Days after a man’s vehicle ended up in the water at the Port Moody Rocky Point boat launch, boaters are all the more careful before loading their vessels.
"I’ve got my foot on the brake. Got the parking brake on as well," Patrick Bali told CTV News.
It was just his second time launching his boat, and wanted everything to go smoothly before spending the day with his family on the water.
"If I’m on a boat I’m double, triple checking things."
The May long weekend is often considered the unofficial start to the summer, and Saturday marks the kick off to National Safe Boating Awareness Week.
“Make sure someone knows your sail plan when you’re leaving,” Don Prittie, president of Boating B.C. told CTV News.
He listed a number of key safety reminders for boaters before taking the plunge.
Have a boat that’s properly equipped, plan your trip, make sure your boat is sea worthy, check the weather, and never operate a boat under the influence of any alcohol or drugs, he added.
But one issue he hears a lot of is boaters running out of fuel during their trip.
And remember "might is right," meaning a cruise ship, ferry or tanker will always have the right of way, because those vessels are just that much bigger, Prittie explained.
"Make sure you have the proper lighting on the boat," he advised.
Dean McCann, an experienced boater, told CTV News he believes practice makes perfect.
"It’s just routine, you do it 15, 20 times you know what’s best for your boat."
Bali was horrified when he saw the video of Amir Hashemi diving off his boat to grab his vehicle. “I definitely think he should have had somebody with him.”
“He’ll know next time,” said McCann.
He’s been hanging out at Rocky Point for years watching novice boaters launch.
"It’s not the first time, there’s stuff (happening) here every time,” he says.
Prittie agrees with McCann about having a partner assist you.
“It is possible to launch a boat on your own but if you’d had someone else in the vehicle at the time and he was in the boat it would have been a different story.”
