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4. Design, Equipment & Boating Safety
5. Office of Boating Safety
6. Equipment
7. Minimum Safety Equipment Required for the Size and Type of your Pleasure Craft
8. Sail and powered pleasure craft up to 6 m (19'8")

Sail and powered pleasure craft up to 6 m (19'8")

Personal Lifesaving Appliances

1. One (1) Canadian-approved personal flotation device or lifejacket of appropriate size for each person on board

2. One (1) buoyant heaving line at least than 15 m (49’3”) long

3. One (1) reboarding device

Note: A reboarding device is only required if the vertical height that must be climbed to reboard the pleasure craft from the water is over 0.5 m (1’8”). 

Visual Signals
Only required if boat is equipped with a motor

4. One (1) watertight flashlight

OR

Three (3) Canadian-approved flares of Type A (Rocket Parachute), B (Multi-Star) or C (Hand)

Note: Flares are not required for a pleasure craft that:

• Is operating on a river, canal or lake in which it can never be more than one (1) nautical mile (1.852 km) from shore; or
• Has no sleeping quarters and is engaged in an official competition or in final preparation for an official competition.

Vessel Safety Equipment

5. One (1) manual propelling device

OR

One (1) anchor and at least 15 m (49’3”) of cable, rope or chain in any combination

6. One (1) bailer

OR

One (1) manual bilge pump

Note: A bailer or manual bilge pump is not required for a pleasure craft that cannot hold enough water to make it capsize or a pleasure craft that has watertight compartments that are sealed and not readily accessible.

Navigation equipment

7. One (1) sound-signalling appliance that meets the requirements set out in the Collision Regulations

OR

A sound-signalling device 

8. Navigation lights meet the requirements set out in the Collision Regulations

Note: Sailing vessels less than 7 m in length can meet this requirement with a watertight flashlight 

You can learn more about the requirements for your pleasure craft by consulting the navigation lights section of the Safe Boating Guide

Note: Navigation lights are only required if the pleasure craft is operated after sunset, before sunrise, or in periods of restricted visibility (fog, falling snow, etc.).

9. One (1) magnetic compass

Note: A magnetic compass is not required if the pleasure craft is 8 m (26’3”) or less and is operated within sight of sea marks (navigation marks).

Firefighting Equipment

11. One (1) 5BC fire extinguisher if the pleasure craft is equipped with an inboard engine, a fixed fuel tank of any size, or a fuel-burning cooking, heating or refrigeration appliance

10. One (1) radar reflector is required under certain conditions

Date modified:

2010-05-13

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