Port of Vancouver highlights boating safety practices

The Port of Vancouver urges operators to take into consideration boating safety rules, considering that the port is a busy harbour and especially during this period, the marine recreational activities are increased. 

”Out on the water, there’s traffic, rules to follow and hazards to watch out for. The “rules of the road” for Canada’s waterways help everyone stay safe. It’s not only polite – it is the law, set out in Canada’s Collision Regulations, which applies to every vessel and operator on all navigable waterways from sail boats to large commercial vessels.” Port of Vancouver says.

The port recommends the following boating practices to keep yourself and others safe:

• Watch out for larger vessels: Large, deep-sea vessels have limited visibility – don’t assume they can see you.
• Never cross a tugboat and its tow: Tow cables are often submerged and not visible.
• Listen for aircraft: Float planes landing and taking off need plenty of space.
• Attend to signals from other vessels: Five or more short blasts of a ship’s whistle means “danger – stay clear”. Monitor VHF 16 and 12.
• Be prepared to move out of the way: Large, deep-sea vessels can’t move quickly, especially in narrow channels. Even if you have the right-of-way, you must yield to them
• Report incidents: Contact our Port Operations Centre at 604.665.9086 . In an emergency, call 911.