I received a response yesterday Aug 18, 2015 (see below) from the City of Vancouver Liquor Licence Branch in regards to my complaints against the Magic Spirit and Queen of Diamonds. New guidelines for the party boats have been set for these 2 boats at least, so some progress has been made. But we'll see how it plays out for the rest of the summer. The VPD marine Unit response to the city email is below, followed by mine. "Hi Elvira, Myself, staff from VPD and Liquor Control and Licensing met with the operator of Queen of Diamonds and Magic Spirit. We went over the complaints which they addressed. They have agreed to the following: Regarding the noise reduction we have taken the following steps. 1) Posting the following “standing orders” on the Bridge for the Captain. a) That the vessel to stay 1.5 nautical mile off Kitsilano and Point Gray areas when having music on the top deck. b) Cruise at an increased speed when leaving False Creek and returning. c) If cruising close to shore, sound levels to decrease exponential based on distance from the shore. Note these orders will be incorporated into our existing bridge operational and training manual. 2) Monitor top deck levels for sound. Note: An app is available for smart phones, we usually do this but was missed on one occasion. 3) Not allow outside base bins to be brought in from charter parties to be used on the top deck. They also mentioned that staff can give out their cell phones so they can be contacted directly by the complainant. Russell Bennett General Manager VancouverCruises.com C-604-763-2628 Chris Boycott Magic Yachts and Adventures Abroad 604-303-5060 In April of this year, we sent letters to all vessel operators which have liquor licenses advising them of the rules with respect to music levels coming from their vessels. These letters are sent out every year reminding them of the music levels and also the dates for ‘Bard on the Beach’ and ‘Theatre Under the Stars’. We will continue to work with the boat operators with respect to the noise concerns. Below is the response I received regarding your complaint of July 24th regarding Magic Spirit: Lucia, I have already spoken with the General Manager Ihab Shaker about this. He in turn as spoken with the Captain of the ship that night. Here is his reply below. The music was turned ON/OFF per the permissible point (Kits Buoys) AND these times are noted in the Ship’s Logbook as well. Terry was the mate and he can confirm this. Thus MYC conformed to local policy & bylaws. We are certainly responding to the concerns and complaints. As I mentioned to you on the Phone, my daughter was also on that charter. We are in an ongoing fashion looking at our charters. We are making the captains aware of both complaints and to be mindful in a general sense of noise. Chris Boycott Regards, Lucia Lucia Cumerlato Liquor Licence Coordinator Licences & Inspections City of Vancouver T. 604.871.6461 F. 604.871.6394 E. lucia.cumerlato@vancouver.ca The VPD Marine Unit response to Lucia's email yesterday: "I will pass this on to Marine Unit members as a guideline, should we receive any complaints directly. My only concern is with the increased speed. The captains of these vessels know that they can’t exceed five knots until they are past Elsje Point." My email response today, Aug 19, 2015 "Hi Lucia; Thanks very much. These seem like good guidelines, if the charter groups comply. And I'm happy to hear that the VPD Marine Unit will be able to use them when there are complaints. I'm still concerned about the "bass bins" being permitted at all on these cruises. They seem unnecessary for a small venue like a boat. It's these speakers that enhance the bass and transmit a low frequency right to the shoreline and into our apartment,t so the walls vibrate, even when the boats are far out in the harbour. I also wonder what affect this enhanced bass has on the aquatic life? This is something worth looking into. It would be much appreciated if you were able to send these new guidelines to all the charter boats with liquor licences as a follow up and a reminder to your email in April. The Magic Spirit and Queen of Diamonds are not the only culprits. As for the Magic Spirit on the 24th July, I have photos and video of it passing by Trafalgar Beach/Kits Beach between 9-9.06pm. As I stated in my original complaint "At 9pm I was inside my apartment at 1st and Trafalgar, most windows closed, and I could hear the "music" loud and clear. I went out on the deck and took photos and videos from 9pm to 9.06. It seemed like the boat was headed back to base at 9pm, as the party was scheduled to go until 9.30, but then for some reason it headed back out into the harbour at 9.05. I didn't hear it return but by then I closed the windows and turned on the TV. If it had been a hot sunny day and evening, with open windows and sitting on the deck, it would have been intolerable. The music was far too loud, along with the megaphone announcements." It's possible that the Captain of the Magic Spirit was correct about turning off the music at the Kits buoys and that the music heard by my friend on Kits Point, near the Maritime Museum, was not from the Magic Spirit, but it may very well have been the Magic Spirit. We can't say for sure. But, the Magic Spirit was definitely the party boat that I heard and saw that evening around 9pm as it passed by Trafalgar Beach (at the foot of Trafalgar). I'm not exactly sure where the Kits buoys are in relation to Trafalgar Beach, but what good does it do the people of West Kits and Point Grey/Jericho if the boats suddenly turn their music on and off at the Kits buoy point? We can all still hear it here as the boats head out into the harbour and return. And if the bass is enhanced we hear the boats for several hours. And this sound does not show up in the decibel readers as far as I know, but yet is the worst offender. I really don't know what to suggest in this regard, but there appears to be a real dichotomy between what the boat owners and charter groups out on the water think is acceptable and what those of on the shore, and other boats out on the water, are subjected to. And what about the complaint against the Magic Spirit made by Margaret Friesen on Aug 16 (see earlier and separate emails), where she stated that that boat's music and speakers were excessively loud as it passed by English Bay, between Kits Point and Broughton Street. This was before the Kits buoys I believe, and in the area where there is now to be no music played. Ultimately, I fail to see the point of these party boats or "nightclubs" out on the water playing any outdoor music at all given how the sound carries on water, but that's a discussion for another day. Perhaps it will eventually come to that as we as a society become more conscious of noise and it's impact on our health, stress levels and emotional well being. The concept of a liveable city should also take all this into account. In the late 1970s I made a short documentary called "Quiet Beach" about the use of transistor radios on the beaches and how hard it was to find a quiet beach. Today, the concept of quiet beaches is included in the Park Board by-laws. By-law 8 (c) states "No person shall operate any amplifying system or loud speaker in any park without the written permission of the General Manager first had and obtained... 22. No person shall: ...(l) in any portion of a park designated as a "quiet area" and posted as such, operate a radio, tape player, or other device capable of transmitting live or recorded sound, unless the sound is transmitted directly to a person's ears through the use of headphones." http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/parks-control-bylaw-July06-2010.pdf Certainly, you would think that any boats out on the water playing music that can be heard on our beaches and parks, should have to comply with this by-law? Perhaps we can find a way of bringing together the various levels of government to make this happen. Thanks again for your assistance in this. It remains to be seen if these new guidelines have an impact, and it would be most helpful if all the party boat companies with liquor licences were notified of them, and complied. I will keep you posted of any further complaints. Cheers, Elvira