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Licenses/Certificates:
(What you need to know for your boat.)
Ok, you bought your first sailboat and you want to go sailing
this weekend. But in the meantime, you may not be aware of other items that you
must have, such as; Licenses, Insurance, Certificates, and Safety Equipment that
need to be obtained to legally protect you and your family.
Canadian Boating License: (To operate a powered
watercraft.)
Does your boat have an inboard or outboard motor on it? Even
if it is just only for emergency use, then you need to have a boating license.
The boating license includes fulfilling safety requirements for each various
size of craft owned. In addition to also learning the navigational rules that
exist on the waters?
In 1999 in Canada to operate a powered watercraft
for recreational reasons you must have a Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC)
or you can risk a fine. Once certified, your good for life. You can take the
multiple-choice exam on many online websites or even attend a local Boater
Course in a classroom setting before taking the test.
Restricted Operator Certificate (Maritime): (To
transmit on a Marine VHF Radio.)
To transmit with or rather to operate a Marine VHF Radio
"each person" must have Restricted Operator Certificate
(ROC-M). The ROC-M is a Canadian Federal government issued certificate that
allows you to operate a marine VHF radio. Since Marine VHF Radios are used for
emergencies, navigation, and ship calling, there are strict policies and protocols
that must be followed. Those who abuse use of the VHF radios (not to be used
like the trucker CB Radios) will be fined, in addition to those who don't have
a ROC-M. In some cases, persons may only have time to make a single emergency
call (sinking, man overboard, collision) and set protocols will help ensure a
response.
New VHF radios that are sold with the Digital Selective Calling
(DSC) function that will greatly enhance rescue personnel's ability to assist you in an
emergency. This technology uses the satellite' based Global Positioning System
(GPS) when connected to the VHF radio to send and display your current
position.
To best understand all VHF Radio procedures and technology
used, it is best to first attend a Marine Radio Course in a local classroom
setting before taking the test.
Note: With a cellular phone, you may contact Rescue
Coordination Centres directly. Or, by dialing *16, you will contact the
nearest Canadian Coast Guard Marine Communications and Traffic Services
Centre. (Contact your cellular provider to find out if you have access to the
*16 service). Remember that a cellular phone is not a good substitute for a
marine radio and is not an approved means of issuing a distress call. Making a
call does not alert other boaters close to you - and those other boats could
be the first to help if they could hear you. Unlike VHF transmissions,
cellular phone signals cannot be followed back to your location to be be
rescuerd.
Hull Serial Number (HIN):
(needed for Pleasure Craft Licence)
Every vessel built or imported for sale in Canada must be
marked with a Hull Serial Number (HIN)
in accordance with the Small Vessel Regulations (Part 9).
The HIN is usually
located on the upper starboard quarter of the outside surface of the transom
or if the vessel has no transom, on the uppermost starboard side at the aft
end of the hull. The HIN is usually
marked in a second location on the hull, that is either beneath a fitting or
an item of hardware or that is on the interior of the vessel and unexposed.
The manufacturer provided the HIM and for home built vessels you had to apply
to Transport Canada.
In August of 1981,
Transport Canada ruled that Hull identification numbers where to be displayed
on the outside of the hull. Hence prior, many boats didn't have any hull
numbers were to apply and simply, many just used by the sail number and
manufacturer's name when applying for PCL's.
Safety Compliance Notice:
All pleasure craft are required to carry a safety compliance
notice consisting of a Capacity Label, Conformity Label, or Single Vessel Label,
depending on the vessel type and age. These documents are issued by Transport
Canada and are affixed by the manufacturer of the craft.
Speed Restrictions:
If you have a sailboat well this would hardly apply but when boating in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia,
Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan, please observe the speed limit of 10 km/h
(6 mph) within 30 meters (100 ft) of shore. This limit applies on all waters
within these provinces, except where other limits are posted. These provisions
do not apply in rivers less than 100 metres (300 ft) in width, canals and buoyed
channels, nor in the case of waterskiing, where the tow boat launches and drops
off skiers by heading directly away from or into the shore.
Insurance: Boat, Trailer, and Contents.
Have you contacted your auto and house insurance company to
find out if and how your boat is really covered? There are some myths and
assumptions, at times about how much covered that you actually have. Some say
if its in the backyard its covered by house, some say if it is connected to
your vehicle its covered by car. But what happens if is stored at a 3 rd
location say at a marina or yacht club? What if the trailer was stolen without
the boat on it? What if the outboard was stolen? What if the boat was stolen
or damaged at a dock? What if the sails were damaged? What if the boat fell
off the trailer while being towed? Here's a good one, what if the trailer and
boat came off the hitch while being towed, who really covers it? Not the car
insurance as it wasn't connected. What if you hit another boat on the water
and they sue you, are you covered? Who covers all the contents inside your
boat? (gps, vhf radio, stereo, camping gear, etc.). Are you covered for liability?
Are you covered for full replacement or just a percentage, as if you boat is
30 years old do you even get any money? How much is the deductable, is it less
than $200, $500, $1,000?
Overall it may be best to have a separate marine insurance
policy for your boat and trailer, and to be safe have it listed or indicated
that you own it as well on both your auto and house insurance so that they are
aware of it. There is an old saying "if it has its own serial number it
needs it's own policy".
Safety Equipment:
If you were to be boarded by an American Coast Guard or
Canadian Coast Guard, or even both or any other types of law enforcement
agencies (fish and wildlife, provincial or state or even local police) would
your boat contain everything that is needed to pass both safety inspections?
When on a boat and not near land, there are no second chances. Especially when
on a sailboat as it can take hours to get back to your port of call. You need
to be fully prepared plus maybe a few more personal items than what a general
power boater would have, for one example full rain gear and boots. Do you wear
life jackets at all times on a sailboat incase the swinging boom hits you
tossing you overboard? Which bring about, have you practiced any man overboard
drills while under sail. If you go over, is your family trained to navigate
your sailboat and to rescue you? Do you have a boarding ladder? Also what
about that mast that acts as a lighting rod for storms on open waters we lost
our DVD player once from lightning static discharge, I was worried more about
losing the VHF radio (which we didn't). Do you carry a spare waterproof
handheld VHF radio?
Pleasure Craft Licence: (for identification)
The Small
Vessel Regulations under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, require all
pleasure craft powered by an engine 10 horsepower (7.5 kW)
or more to have a Pleasure Craft Licence (PCL), unless they have a vessel
registration.
A Pleasure Craft Licence is the set of identification numbers
displayed on a pleasure craft above the waterline on both sides of your
pleasure craft in block characters that are at least 7.5 centimetres (3 inches) high
and is in a colour that contrasts with the colour of the bow. You must also
carry a copy of your Pleasure Craft Licence on board and they are good for ten
years and 90 days from point of purchase or selling.
In 2007, all boat registration numbers prefix's became provincial, eliminating cities codes.
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Pleasure Craft Licence: 2007
Provincial Boat Prefix Codes |
| AB |
Alberta |
NS |
Nova Scotia |
NL |
Newfoundland & Labrador |
| BC |
British Columbia |
NU |
Nunavut |
NT |
Northwest Territories |
| MB |
Manitoba |
ON |
Ontario |
QC |
Quebec |
| NB |
New Brunswick |
PE |
Prince Edward Island |
SK |
Saskatchewan |
| |
|
|
|
YT |
Yukon |
|
Ontario (E) City Codes (Prior to
2007) |
| 1E |
Amherstburg |
26E
| n/a |
51E |
Trenton
|
76E |
n/a |
| 2E |
Belleville |
27E
| Napanee |
52E |
Wallaceburg
|
77E |
Pigeon
River
|
| 3E |
Bowmanville |
28E
|
Niagara
Falls
|
53E
|
Welland
|
78E |
Port Credit
|
| 4E |
Brantford |
29E
|
North
Bay
|
54E
|
Oakville
|
79E |
Acton |
| 5E |
Fort Erie |
30E
| Orillia |
55E
|
Windsor
|
80E |
Brampton |
| 6E |
Brockville |
31E |
Oshawa |
56E
|
Woodstock
|
81E |
Carleton Place |
| 7E |
Chatham |
32E |
Ottawa |
57E
|
WalkervilIe
|
82E |
Dun nviIle |
| 8E |
Coburg |
33E |
Owen Sound |
59E
|
Barrie
|
83E |
Georgetown |
| 9E |
Collingwood |
34E |
Paris |
58E
|
n/a
|
84E |
Hanover |
|
10E
|
Cornwall
|
35E |
Parry Sound |
60E |
Bracebridge |
85E |
Little Current |
|
11E
|
Thorold
|
36E |
Peterborough |
61E |
Coblat |
86E |
Newmarket |
|
12E
|
Fort
Frances
|
37E |
Picton |
62E |
Cochrane |
87E |
Orangeville |
|
13E
|
n/a
|
38E |
Port Arthur |
63E |
n/a |
88E |
Port
Burwell |
| 14E
| GaIt
|
39E |
Port Hope |
64E |
Leamington |
89E |
Port
Dover |
|
15E
|
Gananoque
|
40E |
Lansdowne
|
65E |
Port Lambton |
90E |
Port
Stanley |
|
16E
|
Goderich
|
41E |
Prescott
|
66E |
Southampton |
91E |
St.Mary’s |
|
17E
|
Guelph
|
42E |
Sarnia |
67E |
Timmins |
92E |
Strathroy |
|
18E
|
Hamilton
|
43E
|
Sault Ste Marie
|
68E |
Pembroke |
93E |
n/a |
|
19E
|
Ingersoll
|
44E |
Simcoe |
69E |
Listowel |
94E |
n/a |
|
20E
|
Kenora
|
45E |
Stratford |
70E |
Perth |
95E |
Ridgetown |
|
21E
|
Kingston
|
46E |
Sudbury |
71E |
Port Colborne |
|
|
|
22E
|
Kitchener
|
47E
|
St. Catharines
|
72E |
Rainy River |
|
|
|
23E
|
Lindsay
|
48E
|
St. Thomas
|
73E |
Renfrew |
|
|
|
24E
|
London
|
49E
|
Tillsonburg
|
74E |
Smiths
Falls
|
|
|
|
25E
|
Midland
|
50E
|
Toronto
|
75E |
Tilbury
|
|
|
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