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[Dude]

So i finally got my first boat! Wow what a exciting day after a month of looking around.  I got a 17ft Sangster with Yamaha 90HP outboard motor.   Its been years and years of waiting around for others when trying to get out and do some fishing, feels great to have a  puppy in my yard now.  now time to gather things for the boat and prep the boat and test everything out then hit the water hopefully next weekend. 
How were you all feeling when you got your very first boat.   Myself I feel like a kid in a candyshop HAH!

[ShaunO]

Ex Coast Guard here...

Awesome to hear that your so excited about having a new boat to play with.  I know what I'm like when I get to get out on the boat, I'm just like that kid in a candy shop too!

Couple of things to consider, and please don't take any of this the wrong way since  I don't know your boating background.  Nobody ever goes out on the water expecting to break down or have an accident!

Get your PCOC (pleasure craft operators card)
Take a Power Squadron course and know the basic rules of the road, navigation, safety, etc.
Make sure you have a working compass, with light
Get the current charts for the areas you are going to be operating, and keep them stored somewhere dry (folded in a ziplock always works)
Have a working marine VHF radio
Get your VHF Marine radio operators license (you do not need one to use the radio in an emergency, but it helps to know the protocols for calling, etc.)
Get yourself PFD's for all the passengers.  Make sure they are Canadian Coast Guard approved!
Practice launching and retrieving your boat from the trailer several times before the your first trip 
Contact your local Coast Guard or Coast Guard Auxiliary and inquire about a PCCC or Pleasure Craft Courtesy Check - someone trained in boating safety can take a look at your boats setup and give you recommendations on what you need to have.

Here's a great resource for everyone in the Small Vessel Regulations http://www.tc.gc.ca/publications/en/tp511/pdf/hr/tp511e.pdf

What it says about your boats minimum equipment:

Sail and Power Boats up to 6 m (19’8”)

1. One (1) lifejacket or PFD for each person on board
2. One (1) buoyant heaving line at least 15 m (49’3”) long
3. One (1) reboarding device If boat is equipped with a motor:
4. One (1) watertight flashlight OR Three (3) flares of Type A, B or C
5. One (1) manual propelling device OR One (1) anchor and at least 15 m (49’3”) of cable, rope or chain in any combination
6. One (1) bailer or manual bilge pump
7. One (1) sound-signalling device or appliance
8. **Navigation lights
9. ***One (1) magnetic compass
10. One (1) radar reflector (See Note 3, p. 28)
11. One (1) 5B: C fire extinguisher if equipped with an inboard engine, a fixed fuel tank of any size, or a fuel-burning cooking, heating or refrigerating appliance

Safe boating!

[Easywater]

Practice launching and retrieving your boat from the trailer several times before the your first trip

Practice backing up your trailer as much as you can before heading to the launch.

[Dude]

Hey Shauno!  Thanks for the great advice those are some awesome tips!  I am getting my boating license this week doing the online thing when I have the time.  Great tip on the launching and retrieving I sure have to make sure of that so I will be doing that lots this week for sure.  Thanks again I will be printing your guideline out for sure.

[Archer]

Dude! Fun times coming your way. If you come on the Fraser now be careful as freshet is running strong. Crazy schnit comes dowm the river with the high and fast snow melt. Full trees, etc. Is not rare, and if you anchor out there ALWAYS have an eye out, if large debris catches your anchor line, your swimming in about 4 seconds. Dead heads out there too, watch for em!

[Dude]

Archer thanks for the great advice!  I was actually going to be practice launching and retrieving end of 2rd in richmond near shady island because that body of water is protected by shady island so I figure its a good place to learn for now. Good tip on the debris thanks for that

[arimaBOATER]

Find the web tide chart & try to pick the days that have a high tide with not much change for 5-7 hrs.
100x safer & easier to boat & to launch & retrieve the boat.
Put the stern plug in before launching or water will enter the boat.
Take off the back straps, & make sure the safety chain is attached before backing down the ramp. ( safety chain from trailer to the bow eye )

We have had many boats from 12 footers to 21.

Believe me learned a lot boating on the Fraser R to Sandheads to Howe Sound.

If there's wind the waves can be very dangerous.
Tide changes & river currents can be a recipe to scare you "big time".
Like mentioned try to boat when there's a high steady tide.

10x on not boating on the Fraser during the BC snow melt.( freshet)
Just too fast water flows & tons of debris in the water.

Have a good anchor incase of trouble & at least a cell phone to call for help, if need be.

For the I guess 15 years that we've boated on the lower Fraser it truly is safety first.
Lots of logs  & deadheads. Plus give way to the tugs pulling barges,ships & large fish vessels.

There's a lot of days the boating on the Fraser is so safe & relaxing as the water is calm but believe me been times ( many ) that we were in very dangerous situations.
Very tall standing waves,or just missing a near submerged huge log & near miss of hitting deadheads.

Once huge fishing vessels were full throttle going up river giving off some powerful wake waves.
Then there was a steady S wind which kicked up some nice sized waves.
When the wake waves travelling south collided with the wind created north traveling waves under our boat it literally felt like we were on a wild horse.
Boat was going up & down at the bow & then stern.
Mere inch or two more & the water would of swamped our boat from the stern & we had a 7ft 6 inch beam. Nevertheless the boat was near swamped.

Boating can be very dangerous to be honest in our area waters ( Fraser /Georgia Straight ) but if you use common sense & respect the conditions you will have a great time.

In the 15 years we have never had a real bad incident but in that time have be scared or had close calls that are like 15 x 3 at least.
20 or more I can recall easily within a minute or so.

Just this past week was bike riding about 6-7 k. from our home & seen a man power washing a really nice power boat. Really liked the front hull design.
Had a short talk with guy & he said he just got the boat recently.

Possibly that is you.
Just east of Garden City.

[CohoJake]

Put the stern plug in before launching or water will enter the boat.

This one sticks in my mind from when I was a kid.  Launched boat with my dad on it at Ucluelet boat launch.    Rode in the truck with friend to marina where my dad was supposed to pick us up (on account of the very rustic boat launch that had no dock).  90 minutes later, he comes putting along with the trolling motor.  The boat was riding low and he was soaking wet.  He had forgotten to put the plug in, and the outboard wound't start because it was taking on water.  He had to jump overboard with the plug and screwdriver - I still don't know how he managed to do it.  Suction must have helped him get the plug in.  We lost half a day of fishing to that one.  Add to that breaking off both downrigger balls, nearly running aground, and losing a 12 foot mooching rod to the trolling motor, and you have one crazy adventure.  I prefer river fishing (from the bank) nowadays . . .

[Mkulak]

Find the web tide chart & try to pick the days that have a high tide with not much change for 5-7 hrs.
100x safer & easier to boat & to launch & retrieve the boat.

Sorry for the thread hijack but you've really sparked my interest.  Quick question as I'm a new boater (to saltwater, many years on freshwater lakes in boats of all sizes) and I don't quite understand the tides yet..   Last time I took my wife out in our 16' inflatable from Vanier (Easter Weekend I recall) it was about 3-3:30pm it was about an hour before high tide and choppy as hell.  My wife ended up getting me to turn around and head back (which was much smoother as I was going with the flow of the water).

I'd like to launch the boat this weekend on Saturday or Sunday from Ambleside to do a little crabbing and some fishing in English bay.  Could anyone offer some advice on when the best time to launch and head out on the water would be this weekend?  I've probably got one more chance to show my wife that English Bay can be friendly otherwise I will be launching and boating alone which might not be as fun.

Below are the tides for Vancouver this upcoming weekend from http://www.waterlevels.gc.ca/eng/station?sid=7735



I probably don't want to be launching at low tide as it will be difficult at Ambleside and probably plan to stay out for 3-4 hours if I can make it work.

Thank you in advance for educating me

[arimaBOATER]

Mkulak I checked over the tide chart on the site & if you stroll to the bottom of the page you can get a precise 24 hourly tide info.
In the Vancouver region on Sat & Sun there's a high tide from 5am to 9am
Then the next high level sort of condition is from 6pm to 9-10 pm area.
Guess one should say 9 pm as after that it's getting quite dark.

Sadly in the middle of the day it's low tide conditions plus fast tide changes.

Mind you if a person has a nice sized boat they can launch at high tide ,say 8am & in a English Bay with a big boat ya can deal with tide changes. Then come in around 6 or 7pm on another high tide. High water at the boat launch.

My main point though is if boating in the Fraser River with it's outflow currents it is much safer to boat on a high steady tide.

Same for the salt pretty much if ya have a smaller boat.
Saying that if your boating on a high steady tide but if there are heavy winds then best you head for the launch.

The mouth of the Fraser ( Sandheads ) is known for it's sometimes nasty conditions.

Some of the worst believe it or not is on the Fraser R directly across the river from the Village of Steveston.  On the south side of the river.
Lots of river out flow, ( current. ) plus on an incoming tide hitting up against the current.
Extra bad if there's a NW or W wind blowing up river at the same time.

Let's just say the waves were steep & I sure did not measure them with a tape, but my guess 9 ft at least.
Angled the boat & by the time we got from that south side to the middle the waves were only 3 ft.

So just a warning that far south side across from Steveston can be nasty. 

[Mkulak]

Mkulak I checked over the tide chart on the site & if you stroll to the bottom of the page you can get a precise 24 hourly tide info.
In the Vancouver region on Sat & Sun there's a high tide from 5am to 9am
Then the next high level sort of condition is from 6pm to 9-10 pm area.
Guess one should say 9 pm as after that it's getting quite dark.

Sadly in the middle of the day it's low tide conditions plus fast tide changes.

Thanks for the great information...
If I was not concerned about launching in low tide due to the ability to launch with the launch wheels vs trailer would you still recommend against it with a small 16ft boat this weekend?
I was thinking of one option of heading out around 1pm or so and then coming in around 5pm when I should be able to load the boat using the trailer - dragging the boat up a ramp with the launching wheels is not easy with my wife and myself....

Here are the launching wheels which make it easy for my to launch in any low tide conditions...

[wonder]

Awesome. Great post shauno. I just got my first boat too! Pretty excited haven't taken it out yet. Have fun with the online licence it's sooooo fun 

[arimaBOATER]

Thanks for the great information...
If I was not concerned about launching in low tide due to the ability to launch with the launch wheels vs trailer would you still recommend against it with a small 16ft boat this weekend?
I was thinking of one option of heading out around 1pm or so and then coming in around 5pm when I should be able to load the boat using the trailer - dragging the boat up a ramp with the launching wheels is not easy with my wife and myself....

Here are the launching wheels which make it easy for my to launch in any low tide conditions...

Well it should be ok ad it's English Bay & possibly more rough conditions near the Lion's Gate Bridge & west of it.
Also better if winds are light which helps.
Should be extra calm just west of False Creek & in that general area. ( winds speed & direction again)
Have fun.

WAfishboy after that story I bet your dad never ever forgot to put in the plug!
Seen occasions where boats are launched & the chap goes & parks his vehicle & trailer only to find water coming into the boat.
It's a mad dash & in panic the guy is racing about & pulling the boat out of the water.
Water draining out & the guy saying " oh I forgot to put in the plug"

Those yearly Boat Shows it seems are making a lot of sales.

Honestly after all the boating & literally 1000s of hours I've come to a place where we just enjoy launching & boating 15 minutes to a nice spot & setting an anchor & relaxing.
Of course throw a line or two into the water.
After getting home ya just feel you've been on a week's vacation.
Ya just feel so good.
Just breathing in the air ,looking at the great sites ( nature ) on & on.
Man made enjoyments PNE ,movie theatres,Vegas on & on are superficial & just do not come close to the above that I described.

Same can be said with shore fishing. Just the air & nature.