Throw bag ??

Bill Mackey

LOVES Wooden Canoes
According to Becky Mason's newsletter, Canada now requires a throw bag in each canoe. Since I am going to Canada for the first time in years, I will need one. Does anyone have a good source at reasonable price. Looking on the internet I found prices from $55 to $105 and that seems expensive for a 50' piece of rope. Or maybe I can just buy a 50" piece of floatable rope
 
All you require is:

Personal protection equipment

one Canadian-approved personal flotation device or lifejacket of appropriate size for each person on board

one buoyant heaving line of not less than 15 m in length....certainly does not have to be throw bag....but throw bags would be more than acceptable

NOTE: A buoyant heaving line is approved for use as long as it: floats; is in good condition; is made of one full length of rope, not many shorter ropes tied together; is long enough for the boat you will be using; and is used only as safety equipment so that it is easy to find and use in an emergency.

Boat safety equipment

one manual propelling device, ie. paddle....always good to have extra paddle

one bailer: bailers must hold at least 750 ml, have an opening of at least 65 cm2 (10 in2) and be made of plastic or metal. If you have a manual bilge pump, the pump and hose must be long enough to reach the bilge and discharge water over the side of the boat.

NOTE: You can make a bailer out of a four-litre rigid plastic bottle (useful for small open boats) by following these steps: rinse thoroughly; secure the lid; cut off the bottom; and cut along the side with the handle.

Navigation equipment

a sound-signalling device such as whistle

NOTE: When travelling at night, have ready at hand an electric torch or lighted lantern showing a white light that you must use far enough in advance to prevent a collision.
 
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Interesting how the wide spread use of canoes on rivers (in Canada) drives some of these laws/rules, which have little use on lakes.

I'd wager that the bulk of the canoes going into the Q have no rope on them much less a legal throw rope. They "might" have a sponge for mopping up water.

These things are just in the way when you are portaging every 30 minutes or hour.

Dan
 
Last summer, knowing that the local Provincial Police detachment was about to begin visiting many of the smaller 'cottage country' lakes in my area of Haliburton, I wanted to make sure that both my canoes and small tin boat with outboard were effectively 'legal' if a patrol happened by. I went to the local Home Hardware store where I found an inexpensive, purpose-made 'kit'. It was a plastic Tupper-ware like container (with lid), which could qualify as a bailer. Inside were a 50' floating neoprene rope; a whistle; a small, waterproof flash light. The whole thing was wrapped in a waterproof film. I tossed one in each craft, unopened. In fact, I even got a third and tied it to the mast of my sailing dinghy. Now, any of my craft that leave the dock do so "equipped". These things don't take up a lot of space, meet the legal requirements and were not very expensive. I seem to recall they were about $15 or so. I wouldn't be surprised if they could be bought on sale over the winter months.

One thing I found, though, was that it's impossible to toss a piece of neoprene line more than a few feet. It's like trying to push a piece of string. Solution: buy a small, toy rubber ball like dogs chase and young kids play with. Punch a hole through it; push one end of the line through and tie a knot or two. If trouble does occur, and if a young child needs to throw that line in an emergency, just having that little rubber ball on the end makes it easier for everyone.
 
Last summer, knowing that the local Provincial Police detachment was about to begin visiting many of the smaller 'cottage country' lakes in my area of Haliburton, I wanted to make sure that both my canoes and small tin boat with outboard were effectively 'legal' if a patrol happened by. I went to the local Home Hardware store where I found an inexpensive, purpose-made 'kit'. It was a plastic Tupper-ware like container (with lid), which could qualify as a bailer. Inside were a 50' floating neoprene rope; a whistle; a small, waterproof flash light. The whole thing was wrapped in a waterproof film. I tossed one in each craft, unopened. In fact, I even got a third and tied it to the mast of my sailing dinghy. Now, any of my craft that leave the dock do so "equipped". These things don't take up a lot of space, meet the legal requirements and were not very expensive. I seem to recall they were about $15 or so. I wouldn't be surprised if they could be bought on sale over the winter months.

One thing I found, though, was that it's impossible to toss a piece of neoprene line more than a few feet. It's like trying to push a piece of string. Solution: buy a small, toy rubber ball like dogs chase and young kids play with. Punch a hole through it; push one end of the line through and tie a knot or two. If trouble does occur, and if a young child needs to throw that line in an emergency, just having that little rubber ball on the end makes it easier for everyone.


Great solution!!!!
 
I attach a whistle to the zipper tab on my PFD- always ready if I need it. You can make a descent throw bag from an old ditty bag and a piece of foam. I use braided polypropene line, which floats and has a nice hand.
 
Thanks for the input

Thanks to all who responded. I think I will try some experimenting on the bag and throw device.
 
I built kind of an unusual throw-bag once while outfitting our Avon inflatable motorboat. It's kind of a "conflicted man's throw-bag". I figured that having one aboard would be a good idea as they do throw much better than a coil of plain rope. At the same time, I also happened to need an anchor line :D.... It just seemed silly to be carrying two bags of rope when one would probably do, so I combined the two functions. If you need to save someone, you can toss them the bag and 75' of floating polypropylene rope will peel out nicely. Once they get hold of the bag (equipped with generous webbing handles on its sides and a built-in ethafoam float) you can stop and ask yourself "How much do I really like this person?" At that point, you can either reel them in, or say good bye and toss the anchor overboard.:eek: I'm not sure the Consumer Products Safety Commission would approve, but it's worked out pretty well.
 

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Throw bag

Or, you can just throw the line half-way to the victim. Then you've made an effort, and you won't lose your anchor.
 
The above ideas are all well and good, but this is an area where canoers can learn something important from kayakers. Throw bags are a critical safety device, and long ago whitewater kayakers figured out what works best in dangerous water in the smallest package. Floating rope? Give me a break! If someone's in the drink - even if it's relatively calm - he/she needs a solid lifeline delivered quickly and on the mark. Throw bags were designed with that in mind and clearly work better than anything else.

I always pack a bag when I'm on the water, even a Sunday paddle. It takes up about as much space as a Nalgene bottle, so it's no burden at all. Happy to say I've never had to throw one on a canoe trip, although they've seen use in my whitewater and sea kayaking excursions.

Throw bags are a solid safety investment. Here's one source:

http://kayak.nrsweb.com/display.php?p=Q&ts=custom&w=throw+bag

:)
 
A canoe is a much more stable platform for throwing than many kayaks. The shore may be half a mile or more away. That's not an option. In most all cases you throw from where you are.

To maximize effectiveness, practice throwing. It's a pain, I know, to reload the bag after each throw, but if you don't know how to use your gear you might as well not have it.
 
Rub --

Do you have any thoughts about the preferred material for a rescue rope? A lot of the cheap "floatable" rope I have come across seems too stiff to put in a bag, or to be very useful for much.
 
Todd, I am surprised you did not go ahead and triple up the applications for your throw bag, like making it useful for people who get seasick in your canoe--i,e, a throw-up bag.
 
No question about it throw bags are tops when it comes to safety.

I believe part of Bill’s inquiry was can float rope alone be used and still be legal. Like it or not the answer to the question is yes. Float rope is legal and in compliance with the regulations.

FYI - Whatever device you use it has to be readily accessible and in plain view. If the throw bag is stowed away in say a backpack, this does not count. At least this is what my wife tells me who personally works hand in hand with Ontario/Canadian officials on this topic.
 
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