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PCOC Boating Test: Fire, fuelling and carbon monoxide

Fire 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.

  • 19 questions
  • Topic drill
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Fire, fuelling and carbon monoxide · Question 1Score 0/0

What kind of electrical parts must be used on a boat with a gasoline engine?

Study reference: Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026), Ch. Before you go — Fuel safely, carbon monoxide, explosion risk, pp. 31, 34–35, 55

All 19 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

  1. What kind of electrical parts must be used on a boat with a gasoline engine?

    1. Any 12-volt parts
    2. Waterproof household parts
    3. Automotive parts
    4. Ignition-protected parts

  2. How long should you run the engine compartment blower before starting a gasoline inboard?

    1. At least 1 minute
    2. At least 4 minutes
    3. At least 15 minutes
    4. At least 30 seconds

  3. What monthly check does the guide recommend for your fire extinguisher?

    1. Weigh it on a bathroom scale
    2. Spray a short test burst
    3. Turn it upside down and shake it hard
    4. Leave it in the sun to warm up

  4. Your boat has an automatic fire extinguishing system in the engine room. Do you still need portable extinguishers?

    1. Only when carrying passengers
    2. No, the automatic system replaces them
    3. Only if the boat is over 12 m or has a cabin
    4. Yes, the required portables are still needed

  5. A fire starts in your boat's wiring. Which class of fire is it?

    1. Class B
    2. Class K
    3. Class C
    4. Class A

  6. Where is carbon monoxide most dangerous for swimmers?

    1. Near the bow when anchored
    2. In open water, well away from the running boat
    3. In shallow water near shore
    4. Under swim platforms and between pontoons

  7. Which class of fire involves burning liquids such as gasoline, oil or grease?

    1. Class D
    2. Class A
    3. Class C
    4. Class B

  8. Your friend wants to hang on the swim platform while the boat moves slowly ('teak surfing'). Why is this dangerous?

    1. The wake will push them under
    2. It is too cold behind the boat
    3. The platform may break off
    4. Exhaust CO collects there

  9. Which extinguisher can put out a larger fire, a 5BC or a 10BC?

    1. It depends on the brand
    2. The 5BC
    3. The 10BC
    4. They are the same size

  10. A small fire starts on board. Where should you aim the extinguisher?

    1. At the wall behind the fire
    2. At the top of the flames
    3. Into the smoke above the fire
    4. At the base of the flames

  11. Why are leaking propane and gasoline vapours so dangerous on a boat?

    1. They are lighter than air and disperse fast
    2. They are heavier than air and collect low
    3. They rise and escape quickly
    4. They can't burn when cold

  12. Your boat is under way when a fire starts at the stern. How should you position the boat?

    1. So the fire is downwind of you
    2. So the fire is upwind of you
    3. Head straight into the waves
    4. Turn broadside to the wind

  13. Before refuelling a boat that uses a portable fuel tank, what should you do with the tank?

    1. Cover it with a wet towel
    2. Remove it from the boat
    3. Leave it in place and open it
    4. Fill it while the engine runs

  14. How does the pre-departure checklist tell you to plan your fuel?

    1. Fill to 3/4 to leave room
    2. 1/2 out, 1/2 back
    3. 1/3 out, 1/3 back, 1/3 in reserve
    4. Carry exactly what you need

  15. Which statement about carbon monoxide (CO) is true?

    1. It is visible as blue smoke
    2. Only diesel engines produce it
    3. You cannot see, smell or taste it
    4. It smells like rotten eggs

  16. What should you do with old halon fire equipment on your boat?

    1. Replace it with safer equipment
    2. Store it in the cabin
    3. Refill it every year
    4. Keep it as your main extinguisher

  17. Your passengers are on board when you pull up to the fuel dock. What should they do while you fuel?

    1. Hold the fuel nozzle
    2. Move up to the bow
    3. Stay seated in the cabin
    4. Go ashore

  18. After hours in a canvas-enclosed cockpit with the engine idling, a passenger has a headache, nausea and feels very tired. What should you suspect?

    1. Too much sun
    2. Low blood sugar
    3. Carbon monoxide poisoning
    4. Mild seasickness only

  19. Your new fire extinguisher must show a certification mark from which organization?

    1. Canadian Hydrographic Service
    2. Environment and Climate Change Canada
    3. Canada Border Services Agency
    4. Underwriters Laboratories of Canada

Fire, fuelling and carbon monoxide: 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 ↗

Portable fire extinguishers

  • Class A: burning materials (wood, cloth, paper, rubber, plastic). Class B: burning liquids (gas, oil, grease). Class C: electrical equipment.
  • Buy an ABC-rated extinguisher. The number before the letters shows how big a fire it puts out: 10BC handles a larger fire than 5BC.
  • Must carry a certification mark from ULC, UL or USCG.
  • Halon: dangerous to people and the environment, no longer made; replace it and dispose of it safely.
  • Check pressure often. Once a month: take it out of the bracket, hold it upside down and shake hard; if you can't feel the contents move, replace it.

Fuel safely

  • Moor securely; shut off all engines; send guests ashore; put out open flames; no smoking; turn off electrical switches and devices; close windows, portholes, hatches and cabin doors.
  • Remove portable tanks from the boat before refuelling. Ground the nozzle against the filler pipe. Don't overfill. Wipe up spills, dispose of rags in an approved container.
  • Run the compartment blower at least 4 minutes right before starting a gasoline engine; check for vapours before starting.

Carbon monoxide

  • CO can't be seen, smelled or tasted; cuts off oxygen and can kill in minutes. Symptoms: headache, nausea, fatigue - easily mistaken for seasickness or flu.
  • Comes from anything burning carbon-based fuel (gasoline, propane, charcoal, oil). Doesn't rise or fall; spreads evenly through an enclosed space.
  • Idle, heat and cook only in well-ventilated areas; ventilate canvas enclosures; use marine-certified appliances; use a marine-grade CO detector and check its batteries every trip.
  • CO builds up when boats are tied together, trolling in groups, docked by a seawall, exhaust between pontoons, bow riding high, or engine/appliance running while not moving.
  • Swimmers can be overcome and drown: high-risk areas under swim platforms and between pontoons.

Reduce the risk of explosion

  • Gas vapours, leaking propane and butane are heavier than air and flow into the lower parts of the boat; very hard to remove and highly explosive.
  • Use marine appliances, qualified technicians, ventilated areas; secure portable appliances and cylinders; always watch an open-flame appliance.
  • Boats with gasoline engines or propane devices must have ignition-protected electrical devices. Converted car/truck engines: have a marine technician check ignition protection.

Reacting to a fire

  • Everyone puts on a lifejacket or PFD; use extinguishers.
  • Aim at the base of the flames, sweep side to side, keep going a few seconds after flames are out.
  • If moving, position the boat so the fire is downwind and stop the engine if safe.
  • An automatic extinguishing system does not replace the required portable extinguishers.

Pre-departure checklist (fuel)

  • Fuel rule: 1/3 to go, 1/3 to return, 1/3 reserve. Run blowers 4 minutes before starting engines.

Carbon monoxide reference card

  • Never sit, "teak surf" or hang on the back deck or swim platform while engines or generators run or the boat is under way.

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