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PCOC Boating Test overview

Boating license study guide: key rules on all 20 topics

Free PCOC Boating Test study guide: 387 key points from the Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E) in plain words, organised by topic, each topic linked to its practice questions.

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This study guide collects our notes on every topic of the Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC) Test on one page: 387 short points in our own words, grouped by topic and by handbook section. Read it from top to bottom before your first practice test, or jump to a topic from the list below.

Each topic ends with a link to its practice questions, so you can check what you just read straight away, and a link to the official chapter for the full wording. The notes summarise the Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E) from the Transport Canada, Office of Boating Safety; they do not replace it, and where our notes and the official source differ, the official source wins.

Study these notes as flashcards →

Proof of competency and age limits

Who 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.

Practise Proof of competency and age limits questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Proof of operator competency

  • Anyone operating a motorized pleasure craft must carry proof of competency on board: any length, any engine power, including small electric motors.
  • Not required on the waters of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
  • Accepted proof: Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC); proof of passing a boating safety course in Canada before April 1, 1999; a specified marine certificate; a completed rental boat safety checklist (rental period only).
  • PCOC = pass a boating safety test from a Transport Canada-accredited course provider (online, self-study or classroom options).
  • Transport Canada recommends taking a course from an accredited provider before the test.

Replacing a card

  • PCOC is good for life. Photocopy or photograph it when you get it to make replacement easier.
  • Replacement comes from the course provider that issued it; only currently accredited providers can issue replacements; they charge a fee.

Renting a boat

  • Without proof of competency you can complete the rental company's safety checklist (boat operation, equipment, local hazards).
  • Every person who will operate the boat and the rental company agent must sign it; keep it on board; valid for the rental period only.
  • Applies to rentals from a company (including boat-sharing websites); not an option for private rentals between two people.

Age and horsepower restrictions

  • Apply to anyone under 16 (not in NWT or Nunavut).
  • Under 12, not directly supervised by someone 16+: up to 7.5 kW (10 hp).
  • 12 to 15, no direct supervision: up to 30 kW (40 hp).
  • Under 16, regardless of supervision: may not operate a personal watercraft.
  • 16 or older: no horsepower restrictions.
  • Direct supervision = a person 16 or older in the boat directly supervising; the supervisor must also have proof of competency.
  • Proof of competency is needed for any motorized boat, supervised or not.

Carry your documents

  • Proof of competency, personal ID, and the pleasure craft licence (motors of 7.5 kW or more).

Licences, compliance notices and hull numbers

Pleasure 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.

Practise Licences, compliance notices and hull numbers questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Construction requirements and compliance notices

  • Small vessels with (or designed for) a motor must meet Part 7 of the Small Vessel Regulations and TP 1332E construction standards.
  • A compliance notice is required on pleasure craft under 24 m that have, or are designed to have, a motor; attached to the helm where it can be seen.
  • If you bought the boat in Canada it must have a Canadian compliance notice (other notices may also be attached).
  • Notices on boats up to 6 m (19'8") show recommended maximum safe limits: motor size (outboard boats only), number of people, total weight.
  • The craft is at capacity at the maximum number of people OR the maximum weight, whichever comes first.

Compliance notices and hull serial numbers

  • Safe limits apply only in good sea and weather conditions; reduce them in adverse conditions.
  • Fines for removing or changing a notice or attaching one with false information.
  • Built after April 29, 2010: the manufacturer/importer must provide a missing notice. Built before: ask; no fine if it can't be obtained; get a naval architect assessment for safe limits.
  • Hull serial number (HIN) required on pleasure craft made or imported into Canada after April 29, 1981, with or without motors.
  • HIN: on the outside upper starboard (right) corner of the transom, or as close as possible; 12 characters; each at least 6 mm (1/4") high and wide.

HIN formats and buying a boat

  • Optional 2-letter country code before the HIN (e.g. CA-); not part of the HIN.
  • Before buying, search the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) stolen boat database; possessing a boat obtained by crime is illegal.
  • New boat: check for HIN, Canadian compliance notice and declaration of conformity.
  • Used boat: hire a marine surveyor to check it met the requirements that applied when built.

Building a boat; licensing

  • A trailer is considered a motor vehicle: provincial/territorial requirements.
  • Building to sell: manufacturer's identification code (MIC), declaration of conformity, compliance notice, HIN.
  • Building for personal use: no compliance notice or HIN needed, but the boat must still meet construction requirements.
  • A Canadian pleasure craft can be licensed or registered, not both.
  • Pleasure Craft Licence required for pleasure craft mainly kept and operated in Canada with engines totalling 7.5 kW (10 hp) or more, unless registered; includes dinghies/tenders carried or towed, and wind-powered pleasure craft over 6 m.
  • Licence is not proof of ownership; carry it on board; number marked on both sides of the bow.
  • Valid 5 years if contact information is kept current and changes to the boat are reported.

Licence deadlines, fines and marking

  • 30 days to: get a licence number, transfer a licence into your name, report changes to contact info or boat description.
  • Fine $250 plus provincial surcharges: no valid licence/not registered, or licence not on board.
  • Applying online gives a temporary licence valid 30 days; keep it on board.
  • Updating information or cancelling a licence is free.
  • Number displayed on both sides of the bow, above the waterline, as far forward as practical, easy to see; block letters at least 7.5 cm (3") high, contrasting colour.

Vessel registration

  • Registration gives proof of ownership (legal title), the right to fly the Canadian flag, a unique name and official number, and use as security for a marine mortgage.
  • Good idea for boats going outside Canada (proof of ownership at the border).

Lifejackets and PFDs

Lifejacket types and sizes, how PFDs differ, inflatable PFD restrictions, fitting children, checking and caring for flotation devices, heaving lines, lifebuoys and reboarding devices.

Practise Lifejackets and PFDs questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Personal lifesaving appliances

  • About 90% of people who drown while boating were not wearing a lifejacket or PFD.
  • Wind, waves, cold water and injury can make it very hard or impossible to find and put one on in the water.
  • Kiteboarders and sailboarders should not wear a lifejacket/PFD with an automatic inflator (p. 14 note).

Lifejackets and PFDs

  • Lifesaving cushions are not approved safety equipment for any boat.
  • Visitors may use their own lifejackets if they fit and meet their home country's laws.
  • You must have an approved lifejacket or PFD that fits for each person on board.
  • Lifejackets: red, orange or yellow; more protection than PFDs. Three Canadian-approved types:
  • SOLAS: quickest to turn you face-up, even unconscious; sizes over / under 32 kg (70 lb).
  • Standard: slower; sizes over / under 40 kg (88 lb); keyhole.
  • Small vessel: slowest; sizes over 41 kg, 18-41 kg, under 18 kg; keyhole and vest.
  • PFDs: less protection (don't reliably roll you face-up), more comfortable, activity-specific, meant to be worn constantly.
  • High speeds: PFD with 3 or more chest belts. Cold water (under 15°C): PFD with thermal protection.
  • Attach a non-metallic, pealess whistle; choose a visible colour.
  • Inflatable PFDs: don't float until inflated, so they count as approved only when worn. Open boat: wear at all times; otherwise wear on deck or in the cockpit.
  • Inflatables not allowed: under 16, on a PWC, for high-impact activities (waterskiing, tubing, white-water). Recommended for swimmers; all have an oral inflation tube.

Inflatables in the cold; sizing exceptions

  • Near freezing an inflatable is less buoyant and inflates more slowly; in spring, fall, winter consider a non-inflatable PFD with thermal protection.
  • A device of appropriate size is not required for infants under 9 kg or people with a chest over 140 cm (55 in).
  • New shared Canada-US labels: approved in both countries; old labels: one country or the other.

Checking old devices

  • Check your PFD at least once a year (fading, straps, buckles, rips) and test that it floats you in shallow water.
  • Stop using and replace a damaged device; destroy it (remove straps, cut fabric, remove foam) before putting it in the trash.
  • Label shows weight range and chest size, approving department, approval number, testing lab.

Children

  • Child features: large collar, waist ties or elastic gathers, safety strap between the legs, buckles, reflective tape.
  • Should fit snugly, not ride up over chin or ears; more than 7.6 cm (3") between shoulders and device = too big.
  • No approved lifejackets or PFDs for infants under 9 kg (20 lb).
  • Children should wear one and be within arm's reach.
  • Fit test: fasten everything, raise arms; have someone lift at the shoulders; if the zipper touches your nose or it nearly comes off, it is too loose.

Care, heaving lines, lifebuoys, reboarding devices

  • Test float in a pool or shallow water: relax, head back, face should stay above water.
  • Ripped or poor-condition devices must not be used. Dry in open air away from direct heat/sunlight; store dry, ventilated, reachable; don't dry clean (mild soap, running water); never sit, kneel or use as a fender.
  • Buoyant heaving line: floats, good condition, one full length (no tied pieces), long enough, used only as safety equipment.
  • Lifebuoys: Transport Canada approval; at least 610 mm (24") diameter; smaller rings and horseshoe types not approved.
  • Reboarding device: transom or swim-platform ladder, or a rope used for nothing else. Never use the motor or its brackets to climb aboard.

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.

Practise Required safety equipment by boat length questionsFlashcardsOfficial 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.

Flares and visual distress signals

Rocket 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.

Practise Flares and visual distress signals questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Watertight flashlights and distress flares

  • Check flashlight batteries before every trip; it may be your only signal if you lose power.
  • Buy flares with a Transport Canada approval stamp or label. Flares are good for 4 years from the date of manufacture (stamped on each flare).
  • Store flares within reach, upright, in a cool dry place (e.g. watertight container).
  • Use flares only in an emergency when there is a chance they will be seen. Fire aerial flares at an angle into the wind; in strong wind lower the angle to 45 degrees at most.
  • Rocket parachute flare: single red flare, about 300 m (984') high, slow parachute descent, seen from ground or air, burns at least 40 seconds.
  • Multi-star flare: 2 or more red stars, about 100 m (328'), burns 4-5 seconds. Single-star types: fire 2 within 15 seconds of each other, so carry double the cartridges.
  • Hand flare: red hand-held torch; limited visibility from the ground; best for helping air searchers find you; burns at least 1 minute. Hold clear of the boat and downwind; don't look directly at it.
  • Smoke signal (buoyant or hand-held): dense orange smoke, 3 minutes (buoyant) or 50 seconds (hand-held); daylight only; position downwind.

Electronic visual distress signals and disposal

  • An eVDSD may replace a watertight flashlight or pyrotechnic flares if it meets RTCM Standard 13200.0, has an English and French label saying so, has English and French instructions/manuals, and is carried with a Transport Canada-approved smoke signal.
  • Distributors must have a flare disposal plan and accept returns of expired flares they sold.
  • To dispose of expired flares, contact the distributor.
  • Never: fire them in a non-emergency (criminal offence); soak or sink them (pollution); throw them in the garbage (explosions have injured people); drop them at Coast Guard bases, police or fire halls.

Reference card: distress signals

  • Radio: 2182 kHz (MF) or channel 16, 156.8 MHz (VHF); DSC alert on channel 70.
  • Other signals: EPIRB, distress cloth spread on cabin/deck or flown from mast, arm signal (keep raising and lowering outstretched arms), code flags N over C, a ball over or under a square, flares, dye marker, flashlight, continuous sound from a fog-signalling device, a signal gun or explosive signal at one-minute intervals.

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.

Practise Fire, fuelling and carbon monoxide questionsFlashcardsOfficial 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.

Trip planning, weather and loading

Seaworthiness 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.

Practise Trip planning, weather and loading questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Inspect your boat

  • Motor problems such as running out of fuel often lead to distress calls.
  • Using a boat you know isn't seaworthy is against the law; keep the boat, engine and equipment in good working order. Use a pre-departure checklist whether you own, rent or borrow.
  • Brief everyone on safety rules and where the equipment is; make sure at least one other person on board can operate the boat.

Monitor the weather

  • Get the latest forecast; local knowledge (topography) matters - people who know the area are the best source.
  • Summer thunderstorms strike fast: if it turns dark and cloudy and conditions change quickly, head for shore.
  • Environment and Climate Change Canada issues marine forecasts several times a day; Coast Guard broadcasts continuous forecasts on VHF weather channels: 21B and 83B (Atlantic coast and Great Lakes); 21B and WX1, WX2, WX3 (Pacific coast).
  • Wind warnings: Strong wind 20-33 knots (37-61 km/h); Gale 34-47 knots (62-87 km/h); Storm 48-63 knots (88-117 km/h); Hurricane force 64 knots or more (118 km/h+).

Make and file a sail plan

  • Sail (trip/float) plan: route and boat description. File one even for an hour or two, with someone you trust.
  • If you are late, they contact a Joint Rescue Coordination Centre.
  • On long trips file daily position reports; always report your return or arrival, or an unnecessary search may start.

Charts and publications

  • You are legally required to carry current charts and publications for the area: large-scale charts (if available), Notices to Mariners, Sailing Directions, tide and current tables, List of Lights, Buoys and Fog Signals.
  • Published by the Canadian Hydrographic Service; bought through a chart dealer.
  • May not be needed if safe navigation is not compromised AND the boat is under 100 tons AND you know the waters very well.

Avoid local hazards

  • Check charts for overhead obstacles, bridges, underwater cables; use tide tables and current atlases.
  • Stay away from swimming areas; avoid boating too close to shore; ask locals about low-head dams, rapids, local winds and currents.

Load your boat properly

  • Overloading makes the boat unstable, lets small waves aboard and limits how far it can roll.
  • Follow the recommended maximum safe limits on the compliance notice near the helm; they assume good weather and weight evenly distributed.
  • Boats over 6 m have no recommended limits on the notice but can still be overloaded.

Loading tips and courtesy checks

  • Distribute weight evenly; secure equipment; keep the load low; keep your centre of gravity low when moving.
  • Pleasure craft courtesy check: free, done by trained volunteers, education-focused, never any penalties; contact your regional Office of Boating Safety. It is not a formal assessment - you remain responsible.

Pre-departure checklist

  • Make sure the drainage plug is in place; carry spare plugs; check hull, fuel, electrical systems, steering, battery, hoses.
  • You are legally responsible for your guests: show them the safety equipment and communication equipment.

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.

Practise Rules of the road (Collision Regulations) questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Definitions

  • Power-driven vessel: propelled by machinery. Sailing vessel: under sail with any engine not in use.
  • Vessel engaged in fishing: nets, lines, trawls that restrict manoeuvrability (not trolling lines).
  • Not under command: cannot manoeuvre due to exceptional circumstance. Restricted in ability to manoeuvre: because of the nature of its work (dredging, cable laying, towing that restricts course, etc.).
  • Restricted visibility: fog, mist, falling snow, heavy rain, etc.

Look-out

  • Every vessel keeps a proper look-out by sight and hearing and all available means, at all times.

Safe speed

  • Proceed at a safe speed to take effective action and stop in time; factors include visibility, traffic, manoeuvrability, background lights, wind/sea/current, hazards, draught.

Risk of collision

  • If there is any doubt, risk of collision is deemed to exist. Risk exists if the compass bearing of an approaching vessel does not appreciably change.

Action to avoid collision

  • Action must be positive, in ample time; course/speed changes large enough to be readily apparent; avoid a succession of small changes; slow, stop or reverse if needed.

Narrow channels

  • Keep as near as safe to the outer limit of the channel on your starboard side.
  • Vessels under 20 m and sailing vessels must not impede a vessel that can safely navigate only within the channel; fishing vessels must not impede any vessel in the channel; don't cross if it impedes such a vessel; avoid anchoring in a narrow channel.

Sailing vessels

  • Wind on different sides: the vessel with the wind on its port side keeps out of the way. Same side: the windward vessel keeps clear of the leeward one.

Overtaking

  • The overtaking vessel keeps out of the way. Overtaking = coming up from more than 22.5 degrees abaft the beam (at night you would see only the sternlight). If in doubt, assume you are overtaking.

Head-on

  • Two power-driven vessels meeting head-on: each alters course to starboard and passes port to port.

Crossing

  • Two power-driven vessels crossing: the vessel that has the other on its own starboard side keeps out of the way and avoids crossing ahead.
  • Canadian modification: a vessel crossing a river keeps out of the way of a power-driven vessel going up or down the river (except St. Lawrence seaward of Ile Rouge).

Give-way and stand-on

  • Give-way vessel: early and substantial action to keep well clear.
  • Stand-on vessel keeps course and speed; may act alone once it is apparent the give-way vessel isn't acting; must act if collision can't be avoided by the give-way vessel alone.

Responsibilities between vessels

  • Power-driven vessel underway keeps out of the way of: not under command, restricted in ability to manoeuvre, engaged in fishing, sailing vessel.
  • Sailing vessel keeps out of the way of: not under command, restricted, engaged in fishing.
  • Fishing vessel keeps out of the way of: not under command, restricted.
  • Seaplane on the water keeps well clear of all vessels in general.

Restricted visibility

  • Safe speed for conditions; power-driven vessels have engines ready for immediate manoeuvre.
  • Hearing a fog signal apparently forward of the beam: reduce to minimum steerage speed, take all way off if needed, navigate with extreme caution.

Sound signals

Short 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.

Practise Sound signals questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Definitions

  • Short blast: about 1 second. Prolonged blast: 4 to 6 seconds.

Equipment

  • 12 m or more: whistle. 20 m or more: bell as well. 100 m or more: gong as well.
  • Under 12 m: not obliged to carry these, but must have some other means of making an efficient sound signal.

Manoeuvring and warning signals (vessels in sight of one another)

  • Power-driven vessel manoeuvring: 1 short = altering course to starboard; 2 short = altering course to port; 3 short = operating astern propulsion. May be supplemented by light flashes.
  • At least 5 short and rapid blasts = doubt about the other vessel's intentions or whether it is taking enough action (guide: "Get out of the way now!").
  • Nearing a bend or obstruction in a channel: 1 prolonged blast, answered by a prolonged blast.
  • Great Lakes Basin modification (meeting/crossing within half a mile): 1 short = "I intend to leave you on my port side"; 2 short = "I intend to leave you on my starboard side"; 3 short = astern propulsion.
  • Canadian inland waters: power-driven vessel 12 m+ leaving a dock gives 1 prolonged blast.

Sound signals in restricted visibility

  • Power-driven vessel making way: 1 prolonged blast at intervals of not more than 2 minutes.
  • Power-driven vessel underway but stopped (not making way): 2 prolonged blasts, about 2 seconds apart, every 2 minutes or less.
  • Not under command, restricted, constrained by draught, sailing, fishing, towing/pushing: 1 prolonged + 2 short every 2 minutes or less.
  • Manned towed vessel: 1 prolonged + 3 short.
  • At anchor: ring the bell rapidly about 5 seconds at intervals of not more than 1 minute.
  • Vessels under 12 m need not give these signals but must make some other efficient sound signal at intervals of not more than 2 minutes.

Lateral buoys and daybeacons

Port and starboard hand buoys and the upstream rule, bifurcation, fairway and isolated danger buoys, and port, starboard and junction daybeacons.

Practise Lateral buoys and daybeacons questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Lateral buoys (reference card TP 14541)

  • Port hand buoys are green: green can, green pillar, green spar. Keep on your port (left) side when going upstream.
  • Starboard hand buoys are red: red conical, red pillar, red spar. Keep on your starboard (right) side when going upstream.
  • Heading downstream the sides reverse (the rule is stated for the upstream direction).
  • Bifurcation buoy (red and green bands): may be passed on either side when going upstream; the colour of the top band shows the main or preferred channel (e.g. red top: keep it on your starboard side).
  • Fairway buoy: marks safe water at landfalls, channel entrances or channel centres; may be passed on either side but should be kept to port in either direction.
  • Isolated danger buoy: marks a small isolated danger (small shoal, wreck) with navigable water all around; check the chart for size and depth.

Standard daybeacons

  • Port hand daybeacon: going upstream, keep it on your port (left) side.
  • Starboard hand daybeacon: going upstream, keep it on your starboard (right) side.
  • Junction daybeacon, preferred channel to the right: the channel divides; to take the right-hand channel keep it on your port (left) side.
  • Junction daybeacon, preferred channel to the left: to take the left-hand channel keep it on your starboard (right) side.

Cardinal and special buoys

Cardinal buoy colours, topmarks and lights, and the special buoys: cautionary, anchorage, information, hazard, keep out, scientific (ODAS), diving, mooring, control and swimming.

Practise Cardinal and special buoys questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Cardinal buoys (reference card TP 14542)

  • Yellow and black. White lights (flash characters) if equipped.
  • The points of the 2 topmark cones show where to find safe water; the cones also show where the black bands are on the buoy.
  • Lettered, no numbers. White retroreflective material.
  • Four buoys: North, East, South, West.

Special buoys

  • Shapes have no special meaning. May be lettered, no numbers.
  • Cautionary, scientific (ODAS) and anchorage buoys may show a yellow "X" topmark.
  • Yellow lights (if equipped). Retroreflective material the same colour as the markings; white buoys show yellow material.
  • Cautionary: dangers such as firing ranges, underwater pipelines, race courses, seaplane bases, areas with no through channel.
  • Anchorage: outer limits of designated anchorage areas; check the chart for depth.
  • Information: information such as locality, marina, campsite inside an orange square.
  • Hazard: random hazards such as shoals and rocks; information inside an orange diamond.
  • Keep out: areas your vessel may not enter.
  • Scientific (ODAS - ocean data acquisition system): collects weather and other scientific data.
  • Diving: scuba or similar diving in progress; not normally charted.
  • Mooring: for mooring or securing vessels; a vessel may be tied to it.
  • Control: obey the speed limit, wash restriction, etc. shown inside the orange circle.
  • Swimming: outer limits of a swimming area; may not be charted.

Buoy numbers, tops, lights and markings

How 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.

Practise Buoy numbers, tops, lights and markings questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Buoy selection and classifications

  • Small craft / low traffic areas usually need only port (green), starboard (red) and cautionary (yellow) buoys.
  • In uncharted waters or lakes where "upstream" is hard to identify, cardinal buoys may be best.
  • Six lateral types: port hand, starboard hand, port bifurcation, starboard bifurcation, fairway, isolated danger. They show the side on which they can be safely passed.
  • Four cardinal buoys (North, South, East, West): show where the safest or deepest water is by compass point.
  • Special buoys give information not primarily meant for navigation.

Size, PRIV marking, material

  • Minimum above-water size 15.25 cm (6") wide and 30.5 cm (12") high.
  • "PRIV" on two opposite sides (white on red/green/black, black on white/yellow) plus the owner's name, address and phone number.
  • Don't use steel drums, barrels, propane cylinders, bleach bottles or jugs as buoys.

Lights and retroreflective material

  • Lighted private buoys show their light continuously in darkness and poor visibility.
  • Lateral buoys: retroreflective material the same colour as the light (green port, red starboard).
  • Special buoys (cautionary, control, hazard, information, keep out, mooring, swimming): yellow light, yellow retroreflective material; orange material added to orange symbols.

Owner responsibilities

  • Owners must keep buoys in position and in good order and may be held liable for accidents involving their buoy.

Figures 1-9

  • Port buoy: green, letters and ODD numbers, flat top if unlighted, green light. Marks the left side of a channel or a danger kept on your left going upstream.
  • Starboard buoy: red, letters and EVEN numbers, pointed (conical) top if unlighted, red light. Kept on your right going upstream.
  • Cautionary buoy: yellow; warns of aquaculture, firing ranges, racing courses, seaplane bases, underwater structures, no safe through passage, traffic separation; yellow X topmark if any.
  • Hazard buoy: white with an open orange diamond on two sides and two orange bands; marks rocks, shoals, turbulent water.
  • Swimming buoy: white; marks the perimeter of a swimming area.
  • Information buoy: white with an open orange square; black words or symbols (marina entrance, campsite).
  • Mooring buoy: white with orange covering the top third.
  • Control buoy: white with an open orange circle; a black symbol inside shows the restriction under the VORR.
  • Keep out buoy: white with an orange diamond containing an orange cross; all vessels prohibited from the area.

Speed, wake, noise and local restrictions

Choosing 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.

Practise Speed, wake, noise and local restrictions questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Avoid dangerous behaviours; safe speed

  • Never spray swimmers, cut in front of vessels or jump other boats' wakes; many bad incidents come from misjudging speed and distance.
  • A safe speed depends on: ability to see ahead (slow is the only safe speed in fog, mist, rain, smoke, darkness); current, wind and water; how fast the boat can change direction; number and type of nearby vessels; hazards like rocks and stumps.
  • Be very careful entering or leaving fog banks or smoke.

Wake and engine noise

  • Wake can damage vessels, docks and shoreline and endanger swimmers, divers and small boats; you are responsible for damage or harm you cause.
  • Every motorized boat other than a stock (unmodified) outboard must have and use a muffler within 5 nautical miles (9.26 km) of shore.
  • Exceptions: boats built before January 1, 1960; official competition; formal training or final preparation for one. (Small Vessel Regulations s. 1000.)

Local boating restrictions

  • Restrictions (power boat bans, engine power limits, speed limits, towing bans) are listed in the Schedules of the Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations; local authorities implement them.
  • Province-wide shoreline limit: 10 km/h within 30 m (98'5") of shore on all waters in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and the inland waters of British Columbia and Nova Scotia; applies whether posted or not.
  • Exceptions: recreational towing travelling at a 90-degree angle from shore; rivers under 100 m wide, canals and buoyed channels; waters with another speed limit under VORR Schedule 6 or the Canada Marine Act.
  • Restriction signs use symbols in 5 shapes, often framed in orange; a green border on part of a symbol = special condition applies; arrow-shaped = applies in the direction of the arrow.

Marine mammals and protected areas

  • Illegal to disturb marine mammals: no feeding, swimming with, luring, separating from group or calf, trapping against shore or vessels, tagging, chasing or harassing.
  • Minimum distance of 100 m or more (further for some species in some areas); getting too close can bring Fisheries Act charges with fines up to $100,000.
  • Watch with binoculars; move away slowly at signs of agitation; stop fishing but don't haul up gear.
  • Marine Protected Areas cover around 6% of Canada's marine and coastal areas; follow their restrictions.

Sharing the water and local hazards

Large 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.

Practise Sharing the water and local hazards questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Give other boats plenty of space

  • Keep constant watch; large vessels have trouble seeing you, travel faster than you think and take longer to stop; they have a blind spot ahead.
  • Stay out of shipping lanes; be ready to stop, slow down and yield; never block or cross in front of large vessels or go between a tug and its tow; radar reflector at least 4 m above water when possible.

Tugs and towing vessels

  • Tow lines are often just below the surface and nearly invisible; never pass between a tug and its tow - a small boat hitting the line can capsize and be run down. Give tugs and tows space in all directions.

Divers below the surface

  • Dive boats display the blue and white Code Flag Alpha; a red flag with a white diagonal stripe on a buoy may mark a diving area; divers may stray from marked areas.
  • Reduce speed and keep at least 100 m (328') from the flag. If the waterway is too small: slow as much as possible, proceed with caution, keep clear of the vessel and site.
  • When diving from your boat, display the flags and stay within 100 m of your flag.

Seaplanes

  • Collision Regulations apply to seaplanes on the water. Rule 5 lookout; Rule 7 risk of collision; Rule 8 early action even if you have the right of way.
  • Landing and taking off, seaplanes can't alter course or keep out of the way; you must change course and reduce speed. Avoid aerodromes shown on charts.

Dams and weirs

  • Never boat, swim or fish near a dam or weir. Low-head dams create circulating currents that pull people under and trap them against the dam; the water often looks calm.
  • Find out about dams in advance; signs or barriers may be missing; portage or turn around well before the dam.
  • If someone is in trouble: don't enter the area, call 911, toss a rope or bag from a safe distance or shore.

Power lines

  • Contact with a line or its invisible electric arc zone can kill. Know your boat's height (including mast gear) and chart clearances; lines are harder to see at night; lower the mast when trailering.

Historic canals and locks

  • Carry enough mooring lines and fenders.
  • Canal rules: no excessive noise 11 pm-6 am; no fishing within 10 m (32'10") of a lock, from an approach wharf or from a bridge over the channel; no diving, jumping or swimming in a navigation channel or within 40 m (131') of a lock gate or dam; no waterskiing or towing in a navigation channel or within 100 m (328'1") of a lock structure; no mooring to a navigation aid.
  • Locks: blue line on the wharf = where to wait; green light = go ahead (at many stations); enter at no more than 10 km/h with people at bow and stern with lines; loop lines around drop cables, not to them; never leave lines unattended; switch off engines and generator, no flames or smoking, bilge blower on; restart only when staff say so; exit slowly in order.
  • St. Lawrence Seaway locks: not allowed for boats under 6 m (20'), under 900 kg (1 ton), or sailboats under sail; larger pleasure craft pay tolls and expect delays.

PWC, towing and paddling

Personal 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.

Practise PWC, towing and paddling questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Personal watercraft (PWC)

  • PWC operators must be at least 16, with proof of competency and proof of age on board. Under 16 may not operate a PWC even if directly supervised.
  • Most PWC need power to steer: if the engine idles or shuts off you may lose all steering and keep going straight. PWC have no brakes - leave room to stop.
  • Make sure anyone borrowing your PWC can operate it safely.
  • Wear a Canadian-approved lifejacket or PFD (no inflatables), bright colour; thermal protection in water under 15°C; read the owner's manual.
  • Attach the engine shut-off switch (lanyard) to your wrist, lifejacket or PFD.
  • Respect speed limits and neighbours (noise); stay alert for swimmers, skiers, divers.
  • Don't ride after dark or in poor visibility unless the PWC has proper navigation lights. Be licensed and marked.
  • Environment: avoid high speed near shore; ride in water at least 76 cm (30") deep; never beach in grasses and reeds; fuel on land when possible; don't chase wildlife.
  • Don't start if you smell gasoline or fumes in the engine compartment - have it checked. Replace the engine cover or seat before starting.

Waterskiing and recreational towing

  • Rules cover waterskiing, barefoot skiing, tubing, kneeboarding, parasailing.
  • A spotter on board must watch each person towed and be able to communicate with the operator.
  • An empty seat on the boat for each person being towed.
  • A PWC used for towing must be designed to carry 3 or more people.
  • If the person towed isn't wearing a lifejacket/PFD, carry one on board for them.
  • No towing when visibility is poor or more than one hour after sunset. No towing with remote-controlled boats.
  • Check VORR schedules for local towing restrictions. Some rules relaxed for governing-body competitions, training, skill demos.

Kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, fishing and hunting

  • Kayaking: bright lifejacket and kayak; signalling devices within reach; ocean: temperature, tides, currents, wind, traffic.
  • SUP: always wear a lifejacket or PFD; the leash is not a replacement. Prefer a quick-release or auto-fail leash at the waist; ankle/leg leash only on flat, calm water. On rivers and moving water a leash can snag and drown you - use a waist leash with a quick release reachable with both hands.
  • Always paddle with a buddy; never paddle in flood waters; scout hazards and walk around them; know your limits; Transport Canada recommends a learn-to-paddle course.
  • Fishing/hunting: wear a lifejacket; carry required equipment; avoid overloading; never boat after drinking or drugs; learn about hypothermia and cold shock; file a sail plan; loved ones call 911 if you don't return on time.

Impaired boating, fines and visitors

Impaired 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.

Practise Impaired boating, fines and visitors questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Impaired boating

  • Boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal. The Criminal Code bans boating while impaired by alcohol, drugs or both; penalties range from a mandatory minimum fine to life in prison.
  • Fatigue, sun, wind and boat motion dull your senses; alcohol and drugs intensify the effect (fine motor skills, judgement).
  • You are responsible for the safety of your guests and other waterway users.
  • Having more than the legal level of alcohol, THC or other impairing drugs in your blood within 2 hours of boating is an offence.
  • Penalties depend on concentration, first or repeat offence, and whether someone was harmed, injured or killed.
  • A first conviction can bring fines, boating AND driving bans, seizure of your boat or vehicle, and jail.
  • When a boater is considered impaired, and penalties, follow provincial/territorial driving laws; provinces also regulate transporting, consuming and possessing alcohol and drugs.

Be ready to comply; offences and fines

  • RCMP, provincial and municipal police and other authorities enforce boating laws: equipment, operator card, licence, careless boating.
  • Contraventions fines (before provincial surcharges): PWC operated by someone under 16 $100; allowing someone under 16 to operate a PWC $250; no proof of competency on board $250; unlicensed pleasure craft $250; altering/defacing/removing HIN $350; careless operation $350; safety equipment in poor order or not accessible $200; human-powered craft without fitted PFDs/lifejackets $200 plus $100 for each missing; no working muffler $250; towing without a seat for each person towed $250; towing without a spotter $250; towing a wakesurfer where banned $300; operating in an unsafe way $500.

Owner fines, non-ticketing provinces, visitors

  • Some offences fine both operator and owner, e.g. letting someone under 16 use your PWC, equipment not in good order, unlicensed craft.
  • Alberta, Saskatchewan and the territories haven't signed the Contraventions Act: no tickets; you go to court and can be fined up to $25,000 per offence under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001.
  • Visitors must have proof of residence on board at all times.
  • Non-resident on own boat less than 45 consecutive days: no proof of competency needed. More than 45 days on own boat, or on a Canadian licensed/registered boat: operator card or similar proof from home state/country.
  • Safety equipment: boat licensed/registered abroad follows the rules of the country where it is usually kept; Canadian boat needs Canadian equipment (visitors may use their own fitting lifejacket that meets home rules).

Marine radio and distress calls

VHF 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.

Practise Marine radio and distress calls questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Marine radio communications

  • GMDSS equipment (VHF/MF/HF-DSC radios, EPIRBs, NAVTEX, Inmarsat) relays distress alerts; not required on pleasure craft but a good idea; connect to GPS so the position is sent automatically.
  • Marine VHF is generally the best way to send a distress alert; keep it tuned to channel 16; know where you are.
  • All VHF marine radio operators must hold a Restricted Operator Certificate - Maritime (ROC-M); delegated by ISED to the Canadian Power and Sail Squadron in 2000.
  • Buy a VHF with Digital Selective Calling (DSC) on channel 70 for automatic digital distress alerts.
  • Table 12: Channel 16 emergency/distress; 21B, 23B, 25B, 28B, 83B Continuous Marine Broadcast; 68 general channel for recreational boaters; 70 DSC only, voice prohibited; WX1-WX3 weather.

Channel use, MMSI, cell phones, EPIRBs, distress signals

  • Channel 16 only for emergency and calling; after contact switch to a working channel. Channel 70: digital only.
  • MMSI: 9-digit number identifying your vessel, programmed into the radio. MI: 9-digit number identifying you as an individual (portable radio). Both from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.
  • *16 on a cell phone may reach Coast Guard MCTS but is not a substitute: phones lose reception, fail when wet, don't alert nearby vessels, can't be homed in on, *16 service is limited.
  • EPIRBs transmit for hours, manual or float-free; only 406 MHz beacons work; replace 121.5/243 MHz units; register with the Canadian Beacon Registry.
  • When you see a distress signal you are legally required to help if you can without risking your life or boat, and to notify the nearest JRCC when possible.
  • False distress signals are illegal (Criminal Code).

MCTS and GPS

  • MCTS broadcasts Notices to Shipping, weather and ice conditions; listen to VTS frequencies near VTS areas.
  • GPS accurate to about 10 m; keep charts in case it fails; use a marine GPS, not automotive.

In an emergency; radio terms

  • Stay calm; everyone puts on a lifejacket; assess; bail if flooding; make a distress call.
  • Mayday: immediate danger to life (life-threatening medical emergency, sinking, fire).
  • Pan-Pan: urgent but not life-threatening (non-life-threatening medical, lost navigation lights, lost power drifting toward a shipping lane).
  • Securite: used by authorities for general safety information (navigation hazard, large ship entering a narrow channel).
  • Mayday call: "Mayday" 3 times, boat name 3 times and call letters once; then location, nature of emergency, help needed, number aboard and injuries, boat description and seaworthiness; wait, repeat. DSC: press the distress button.
  • Keep a laminated script near the radio.

False alerts and hearing a distress call

  • Accidental DSC alert: switch unit off and on, select channel 16, broadcast boat name and MMSI, state you are cancelling the false alert with date and time.
  • Hearing a distress call: respond immediately; you must help if you can without endangering yourself or others; may go to the boat, communicate, relay messages - but don't interfere if the boat is talking directly to search and rescue.

Distress signals card

  • Distress radio frequencies: 2182 kHz (MF) and channel 16, 156.8 MHz (VHF).

Person overboard and cold water

Recovering 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.

Practise Person overboard and cold water questionsFlashcardsOfficial chapter

Falling overboard

  • Falling overboard is one of the main ways people die in recreational boating in Canada; wearing a lifejacket cuts the risk.
  • Causes: waves, slippery decks, sudden sharp turns, collisions. A quick-release harness and safety line can help.
  • If someone falls overboard: sound the alarm; slow down and stop if possible; throw something that floats (also marks the spot); assign one person to watch the person constantly; position the boat carefully; recover with a floating heavy line or a lifebuoy on a line; bring the person aboard on the windward side.
  • During recovery turns: go slow, know where the person is, keep the propeller far away.
  • Anderson (single) turn: fastest; calm water, good visibility. Reduce speed, rudder hard over toward the victim, turn about 250 degrees (about 2/3 of a circle), approach with the victim ahead of the propellers, engine in neutral to recover.
  • Williamson turn: delayed response or poor visibility (night, waves). Rudder hard over toward the victim's side; after 60 degrees off course, hard over to the opposite side; 20 degrees short of the opposite course, rudder midships; come upwind of the person; stop alongside in neutral.

Reboarding and cold water

  • Reboarding device needed if the climb is more than 0.5 m (1'8"); may be a ladder, lifting harness, rope, chain or cable - not part of the motor; a rope used for reboarding can't be used for anything else.
  • About 94% of Canadian boaters who drown were in water under 20°C.
  • 1-10-1 Principle: 1 minute cold shock (sudden gasp, hyperventilation 600-1000% faster than normal) - keep airway clear, stay calm, slow your breathing. Even strong swimmers suffer cold shock.

Cold incapacitation and hypothermia

  • About 10 minutes cold incapacitation: lose meaningful movement of arms, legs, fingers; focus on self-rescue or keep airway out of the water; without a lifejacket you will likely drown. Putting on a lifejacket in the water is very hard.
  • About 1 hour to lose consciousness from hypothermia, even in ice water. Hypothermia = body temperature below 35°C.
  • Signs: shivering, slurred speech, weak irregular pulse, slow shallow breathing, clumsiness, odd behaviour, confusion or sleepiness, stopped breathing, unconsciousness.
  • Prevent: don't overload, avoid falling overboard, wear your lifejacket.
  • In the water: save energy and heat; swim only to join others or reach safety; don't swim to keep warm; climb onto floating objects.
  • H.E.L.P. (heat escape lessening position): arms crossed tight against chest, knees drawn up. Huddle: chests close together, arms around each other's backs, legs intertwined.
  • Spring/fall/winter: light dry layers plus water/windproof outer layer under the lifejacket; consider floater/survival suits, dry suits, wet suits, immersion suits.

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.

Practise Protecting the water questionsFlashcardsOfficial 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.

Written in our own words from: Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E)

FAQ

PCOC Boating Test study guide: common questions

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