Boats to family thing

[JoshOnt]

Each year for the past few years boats have been brought to a family event. Normally there is one larger bowrider that pulls the adults and older kids for tubing or wake boarding. Some of the people throw the boat owners money for gas which no one asks for but is nice. This year was a bit different something changed in peoples minds and only 3 people gave money, and now a bunch of family members are upset about it. Since boats started coming to this event there has been 2 families that have 3+ kids each that have rode for free and now people are pissed off about that. They are saying those who ride should help towards gas so for next year they want to add the gas money into the food bill that is split among the older cousins. After seeing a thread on here about the legal part of it in the US does anyone know about it for Canada? I don't think it is a bad idea if everyone who will be paying votes on it. Would this be legal/ would we run into any serious liability issues? Each boat owner is already insured like most here are for liability but not commercially. I figured I would check into if it is legal before the family goes forward with the idea and the boat owners get put in a hard spot.

 

[oldjeep]

Sounds like you need a new family If the boat owners don't want to pay for gas they have the option to not bring it or to park it when they have burned enough. For a once a year deal it seems pretty funny to be worrying about the fuel you are burning towing family members around.

We do a week every year at a lake place with my wife's family - about 25 of us. 2 of us bring boats and take care of our own fuel.

 

[JoshOnt]

Sounds like you need a new family If the boat owners don't want to pay for gas they have the option to not bring it or to park it when they have burned enough. For a once a year deal it seems pretty funny to be worrying about the fuel you are burning towing family members around.

We do a week every year at a lake place with my wife's family - about 25 of us. 2 of us bring boats and take care of our own fuel.

It is not the boat owners that want the money for them it is others. We all bring our boats because we enjoy driving them around and tubing the kids. We like it when we are offered money but never expect it. But since majority rules many want to go to having everyone pay for the gas it is something the boat owners have said fine do as you want the boats will show up either way.

 

[shrew]

My problem with equally shared expenses is not everyone actually engages in the activity. We rented a condo for a family vacation and every decided to split the cost of the condo equally. That is nice for the couple that got the master suite. Even the folks who got the spare bedroom. My wife and I go the pull out couch in the living room. Everyone attended the event for 5 days. We attended for 3 (we showed up late which is why we got the couch). However we also split the food evenly. We paid more per night for lodging and food and used far less than anyone. Everyone asks why we don't go to family reunions anymore. We just laugh and change the subject.

The keys in the US are whether you are profiting from accepting cash and more vaguely worded whether payment is a pre-requisite. The best resource to answer this would more than likely be the Canadian Coast Guard, or if there is an alternative governing body, that resource.

 

[JoshOnt]

My problem with equally shared expenses is not everyone actually engages in the activity. We rented a condo for a family vacation and every decided to split the cost of the condo equally. That is nice for the couple that got the master suite. Even the folks who got the spare bedroom. My wife and I go the pull out couch in the living room. Everyone attended the event for 5 days. We attended for 3 (we showed up late which is why we got the couch). However we also split the food evenly. We paid more per night for lodging and food and used far less than anyone. Everyone asks why we don't go to family reunions anymore. We just laugh and change the subject.

The keys in the US are whether you are profiting from accepting cash and more vaguely worded whether payment is a pre-requisite. The best resource to answer this would more than likely be the Canadian Coast Guard, or if there is an alternative governing body, that resource.

It is not up to me to figure out if that is they way they will decide or not. I am just checking before there are any fights over it to see if it is legal. Weather it is fair or not I'm not going to say. I think it is more about to them that 7 kids and 2-4 adults are riding for free and everyone else is paying for their rides. I just want to know if it is legal, the rest is up to everyone else not me.

 

[MTboatguy]

There is nothing illegal about accepting money in the US and I would guess it is probably not illegal in Canada either, but it comes down to interpretation if something bad does happen.

 

[littlerayray]

Yep it all depends on lawyers but I do believe the second you are asked to pay before you board you are considered commercial it's a really grey line my dive master has a charter boat that is registered commercial if he doesn't ask for money he can have 30 people on board with room to spare the second he asks for money that number drops to 12 he is frustrated with the coast guard because the laws are not cut and dry

 

[smokeonthewater]

If the boat owners aren't worried about gas money then the rest of the family needs to butt out.... If they want to chip in fine but worrying about someone else who rode for free on someone else's boat is childish.

Like my 7 yr old niece throwing a fit when she finds out that my 8 yr old nephew got a ride in my jeep while she was out with her grandpa getting an ice cream..... And then the nephew throws a fit about the ice cream....

I always tell them to appreciate what you get and mind your own business.

 

[JoshOnt]

Yep it all depends on lawyers but I do believe the second you are asked to pay before you board you are considered commercial it's a really grey line my dive master has a charter boat that is registered commercial if he doesn't ask for money he can have 30 people on board with room to spare the second he asks for money that number drops to 12 he is frustrated with the coast guard because the laws are not cut and dry

Seems really dumb for such a large cut in numbers. Laws and regulations rarely seem to make sense in Canada.

 

[roffey]

Living in Ontario and having a boat that does tow people... I think there is a difference between accepting cash and asking for cash. Example, I'll take you for a pull if you give me money for gas. This might be construed as being hired. If you take some one for a ski or pull a tube and they slip you some cash, that is different and the cash could be for anything, IMHO. People give me money just to be my friend all the time, LOL.

and like most here if I am going for a ride in my boat is free for who ever wants to come, I would be in the boat anyway. My 2 cents.

 

[littlerayray]

I would be telling the family that those who want to contribute are more then welcome but the money is not necessary I give my aunts and uncles s*** all the time for being childish