Boat subscriptions prompts concern about inexperienced operators

It's a view of Canada's most populous city that more may get a chance to experience here and in harbors across the country, more outfits are offering affordable boating. Just escape the hustle and bustle, go out on the water, go for a swim, do some fishing, do some water sports or just go for a cruise and enjoy the freedom of boating. Freedom Boat Club works like Netflix. Members pay a monthly subscription to access a fleet of brand new boats. No insurance, maintenance or registration. It's all covered except gas, another low barrier training. Transport Canada only requires a Pleasure Craft Operator's card to drive most boats. It costs $20. Classes and testing are online. You can take the test as many times as you need to the exam on boating terminology, regulations, lights and signages open book and unsupervised in order to obtain it. There is no in person or or actual boating component to that requirement. So this boating safety expert says practical training is essential. You don't have any previous experience, but yet as long as you read through the regulations and understand them and show through a written test that you understand them, that's good enough for us. Some are worried about a wave of inexperienced boaters and a busy working harbor like Toronto's. We've seen some kind of scary looking situations here, even at the dock, just little bumps and bruises and the poor engines on the boats taking some abuse, but nothing like. Life threatening yet but it's just a matter of time boat clubs like freedom do offer unlimited lessons for members so does Skippery, which monitors members electronically and will warn them about restricted areas and speed limits 80% of our members are are brand new to voting at Skippery so it's it's a very comprehensive onboarding structure and once you're out there on your own then the technology really supports everything you do in a statement to CBC News, Transport Canada says due to the. Diverse range of waterways and types of pleasure craft. Imposing more rigorous requirements under A1 size fits all approach would not be effective. Phil de Shanock, CBC News, Toronto.