The Muskoka Lakes Association, in conjunction with other organizations representing lakefront property owners, is facing increasing challenges in preserving at least a semblance of “quiet enjoyment” of those properties. In the past, concerted efforts have been successful in effecting legislative and regulatory changes to control noise, wake and safety issues associated with snowmobiles, personal watercraft and ski boats. These same issues, but now to a much greater degree, are associated with the latest in heavy-duty “toy” technology that is culminating in the presence of boats specifically designed and manufactured to create huge, continuous wakes.

Below is a link to a pamphlet created by the Lake of the Woods District Property Owners Association that tries to address this issue. If you operate a wakeboard, please read this and consider following the recommendations presented, particularly staying at least 300 metres from shore. If you are a cottager that is adversely affected by a wakeboard operator, print this off and use it to discuss the problem with him or her.

Some points to consider:

• It is estimated that there are several hundred wake boats sold annually just on the three large Muskoka lakes!
• Wakeboard boats are specifically designed to create a large wake to enable board tricks. The advent of wake surfing will even further exacerbate the problem, as the search for ever-bigger wakes will continue.
• These boats contain up to 2000 GPM pumps with fillable bladders fitted into every nook and cranny of a wake boat, including the ski lockers, in order to sink the hull further into the water.
• It is important to realize that the industry now has two championships, Wakeboarding and Wakesurfing!
• To further these wakeboarding and wakesurfing activities, the boats are becoming larger and deeper and, with the advent of such devices as the hydraulically deployable wing under the transom, will create the huge continuous wakes particularly desired by surfers.
• During wakeboarding and wakesurfing, the boat is operated at speeds to ensure that the maximum-sized wake possible is generated.
• Present regulations concerning ski boats were designed to control the wake impinging on a shoreline, method of operation and noise emissions from these boats, and were largely successful. For instance, the 30 metres from shore restriction has been generally adequate to allow the average ski boat wake sufficient time and distance to dissipate. 30 metres is completely inadequate and inappropriate for the large disturbance caused by a wake boat.
• Due to the size of the generated wake, and proximity to shore allowable under the present regulations, it is difficult at all times and dangerous at some times to allow children in the water at lakes edge when these boats generating huge wakes are present.
• Large wakes have been proven to cause significant shoreline damage, through erosion of both natural habitats and shorelines and to buildings such as boathouses and to boats moored within them or alongside docks in the area of excessive waves.
• Boat sound system advertising uses phrases such as “Let the whole lake hear those XXXX speakers” and “XXX’s Long Throw Technology projects the music much further than conventional speakers”.
• Similar to the ban on open exhausts, no boat should be sold with a speaker system specifically designed or positioned to be heard outside of the boat. Likewise, no boat operator should be allowed to permit the use of such a speaker system within 8 km of shore (e.g., in the case of using open exhausts, the 5 mile limit covers all of Muskoka).
• Police need to be able to respond specifically to excessive noise complaints and be provided with appropriate sound-measuring equipment to determine speaker noise levels outside of a boat.
• There is a general habit of these big wave-inducing boats leaving their “home” area to inflict their presence somewhere else, generally related to the noise and wake action issues noted above.
• Operators of wake-generating boats must be made aware that they are responsible for any damage caused by their wake. This would be a civil issue that is not covered under the existing regulations enforced by the police.

The Lake of Bays Association has implemented a “Boat Right, Be Polite” campaign as an example of an intermediate step while efforts continue to get legislative and regulatory changes effected.  A brochure they have created is below.  The campaign has the following features directed at wake boats:

• For boarding and surfing keep at least 300 metres off shore and in open water! The 30 metres from shore limit is not enough to dissipate your wake.
• Don’t swing your riders in front of other people’s docks.
• Avoid multiple runs in the same area.

A reminder that the speed limit is 10 kph within 30 metres of shore. You can take off from shore at speed only if you drive straight out from the shore.