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PCOC Boating Test: Required safety equipment by boat length

Minimum 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.

  • 23 questions
  • Topic drill
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Required safety equipment by boat length · Question 1Score 0/0

How many flares must a pleasure craft between 9 m and 24 m carry, along with a watertight flashlight?

Study reference: Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E, 03/2026), Ch. Getting started — Safety equipment requirements, pp. 13–17, 25–27, 31

All 23 questions in this test

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

  1. How many flares must a pleasure craft between 9 m and 24 m carry, along with a watertight flashlight?

    1. 6, of which 2 may be smoke
    2. 24, of which 12 may be smoke
    3. 12, of which up to 6 may be smoke
    4. 3, of which 1 may be smoke

  2. Your 7 m sailboat always stays within sight of navigation marks. Is a magnetic compass required?

    1. No; 8 m or less in sight of marks is exempt
    2. Yes, every sailboat needs one
    3. Only if it sails at night
    4. Yes, every boat over 6 m needs one

  3. When are navigation lights required on a pleasure craft?

    1. Only when anchored overnight
    2. Sunset to sunrise and in low visibility
    3. Only when you are over 1 mile from shore
    4. Only on boats over 12 m

  4. What fire extinguisher does a motorized 10 m cruiser need?

    1. A 5BC extinguisher
    2. A halon system
    3. No extinguisher
    4. A 10BC extinguisher

  5. Which of these counts as a manual propelling device?

    1. A second outboard motor
    2. A paddle
    3. A spare fuel tank
    4. A spare spark plug

  6. Everyone on your stand-up paddleboard outing is wearing a properly sized PFD. What else must each board carry in daylight?

    1. Three flares
    2. A bailer
    3. A 15 m buoyant heaving line
    4. A sound-signalling device

  7. When is a reboarding device required?

    1. Only on boats over 9 m
    2. When the climb back aboard is over 0.5 m
    3. Only for swimmers under 16
    4. Whenever the boat has an outboard

  8. Which anchor type is meant only for semi-permanent moorings?

    1. Plow (CQR) anchor
    2. Folding grapple
    3. Mushroom anchor
    4. Claw (Bruce) anchor

  9. You have a 5.5 m runabout with an outboard motor. Which visual signal option meets the minimum requirement?

    1. Only a whistle
    2. A fully charged phone with a flashlight app
    3. 6 flares, no flashlight
    4. A watertight flashlight or 3 flares

  10. Your 4.5 m outboard boat has a built-in (fixed) fuel tank. What fire fighting equipment does it need?

    1. None, because it is under 6 m
    2. An axe and two buckets
    3. One 5BC fire extinguisher
    4. One 10BC fire extinguisher

  11. Which of these is illegal to operate in Canada?

    1. A stand-up paddleboard
    2. A remote-controlled vessel
    3. An airboat used for fun
    4. A kiteboard

  12. What is the minimum length of the buoyant heaving line required on pleasure craft up to 24 m?

    1. 15 m (49 ft 3 in)
    2. 10 m (32 ft 10 in)
    3. 5 m (16 ft 5 in)
    4. 30 m (98 ft 5 in)

  13. What must an approved bailer be like?

    1. At least 750 ml with a 9 cm opening
    2. Any bucket made of fabric
    3. At least 4 L with a sealed lid
    4. At least 250 ml, any opening

  14. Instead of a manual propelling device, what may a 5 m motorboat carry?

    1. A second set of flares in a watertight case
    2. An anchor with at least 15 m of line
    3. A spare propeller
    4. An extra lifejacket

  15. What is the right way to set an anchor?

    1. Throw it as far as you can
    2. Lower it gently from the bow
    3. Drop it while moving at speed
    4. Drop it from the stern

  16. You boat only on a small lake where you can never be more than 1 nautical mile from shore. What is true about flares?

    1. Flares are not required
    2. You still need 3 flares
    3. You need smoke signals only
    4. You need 6 flares at night

  17. Your boat carries a working VHF marine radio. How does this affect the number of flares you must carry?

    1. It doubles
    2. It does not change
    3. It can be cut by half
    4. Flares are no longer needed

  18. How do you measure your boat's length to work out what safety equipment it needs?

    1. Bow to the tip of the outboard motor
    2. Bow to transom, not counting the outboard
    3. Waterline length with people aboard
    4. The widest point across the beam

  19. You are anchoring in moderate to rough seas in 6 m of water. About how much anchor line should you let out?

    1. About 18 m
    2. About 6 m
    3. About 30 m
    4. About 60 m

  20. Where should a radar reflector be mounted, if possible?

    1. On the bow, just above the waterline
    2. Above the superstructure, 4 m above water
    3. On the transom beside the motor
    4. Inside the cabin near the radio

  21. A boat over 20 m must have a fitted whistle and what other sound appliance?

    1. A gong
    2. A foghorn app
    3. A bell
    4. A siren

  22. Your 8 m power boat has no electronic distress signal device. Which visual signals must it carry?

    1. Only a sound-signalling device
    2. 12 flares and a flashlight
    3. A watertight flashlight and 6 flares
    4. A watertight flashlight or 3 flares

  23. Which item can serve as the sound-signalling device on a boat under 12 m?

    1. A metal pot and spoon
    2. A cell phone ringtone
    3. A pealess whistle
    4. A flashlight

Required safety equipment by boat length: 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 ↗

Safety equipment requirements

  • Equipment must be in good working order, easy to reach, maintained/replaced per the manufacturer; tell guests where it is and how to use it.
  • Required equipment depends on boat type and length. Hull length: from the point of the bow in a straight line to the transom, excluding bowsprits, outboard motors and other appendages.
  • Rules apply whether you own, rent or borrow; include sailboats, airboats, hovercraft, kiteboards, paddleboards, flyboards used for recreation.
  • Inflatable water toys (tubes, inflatable animals) are not covered, but if used in open water they are treated as pleasure craft.
  • Remote-controlled vessels and propeller-driven surfboard-type vessels are illegal in Canada.

Table 4: human-powered and paddle craft

  • Paddleboats, watercycles, sealed-hull/sit-on-top kayaks, stand-up paddleboards: lifejacket/PFD each, reboarding device, 15 m buoyant heaving line; BUT if everyone wears a properly sized lifejacket/PFD, only a sound-signalling device and (after sunset, before sunrise, low visibility) a watertight flashlight are required.
  • Canoes, kayaks, rowboats, rowing shells: lifejacket/PFD each, reboarding device, 15 m heaving line, sound-signalling device; over 6 m: flashlight + 6 flares (max 2 smoke) or eVDSD + smoke signal; bailer or manual bilge pump.

Table 4: PWC and boats up to 9 m

  • Sail and power boats up to 6 m: lifejacket each, reboarding device, 15 m heaving line; if motorized: watertight flashlight OR 3 flares (max 1 smoke) OR eVDSD + smoke; manual propelling device OR anchor with at least 15 m of cable/rope/chain; bailer or manual bilge pump; sound-signalling device; navigation lights; compass; radar reflector (see notes). 5BC extinguisher if inboard engine, fixed fuel tank of any size, or fuel-burning cooking/heating/refrigerating appliance.
  • 6 m to 9 m: lifejacket each, reboarding device, 15 m heaving line or lifebuoy on 15 m line; watertight flashlight AND 6 flares (max 2 smoke) or eVDSD + smoke; manual propelling device or anchor + 15 m; bailer or pump; 5BC if motorized; 5BC if fuel-burning appliance.

Table 4: boats over 9 m

  • 9 m to 12 m: also a lifebuoy on a 15 m line; flashlight AND 12 flares (max 6 smoke) or eVDSD + smoke; anchor with at least 30 m; manual bilge pump or bilge-pumping arrangements; 10BC if motorized; 10BC if fuel-burning appliance.
  • 12 m to 24 m: anchor with at least 50 m; bilge-pumping arrangements; sound: 1 device under 20 m, 2 meeting Collision Regulations over 20 m; 10BC at each fuel-appliance space, accommodation entrance and machinery space entrance; 1 axe; 2 buckets of at least 10 L.
  • Over 24 m: 30 m heaving line, lifting harness, 2 SOLAS lifebuoys (one on a 30 m line, one with a self-igniting light); power-driven fire pump; 2 axes; 4 buckets.

Notes about minimum safety equipment

  • Reboarding device required only if the climb from the water is more than 0.5 m (1'8").
  • Old flare names: A = rocket parachute, B = multi-star, C = hand, D = smoke.
  • Flares not required on a river, canal or lake where you can never be more than 1 nautical mile (1.852 km) from shore, or for boats with no sleeping quarters in/preparing for an official competition.
  • Flare numbers can be cut by 50% (smoke signals still no more than half the listed amount) if the boat has a two-way communication device (VHF, satellite phone, cell phone in coverage), a 406 MHz PLB worn by the operator, or a 406 MHz EPIRB.
  • Bailer/pump not required if the boat can't hold enough water to capsize, or has sealed hard-to-access watertight compartments.
  • Navigation lights needed only after sunset, before sunrise or in low visibility.
  • Compass not required on boats 8 m (26'3") or less used within sight of navigation marks.
  • Radar reflector required for boats under 20 m built mostly of non-metallic materials; exceptions for limited traffic, daylight and good weather, or where impossible to install/use.

Manual propelling devices and anchors

  • Manual propelling device: oars, a paddle, anything worked by hand or foot (including the rudder of a small open sailboat or a paddle wheel).
  • A dragging anchor lets the boat drift or run aground.

Anchors and bailers

  • Plow (CQR): sand, mud, rock, coral, weeds. Claw (Bruce): rock, weeds, coral, sand. Pivoting-fluke (Danforth): sand and soft mud. Folding grapple: dinghies and small boats. Mushroom: semi-permanent moorings only.
  • Line length guide: calm 3 x depth; moderate to rough 5 x depth; extreme 7 x depth.
  • Lower the anchor gently, never throw it; always drop it from the bow (risk of swamping).
  • Bailer: holds at least 750 ml, opening at least 9 cm (3.5") diameter, plastic or metal.

Bilge pumps and sound signals

  • A 4 L rigid plastic bottle can be made into a bailer.
  • Manual bilge pump hose must reach the bilge and discharge over the side.
  • Boats under 12 m without a fitted sound-signalling appliance carry a device: pealess whistle, compressed air horn or electric horn.
  • Boats 12 m or longer: fitted whistle. Over 20 m: also a bell.

Radar reflectors

  • Buy the biggest that fits; mount above all superstructure and at least 4 m above the water if possible.

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