DHC2 BEAVER FLOAT PLANE PLT TOOK OFF WITHOUT AN UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW OF THE WATER AHEAD; AND CAME WITHIN 50 FT OF COLLIDING WITH A TOUR BOAT.

Narrative

AT APPROX XA15 LCL; I WAS STARTING MY TKOF RUN FROM THE SOUTHERN END OF THE HEAD OF BAY; TAKING OFF TOWARDS THE 'NARROWS.' I WAS ADVISED BY ANOTHER PLANE; WHICH WAS AIRBORNE AND HAD JUST DEPARTED FROM THE HEAD OF BAY; THAT THERE WAS A BOAT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE NARROWS MOVING TOWARDS THE HEAD OF BAY. THE PLT STATED '...I THINK YOU CAN MAKE IT...' I CONTINUED MY TKOF; STAYING 'ON THE STEP' UNTIL I HAD MADE A L TURN AROUND A BLIND CORNER AND AS I MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE TOUR BOAT; ROTATED AND CONTINUED MY TKOF STAYING TO THE R OF APCHING TFC. THE COMPANY HAS SINCE INSTITUTED A POLICY AND NOW PROHIBITING TKOFS TOWARDS OR IN THE 'NARROWS;' TO ELIMINATE ANY CHANCE OF CLOSE ACFT/BOAT ENCOUNTERS. THIS WAS MY 3RD FLT OF THE DAY AND A TKOF HAD BEEN PERFORMED LIKE THIS -- ONE WITHOUT INCIDENT ON A PRIOR FLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE TKOF REQUIRES ABOUT A 30 DEG TURN TO THE R. BECAUSE OF THE TURN; THE PLT IS NOT ABLE TO SEE THE AREA BEFORE THE TURN. A COMPANY ACFT THAT HAD JUST TAKEN OFF; WARNED THE PLT. THE BOAT CAPT COMPLAINED TO THE FAA. THE ACR POI INTERVIEWED THE PLT. THE ACR HAS PROHIBITED TKOFS IN THIS DIRECTION; AND HAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE PLT HAVE AN UNRESTR VIEW OF THE WATER AHEAD BEFORE TKOFS ARE COMMENCED.