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For : Alliance de l’industrie nautique du Québec

Chaire de tourisme Transat – June 2021

Presented by Josée Côté in September 2022 – Synthetic version

Online survey on the profile of

Quebec boaters and their knowledge of boating safety

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Table of contents

1	Context, objectives and methodology	p. 3

2	Detailed results	p. 6
	Profile of boaters in Quebec and their practice habits	p. 7
	Practice habits of the main activity	p. 13
	Profile of the practice in summer 2020	p. 16
	Knowledge and behavior related to boating safety	p. 19

3	Annexes	p. 25
	Socio-demographic profile of respondents	p. 26

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Context, objectives and methodology

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Context, objectives and methodology

Context and objectives of the study

Since 2016, Nautisme Québec and the Chaire de tourisme Transat have been collaborating regularly to draw a portrait of the practice of boating in Quebec and the knowledge and behaviors related to nautical safety.
Since March 2020, the pandemic has transformed the recreational habits, tourist behavior and outdoor activity practice of Quebecers. For more than a year, we have seen an increase in the number of practitioners, an increase in the frequency of practice, but also an increase in expenditure on the purchase of equipment.
The boating industry having undoubtedly benefited from this enthusiasm, Nautisme Québec and the Chaire de tourisme Transat deemed it important to draw a new portrait of practices in Quebec in order to best equip stakeholders in the boating and tourism industry; regarding the post-pandemic recovery.
This study among boaters aims to :

Draw up the profile and practice habits of boaters by type of boat used;
Explore the specificities related to the practice according to the body of water navigated;
Assess knowledge of boating safety and identify the profile of the least committed boaters;
Measure the impact of COVID-19 on the evolution of practice;
Explore the expenses generated by the practice of yachting in order to measure the extent of this industry in Quebec;
Probing future practice intentions.

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Objectives and methodology

Methodology

Collection method	Online survey by invitation; Done by the Chaire de tourisme Transat with LimeSurvey and distributed via the newsletter and social networks of Nautisme Québec and its partners.
Population of the study	Canadian boaters over 18; Speaking in French or in English; Went out with their watercraft at least once in summer 2020; Being a member of Nautisme Québec or being a subscriber to the social networks (Facebook) of Nautisme Québec or its partners.
Sampling and subgroups	n = 1 054 respondents, distributed according to their main watercraft used: *Note : some groupings have been made. See details on page 8.
	Motorboat, Wakeboard, water skiing n = 386 37 %	Sailing ship, multihull n = 208 20 %	Fishing boat, small and rowing boats n = 136 13 %	Canoe, kayak n = 94 9 %	Pontoon n = 78 7 %	Paddle board, surf, Windsurf/ kitesurf n = 77 7 %	Personal watercraft n = 75 7 %

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Detailed results

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Section 1

Profile of boaters in Quebec and their practice habits

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Types of boats used and owned

Base 1 : total (n = 1 054)�Many possible answers. The total percentage may exceed 100%.

Base 2 : Respondents who own at least one boat (n = 984)

QA1a QA2b	In a typical summer, what type(s) of watercraft or pleasure craft do you use, either as a passenger or as a driver? How many boats do you own? (984 people answered)

8

51 % Motorboat	33 % Canoe, kayak	23 % Sailing ship, multihull (catamaran, trimaran)	20 % Fishing boat
19 % Paddle board/prone, surf	15 % Personal watercraft	14 % Pontoon	13 % Smaller or rowing boat
5 % Wakeboard, water skiing	2 % Winfsurf, kitesurf	4 % Others

96% own at least one

93 % out of 984 people are owners of at least one boat

89% own at least one

93% own at least one

86% own at least one

97% own at least one

95% own at least one

94% own at least one

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PCOC holders (Pleasure Craft Operator Card – Boating license)

Base : total (n = 1 054)

*Note : Numbers colored in green and red indicate significant differences between subgroups.

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QA5	Do you have a PCOC?

88 %

hold a PCOC

Personal watercraft	Motorboat, wakeboard	Sailing ship, multihull,	Pontoon
99 %	98 %	98 %	97 %
FIshing boat, small boat	Canoe, kayak	SUP, surf, kitesurf
93 %	54 %	27 %

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Navigated bodies of water

QA6a	In general, among these bodies of water, where do you practice your MAIN boating/recreational activity?

Base 1 and 2 : total (n = 1 054)

Many possible answers. The total percentage may exceed 100 %.

Numbers colored in green and red indicate significant differences between subgroups.

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	Total	Fishing boat, small boat	Motorboat, wakeboard	Sailing ship, multihull	Pontoon	Personal watercraft	Canoe, kayak	SUP, surf, kitesurf
n =	1 054	136	385	208	78	75	95	77
St. Lawrence River : Montréal to Trois-Rivières	28 %	30 %	38 %	15 %	18 %	45 %	13 %	26 %
St. Lawrence River : Cornwall to Montréal	20 %	20 %	26 %	14 %	14 %	21 %	15 %	13 %
St. Lawrence River : Trois-Rivières to Québec	13 %	3 %	18 %	17 %	4 %	12 %	7 %	6 %
St. Lawrence River : Québec to Sept-Îles	7 %	1 %	3 %	20 %	-	4 %	10 %	4 %
St. Lawrence River : Québec to Rimouski	9 %	1 %	6 %	25 %	-	5 %	9 %	6 %
St. Lawrence River : Rimouski to Gaspé	4 %	1 %	1 %	15 %	-	3 %	6 %	1 %
St. Lawrence River : Gaspé to Carleton-sur-Mer	4 %	1 %	2 %	12 %	-	3 %	5 %	-
Other lakes in Quebec	35 %	48 %	22 %	18 %	41 %	51 %	69 %	69 %
Richelieu River	22%	13 %	34 %	7 %	17 %	29 %	12 %	32 %
Other rivers in Quebec	16 %	15 %	7 %	2 %	8 %	19 %	50 %	61 %
Ottawa River	15 %	10 %	23 %	6 %	15 %	16 %	12 %	6 %
Other bodies of water	15 %	22 %	16 %	10 %	17 %	16 %	12 %	14 %
Lake Champlain	11 %	6 %	15 %	18 %	3 %	13 %	2 %	5 %
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean	7%	7 %	6 %	12 %	4 %	7 %	9 %	5 %

Mainly used methods for launching the boat:

1. Marinas and clubs - 46%

2. Public launching ramps (free) - 39%

3. Launching ramps ($) - 21%

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New boating enthusiasts

QA8a QA8b	Since the start of the pandemic, have you become a new fan of a nautical or recreational activity? What are you a fan of?

Base 1 : total (n = 1 054)

Base 2 : total of new enthusiasts (n = 134)

Many possible answers. The total percentage may exceed 100%.

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13 %

Became new boating enthusiats

Paddle board, surf	Motorboat	Canoe, kayak	Personal watercraft	Sailing ship, multihull
27 %	19 %	18 %	13 %	10 %
Pontoon	Fishing boat	Small boat or rowing boat	Wakeboard, water skiing	Windsurf/kitesurf
7 %	4 %	2 %	1 %	-

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Annual spending related to boating (exclu. 0)

(12 months – June 2020 to May 2021)

QA10	Considering all the water activities and boats mentioned above, in the past 12 months, how much have you spent (in Canadian dollars) on…?

Base : all respondents having declared at least $1 in boating during the last 12 months, excluding extreme values (n = 1 000)

*Note : Numbers colored in green and red indicate significant differences between subgroups.

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	Total	Fishing boat, small boat	Motorboat, wakeboard	Sailing ship, multihull	Pontoon	Personal watercraft	Canoe, kayak	SUP, surf, kitesurf
n =	1 000	123	380	202	77	71	81	69
Total expenses (average)	21 413 $	9 661 $	35 030 $	17 516 $	21 237 $	16 696 $	5 450 $	2 894 $
Total expenses (median)	4 400 $	1 900 $	9 300 $	5 323 $	6 800 $	8 165 $	1 100 $	2 000 $

Your expenses related to boating...

...Increased 26% 32% 28% 38% 48% 37% 44%

...Stayed the same 51% 47% 45% 49% 41% 48% 47%

...Decreased 23% 22% 27% 13% 11% 15% 9%

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Section 2

Practice habits of the main activity

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Departure frequency with the main boat

QB1	In general, during a summer, how often do you go out on water with your main boat?

Base : total (n = 1 054)

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A half-day or less
A day
At least one night on board
At least one night on land, out of the boat

92 %
89 %
41 %
34 %

ST – At least once during summer

4 %

59 %

38 %

How much boating people are willing to do in two years from now?

Frequently

Sometimes

Once

Never

More

Less

Just as much

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Distance traveled on a typical day

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	Total	Fishing boat, small boat	Motorboat, wakeboard	Sailing ship, multihull	Pontoon	Personal watercraft	Canoe, kayak	SUP, surf, kitesurf
n =	1 021	131	374	205	75	65	94	77
Less than 10 km (less than 5,5 nautical miles)	27 %	40 %	14 %	18 %	24 %	9 %	59 %	71 %
Between 10,1 and 20 km (between 5,5 and 10,8 nautical miles)	31 %	38 %	30 %	33 %	32 %	17 %	30 %	23 %
Between 20,1 and 50 km (between 10,9 and 27 nautical miles)	32 %	18 %	42 %	38 %	33 %	48 %	11 %	4 %
More than 50 km (more than 27 nautical miles)	10 %	5 %	14 %	11 %	11 %	26 %	-	1 %

QB2	In general, how far do you travel on the water on a typical day in your main boat?

Base : all respondents who declared a distance traveled (n = 1 021)

*Note : Numbers colored in green and red indicate significant differences between subgroups.

The group is mostly composed of: friends family family family family alone alone

no children no children no children with children

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Section 3

Profile of the practice in summer 2020

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Practice regions in summer 2020

All boats combined

2 %

6 %

24 %

13 %

16 %

10 %

12 %

13 %

8 %

5 %

13 %

5 %

31 %

6 %

4 %

2 %

-

Base : total (n = 1 054)�Many possible answers. The total percentage may exceed 100%.

QC1ab	In the summer of 2020, in which tourist region(s) of Quebec did you practice your main nautical/recreational activity?

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1 %

Number of days on water (on average)

27 days aboard the main boat

8 days in other watercrafts

12 days spent at dock

49% uses marinas, harbors and boat clubs

In summer 2020, boaters did…

…More boating then usual (23%)

…As much as usual (45%)

…Less than usual (32%)

Touristic regions

Water

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Conflict witnesses

Base 1 : total (n = 1 054)�Base 2 : all respondents who reported witnessing at least one conflict situation, excluding "don't know" (n=783).

QC7	In summer 2020, did you witness any of the following on the water?

Inappropriate behavior of other boaters
Lack of respect for the environment
Inappropriate use of alcool
Inappropriate use of drugs

QC8	Do you consider that these conflicting situations encountered in summer 2020 were...

	MORE frequent than usual	36 %
	AS COMMON as before	57 %
	LESS frequent than usual	8 %

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Often

Sometimes

Once

Never

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Section 4

Knowledge and behavior related to boating safety

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Knowledge in boating safety

Base : total (n = 1 054).

QD2a QD2b	What is your level of knowledge of each of the following items related to boating safety?

Mandatory equipment on board
Steps to take in case of an emergency
Laws and regulations surrounding the wearing of PFDs
Laws and regulations surrounding the wearing of PFDs for children
Signage, buoyage system and rules of the road
Usage of alcohol and drugs on board
Obligations of recreational boaters regarding boat licences, registration and driver's card
Speed limits
Reading a nauticaul chart
Noise limits
Tides and sea currents

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100 %
99 %
99 %
97 %
97 %
96 %
96 %
94 %
89 %
87 %
83 %

ST – knows

65% were able to correctly answer the question on the alcohol level allowed on board for the driver.

Knows well

Knows a little

Doesn't know anything

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PFD wearing frequency

QD5	How often do the following people wear a personal flotation device (PFD) on board?

Base : May vary. All respondents, excluding N.A./not applicable.

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Yourself (n = 1 040)
Passengers over 18 (n = 875)
Passengers under 18 (n = 329)

Always

Often

Sometime

Rarely

Never

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Frequency of verifications on boating safety

Base : May vary. All respondents, excluding N.A./not applicable.

QD4a QD4b	Before going out on your main boat, how often do you do the following?

Plan the necessary fuel and make sure you have it on board (n = 899)
Make sure you have the safety equipment required for the boat (n = 1050)
Make sure your equipment/boat is in good condition (n = 1048)
Check weather conditions (n = 1 050)
Check that your cell phone or VHF radio is functional (n = 1 003)
Check that everyone has a PFD in the right size and in good condition (n = 1 027)
Provide basic boating safety training to passengers (n = 934)
Notify a trusted person of the time of return (n = 1 020)
Make a sailing plan/itinerary (n = 1 005)

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Always

Often

Sometime

Rarely

Never

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Distress or emergency situations (Last 2 years)

QD7 QD8 QD9	In the past 2 years, have you been in a distress or emergency situation on board of a watercraft? For what reason(s) did you find yourself in distress?�In this/these situation(s), who helped you?

Base 1 : total (n = 1 054)

Base 2 : respondents who experienced distress (n = 88)

Many possible answers. The total percentage may exceed 100%.

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8 %

have already found themselves in a situation of distress/�emergency in the past 2 years

Mechanical problem/equip- ment breakdown	Bad sailing conditions	Grounding/ getting stuck	Lack of fuel	Man overboard
61 %	24 %	15 %	10 %	8 %
Passenger health issue	Capsizing	Navigation error	Fire on board	Other reason
5 %	5 %	2 %	-	6 %

Another boater	No one in particular	The Canadian Coast Guard
40 %	30 %	28 %
People from a marina	A resident, a passerby	A police force
8 %	7 %	5 %

Who helped

Reason(s) for distress

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Training requirements and gaps identified by boaters

QD10 QD11	How do you rate the current requirements for boaters in terms of skills and training? What are the main gaps for boaters in relation to knowledge, skill and training? What should be improved, better known?

Base 1 : total, excluging DK (n = 1 020)

Base 2 : respondents who declared that the requested requirements are clearly or somewhat insufficient (n = 634)

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62 %

Not sufficient

38 %

sufficient

Navigation skills (more lessons)	73 %
Sharing waterways	70 %
Signs, rules of the road	66 %
Boating regulations and laws (in general)	65 %
How to react in case of emergency situations	47 %
The appearance and meaning of Canadian buoys	44 %
The minimum safety equipment required on board	37 %
Boat maintenance (durability and safety)	25 %
Other	3 %
Nothing in particular	1 %

Main gaps identified

Where do people find their sources of information?

Social media/internet

51%

Organizations/clubs

46%

Training

43%

Family and friends

32%

Dealership

22%

Private instructor

16%

Not sufficient at all

Rather insufficient

Sufficient

More than enough

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Annexes

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Age and sex of the

respondents

Base : respondents stating their age (n = 1 049)�Numbers colored in green and red indicate significant differences between subgroups.

AGE AGER	Which age group do you belong to?

From 18 to 24 years old
From 25 to 34 years old
From 35 to 44 years old
From 45 to 54 years old
From 55 to 64 years old
From 65 to 74 years old
75 years old and over

7 %

18 – 34 years old

39 %

35 – 54 years old

54 %

55 years old and over

	Total	Fishing boat, small boat	Motorboat, wakeboard	Sailing ship, multihull	Pontoon	Personal watercraft	Canoe, kayak	SUP, surf, kitesurf
n =	1 049	136	385	208	78	75	94	77
18 – 34 years old	7 %	6 %	3 %	2 %	5 %	36 %	7 %	18 %
35 – 54 years old	39 %	28 %	41 %	28 %	24 %	52 %	37 %	73 %
55 years old and over	54 %	66 %	56 %	70 %	71 %	12 %	55 %	9 %

74 %

Men

26 %

Women

Women use mostly paddle board, kayaks and canoes and men, motorboats.

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Level of education of the respondents

Base : Respondents indicating their level of education (n = 1 028)�Numbers colored in green and red indicate significant differences between subgroups.

	Total	Fishing boat, small boat	Motorboat, wakeboard	Sailing ship, multihull	Pontoon	Personal watercraft	Canoe, kayak	SUP, surf, kitesurf
n =	1 028	131	377	207	72	72	92	77
High school, professionnal level or less	24 %	34 %	28 %	16 %	29 %	36 %	12 %	10 %
College/Cégep/ Apprenticeship	32 %	35 %	37 %	25 %	35 %	39 %	22 %	26 %
University	44 %	31 %	35 %	59 %	36 %	25 %	66 %	64 %

EDUR	What is the highest level of education you have completed?

High school, professionnal level or less
College/Cégep/ Apprenticeship
University

82 %

With children

In a relationship

32 %

Family situation

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To learn more

?

Marie-Christine Bruneau, business intelligence director

bruneau.marie-christine@uqam.ca

Audrey Rabillard, research professional

rabillard.audrey@uqam.ca

Partner: Josée Côté, general manager, Nautisme Québec

dg@nautismequebec.com