SASKATOON – Local marine experts say a lot of boaters are not adhering to the rules on the South Saskatchewan River.
The owners of Prairie Lily riverboat cruises in Saskatoon say some watercrafts, kayaks and water skiers sometimes come dangerously close to their boat.
They say the river is shallow and their boat has a very narrow passage that it must follow.
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According to the Prairie Lily owners, some boaters don’t understand the ‘right of way’ rules.
“There is a pre-conceived notion that powered vessels must yield the right of way to unpowered vessels,” said Mike Steckhan, Shearwater Marine Services president.
“That is generally the rule if we were in, for example, the Pacific Ocean, or Lake Winnipeg, or something. But there are different rules under the Canada shipping act for operating in narrow channels, which is what this is.”
According to regulations, any boat over 20 metres in length has the right of way over every smaller vessel.
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