Boating

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• About Powerboating
  Website: www.powerboat.about.com
  This site, one of many under the "about.com" umbrella, covers boating stem to stern. The contents menu on the left-hand, er, port side of the page contains everything from a glossary of boating terms to articles on what to look for when buying your first boat and where to go to get it. New articles are frequently added.
  
• About Waterskiing & Wakeboarding
  Website: www.waterski.about.com
  You’ll find almost everything you need to know about waterskiing and wakeboarding on this web portal, from how to buy skis and boards, to tips for learning how to use them, to product reviews and recommended boats and towing speeds.
  
• Animated Knots by Grog
  Website: www.animatedknots.com
  This site features animated instructions for tying over 70 knots. View step by step photos with instructions, or run them in a sequence either fast or slow. A great place to learn the ropes.
  
• Antique and Classic Boat Society
  Website: www.acbs.org
  The U.S.-based Antique and Classic Boat Society brings together enthusiasts from across North America. Their website discussion boards help members learn the history of their craft, find parts, and solicit or share restoration advice. There are also links to Canadian ACBS chapters in Toronto, Manotick, Land O’ Lakes, and the Thousand Islands.
  
• Boat Nerd
  Website: www.boatnerd.com/swayze/shipwreck
  For a self-professed "boat nerd," David Swayze seems to be obsessed only with ships that lie at the bottom of the lake. If you share his passion, check out his extensive database.
  (See also, www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/hcgl/vintro.html.)
  
• Boater Exam
  Website: www.boaterexam.com
  Get your Pleasure Craft Operator’s Card online at this Coast Guard-accredited sites.
  
• Boatforsale.net
  Website: www.boatforsale.net
  It’s always a bit of a gamble buying second-hand, particularly when the item is as expensive and important as a cottage boat. To make sure you’re getting a fair price, and for a good selection of available vessels, have a look at this site, run by the publishers of Boat For Sale magazine. Search for something specific – as small as a dinghy or as large as a cabin cruiser – in their Classifieds section and then visit the Valuguide, an average of recent asking prices for specific boats, to help guarantee a good deal. Also contains links to marinas and industry associations, and ads for all things boat-related, from lifejackets to motor parts.
  
• Boating Speed Limits and Signage (Transport Canada)
  Website: www.tc.gc.ca/BoatingSafety/pubs/brr-guide/menu.htm
  If you're wondering how to change the official speed limit for boats on your lake but haven't a clue how to navigate the complicated approval process, visit this site for a helpful guide, including suggestions on how to increase your chances of success.
  
• Canada Safety Council
  Website: www.safety-council.org
  The Canada Safety Council is a national, non-profit dedicated to reducing unnecessary injuries and fatalities to Canadians while they work and play. Cottage-relevant sections include primers on sun protection, swimming safety, snowmobiling, PFDs, ATVs, and the safe handling of propane (including a gas barbecue quiz). The site also has links to related government and industry websites.
  
• Canadian Marine Manufacturers Association
  Website: www.cmma.ca
  The Canadian Marine Manufacturers Association represents manufacturers and distributors of recreational boating products across the country. Visit their site and use their member directory to find a specific boat or dealer and sign up for their monthly e-newsletter to keep up-to-date on news from the boating industry.
  
• Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons
  Website: www.cps-ecp.ca
  One of the organizations accredited by the Canadian Coast Guard to administer the Pleasure Craft Operator’s Card test. Here you can sign up for classroom, correspondence, or online Boat Pro courses. Includes links to local Power and Sail chapters.
  
• Cottage Life's Ride with Respect poster
  Website: www.cottagelife.com/ridewithrespect
  Visit this page to download a copy of Cottage Life’s Ride with Respect poster, part of a campaign to encourage safe and responsible personal watercraft use on cottage waterways. Site also includes an editorial from Penny Caldwell, editor of Cottage Life magazine.
  
• Discover Boating
  Website: www.discoverboating.ca
  This easily navigated boating industry website has helpful advice for both landlubbers and experienced cruisers. You’ll find descriptions of the different types of boats, a “Step By Step Guide to Affordable Boat Buying,” and articles ranging from teaching the kids how to waterski to repairing your gelcoat.
  
• DIY Network
  Website: www.diynetwork.com
  Here’s a handy site for DIYers, no matter what the "I" happens to be. This site contains illustrated, step-by-step articles on boat repair, birdwatching, gardening, home-improvement projects, and woodworking, to name but a few of the many categories covered.
  
• Federal Publications
  Website: www.fedpubs.com
  Curious about the lay of the land in your back 40? Visit this website for information on available maps of all corners of cottage country, including topographic varieties and nautical charts. Maps can be purchased in the online store along with cottage-related books on topics such as boating, nature, and aboriginal issues, as well as a complete publication of the Ontario Building Code (yes, it is for sale).
  
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada
  Website: www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca
  The DFO, as it’s colloquially called, is the launching point for information on boating regulations and safety. Here you can read electronic copies of the Canada Shipping Act, Notices to Mariners, and the Safe Boating Guide. There are also links to the Canadian Coast Guard and Canadian Hydrographic Service’s sites and contacts for nautical chart dealers.
  
• Georgian Bay Association
  Website: www.georgianbay.ca
  An umbrella group encompassing 20 local associations. Link to many of those associations’ sites, view a large selection of photos taken around the north and eastern shores of the bay, find out about association events, and download issues of the GBA Update newsletter going back to 1997. The site has a boater and cottager code, research on water quality and levels, wildlife, fisheries, invasive species, taxation, First Nations issues, renewable energy, and telephone service, to name a few. You can donate to the group's charitable foundation, the Georgian Bay Area Foundation, from the website.
  
• Manotick Classic Boat Club
  Website: manotickclassicboatclub.ca
  Antique boat enthusiasts will want to cruise the site of the Manotick Classic Boat Club. Founded in 1975, this group holds an annual regatta on the Rideau in July. Show information and entry forms are available online, as well as links to the US-based Antique & Classic Boat Society, sites selling classic boats, and other boating-related websites.
  
• Ontario Marina Operators Association
  Website: www.marinasontario.com
  Detailed information on more than 450 marinas. Each listing includes type(s) of fuel available, number of slips, mechanical services offered, phone number, and web links. The site also has a section with general boating tips and details on the Clean Marine Program.
  
• Ontario Sailing Association
  Website: www.sailon.org
  If your boating passion is wind powered, set a course for this site where you can sign up for lessons, read about upcoming regattas, or even buy a boat in the Boat Swap.
  
• Ontario Waterski Association
  Website: www.owsa.com
  This site by the governing body for the sport of waterskiing in Ontario is the place to go if you’re looking to brush up on your ski skills. Includes a classified section where you can buy and sell ski-related gear, a directory of cottage-country waterski schools, and an explanation of the basics of several waterski disciplines.
  
• Outboard Motor Repair
  Website: www.outboardrepairs.com
  Whether you’re faced with a leaky carburetor or a smoky engine, the experts at this U.S.-based site can steer you in the right direction. Troll through hundreds of categorized questions or post your own.
  
• Rideau Waterway
  Website www.rideau-info.com/canal
  Along with lock hours and fees, this site details the services available at each lock, directions to more than 30 boat launches, and fishing and boating regulations on the canal. (See also www.rideaufriends.com.)
  
• Safe Boater
  Website: www.safeboater.com
  Get your Pleasure Craft Operator’s Card online at this Coast Guard-accredited sites.
  
• Stoke City Wakeboard
  Website: www.stokecity.ca
  If you’re stoked on wakeboarding, this is the site for you. Newbies should visit Wakeboarding 101 to learn about gear, lingo, and how to do boarding tricks so you don’t "burn the toast." If you’re already a nutter who’s ready to giv’r, check out the local "newz," events calendar, and links to buy gear.
  
• The Canadian Canoe Museum
  Website www.canoemuseum.net
  After riding out a financial crisis, the Canadian Canoe Museum reopened for business in May 2004. If you can’t make it out to Peterborough, you can take a 360-degree virtual tour of exhibits on the museum’s website. Along with canoe trivia and information on the museum and its programs, there are links to other canoeing-related websites.
  
• The Clean Boater Program
  Website: www.cleanboater.com
  The Ontario Marine Operators Association maintains this site containing tips for safely cleaning, maintaining, operating, and storing boats year-round in an environmentally sensitive way. Visit to join the Clean Boater Program, and gain access to coupons for products and services. Also find an eco-rated Ontario marina where you can book your boat for an environmental inspection.
  
• The Weather Network
  Website: www.weathernetwork.ca
  Rain, rain not going away? Check to see if there’s any sun on the horizon. There’s also a Marine Forecast for boaters. (For official Environment Canada weather and marine forecasts, visit www.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca.)
  
• Transport Canada: Boating Restriction Signs
  Website: www.tc.gc.ca/BoatingSafety/pubs/brr-guide/menu.htm#3
  Is the floating dock in front of your cottage a rather rollicking place thanks to boaters speeding by and creating a wake close to shore? Looking to discourage them? Visit the Transport Canada website to download signs displaying official boating speed limits and restrictions that you can post on your shoreline.

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