Mossback,

Doug emphasized the same thing w/my party in late June.  In fact I'll need  to stop at his place tomorrow and pick up another one as I'll be doing a 10 day solo. In my case, I suppose I might be throwing it to the other solo paddler traveling with me if he overturns.  He's so old he might easily just fall asleep on the water (wouldn't be the first time I've seen that happen).  Hmmm...  perhaps I should buy one for him, too. I ain't no spring chicken myself!

That's the only rationale I can think of as to why a solo paddler might need one.

Jimbo. 

solotripper wrote on Aug 31^st, 2017 at 11:55am:


Thanks, ST!  I'll pass your regards on to MagicPaddler.  He's already en route!

[Of course he may lynch me with that floating throw rope I buy for him if he reads these posts before we depart.  He is a well-known "tree-hanger," after all!]

We'll likely be in or around Cirrus Lake, if anyone is in the vicinity and cares to check in.  You won't miss our flag unless you're blind.  I suspect keeping Magic restrained to mainly just one lake will be my real problem for the next 10 days.  Just two weeks ago he covered around 21 lakes in a little over 6 days!  I don't think he did much sleeping either IN the canoe or out of it!

Jimbo    

The 50' floating rope has been a rule for all canoes in Canada for some time. Plus a bailer, and if I remember right a light at night??

The bailer can just be a sponge and the rope also works as a nice ridge line for a tarp. Just make sure it's floating and 50'.

Not really too hard to be legal. The rope doesn't have to be in a throw bag but it's nice way to carry it. One 50' painter that floats would work too.

  The two rangers I ran into a few years back didn't ask about any of the mandatory items.

I was wearing a PFD as usual and had 2 painter lines, bow, and stern. Not 50' single, but combined. Forgot a bailer but had a sound device and waterproof flashlight which you need for a big canoe.

I'd wager that most paddlers don't have EVERY mandatory device. You read the regs and you see how people might get confused?

(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

Ya but, if you rent a canoe from a Canadian outfitter… Eh, whatever.

I always carried a whistle on the PFD I don't normally wear. Way back when this was an issue, I realized why a pealess whistle made much more sense. I believe filling the throw bag with water is what makes it throwable. I use cheap, light 1/4 inch poly in an old tent steak bag. Fits in the bailer with room to spare. The bailor really helps organize things in the thwart bag and gives it shape. My bailor is a cut-off half gallon milk jug that I find I use quite often. It was, IMHO, the second best LE type suggestion ever (right after barbless).

The best lessons come from other people's mistakes. Anyone else watch Alone on cable? There was someone a few seasons back splitting wood with her other hand  half way down holding what she was splitting. I cringed. She swung and missed the wood. I think that easily preventable injury was what took her out of the game.

Well that was easy. (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

"I know some will dispute this and maybe it changed in last few years, but these regulations do not apply to US citizens in US owned craft."

that is my understanding as well.

We did get checked by Quetico rangers this year, but they never looked at equipment except to check for barbless hooks, and of course checked out our paperwork.   Likely it is just the Canadian outfitters that have to comply.

I just about guarantee that there isn't one person in a million who can throw a throwrope out much more than 20 or 30 feet - 50' is ridiculous.  I always carry one on river trips, and they can be handy to use to tie up your boat when its a long way from the shore to the nearest tree, but mine is 25' I think (or maybe 30', but no longer) - I have used it a few times to fish out swimmers, and I know I couldn't possibly throw one much more than 20' accurately.   The boats we rented for Bowron Lakes provided some really crappy 50' throw ropes with the cinch so crapped up with sand and gunk that they couldn't be deployed in an emergency - took me about 5 minutes to work one free to use to tie up a boat.

Throw rope versus throw bag: Mad-Mat says 20-50' and West Marine advertises "easily 50-75 feet" for theirs.  I'm just trying to understand this.

I found this. Go down to Safety Equipment Requirements and read the first paragraph.
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

I don't know which part to read.

"The Regulations do not apply to non-residents who operate their pleasure craft in Canadian waters for less than 45 consecutive days. Please note that a proof of residence will be required on board at all times."

Or

"If you are not a resident of Canada and are using a pleasure craft licensed or registered in Canada, all of the required safety equipment must meet Canadian safety requirements."

Yes. I missed that in this link. That was the issue I pointed out above. Your own canoe, CA regs do not apply.