Can I Be Charged For Using A Canoe, Kayak, Or Paddle Board While Impaired?

Is it possible to actually be charged with criminal activity if you’re caught canoeing while intoxicated? And what about kayaking when impaired by cannabis? Here’s the short answer: yes, it’s possible to get a fine or even jail time for rowing a paddleboard or boat while impaired by alcohol or drugs. There are also possible consequences for having impaired passengers. If you discover yourself accused of utilizing a human-powered boat when impaired, or if someone in the boat was actually impaired, you ought to contact an experienced attorney at your earliest opportunity. The best method of avoiding the serious punishments you may receive is by getting excellent representation in a court of law and to make certain of this, call Matthew Gould’s experienced team of criminal lawyers in Winnipeg.

Boating: What are the Legal Limits?

The legal limit for alcohol content inside your blood when boating is exactly the same as the legal limit for driving. This means you can’t legally operate a paddleboard, kayak, or canoe with a BAC (blood alcohol content) of 80 milligrams or 0.08% of alcohol per 100 mL of blood or higher. The precise quantity of alcohol which will place you over the limit depends upon your gender, body weight, and several other factors. Females may approach the limit with just two drinks in two hours, whereas males of average weight may have the ability to consume an extra alcoholic beverage at that time. But you never know precisely how much alcohol is inside your blood without a blood test or breathalyzer. The only method of knowing that you’re under the limit includes avoiding drinking alcohol before getting into a boat.

Boating While Impaired: What are the Penalties?

If the authorities catch you boating while impaired or intoxicated by drugs, you’ll be faced with several hundreds of dollars in fines and might end up in jail if this isn’t your first offence. As the maximum penalties differ based upon the laws of a province, the minimum penalties throughout Canada for impaired boating include a fine of $600 for the first offence. A second offence might result in up to fourteen days in prison, whereby a third offence might result in ninety days in prison. Those penalties are exactly the same whether you were using drugs like cannabis or were drinking. If you’re involved in a crash which leads to injury to another party or property damage, the penalties might be even more serious.

What if Someone Else is Impaired?

It’s also possible to be charged with a crime if someone else inside the boat is impaired by drugs or alcohol. The precise penalties differ from one province to another, yet anyone in the boat with you who’s considered an assistant to you in navigating the vessel must be sober. While discussing a small boat like a kayak or canoe, it’s pretty much impossible to convince a person of authority that someone else inside the vessel with you isn’t helping in any way. Even someone who just requests that you steer the boat in a certain direction might be considered a helper. For that reason, it’s better to ensure that everyone is sober before going boating and to ensure that no one brings drugs or alcohol on board along with them.