Official Boating License Review

What is a pleasure craft?

 any type of watercraft used exclusively for pleasure and not for carrying passengers or goods for hire.

Are jet skis considered watercraft?

Yes, it is referred to as a personal watercraft (PWC) and is considered to be power-driven (motorized) pleasure craft

Are seadoos considered watercraft?

Yes, it is referred to as a personal watercraft (PWC) and is considered to be power-driven (motorized) pleasure craft

True or False: operators under a certain age do not need to carry proof of competency whenever operating any type of motorized pleasure craft on any Canadian waters (other than the waters of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut)

False. Regardless of age or nationality, all persons must carry proof of competency whenever operating any type of motorized pleasure craft

True or false: proof of competency is not required for vessels without motors

True

True or false: photocopies of proof of competency is sufficient when operating a motorized vessel in small bodies of water

False. Original proof of competency (not a photocopy) must be carried on board when operating a motorized pleasure craft anywhere in Canada

What is the penalty, if any, for failure to carry proof of competency?

A significant fine, usually of $250 or more

What is the most common form of proof of competency?

Pleasure Craft Operator Card

True of false: the pleasure craft operator card is a government issued license

False. The pleasure craft operator card is a certificate issued by a privately owned accredited course provider

True or false: The pleasure craft operator card does not expire and is valid for life

True

True or false: Although the pleasure craft operator card is issued by a private institution, it can still be revoked or suspended by police

False. The operator card itself cannot be suspended or revoked, but the police can suspend or revoke your provincial driver’s permit for improper operation of any powered vehicle (including a pleasure craft, an all-terrain vehicle, or a snowmobile)

What are the four forms of proof of competency?

* Pleasure craft operator card
* Proof that you successfully completed a boating safety course in Canada before April 1, 1999 (i.e.: you have a boating safety certificate issued before 1999)
* A completed boat rental safety checklist (temporary proof)
* Alternative acceptable forms of competency (eg. listed on Transport Canada website, certain rules around foreign boats/operators)

True or false: If you are a non-resident visiting Canada with your foreign-registered or foreign-licensed motorboat, then you are not required to carry proof of competency on board as long as your boat is in Canada for less than 45 days

True

True or false: all non residents of Canada are exempt from having to carry proof of competency

False. If your are a non resident and your foreign boat will be in Canada for more than 45 days or if you wish to operate a powered pleasure craft that is licensed or registered in Canada, you may do so using an operator card or similar proof of competency issued by your home state or country kept on board with you at all times

True or false: In Canada, most vessels must be either licensed with Transport Canada or registered with Transport Canada

True

Whether or not you will license or register your vessel depends on what?

its type, size, and the size and type of its motor

What kind of pleasure crafts require licensing with Transport Canada?

All pleasure craft of all sizes equipped with one or more primary propulsion motors totalling 7.5 kW (10 hp) or more

True or false: A pleasure craft license identifies a vessel and implies ownership or title

False. A pleasure craft license identifies a vessel but does not imply ownership or title (registration does, though)

What is needed to license a vessel in Canada?

Bill of Sale (required for conclusive proof as to who owns a vessel)

True or false: No citizenship or residency restrictions apply to pleasure craft licensing but the vessel must be licensed in Canada if it is principally operated and maintained in Canada

True

How long is a Pleasure Craft License valid for?

10 years (does not extend if you change your address)

True or false: a Pleasure Craft License is for both the operator and the vessel

False. It’s only applied to the vessel

What are the three ways to get a Pleasure Craft License Application kit?

* Online at the Office of Boating Safety’s web site
* At a Service Canada Centre
* Through a regional branch of the Office of Boating Safety

True or false: you have to pay for a Pleasure Craft License

False. It’s free

What are the two ways to submit your pleasure craft license application form?

Online and by mail

True or false: The Pleasure Craft License for your pleasure craft (or a good quality copy of the license) must be carried onboard whenever and wherever the vessel is operated in Canada

True

True or false: A good quality photocopy of the Pleasure Craft License is adequate to be carried onboard instead of the actual license if need be

True

Port Side

side of a vessel that is on one’s left side when facing forward while on board

Starboard Side

side of a vessel that is on one’s right when facing forward while on board

Ahead

 direction directly in front of a vessel

Abaft

* something is behind something else
* If an object is located behind the port beam, then one says that it is “abaft” the port beam

If an object is located behind the port beam, then one says that it is _______ the port beam

abaft

Aft

* indicates a direction toward the stern
* If one is moving to the stern of a vessel, then one is going “aft”

If one is moving to the stern of a vessel, then one is going _______

aft

Abeam 

* a perpendicular direction that is straight out from the middle of the vessel on either side
* For example, a direction straight out from the left-hand side at the middle of a vessel is referred to as "on the port beam"

A direction straight out from the left-hand side at the middle of a vessel is referred to as ___________

on the port beam

Astern

direction directly behind a vessel

Dead astern

directly behind vessel

Vessel

a boat, ship, or craft that is designed, used, or capable of being used solely or partly for navigation in, on, through or immediately above water, without regard to method or lack of propulsion

Hull

* the main body of a vessel, from the deck down
* should be thought of as an empty shell
* does not include equipment or fittings pumps, motors, cabins, bilges, etc

Bow

front end of a vessel

Stern

the back (aft) end of a vessel

Beam

* width of a vessel at its widest point
*  traditionally at the midpoint between the bow and the stern
* came to be the nautical term for the part of the vessel midway between a vessel’s bow and stern

Draft

*  minimum depth of water that a vessel requires to float freely
* approximated as the distance between the water surface and the lowest point of a vessel

On a boat equipped with an outboard motor, what is the draft

usually the distance from the surface of the water to the bottom of the lowest point on the outboard motor (i.e.: the bottom of the skeg)

Why is knowing the draft of your vessel important?

so that you may refer to marine charts to determine which waters are deep enough for your boat

Freeboard

vertical distance from the lowest point of a vessel's deck down to the surface of the water

Why is it important to know the freeboard size of your vessel

A vessel with a high freeboard is difficult to re-board from the water without the aid of re-boarding equipment

Gunwale

top of the side of a vessel’s hull

Length Overall

distance from the foremost point on the hull (above or below the waterline) to the aft-most point on the hull (above or below the waterline)

Why is it important to know the length overall of your vessel

When a regulation is applied to a vessel based on its length, the regulation is referring to the “length overall” as defined here

Waterline (design)

* a line corresponding to the surface of the water when the vessel is afloat, carrying a normal load, and on an even keel
* often indicated with a horizontal line painted on the exterior of a vessel’s hull

Operate

the action of controlling the speed and course of a pleasure craft

Operator

* the person in command of the craft
* Under Canadian regulations, the operator of a pleasure craft is responsible for its condition, how it is operated, and the safety of all on board

If you borrow a boat and take it out on the water, are you the operator, or is the owner the operator?

You are

Aids to Navigation

* systems, structures, or devices that are external to a vessel and that aid the operator in navigation, indicate safe routes, and warn of obstacles or dangers
* eg. buoys, day beacons, and lighthouses

Navigational aids

* Navigational aids are shipboard tools that aid in determining one’s position and setting course
* eg. radar system, sonar system, GPS, compass, sextant, or marine charts

Wash

* the loose or broken water left behind by a boat as it moves through water


* includes the churned water thrown aft by the propeller (i.e. propeller wash)

propeller wash

the churned water thrown aft by the propeller

True or false: a vessel has to be in motion to create wash

False. Just as an airplane can create prop wash when sitting on the ground, a vessel does not have to be moving through the water in order to create wash

Wake

the disturbed water and waves around and behind a vessel that are set in motion by its passage through the water

True or false: a vessel has to be in motion to create wake

True, just like an airplane

True or false: you are responsible for any damage your wake causes to property

True

Fenders

various devices (usually hollow cylinders made of plastic) that are hung from the side a vessel to prevent surface damage to the vessel when it rubs against a dock or against another vessel

When is a vessel considered seaworthy?

if the hull is undamaged and appropriate for the type of sea condition, the engine size does not exceed the allowable maximum for that vessel, the vessel is not overloaded, and all equipment is in good working order

True or false: knowingly operating a vessel that is not seaworthy (i.e.: overloaded or fitted with an engine that is too large) is a criminal offence

True

Underway

means that a vessel is not at anchor, tied to a dock, or pulled up on shore; i.e. a vessel is considered to be underway if it is afloat and free to move

Windward

* means upwind or a direction into the wind
* the direction from which the wind is blowing

What is the windward side of the island?

the side onto which the wind blows

What is the windward side of a sail driven vessel?

the side of the vessel that is opposite to the side on which the mainsail is being carried

Leeward

* means downwind
*  the direction *in* which the wind is blowing

What is the leeward side of the island?

the side that is sheltered from the wind

What are the four different types of safety equipment required to be carried onboard at all times?

* Personal protection equipment
* Navigation equipment
* Distress equipment
* Boat Safety equipment

What does personal protective equipment include?

* Approved personal flotation devices and lifejackets
* Buoyant heaving lines
* Life buoys
* Re-boarding equipment

How are approved PFDs marked?

With a label, stamp, or tag indicating that it has been approved

What are the three agencies that can approve PFDs

* Transport Canada
* Fisheries and Oceans Canada
* Canadian Coast Guard

True or false: Visitors to Canada may only use PFDs approved for use in Canada

False. Visitors to Canada may use flotation devices that conform to the laws of their home country

How many life jackets should be on board?

One for each passenger, except for infants less than 9 kg (20 lbs.) in weight or a person with a chest size of 140 cm (55 in.) or larger

True or false: Approved personal flotation gear does not include products such as buoyant seat cushions or water-skiing belts

True

Lifejackets

 flotation devices that are designed specifically to keep an unconscious person face-up in the water

What are the three types of life jackets?

* SOLAS (safety of life at sea) lifejackets
* Standard lifejackets
* Small vessel lifejackets

SOLAS lifejackets

* meet very high performance standards
* Approved for all vessels
* will turn over an unconscious person in seconds to keep one’s face out of the water
* designed to work even when wearer is unconscious

#### Standard lifejackets

* approved for all vessels except those that are required to carry SOLAS lifejackets
* will turn a person over to be face up in the water but not as quickly as a SOLAS device
* Available in two sizes

Small vessel lifejackets

* approved only for small vessels (vessels under 6 metres in length)
* can turn a person over to be face up in the water but slowly

What are the four types of navigation equipment

* Sound signalling devices
* Sound signalling appliances
* Navigation Lights
* Passive radar reflectors

What is the difference between a sound signalling device and a sound signalling appliance?

A sound signalling *device* is portable and can be carried on or about a vessel, whereas a sound signalling *appliance* is more substantial and is installed permanently on a vessel

What are the two types of distress equipment

* Watertight flashlights
* Pyrotechnic distress signals (flares)

What are the four types of flares?

* Parachute flare
* Multi-star rockets
* Hand-held flare
* Smoke flare

Parachute Flare

An aerial flare that, when launched, reaches a height of approximately 300 meters and then floats back to earth suspended beneath a parachute

Multi-Star Rockets

Two red stars that, when launched, reach a height of 100 meters. They burn for 4 to 5 seconds and are visible from the air or from the surface

Hand-held Flare

This is a red-flame torch that can be held in the hand. It has limited visibility and is best suited to helping nearby rescuers pin-point your location during an air search

**Buoyant or Hand-Held Smoke Flare** 

A smoke flare that can be held in the hand or left to float on the water on the downwind (leeward) side of your vessel

When/why is an anchor helpful

 good to have for when oars or paddles are insufficient to keep a current from carrying your vessel into shallow water, onto rocks, or into some other dangerous situation

True or false: you must carry either an anchor or hand propelling devices on your boat

True

Your anchor must be attached to at least _____ metres of chain, cable, or rope

15

How are bailers used?

To scoop water out of the vessel

Describe the restrictions on bailers

must be made of plastic or metal and have a volume of at least 750 ml and a minimum opening 65 cm2 (10 in.2) in area

What are the three sectors the space around the boat should be divided into?

* port sector
* starboard sector
* stern sector

If a power-driven vessel approaches your power-driven vessel from your port sector, who is the stand on vessel and who has right of way?

you are the stand-on vessel and you have the right of way (i.e.: you will maintain your course and speed with caution)

If a power-driven vessel approaches your power-driven vessel from your starboard sector, who is the stand on vessel and who has right of way?

They are the stand-on vessel and they have the right of way, while you are the give-way vessel (take early and substantial action to stay well clear of the other vessel and pass well astern)