Safety

The canoe. Now that's Canadian. They have been part of the landscape from since native North Americans plied the waterways to now being one of the most economical and accessible ways to get out on the water and explore. They seem simple enough – grab a paddle and go. Eagerly purchased, usually incompletely outfitted and almost never really understood or mastered. After a season or two, many a forgotten canoe can be found behind garage's, under porches at cottages or at the boat ramp, gathering critter droppings and moss. But every once and a while a desire to get out on the water arises and someone remembers the Canadian icon, ignominiously hidden away. They haul it out, grab a paddle and go.

A great aspect of boating is getting away from it all. However, in this day and age of digital connectivity and the fixation of instant gratification, leaving it all behind at the dock is a challenge. How many of us are addicted to that cell phone, Blackberry and GPS unit so that we stay connected to what’s going on out there?

Two simple words really. We've all heard 'em. Sound pretty d'urn simple – at least in practice. Of course, when things go south keeping a level head or a steady hand are easier said than done. And if worse comes to worst, panicking makes it even...worse, if that's possible.

Whether you are a veteran boater or a newbie, insurance is a "must have", but a marine policy can be far different from your home and your car insurance. Let's start with the good news: a marine insurance policy is actually a small component of the cost of boat ownership. We spoke to Drew Robertson...

Most of us usually go boating on waters with which we are familiar, leaving the wharf of mooring where the boat is usually kept and heading off for the day, maybe even an overnighter. Sometimes we may plan a trip that takes us away from our home waters and venture into the unknown – the other side of the bay, up the coast or down the river to another lake. When we do, prudence means we have the right tools for navigation – at minimum: a compass and charts, perhaps a depth sounder, a GPS unit, maybe even a radar unit, probably not a sextant but hopefully a log book. It is with these tools and proper practices that prevent you from getting lost.

The best thing that can result from an accident: we (hopefully) learn from our mistake. Perhaps even better is when someone else has the accident and we learn from his or her mistake! I have spent many years on the water and in as many different roles – like everyone, a recreational boater, like many, a sailing instructor and, like a few, in charge of a Search and Rescue unit.

There are many types of boats – the sleek racing ones, the comfortable cottage-on-the-water ones and the purely functional ones. Ours recently got a rich red paint job, some TLC and a new 15 hp 4-stroke. . It's not that pretty but in function not much can compete with it. It spends winters under a roof and out of the snow. It gets family and friends out to an isolated island in the North Channel of Lake Huron. I call it our container ship – although really an oversized rowboat – considering the loads it takes out to this isolated haven and the speed at which it travels. Its 16-feet long, steel, tough, heavy, flat-bottomed, stable and fondly known as a "Tilbury".