eShine Boat Care

Required Boat Equipment in Canada

This summary of federal regulations is provided as a convenience ONLY. Please use the official Government Links to the Small Vessel Regulations and refer to the latest "Safe Boating Guide" for details.

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Small Vessel Regulations requires equipment carried on board be in good working order, maintained according to the manufacturer's instructions, and available immediately, in case of emergency.

Equipment is required for most boats - even when rowing a small dinghy near shore. You can be charged up to $200 for each safety item you don't have on board! Please read notes at the bottom.

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Rowboat, canoe, kayak up to 6 metres in length (19'8")

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Personal Watercraft PWC

Up to 6 metres in length (19'8")

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This summary of federal regulations is provided as a convenience ONLY. Please use the official Government Links to the Small Vessel Regulations and refer to the latest "Safe Boating Guide" for details.

6 - 9 metres in length (19'8"-29'6")

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9 - 12 metres in length (29'6"-39'4")

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This summary of federal regulations is provided as a convenience ONLY. Please use the official Government Links to the Small Vessel Regulations and refer to the latest "Safe Boating Guide" for details.

12 - 24 metres in length (39'4"-78'9")

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More than 24 m in length (more than 78'9")

"Buy a Boat with Confidence" - by Doug Dawson
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This summary of federal regulations is provided as a convenience ONLY. Please use the official Government Links to the Small Vessel Regulations and refer to the latest "Safe Boating Guide" for details.

BoaterExam.com for your operator's card

Canadian Red Cross studies show that nearly 90% of drowning victims were not wearing a lifejacket or PFD. Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death for Canadians under 44, and the leading cause of preventable death among toddlers. Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental death among Ontario children under five (statistics).

Equipment Notes

Equipment Details are in the "Safe Boating Guide".

Lifejackets and PFDs (personal floatation devices) must be Canadian government approved and properly sized for each person on board.

Anchor "rode" can be cable, rope or chain.

Manual pumps require enough hose to pump water overboard, but are not required for a self-bailing sealed hull sailboat that cannot contain enough water to make the vessel capsize or a multi-hull vessel that has subdivided multiple-sealed hull construction.

Reboarding devices are usually a ladder and are not required if the boat's freeboard (distance from water to top edge of the hull) is less than 0.5 metres (1'8").

Navigation lights must comply with Collision Regulations, and are not required on some boat types if operated during daylight in good visibility.

Magnetic compass is not required on boats 8 m or less and within sight of navigation marks.

Head: In most provinces in Canada, if you have a head on board, it must be permanently installed in the boat and equipped for proper pump out (this includes porta-potties).

Horseshoe buoy and Rescue Stick(tm) do NOT fulfil Canadian safety requirements, but certainly can be useful in an emergency.

Flares must be Canadian approved and not beyond the expiry date. Flares are valid for 3 1/2 years from date of manufacture.

Type of Flares:
Type A: Parachute flares (burns for at least 40 seconds)
Type B: Multi-Star flares (burns 4 to 5 seconds).
Type C: Hand held flares.
Type D: Hand held or buoyant smoke flare (day use only).

Outdated flares are often useable if kept dry and not exposed to extreme temperatures. Dispose of old flares safely if you do not wish to keep them (they work for a long time if stored properly). Please call police, fire department or Coast Guard for help.

All these regulations are for minimum equipment on board a vessel. You are encouraged to add equipment to your boat for additional safety.

For example: a compass, charts, spotlight, first aid kit, medical kit, tool kit, 7x50 binoculars, 200 feet of anchor line with 30' of chain (or all chain if you have a windlass), extra anchors, 3A-40BC fire extinguishers, battery-operated carbon monoxide detectors, life-raft, jacklines, safety harness, handholds, 'man-overboard-pole', VHF radio, depth sounder, knotmeter, hand compass, GPS, Loran-C, etc. (Check out our list of navigation tools and techniques and E-charts.)

Boats under 20 m (65') and non-metal craft should carry a radar reflector at least 4 m (13') above the water when operating in ship channels or offshore.

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Related Information

See our Government Directory for information from Canadian Coast Guard, Office of Boating Safety, Transport Canada, etc.

BOATEREXAM.COM has been helping Canadian boaters get their Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC) since 2000. Study online and take your exam from a Web browser! (more about BoaterExam.com)

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