the U.S. Coast Guard they just did the usual safety inspection and joked about our AIS and mentioned something to the effect that smugglers don’t usually broadcast their exact location. Might have something to do with it.

 

The rules regarding porta-potties and MSDs are essentially the same in Canada and the US. Here's a general reference for the US: https://www.boatus.org/study-guide/environment/waste/.

In general, no dumping overboard is permitted anywhere you would expect it's prohibited. Go figure, eh, people don't like swimming with turds on either side of the border!

Regarding porta-potties, it comes down to some semantics. Not all porta-potties are MSDs, and there are different types of MSDs. A portable MSD with an integrated holding tank is legal in many situations in both the US and Canada, varying by state and province.

Interesting to witness in real time how misinformation on a simple topic can be quickly generated, propagated, then used to formulate divisive opinions.

For the record, while boating for 14 years in and out of Canada and the US, we've never been boarded once. I have had occasion to interact with the USCG several times and found them to be incredibly polite, helpful, and professional. Unfortunately, my experience with the CCG has been less than something to be proud of in one or two instances.

 

Actually, rethinking this, it wasn't CCG, it was Canadian Border Services.

 

You guys are missing the point on the porta potties. He was giving the requirements for being able to consume alcohol on a boat while at anchor. The boat must have dedicated berths for sleeping, a permanent galley for cooking, and a fixed MSD. Porta Pots don't count as a fixed MSD.