Boat Country

This 21-footer just begs for a group of friends and a day on the water with one of the best seating configurations to be found anywhere. The standard equipment includes a 5.0 litre (260hp) Mercury I/O engine that will skim you across the waves at 70–80 km/h. Other standout features include a molded swim platform—an outgrowth of the hull and deck which transitions to an ingenious aft-facing lounger on the sun deck. Similar boats are often priced in the premium $55,000 range, but Sea Ray has kept the sticker significantly lower for this model.

 

Available at Woodlake Marine,
Keewatin, ON • (807) 468-2628
MSRP: Just under $45,000.

Best in Class
—Power Boating Canada Magazine
Glastron GT 185 Bowrider
(glastron.com/Canada)
For any guy who saw the groundbreaking stunt chase in the Bond film “Live and Let Die,” there has always been a mystique about Glastron boats. The striking profile and paint schemes are still there, and sport seating and extended swim platform with integrated ladder come standard on this model. And then there’s the power; with your choice of 3.0L (135hp) or 4.3L (190hp) in either a MerCruiser or Volvo Penta power plant, you’ll be sorely tempted to hop in and get your Bond on.

Available at Winnipeg Sport & eisure
1272 Dugald Road • (800) 661-7669
winnipegsportandleisure.com
MSRP: 17,600 (with 3.0L Volvo Penta)



There’s something about water, isn’t there? As long as you can remember, whether it was hanging out down by the river with your friends thinking Tom Sawyer thoughts as the river rippled by, or passing by some body of water in the car on a family roadie, it has captured your imagination.
Something about the way it reflects the setting sun. Maybe some mystery, some intrigue about what may lie beneath, or maybe just the prospect of a quick swim on a hot, dusty day. Something. Lucky for you, you’re in Manitoba, home to some of the clearest, cleanest, most sought-after sporting water in the world. That makes it primo boating country.

Back in the day, all it took was a few bucks to buy a boat, find some water and you were set. Nowadays, not so much. That said, after a jump through some regulatory hoops, your new pastime is a whole lot safer than it has ever been because you’re going to be sharing the water with fewer clueless yahoos than you ever have. I wish I could say the same about the streets.

Step One: A Pleasure Craft Operator Card
After a few years of graduated implementation, having an operator card is now mandatory for anyone operating a powerboat. You have the option of taking a Canadian Coast Guard boating safety course, which will include the cost of the exam, or you can challenge the exam for a flat fee of around 35 bucks. For a complete list of course/exam providers, see Transport Canada’s website at tc.gc.ca/BoatingSafety.

Step Two: Decide What You Want
If you’re like a growing number of boaters, you’re doing most of your research and shopping before you get anywhere near a marina. “I find that our customers are already locked and loaded to buy when they come in the door,” says Trevor Watson, sales manager at Rond’s Marine in Winnipeg. “You still have to guide them in terms of the appropriate sized boat for the number of passengers they want to carry; how much power they’ll need. If you’re going to be pulling three tubes all day long, you don’t want a 40 or 50hp motor. You’ll want more power if you’re going to be playing on the weekend like that.”

The variety of choices as to what you put under you out on the water is almost endless, so you’ll weed out your options entirely based on what you plan to do. “Fishing is huge in Manitoba,” reminds Watson, “so we sell a lot of aluminum fishing boats. The thing about those is that you can use them for fishing, but they’re also family-oriented. They come with full windshields and full tops; some of the models even have bow cushions in the front so that kids or other passengers can sit out front.”

Step Three: Complete the Paperwork
Once you’ve got that new toy, you’ll need to do some paperwork. Any boat sporting a motor 10hp or higher must be licensed through the Department of Transport, which maintains a database for use by search and rescue in case of emergency.

Now you just need to hedge against nature, fate and stupidity at a cost of roughly $35 per $1,000 of value for that boat; about the same as your vehicle once you factor in the shorter season. Guy Marcoux of Ranger Insurance Brokers explains that you’ll probably want an “inland marine form” covering boat and motor while it’s stored at your home, while in transit, and providing something called “wet marine cover” for things like hitting submerged objects, sinking the boat, etc. “There is really no benefit for just insuring your boat for fire and theft,” says Marcoux. “What is the point of insuring a boat if you sink it in the middle of the lake and it’s not covered?” Speaking of which, plan to add liability coverage to account for that fate/stupidity thing.

Those are the basic ingredients. Just add water.�