INDEX: 1: Safe Boating 2: Controlling your Wake 3: Washing your Boat

1

SAFE BOATING :

CLICK ON THOSE BLUE LINKS:

1) Wakeboard_flyerFeb06final1

2) report overview-boats

3) Watching_Your_Wake_for_use_by_other_lakes

4) From our friends from the Association of Lac St Pierre: Safe boating

5) Concerning buoys on a lake: cottage_buoys

2

CONTROLLING YOUR WAKE :

So boating is awesome – we can all agree on that. There’s nothing quite like feeling the misty breeze on our skin, watching a loved-one demonstrate their tubing skills or having a fish take a tug at our line. Whatever our thing is, we LOVE the water.

Some of us get a bit overzealous… Kind of forget about boating responsibly… Throw caution to the wind… Go too fast, make waves… Maybe get a bit reckless for whatever reason… Letting loose after a tough week or trying out the new motor.

The thing is though… Doing those things too close to others can really suck. After all, we share the water (it’s a big lake!) and don’t all have the same idea of what’s enjoyable. Going out on the big lake is an option to consider.

It’s up to us to adopt a responsible boating behaviour AND to inform our GUESTS/RENTERS & FAMILY to do the same (don’t be shy!). We have a lot of challenges and issues like accelerated shoreline erosion (yes, some people are losing inches every year), property damage ($$$), safety (swimmers, wildlife). It’s a matter of respecting others/neighbours too.

If felt necessary, irresponsible boating can be reported on a per-case basis to the SQ along with the boat’s registration number.

If members ask us, the association could ask the SQ to regularly patrol the southern section of the lake for irresponsible boating, but… Isn’t it better to do better instead of having the law come hold our hand?

We’re putting the message out there… Don’t be the reason the SQ has to patrol.

YOUR WAKE :

Not really simple to understand if you are not a expert in boating. It’s a matter of weight vs speed with your boat! What factors cause waves? 1) Wind speed 2) Lake’s depth 3) Water displacement 4) Weight of the boat 5) Form of the boat touching the water 6) Boat speed . Also we must know that small waves become big ones from the effect on many boats at the same time.

To recap:

– Boating responsibly when on the water (report irresponsible behaviour to the SQ if need be (no reports, no action)

– WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF OTHERS AND OF WAVES. WE SHARE THE SAME LAKE AND AREN’T ALONE ON THE WATER – ASK GUESTS, FAMILY MEMBERS AND RENTERS TO RESPECT OTHERS AND THE LAKE AS WELL. WE NEED TO FIND A HAPPY MEDIUM AND USE OUR BETTER JUDGEMENT:

Slower = bigger waves (more damage to the shoreline, docks, boats)
Faster = smaller waves (more danger to ppl and wildlife)

– SLOW DOWN WHEN NEAR PROPERTIES OR IN NARROW SPOTS (WAVES BOUNCE BACK TOWARD THE OTHER SIDE).

PLEASE RESPECT THIS SIGN NEAR A PROPERTY! It tells you that the owner was a shoreline erosion problem :

3

WASHING YOUR BOAT:

Control of Aquatic Invasive Species with Boat Washing Stations

This study in French entitled « Contrôle des espèces aquatiques envahissantes par des stations de lavage de bateau en Abitibi-Témiscamingue » (2.4 MB) is a comprehensive examination of the challenges and approaches to consider in establishing a boat rinsing program as a means of preventing the introduction of exotic invasive species in the lakes of the region. It is well written and deals with a problem that concerns us in the Association.

Eurasian Milfoil

WANT TO SEE THIS ON OUR LAKES???

Presently the municipality of Bowman, Denholm and Lac-Sainte-Marie don’t have any municipal boat washing facilities

PLEASE AVOID AREAS WHERE YOU SEE THIS SIGN:

Eurasian milfoil is an invasive aquatic plant that has spread to lakes throughout the province. Milfoil normally grows along the shoreline at a depth of 1-5 metres, prefers phosphorous-rich waters, and reproduces through fragmentation – which occurs when it is disturbed/chopped by boat propellers and turbines.
1. Learn to recognize it.
2. Avoid infested areas.
3. Raise your motor and paddle/row your way through infested areas.
If you do come across this aquatic plant on our lake, Please immediately advise the association!

Here how to recognize it, click on: pamphletmyriophylle_part2

or read this: eurasianwatermilfoil

Boating