Pat's Boating in Canada

Helping boaters since 1996!

Welcome to one of the oldest, largest boating sites in Canada. Each year, an estimated 12 million Canadians go boating in 8 million boats. With the world's longest coastline, and more lakes than in the rest of the world combined, Canada is a country made for boating. Research has shown a connection between water and happiness. Maybe that's the reason the rest of the world thinks Canadians are so "nice"?! So if you have lost your heart to a boat, you can learn all about boating here!

How to find things:

Browse this page — Regulations, Safety & Navigation, Cruising, Buying a boat, Boat shows & Fun stuff.
Search our Alphabetic Index.

Canadian Links Government Directory Boating in Canada News

1. Rules & Regulations in Canada

Pleasure Craft Operators Card: The card (PCOC) is now required for operating any powered boat. Foreign visitors and renters follow special rules.
Boat Licences & Registration: For boats, before you wet Her bottom. Licensing is the norm -- you get new federal licence numbers from the province, such as ON123456 in Ontario.
Mandatory Safety equipment: Depends on boat type & length
Boating Laws: On-the-water tickets for a number of infractions (Contravention Act)
Licences, marine radios, compliance plates, fishing, pollution, etc.
Whales and Boating regulations
Government Directory: Find details about government regulations affecting boating. Includes U.S. and provincial governments.
Rules of the Road: What you need to know to avoid a collision with all the boats out there! Repeat after me: "There is no right of way"!
Entering the U.S.A. by Boat: Crossing the border, Customs decals, I-68 forms, video terminals, NEXUS, cruising permits. Security procedures change regularly!
Entering Canada by Boat: Foreign boaters need information on immigration, customs, tax rebates, marine radio, environmental laws, boat and operator licensing requirements, and which ports to report to.
VHF marine radio: In Canada boaters need licences to use a VHF radio: an optional licence for the radio and a mandatory licence for the operator. There is a "short" VHF channel list and an emergency "Mayday" sheet for your crew.
Speed limits and "No Wake" signs: Near-shore speed limits in most provinces
Posted limits near marinas, narrow channels, canals, sensitive shore
Alcohol, Drugs & Boats: Both federal and provincial laws and regulations cover use on boats.

"Money cannot buy happiness, but can buy you a yacht... and I've never seen a sad man on a yacht." - Hugh Hefner

2. Safety & Navigation

Small boat navigation: Using a compass for chart plotting
Electronic navigation using echarts.
WAAS navigation the most accurate electronic system.
Older systems in common use: GPS, DGPS.
Float Plan: For you to fill out and give to a friend or the Coast Guard -- just in case.
Marine Weather: Forecasts to avoid bad experiences!
MAFOR Code, Beaufort Scale
Distress signals: To use when you are in trouble -- from flares to Mayday. Waving your arms and screaming works too!
Sound signals: Signalling your intentions with a horn or other device.
Spring Pre-launch Checklist: Important boat checks for a stress-free season.
Fuelling gasoline: Safety at the gas dock (or "How I hate flying through the air!")
How to Save Fuel
Fire extinguishers: A real-life galley fire story.
CPR and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: Refresher for those who have taken a course.
Drowning & Prevention: How to recognize a drowning person.
Simple drown-proofing everyone should learn.
Electric Shock Drowning (ESD): How to recognize, deal with, and prevent dangerous electric power leaks from docks and boats.
Hypothermia: It can kill you. Here are the symptoms and treatment as well as how to prevent it.
Rip Tides: How to recognize a rip tide and what to do to save yourself from one.
Seasickness: How to prevent and treat "mal de mer".
Carbon Monoxide poisoning: Prevent this silent killer. The odorless gas from any fuel-burning engine, generator, heater or stove can kill.
Save your Boat from Sinking: Emergency kits & procedures to save your boat
Marina security: Learn how to protect your boat from theft and mischief.
Mosquitoes: Protect your crew from mosquitoe bites and illnesses.
West Nile Virus: Mosquito-born disease
Lyme disease & Black-legged Ticks: Fast growing epidemic in North America; Anaplasmosis is spread by ticks.
Aquatic Invasive Species: Invasion of the Great Lakes by species such as Zebra mussels, Quagga mussels, Round Gobie, Asian Carp, and hydrilla
"Clean, Drain, Dry" campaign to stop the spread of invasive species
Boating Statistics: This is our collection of statistics about boating accidents, drownings, and the boat industry.

3. Cruising in Canada

The Rideau Waterway: UNESCO World Heritage Site from Ottawa, Ontario (Canada's capital) to Kingston on Lake Ontario - the best cruising, fishing, history and scenery. Read Pat's "Rideau Canal Cruising Guide". Don't miss our videos.
The Trent-Severn Waterway: 386 km. of canals, rivers, and 45 locks from Trenton on Lake Ontario to Lake Huron - prefect for power cruising and touring.
Canadian Canoe Museum, and Peterborough Locks
The Great Lakes: Great boating in the largest area of freshwater on earth.
Thousand Islands National Park, also known as the 1000 Islands [sigh].
Pat's Island Photos.
Small Circle Cruise Planning: Cruise canals, lakes & rivers of New York, Ontario, Quebec, Vermont
Small Circle Cruise Diary
Cruising British Columbia: B.C.'s protected waters offer breathtaking scenery, solitude, marine life, mountains, and fiords.
St. Lawrence to Lake Champlain by Kayak: Paddling voyage from Lake Ontario, St. Lawrence River, Richelieu River, to Lake Champlain
Stand up Paddleboarding (SUP): This boating-made-simple is expanding fast
Cruising South: Cruising south to the ICW, Florida and Bahamas. Even how to make a rum pot and cruise planning with Google Earth
Cruising North: Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic
Canadian Yacht Clubs & Boating Associations: Directory of boating groups across Canada.
Cruising with Pets: Should you do it? How to survive it!
How to do things around the boat: Basic boating hints
Batteries
Spring checklist
Winterizing (eastern Ontario)
Outboard motors
Fishing in Ontario: Provinces regulate fishing, so this is general.
Aquatic Environment, Water Quality: Invasive species, virus and chemicals in fish, holding tanks, Clean Marine, sewage into snow, solar boats
Biodiesel, Drinking water, Parasites
How to Clean a boat: Non-toxic Cleaning
"Clean, Drain, Dry" campaign to stop the spread of invasive species
Loons: The wonderful birds whose mournful call is heard across Canada's fresh water lakes in the summer.

5. Buying a Boat

Buying a boat: It's fun but it's not easy! To avoid all the mistakes most boat buyers make, read
Why you should buy a boat in Canada: Things to consider if you think boat deals are better in the U.S.A.
Buying a Boat in the USA (Importing a boat and trailer): Our collection of boaters' experiences will help you do it more easily.
Survey a Boat (Yourself): A checklist to help you look at boats and keep your head when you've lost your heart! Then hire a marine surveyor before you make any offers.
"The Name Game": Favorite Boat Names
Christening and De-naming ceremonies
Removing a vinyl decal
Top Insurance claims: The most common accidents that can happen on the water.
How to dispose of a boat: You could sell it, but there are options.
Taxes and fees: Boaters pay many fees and taxes (We aren't all rich, eh!)

6. Fun Stuff for Boaters!

Boat Shows & Events: Boat shows, poker runs, tall ships
Our Social Media, News, Videos: Twitter: @BoatingInCanada News
Blogger Boating in Canada News
Wordpress Boating in Canada News
Youtube: Boats & Beaches
Flotsam: Knots, lines, flags, music, life on Mars...
Poetry for Sailors: Includes the The Irish Blessing.
Boating cartoons: Pat's collection of favorites
Boating humour and jokes collection:: Celsius & the Toronto Maple Leafs
Pirate Joke
The "Laws" of Boating
Teaching Sailing
True sailing story
Sailor Math
Boat Shoe Humour
How to Identify a Canadian Boater!: with some northern tongue in cheek.
The Perfect Storm: The Condensed Script: For those who haven't time to see the movie!
The "Laws" of Boating: Laugh, so you don't cry!
Captain's Commandments: Not to be taken seriously ..please!
Canadian Boating Quiz: Sail your brain! Can you identify all Canada'a provinces and territories
Canadian Boating Scavenger Hunt: A fun game for your boating social for the kids (or adults?)
Apps for Sailors
: Navigation, weather, charts, tides, boating resources
Media stuff: Music, calendar, music, loon calls
Boating photography: How to take memorable photos while bouncing around.

Photography in a Kayak: How to take photos safely while you are pabrling
Boating and Sex (article): Sex lives of Canadian boaters (survey pubished with permission)
Cool Tools: Today's moon (image)
Canadian Time Zone Clocks
Pat's Units Converter Tool (PDQ Library): Converts distance, speed, weight, volume, temperature, pressure, area. The "gas price converter" converts between U.S. dollars per gallon and Canadian dollars per litre. Save the web page to use it offline!