Booze in a boat?

Got checked today boating for regular safety equipment which was all good, but fish cop asked if any alcohol or cannabis on board? My understanding was allowed to have sealed alcohol in a separate closed compartment, just not out and open. As if I was transporting to a camp site or something. Obviously you can’t drink or be impaired in a small boat. He said individual beers are considered open, I said I can buy individual beers from the liquor store so does that mean if I have open alcohol every time I leave a liquor store, just got a dumb look from him.

Valid point. Wife buys singles all the time, trying new flavors.

Sometimes those guys like to bluff because they don't know the laws. Did he charge you then?

Fish cop is wrong. My bro in law explained this to us in August.
You can have a cooler or whatever filled with booze, anywhere on the boat. As long as no one is drinking, with the exception of having a functional bathroom. Once you have a bathroom, anyone except the Captain/Driver of the boat can drink.

SRD as I called them have changed again
As of October 1, members of the Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Branch are joining the Alberta Sheriffs and will now be called the Alberta Sheriffs – Conservation Services. This integration does not change anything for Albertans.
Fish and wildlife officers have since been supplied with semi-automatic rifles and body armour.

So dont **** around out west, cause these fish cops mandate is shoot to kill.

arff said:

SRD as I called them have changed again
As of October 1, members of the Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Branch are joining the Alberta Sheriffs and will now be called the Alberta Sheriffs – Conservation Services. This integration does not change anything for Albertans.
Fish and wildlife officers have since been supplied with semi-automatic rifles and body armour.

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Was reading up on this after my incident yesterday, these guys now basically have the same powers as regular cops minus ability to arrest, but they have side arms and can right tickets for same things as a cop would.

Yes lots has changed for them

I was told by a conservation officer the only way booze was permitted on a boat is if you have both a bathroom and a cooking source.

Few years back RCMP told me that you had to have a bathroom on board with actual holding tanks. Porta potty doesn't cut it.

https://www.boatsmartexam.com/blog/drinking-and-boating-in-canada-know-the-facts/
Transporting is okay as long as nothing is open .

catalac said:

Got checked today boating for regular safety equipment which was all good, but fish cop asked if any alcohol or cannabis on board? My understanding was allowed to have sealed alcohol in a separate closed compartment, just not out and open. As if I was transporting to a camp site or something. Obviously you can’t drink or be impaired in a small boat. He said individual beers are considered open, I said I can buy individual beers from the liquor store so does that mean if I have open alcohol every time I leave a liquor store, just got a dumb look from him.

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Great answer btw! 1 of the reasons i sold my boat was these ridiculous boating laws/the constantly shut off catch limits. Was down in BC not long ago the boating laws there are what they should be here, if your vessel holds 2 or 22 everyone can have a drink (except captain) now with that boat license we pay for being federal should not the laws be straight across the board for all provinces then. 1 would think so that way you would not need to know every province in case you wanted to travel across this nation. Just my 002

smokinD said:

Great answer btw! 1 of the reasons i sold my boat was these ridiculous boating laws/the constantly shut off catch limits. Was down in BC not long ago the boating laws there are what they should be here, if your vessel holds 2 or 22 everyone can have a drink (except captain) now with that boat license we pay for being federal should not the laws be straight across the board for all provinces then. 1 would think so that way you would not need to know every province in case you wanted to travel across this nation. Just my 002

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BC laws are even more strict than Alberta.

In British Columbia, alcohol may be legally consumed if the boat:

Is licensed for alcohol consumption AND
Has permanent toilet, cooking facilities and sleeping facilities AND
Is anchored or docked.

Dawizman said:

BC laws are even more strict than Alberta.

In British Columbia, alcohol may be legally consumed if the boat:

Is licensed for alcohol consumption AND
Has permanent toilet, cooking facilities and sleeping facilities AND
Is anchored or docked.

Click to expand...

While this may be true, it is not enforced at all. You really have to be that unlucky individual or are being a dick to be ticketed for alcohol.

Was this on the Lower Red Yesterday? I also heard the fish cops were out checking boats.

Dawizman said:

BC laws are even more strict than Alberta.

In British Columbia, alcohol may be legally consumed if the boat:

Is licensed for alcohol consumption AND
Has permanent toilet, cooking facilities and sleeping facilities AND
Is anchored or docked.

Click to expand...

On the ocean, is negative to be anchored or docked. On the yaght you can drink like theres no tomorrow. As long as the driver remains sober

catalac said:

Got checked today boating for regular safety equipment which was all good, but fish cop asked if any alcohol or cannabis on board? My understanding was allowed to have sealed alcohol in a separate closed compartment, just not out and open. As if I was transporting to a camp site or something. Obviously you can’t drink or be impaired in a small boat. He said individual beers are considered open, I said I can buy individual beers from the liquor store so does that mean if I have open alcohol every time I leave a liquor store, just got a dumb look from him.

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I had a similar argument when I was told I couldn’t have the $100 bottle of scotch I was bringing to a buddy as a gift in the back seat of my truck. Cop said anywhere in the passenger compartment is within reach, and made me to put it in the box. I asked him if that meant you couldn’t transport alcohol in a smart car. He had to think about it for a second. Bastard actually wrote me a ticket!

busted2x said:

I had a similar argument when I was told I couldn’t have the $100 bottle of scotch I was bringing to a buddy as a gift in the back seat of my truck. Cop said anywhere in the passenger compartment is within reach, and made me to put it in the box. I asked him if that meant you couldn’t transport alcohol in a smart car. He had to think about it for a second. Bastard actually wrote me a ticket!

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I'd fight it. I was told as long as its not within reach of the driver. Like hell I'm putting a bottle of good hootch in the box of a truck.

snopro said:

I'd fight it. I was told as long as its not within reach of the driver. Like hell I'm putting a bottle of good hootch in the box of a truck.

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That’s what I said! They get you with the stupid tickets, they know it costs more to take a day off to fight it than pay the $200

No one seems to know exactly what the rules are in Alberta.

My boat has bathroom, sleeping and cooking. I am allowed to have alcohol on my boat BUT it can't be open while in motion. Open liquor is only permitted when the boat is on anchor or mooring.

I almost got fined for drinking a beer on my boat while tied up to my dock with the keys out of the ignition. This was 2 years ago I was approached by 2 officers, 1 RCMP and 1 Conservation. They explained to me that although I have all the facilities required for open alcohol the only time it is permitted is when I'm on anchor or mooring and plan to stay the night (like camping). Apparently when tied to a dock your boat is considered to be on public property (it's a private dock but all private docks trespass on public lands) so they could issue an public open liquor fine.

If you are caught with open alcohol on any boat while not on anchor or mooring you could be fined for open liquor in a motor vehicle or impaired if you are over 0.08 BAC, pretty sure they can also impound and issue 24 hour suspension for 0.05 BAC.

That said my boat always has booze on it and most times it's open. I stock my fridge with beer and coolers before any trip. It's too bad that the laws are so strict because I see no issues with open liquor on a boat so long as you have a sober operator. If I were to get searched and they fined me or confiscated my alcohol I would fight it, who's to say I wasn't headed up the lake to spend the night and have drinks at my buddy's cabin. They would never get me with open because it would go down the sink before they had a chance to board. Any empties were from the last time I spent the night on the boat or were fished out of the lake (you'd be surprised how many azzhats just throw empty cans into the lake.

I think it depends on the officers, I saw lots of spot checks on Wabamun this summer and I know for a fact many of those boats had booze & intoxicated people onboard, and I didn't see any escorts back to dock or fines issued to operators. I also see lots of idiots that should be fined for being reckless azzhats, waking kayaks, paddleboards and canoes, speeding in the bay and just being an azzhole in general.

Booze on the water sometimes is an issue with some folks but there are so many other more wide spread issues. I do find that the officers typically keep banker hours and I spend most of my time on the water late evening and overnight, I've never been stopped on the water, only on my dock....