Why are bilge cleaners a poor fix for oily bilge water?
PCOC Boating Test overview
PCOC Boating Test: Protecting the water
Clean, drain and dry against invasive species, sewage rules (holding tanks, Ontario's ban on discharge and portable toilets), bilge pollution, green boating habits and reporting pollution or suspicious activity.
- No sign-up
- Every answer explained
- Independent · not a government site
- 14 questions
- Topic drill
0/14
Study reference: Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026), Ch. Respect and protect Canada's waterways — Invasive species, pollution, sewage, pp. 56–60
All 14 questions in this test
Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.
Why are bilge cleaners a poor fix for oily bilge water?
- They are illegal everywhere
- They only break oil into smaller drops
- They quickly damage the bilge pump seals
- They make oil float higher
Roughly how much does Canada spend each year managing zebra mussels?
- $2.5 billion
- $2.5 million
- $25 million
- $250 million
What does the guide recommend to soak up oil and fuel in your bilge?
- Absorbent bilge cloths
- High-pressure hot water
- Bleach
- Biodegradable dish detergent
Your boat has a toilet and you boat on Ontario waters. What is required?
- Any chemical toilet
- A portable toilet
- A holding tank emptied at pump-outs
- Overboard discharge 3 km offshore
You see someone dumping oil from a boat. Who should you report it to?
- The marina's fuel attendant
- The boat's manufacturer
- A Pollution Prevention Officer
- Your insurance company
How dry must your boat and gear be before you use them in a new waterbody?
- Wet is fine if rinsed
- Dry enough to look clean
- Dry on the outside of the hull
- Dry to the touch everywhere
Before moving your boat to another lake, what must you do?
- Clean, drain and dry it
- Wax the hull
- Change the oil
- Refill the fuel tank
When fuelling, which is a green boating habit?
- Rinse spills into the water
- Fill until fuel overflows
- Leave the engine running
- Don't top off the tank
Are portable toilets allowed on Ontario waters?
- Yes, if emptied daily
- Yes, on boats under 6 m
- Yes, on any boat
- No, they are illegal there
What should you do with your boat's drain plug before leaving the launch area?
- Seal it with tape
- Leave it in for the next lake
- Remove it and drain the bilge
- Tighten it to keep water in
Where should you clean invasive species off your boat and trailer?
- In the lake before leaving
- On dry land, away from drains and water
- At a local car wash with a pressure washer
- At the edge of the boat ramp
Under the pollution regulations, what must a boat with a toilet have?
- A chemical deodorizer only
- Nothing if it is under 8 m
- A holding tank, sanitation device or storage
- A through-hull valve to discharge waste overboard
Which of these is an aquatic invasive species found in Canada?
- Common loon
- Lake trout
- Quagga mussel
- Walleye
From your boat you notice people acting suspiciously near a hydro dam. What should you do?
- Approach and question them
- Ignore it; it's not your concern
- Film them up close
- Report it to police without approaching
Protecting the water: key rules to remember
Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗
Help keep out invaders
- Non-native plants, micro-organisms and animals released into Canadian waters can become aquatic invasive species (AIS): spread fast, change habitats, harm native species, spread disease, damage infrastructure.
- Managing zebra mussels costs Canada $250 million a year.
- Illegal to introduce non-native aquatic species (Aquatic Invasive Species Regulations); illegal to possess, transport or release listed species. Examples: zebra mussel, quagga mussel, spiny waterflea.
- All boaters must clean, drain and dry boats, trailers and equipment before moving to another body of water.
- Clean: check and remove all visible plants, animals, mud before leaving shore; dispose on land.
Clean, drain, dry; pollution
- Clean on dry land away from storm drains, ditches and waterways; avoid local car washes if AIS are present.
- Drain: ballast tanks, bilges, livewells, coolers, bait buckets, engine; remove the plug and empty the bilge before leaving the launch; store tilted.
- In many provinces it is illegal to move boats between waters with the drain plug in place; some require cleaning or decontamination.
- Dry: everything dry to the touch before a new waterbody (air dry several days, towels, wet/dry vacuum, pressurized air).
- Vessel Pollution and Dangerous Chemicals Regulations: no oil, garbage, hydrocarbons, untreated sewage; boats with toilets need a holding tank, marine sanitation device or temporary storage.
- Holding tanks emptied at approved pump-out facilities on land. Only sewage treated by a compliant marine sanitation device may be discharged in inland waters.
Keep waterways clean
- No sewage pumping into any waters of Ontario and some interior lakes of BC and Manitoba: toilet-equipped craft need a holding tank and discharge only at shore pump-outs; overboard discharge pipes visibly disconnected.
- Portable toilets are considered temporary storage and are illegal on Ontario waters.
- Bilge: oil, fuel, antifreeze, transmission fluid harm the environment; bilge cleaners only break oil into smaller droplets; use absorbent bilge cloths; keep the bilge clean before running automatic pumps; pump only clean water.
- Green tips: maintain engine; marine paints; don't top off tanks; clean spills; holding tank; take garbage home.
More green tips; reporting
- Avoid detergents; watch wake and prop wash (erosion); obey speed limits; report pollution to a Pollution Prevention Officer or listed numbers.
Security measures
- Never approach or challenge anyone suspicious; report to local police or the RCMP. Don't handle suspicious packages.
Other topics
- Proof of competency and age limitsWho needs a Pleasure Craft Operator Card, the other accepted proofs of competency, the rental boat checklist, replacing a lost card, the horsepower limits for operators under 16 and which documents to carry.
- Licences, compliance notices and hull numbersPleasure craft licence rules (10 hp threshold, 5-year validity, 30-day deadlines, marking the bow), registration, compliance notices and safe limits, hull serial numbers and buying or building a boat.
- Lifejackets and PFDsLifejacket types and sizes, how PFDs differ, inflatable PFD restrictions, fitting children, checking and caring for flotation devices, heaving lines, lifebuoys and reboarding devices.
- Required safety equipment by boat lengthMinimum equipment by boat type and length, how length is measured, the notes on flares, reboarding devices, compasses and radar reflectors, manual propelling devices, anchors, bailers and sound-signalling devices.
- Flares and visual distress signalsRocket parachute, multi-star, hand and smoke flares, their heights and burn times, expiry and storage, electronic visual distress signals, disposing of old flares and other recognized distress signals.
- Fire, fuelling and carbon monoxideFire classes and extinguisher ratings, monthly checks, fighting a fire on board, the fuelling procedure and 4-minute blower rule, carbon monoxide, heavier-than-air vapours and ignition protection.
- Trip planning, weather and loadingSeaworthiness and the pre-departure check, marine forecasts and wind warnings, sail plans, charts and publications, local hazards, loading your boat and the free courtesy check.
- Rules of the road (Collision Regulations)Lookout, safe speed and risk of collision, head-on, crossing and overtaking situations, give-way and stand-on duties, which vessels keep clear of which, narrow channels and restricted visibility.
- Sound signalsShort and prolonged blasts, manoeuvring signals (one, two, three and five blasts), the bend signal, fog signals by vessel type, the Great Lakes difference and required sound appliances.
- Navigation lights and shapesMasthead, side, stern and all-round lights and their arcs, light options for power boats, sailboats and paddle craft, anchor lights and the anchor ball, the motor-sailing cone and towing lights.
- Lateral buoys and daybeaconsPort and starboard hand buoys and the upstream rule, bifurcation, fairway and isolated danger buoys, and port, starboard and junction daybeacons.
- Cardinal and special buoysCardinal buoy colours, topmarks and lights, and the special buoys: cautionary, anchorage, information, hazard, keep out, scientific (ODAS), diving, mooring, control and swimming.
- Buoy numbers, tops, lights and markingsHow buoys are classified, odd and even numbers, flat and conical tops, light and reflector colours, the PRIV marking and how to recognise hazard, keep out, control, mooring and swimming buoys.
- Speed, wake, noise and local restrictionsChoosing a safe speed, wake damage, the muffler rule, the 10 km/h shoreline limit and its exceptions, Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations signs, and rules around marine mammals.
- Sharing the water and local hazardsLarge ships and their blind spots, tugs and tows, diver flags, seaplanes, low-head dams, power lines, historic canal rules, passing through a lock and the St. Lawrence Seaway.
- PWC, towing and paddlingPersonal watercraft age and handling rules, towing water-skiers and tubers (spotter, seats, sunset limit), stand-up paddleboard leashes and safety tips for paddlers, hunters and anglers.
- Impaired boating, fines and visitorsImpaired boating under the Criminal Code, the 2-hour rule, penalties, common contravention fines, who enforces boating laws, provinces without ticketing, and rules for non-resident boaters.
- Marine radio and distress callsVHF channels 16, 68 and 70, DSC and MMSI numbers, the operator certificate, cell phones and beacons, Mayday, Pan-Pan and Sécurité calls, false alerts and the duty to help.
- Person overboard and cold waterRecovering a person overboard, the Anderson and Williamson turns, reboarding, the 1-10-1 principle, signs of hypothermia, and the H.E.L.P. and huddle positions.