The Ontario Provincial Police want to remind everyone that the consequences for drinking and boating are the same as drinking and driving. Boaters caught drinking can face immediate licence suspension for those caught with a blood alcohol concentration between 0.05 and 0.08 and an additional $150 fine for those caught exceeding 0.08.
If convicted under the Criminal Code, the boater will also face a one year driver’s licence suspension up to a lifetime suspension, mandatory alcohol assessment, education or treatment program, and vehicle impoundment if caught driving a motor vehicle while under suspension.
These laws apply to anyone who is caught drinking and operating a motorized or non-motorized vessel, including power boats, canoes, kayaks, personal watercraft, sailboats, dinghies and other inflatable boats and rafts.