Beer on the houseboat

[srj]

I recently heard beer or any alcoholic bev won't be allowed on Lac Suel houseboats. If this is true I suspect it is a provincial thing and not specific to Lac Suel. The 2002 Ontario regs are not on-line yet. Anybody know for sure?

[THUMPER]

Consumpion of beer on a houseboat is ok if you are anchored. This is a provincial regulation. Anchored it is your residence......travelling it is a vehicle and consumption is against the law.

[THUMPER]

The owners of the boats may have their own reasons for no booze. I have heard some pretty terrible things about booze and houseboats out on Lac Seul.

[Matches]

Thumper,isn't it true that Ontario treats it somewhat like a automobile. It's ok to have in the boat, but A) you better not be legally drunk, and B) You shouldn't have an open bottle while moving??
Or is it really against the law in Ontario to have beer in the boat?
Any Resort owners out there??

[Trophymuskie]

Basic law states you can drink in a boat as long as it has a toilet. So that means only those aboard a large houseboat or yacth can legaly drink. Now you can drink when the boat is moving but the driver better be sober, they give out breathalizer tests all the time.

So in other words you better not have any beer in your fishing boat.

Catch a big one this fall
Keep releasing them all
Richard Collin
http://www.trophymuskiecharters.com

[THUMPER]

My understanding was that if the boat was in motion or not at anchor it was classed as a vehicle. When the boat was at anchor it was classed as your residence if it fit the mould.......that is sleeping quarters and a toilet. You can only drink in your residence.
ALCOHOL & BOATING)
CANADIAN CRIMINAL CODE

It is an offence, under the criminal code of Canada to operate any vehicle or vessel
when the ability to do so is impaired by alcohol or while the alcohol concentration in
the bloodstream is more than 80 milligrams per l00 millilitres of blood.

The Criminal Code of Canada also states that a person can be charged for impaired
driving even at levels below 80 mg/100ML.

Many people fail to realize that "two" charges can be levied against them should they
be found to be impaired while operating a vessel or vehicle. One for being over 80
mg, and the other for simply being impaired.

Ontario Liquor License Act:

Sec. 32 (3) No person shall operate or have care or control of a boat that is
underway while there is contained in the boat any liquor, except under the authority
of a licence or permit.

Sec.32 (4) Exception-Subsection (3) does not apply if the liquor in the boat, (a) is in
a container that is unopened and the seal unbroken, (b) is stored in a closed
compartment.

Sec. 32 (5) A police officer who has reasonable grounds to believe that liquor is
being unlawfully kept in a vehicle or boat may at any time, without warrant, enter
and search the vehicle or boat and search any person found in it.

Sec.32 (6) Definition-In this section, "boat" includes any ship or boat or any other
description of vessel used or designed to be used in the navigation of water.

CONSUMING LIQUOR IN A BOAT,
ONTARIO LIQUOR LICENCE ACT REGULATION 718

Sec. 3 (7) A boat with permanent sleeping accommodation and permanent cooking
and sanitary facilities, other than a boat used to carry passengers for hire is
considered to be a private place while the boat is at anchor or is secured to the dock
or land.

DRINKING AGE: The legal drinking age in Ontario is 19 years old.

[Trophymuskie]

I am not sure about the moving boat becoming a vehicule part. I might be wrong but I would not be surprised to find out that everyone I see crusing up and down the river drinking are all doing it ilegaly. Maybe it's something they do not enforce as I bet over 95% of the boats I see going back and forward on the river are drinking something else then just plain pop.

One thing is for sure if you are caught with beer or alcohol in your fishing boat they better be sealed and you better be driving to and from the car/cottage.

Catch a big one this fall
Keep releasing them all
Richard Collin
http://www.trophymuskiecharters.com

[Matches]

So is everyone telling me that most guys going to Canada Fishing are not drinking in their fishing boats? Also, if I fly in to an outpost cabin in Ontario, and it is the only cabin on the lake, it is still illegal to have beer in the boat?

[THUMPER]

It is commonly done..that is drinking in the boat on these remote lakes. OPP and OMNR do not get the chance to check these lakes too often. It is against the law. Outfitters that tolerate drunken behaviour in their boats can also be held liable for their guests. In Southern Ontario I commonly see big boats cruising with people drinking........and yes it is against the law but not enforced to the extent that it probably should be. OPP cruise the well used lakes here in NW Ontario and have a zero tollerance for booze in the boat. Drownings and booze go hand in hand and these are the same guys who have to scrape the pieces off the rocks and tell the next of Kin. I am not a prude by any means.....a couple of beer in the boat is not going to hurt anybody....there are always those that go to the extreme.......Merry Christmas

[River_eye]

We're on the Winnipeg river in Manitoba and technically alcohol isn't allowed in the boat, but you will be fined only at the officers discretion. If you have it stowed away, it's not usually a problem, but if you have beer caps all over the boat, you're asking for trouble. The shorelunch excuse usually works.

[Dave]

Here is the facts. Your boat or vessel is like a car in accordance with the law. You may transport alchol but it must be in a "SEALED CONTAINER"
ps YOUR COOLER IS CONSIDERED A SEALED CONTAINER

[THUMPER]

Interesting........I had never thought that the cooler would be classed as a sealed container here in Ontario. I know of several poeple charged and had their beer taken away even though they had not been drinking. Their only "crime" ....having beer in the boat in their cooler. Maybe the officer was wrong........... The boats in question were open type fishing boats.

[Jig'N John]

The only time alcohol (beer included) is allowed in your fishing boat in Ontario is if you are transporting from a landing to a lodge or resort that is not accessable by road. All other times it is ILLEGAL to have beer or booze in the boat. I'm sure that the MNR or OPP would sympathize with your argument about your boat being a vehicle and your cooler a closed container and then ticket you, if they are so inclined. Then expect a hefty fine.

Jig'N'John

[srj]

To all--the 2002 regs are now on-line. But I'm still unsure about the sealed container thing. After looking in every compartment in my boat, the OPP on Lake Nipigon told me I was lucky to have no alcohol. Guess I was.

[Experience Speaking]

The officer will take your beer or booze.....the first place they look is in the cooler and worse yet if this is all the beer you had they take it all. No beer for the weekend. We had over a case in the cooler when they stopped us...........$150 fine.......no beer for the weekend, it was saturday 70 miles from the beer store. Worse yet we had not been drinking and took the beer along for safe keeping......bears like beer you know.......the officer liked our story, felt sorry for us, but he kept writing. He was a good guy because he could have busted us both.

[TREEGUY1958]

HELLO EVERY ONE,THIS IS A GREAT SITE.A LITTLE LATE ON THIS ONE, BUT I WAS TOLD BY A RESORT OWNER ON EAGLE LAKE DURING A SEMINAR PRIOR TO A PAID TRIP THAT IT WAS ILLEGAL TO HAVE BEER IN THE BOAT NO MATTER WHAT.THE FINE IS $50.00 PER CAN,AND YET GUYS WERE BRINGING TONS OF BEER IN THE BOAT.(18 FOOT LUNDS.)HATS OFF TO THE OWNER BUT THE GUYS WERE SURE IN BIG TROUBLE IF THE POLICE STOPPED THEIR BOAT FOR WHATEVER REASON,I KNOW BECAUSE I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE ON EAGLE,AND UP PULLS THIS BOAT AND TWO GUYS ASK US TO SHOW THEM OUR WALLEYES.THEN THEY ASK IF THERE IS ANY ALCOHOL ON BOARD AND WE SAID NO.THEN THEY CHECKED FOR LICENSES AND SAID BASICALLY NOTHING.WE WERE TOTALLY LEGAL THANK GOD.WE DO OUR DRINKING BACK AT THE CABIN.BE SAFE ON THE WATER. GOOD LUCK

[luckyketch]

This is a sad thing to say but we have stopped bringing back beer cans that were left at shore lunch sites by thoughtless individuals, all because of a hassle we had back at the landing with the MNR.
It took us about two hours to convince them that we were trying to keep Canada clean. We still clean the rest of there trash but no beer cans or whiskey bottles.

[THUMPER]

I'd complain about the officers behaviour if he was grilling you about the volume of cans and liquor bottles you had. It is not right. We clean up sites all the time. You should be commended for your actions on keeping Ontario clean.

[DDR]

for the love of god Canada ...just outlaw alcohol and be done with it! look how well it worked for us in the U.S.

[JB]

That is funny. Prohibition is on its way. Canada is only 70 years behind. Here comes Big Al Cap, Elliot N and John D Rocker. What would Canada do without the beer and Canadian Whiskey mfrs? Good luck. My advice is to become an untouchable. Then your safe. LOL

[CANADIAN GUY]

I like our tough laws on drinking and driving. Europe is even tougher. There you lose your license for five years minimum and do time on your first conviction (Germany) The legal limit is .06. Drinking and driving there is not the problem that it is here. That is funny because they are the largest beer consumers in the world and have the lowest or near the lowest drinking and driving problem.

[NateW]

Our groups enjoys cold brews as much as any other, but there is a time and place for downing a few and that's the cabin. I'm not as experinced as some in fishing up north, I've only fished Red lake and Lac Seul. But both of those lakes have many areas were you could easily wrap a boat around hidden rocks. I wouldn't run around either lake with a buzz, but let's be honest, not everyone is that smart. So a no-alcohol rule is the only safe thing to do. However when we get back to the cabin at the end of the day, don't you dare get between me and my "Blue"!

[RD]

Does the "no alcohol" on boats apply to Ontario only or all Canadian Provinces. How about Sask./Manitoba? We always have beer in the boat.

[BJ]

I agree. When the day is done and the fishin is over. Why be punished for tippin a few, whether it is on a houseboat or going to and from a boat that is anchored. If you are not under the influence while operating a motorized vehicle (boat or car) why be punished? I think you are innocent until proven guilty. Because you have booze in the boat doesn't mean you are under the influence. Sounds to me like a revenue generator.