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MODULE 5

UNDERWAY

The term “underway” means that a vessel is not at anchor or made fast to the shore. This module outlines common-sense protocols including basic boating skills and what to keep in mind while underway. Exam questions are drawn from the topics indicated in bold print.

5.1	DEPARTURE
5.2	SHARING THE WATERWAYS
5.3	STAYING CLEAR OF DIVERS
5.4	MAINTAINING A PROPER LOOKOUT
5.5	MAINTAINING A SAFE SPEED
5.6	USING A COMPASS
5.7	MONITORING THE WEATHER
5.8	LOCAL WATER HAZARDS
5.9	SUN, WIND, MOTION SICKNESS, & ALCOHOL
5.10	ANCHORING
5.11	TOWING ACTIVITIES
	MODULE 5 REVIEW

If you have passengers with you, brief them on how to cast off the boat and how to sit while the boat is moving. Remember that as you pull away from a dock the stern of your vessel will tend to swing in toward the dock as the bow swings out and away from the dock. Thus, before putting your engine into forward gear always push your boat away from the dock so that the stern is clear by at least 1 foot and the bow is further out from the dock than the stern.

In addition, the stern of a boat will sit lower in the water when you start to move forward, and there is a chance the propeller will strike bottom. Thus, leave the dock at slow speed, increasing your speed gradually as you move away from the shoreline. Remember that you have to turn the wheel more at slow speeds than you do at higher speeds.

Always remember that a boat does not have brakes and that it has to be moving in order to be steered. Give yourself plenty of separation between your vessel and others so that you have enough room to stop or enough time to take evasive action.

Keep away from designated swimming areas when boating; even a canoe or a kayak can easily injure a swimmer.

Never “buzz” other users of a waterway or try to use your pleasure craft to spray other vessels or swimmers. Some of the worst boating accidents occur when someone misjudges speed or distance while trying to spray somebody, usually a friend or relative, with their boat.

Other dangerous behaviour to avoid when sharing the waterways with other users include: Jumping the wake of another boat, approaching Driving close to other boats, or Crossing in front of other vessels.

The operator of a pleasure craft shall take the following actions when sharing the waterways with others:
1. stay well clear of swimmers and properties
2. adjust the speed of the craft so that the wash and wake created by your craft will not disturb others (such as swimmers and water-skiers), erode shorelines, disturb wildlife (such as nesting waterfowl), or damage property.
3. follow the Collision Regulations requirements regarding maintaining a safe speed depending on visibility and water conditions; and
4. use courtesy and common sense so as not to create a hazard, a threat, a stress, or an irritant to others or to the environment.

To ensure that you can comply with the above restrictions, you should familiarise yourself thoroughly with the handling of your vessel so that you are better able to avoid a collision in an emergency. Practice turning the boat at both low speeds and high speeds. If your craft has a planing hull, familiarise yourself with how fast it must be going before it lifts out of the water.

Remember that a planing hull at low speed plows through the water like a displacement hull and can create a substantial wake (waves) capable of swamping swimmers and smaller craft like canoes and dinghies. A planing hull creates much less wake when it is planing on top of the water.

If you can adjust the trim on your vessel, you should adjust it so that the hull tilts up at approximately a 3-degree angle from the horizontal. Familiarising yourself with the planing characteristics of your hull will help you to choose a speed that avoids stressing or annoying other users of the waterway.

People in the water, such as swimmers can be difficult to spot from a moving pleasure craft. Special care must be taken to watch for waters frequented by divers. Thus, pleasure craft operators should be sure that they know what “diver down” flags look like.

If a vessel is engaged in diving, it will indicate that it has a diver down by displaying the blue and white International Code Flag “A”, which means “I have a diver down: keep well clear and proceed at slow speed.” Under Rules 18 and 27 of the Collision Regulations, all pleasure craft operators are required to reduce speed and to steer well clear of any vessel displaying a “diver down” flag. A red and white flag from the Private Buoy Regulations is displayed on buoys deployed to mark areas where diving is in progress.

Keep in mind that it is easy for divers to stray from the area marked by a diving buoy. Always exercise extreme care (i.e. slow down) in water frequented by divers.

If you see either of the above flags, keep well clear of the vessel or buoy marking the diving site, maintain a proper lookout, and proceed at slow speed. Popular diving areas are not normally indicated on charts. If you are new to an area where diving is popular, you should inquire as to what areas are frequented by divers.

Under rule 5 of the Collision Regulations every operator of a pleasure craft shall at all times maintain a constant look-out for potential collision hazards and to use sight and hearing to detect and avoid any risk of collision with another vessel.

Whenever operating a vessel, the operator will use any available means including sight, hearing, (and radar and radio if applicable) to make a full appraisal of whether a risk of collision exists. Maintaining a proper lookout requires that someone remain on deck at all times when a vessel is underway. Besides looking for visual signs of danger, keeping a lookout also involves listening for signals from other vessels.

The Canada Shipping Act requires that all operators of all pleasure craft must watch for signals that indicate distress and need of assistance.

It is the responsibility of the operator to at all times proceed at a safe speed while underway, i.e. a speed that allows one enough time to take proper and effective action to avoid a collision.

Always remember: boats do not have brakes.

An operator must be able to stop his or her pleasure craft within a distance appropriate to the prevailing conditions. To determine the safe speed for your vessel, you should take into account all of the following factors:
1. The state of visibility – poor visibility can occur due to fog, mist, rain, or darkness; all of which reduce the time one has to react to a hazard;
2. Traffic density – note the number and types of vessels in your area, as well as their course, speed, and proximity;
3. Wind, water conditions, and currents;
4. The manoeuvrability of your vessel; and
5. The proximity of any navigational hazards.

When you are not in sight of other vessels and you are in or near an area of restricted visibility, you must proceed at a safe speed adapted to those circumstances and conditions and signal your presence by sounding a combination of long and short blasts using a sound signalling device or appliance.

Wind and water conditions, such as high waves and strong winds, can cause you to lose control your vessel and increase the risk of injury or loss of life.

Always slow down in bad weather to ensure that you can maintain control of your pleasure craft. Remember that at higher speeds, a boat needs a greater distance to stop and, because there is less time to react to changing conditions, the operator must be much more attentive.

Regardless of your speed, you are always responsible for the wake and wash created by your vessel. You must at all times proceed with caution and at a speed such that wake and wash will not damage or adversely affect:
Other vessels, including anchored vessels, grounded vessels, dredges, tows, rowboats, and canoes;
The shoreline (erosion), docks, wetlands, or wildlife;
Swimmers or divers; and
Bathing or anchorage areas.

A marine compass is a navigational aid that can help a pleasure craft operator to find directions as well as to take bearings on buoys or significant landmarks. A compass can be either hand-held or, on larger boats, permanently mounted at the steering station so that the helmsman can refer to it while steering along a bearing.

A compass can be invaluable to finding your way back to port if visibility becomes reduced due to factors such as fog or mist rolling in. All vessels should carry a compass, especially if you are operating in areas prone to fog and mist.

Any magnetic compass is affected by the proximity of metals, magnets, and electrical devices. Thus, anything with a magnet, including screwdrivers, flashlights, and radio speakers should be kept well away from a compass. All boat wiring should also be kept away from a compass. A compass that is affected in this manner can easily provide false information.

When you get to the water, make sure that the conditions that you see match those predicted in weather forecasts for that day. Once under way, remember to continue to keep an eye on the weather.

If the sky starts to look dark and cloudy and conditions are changing rapidly, head for shore (check your charts in advance to know where to seek shelter). Summer thunderstorms can strike quickly and unexpectedly.

Other good indications of approaching bad weather are falling barometric pressure, increasing winds, and changes in wind direction (which generally lead to increased wave action).

Boaters need to know how to get weather information updates while they are out on the water. This requires the knowledge and skill to use a marine radio. A receiver for continuous marine weather forecasts can be purchased at most marine supply outlets.

If you get caught out on the water in heavy weather, reduce speed and head for the nearest shore that you can approach safely. Make sure that everybody onboard dons his or her PFD. Secure loose gear but have emergency gear (anchor, bailers, and paddles) ready for use.

During heavy weather, try to keep your vessel on a course that poses the least risk of taking a wave onboard. If you must move in a direction that is downwind, make sure that you do not go downwind directly. If you have an open cockpit and you move straight downwind, there is a risk that waves hitting the stern may flood over the stern and swamp your vessel. Thus, take a zigzag course when moving downwind so that you cross waves at a 45 degree angle and the waves do not strike directly against the stern.

Local water hazards, which may impede the operation of a pleasure craft or increase the risk of injuries or loss of life to persons on board, can include: low-head dams, rapids, sudden winds, tides, currents, white water, overhead cables, bridges; or rapid build-up of high-wave conditions. Being prepared goes beyond having your boat properly equipped and maintained. Before you travel in a new area, check your marine charts to determine whether you will encounter any overhead obstacles (such as bridges) or underwater hazards (such as reefs or cables). Obtain as much information as possible on the area where you plan to go boating. Reading marine charts in conjunction with publications like Sailing Directions and Tide Tables and Atlases of Currents, will indicate water depths, times of low, slack, and high tides, and the direction of flow.

If you are boating in an area not covered by marine charts, ask knowledgeable local residents for information on potential water hazards such as low-head dams, white water, and shoals. For small unstable craft such as canoes and sailboards, rapids, currents, and commercial shipping lanes are especially dangerous. The following is a list of common local water hazards that can impede the operation of your pleasure craft or increase the risk of injuries or loss of life to persons on board:

Low-head dams

Many inland rivers, lakes and streams are regulated, meaning that a series of low head dams have been erected at various points in order to maintain a minimum water depth upstream of the dam. These dams are usually small structures no more than 4 m in height, although some are as low as 0.5 m. Because of their small size, they do not appear to be dangerous, especially from a boat or canoe upstream. In the spring and during other periods of high runoff, however, these dams become very dangerous. The re-circulating current created by the water pouring over the dam creates a backwash. At the face of the dam, this backwash current sucks any object – including people wearing PFDs – to the bottom of the stream, releases it to the surface, pulls it back to the face of the dam, and then sucks it back to the bottom again; the cycle can continue indefinitely. Keep in mind that they are dangerous whether you approach them from the upstream side (it is easy to get caught by the current and taken over the dam) or from the downstream side (the backwash can pull a boat to the dam face where it becomes swamped). Swimmers, anglers, canoeists and people in motorboats have all fallen victim to this near-perfect drowning machine. Keep well clear of these structures.

Sudden winds

Some valleys can have a funnelling effect on wind, causing its force to be multiplied. Under these conditions, sudden, powerful gusts can overturn a light craft. Keep this in mind when boating in mountain lakes or on water bodies ringed by steep hills.

Shoals

Shoals are areas of shallow water where a vessel may run aground. They can be numerous in some waterways and, thus, they are often unmarked. Refer to marine charts to verify the locations of all shallow water.

Tides or currents

If you are boating in an estuary or in any other area affected by tides, refer to the tide tables and verify the timing of high, slack, and low tides. Failure to refer to a tide table can result in finding yourself high and dry. Tidal currents can also be a danger to boaters. In some areas, currents collide with each other or run counter to winds, creating dangerous wave conditions.

Rapids

Rapids are stretches of a river or stream where the water is shallow and fast moving. Because the water is moving so fast, you have little control over your vessel. Control is made more difficult because of standing waves that arise in the rapids. A boat swept into a standing wave can be easily swamped or capsized. In addition, large rocks usually lie just below the surface. Hitting one of these rocks can put a hole into the hull, causing it to take on water.

Underwater Cables and Pipelines

Underwater cables and pipelines can cause problems when anchoring. Ground tackle can become so firmly snagged on an underwater cable or pipe that attempting to way anchor can cause the boat to capsize. Normally signs are erected on shore to indicate where a cable enters a body of water. The locations of underwater cables are also indicated on marine charts.

Overhead obstacles Overhead obstacles include hazards such as power lines, cables, and bridges. The operator of a vessel with a high superstructure or a mast must be mindful of how much clearance he needs to get his vessel under an obstacle safely. Hitting an overhead obstacle can be expensive, it can also be extremely dangerous. If a boat mast hits a power line, for instance, it is possible for a person onboard to be electrocuted.

Rapid build-up of high wave conditions.

In large water bodies, when waves move from deep water into water that becomes shallow suddenly, the height of the waves can increase dramatically. The situation can be worsened by wind. This is a common problem along Canadian coastlines and on some large inland lakes. Also, if you are approaching shore to seek shelter from storm waves, keep in mind that the waves will gain in height as you move into shallower water.

When operating a pleasure craft it is important for the operator to take into account the effects that being on the water can have on both the operator of a vessel and the passengers.

In fact, separately or combined the effect of the motion of a vessel, sunlight, waves, wind, sound, and alcohol can reduce significantly the ability of a person to operate a pleasure craft and can negatively affect all persons on board in terms of their alertness, balance, co-ordination, reflexes, judgement, response time, eyesight, and hearing. One can even suffer mild nausea (motion sickness).

A safe boater is one who keeps the above factors in mind and takes steps to reduce their effects. Some of the steps to take are to be well rested before going out on the water. Also, wear sunglasses to reduce the effect of sunlight glaring on the water and wear sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun. Also, drink lots of water or juice.

Never consume alcohol before or while operating a pleasure craft. Under the Criminal Code of Canada it is an offence to operate a pleasure craft if you have a bloodstream alcohol concentration of more than 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood. Under the code, the penalties for impaired driving while operating a boat are the same as for impaired driving while operating a car. Thus, in legal terms, driving a boat is no different from driving a car (except that a boat can go faster and has no crash protection and no brakes).

In most provinces, the law allows the consumption of alcohol in three locations: a licensed establishment, a licensed event, or private residence. Drinking alcohol or having open alcohol containers in a boat is just as illegal as drinking in your car.

Anchoring is a safety measure that one can take whenever weather forces you to take shelter near shore or when your craft is disabled and the anchor is needed to keep it from drifting into more serious trouble.

According to the Small Vessel Regulations, the minimum length for an anchor line on a small pleasure craft is 15 m but to be safe it is recommended that you use an anchor line that is 30 m in length. It is important to ensure that the ground tackle (anchor, chain, and line) that you buy is the right size for your boat.

When you anchor your boat, you must verify that the water has sufficient depth for your hull to clear the bottom yet not be too deep for your anchor line. If you are in an area affected by tides, do not forget to consider depth changes caused by a rising or falling tide. Also, make sure that your anchorage provides enough swing room for your boat to swing safely on the anchor line if the wind shifts direction.

When anchoring your vessel, ensure that you provide enough scope. Scope is the ratio between length of the anchor rode (rode is the combined length of chain and rope attached to the anchor) and the depth of the anchorage. The amount of scope required depends on weather conditions.

A scope of 6:1 is adequate in fair weather. A scope of 8:1 is preferable if wind or waves are expected. A scope of 10:1 is necessary in storm conditions. The more sheltered your anchorage, the less scope that you require.

To ensure that you are able to get an anchor to set into the bottom, it is recommended that you have two types of anchor on board. Before deploying an anchor, it is important to verify that one end of the anchor line is securely attached to the vessel and that the other end is securely attached to the anchor. This may seem like obvious advice, but many anchors and anchor lines have been lost by boaters who just assumed that the anchor and line were attached to the boat.

The anchor should be lowered from the bow slowly, not thrown over. Play out enough anchor line so that the length deployed is at least six times the depth of the water, then tie off the line on a cleat. Once the line is secured, back up your vessel slowly until the anchor line goes taut. This indicates that the anchor is set into the bottom.

Some tips on anchors:
1. Never set an anchor over the side or over the stern of a boat under 6 m in length. If waves build up, the boat could be swamped and sink.
2. It is a good idea to attach an anchor chain between an anchor and the anchor line. The anchor chain weighs down the anchor and helps it set into the bottom.
3. It can also be a good idea to use a kellet on your anchor line. A kellet is a weight attached partway down an anchor line to keep the top part near vertical in orientation, thus decreasing the angle between the anchor rode and the bottom, thus helping the anchor to set into the bottom.

Under the Small Vessel Regulations, the rules governing water-skiing apply to other towing activities such as barefoot skiing, tubing, kneeboarding, wake boarding, and parasailing.

The regulations require that a spotter be on board to monitor the person being towed. The regulations also require the following:
There must be a seat available for each person being towed – This is required in case recovery is necessary. Thus, only personal watercraft that are designed to carry three or more people can be used for towing a water-skier.
Towing activities are not allowed from one hour after sunset until sunrise.
A vessel towing water skiers or others cannot be remotely controlled.

Water-skiers should always be able to control the actions of the towboat via hand signals. There is a set of standard hand signals that should be used by all water-skiers in Canada. The operator of a vessel should know these hand signals and should verify that both the water skier and the spotter also know the signals. Standard hand signals for water skiing are presented below.

Hand signals for use by water-skiers in Canada.

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MODULE 5 REVIEW

QUESTIONS

Provide the response that best answers the question.
 
1. According to the Collision Regulations being a courteous boater includes:
    a.) no littering
    b.) keeping noise to a minimum
    c.) watching one’s wake so as not to damage shorelines
    d.) all of the above
 
2. An example of negligent or reckless operation would be:
    a.) excessive speed in a congested area
    b.) operating under the influence of alcohol
    c.) operating in a swimming area
    d.) all of the above
 
3. What signal is represented by the International code flag “A”?
 
4. What does the term “safe speed” mean?
 
5. According to the Collision Regulations, what factors must be considered in determining “safe speed”?
 
6. What constitutes keeping a proper lookout?
 
7. Low-head dams dangerous because:
    a.) the current will carry a boat over the top
    b.) water circulation at the base of the dam tends to trap a boat against the face of the dam and keep it there
    c.) the bottom of the boat will be damaged when going over the dam
    d.) all of the above
 
8. If you are caught on the water in foul weather, you should:
    a.) stay where you are
    b.) reduce speed and head for the nearest safe shore that can be approached safely
    c.) head out to the middle of the water body
    d.) abandon your vessel and swim to shore
 
9. During what hours are water-skiing activities allowed?
 
10. Water-skiers should always be able to control the actions of the towboat through:
    a.) yelling
    b.) foot signals
    c.) hand signals
    d.) large signs

MODULE 5 REVIEW

ANSWERS

1.  d.)
2.  d.)
3.  Diving underway
4.  A safe speed is one that allows the operator enough time to avoid a collision.
5.  Visibility, traffic density, weather conditions, manoeuvrability, proximity of navigational hazards.
6.  Using all available means to detect the risk of a collision, keeping someone on deck at all times when underway, listening for navigation signals from other vessels, and listening for distress signals.
7.  d.)
8.  b.)
9.  From dawn until one hour after sunset
10. c.)
 
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