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Small Vessel Regulations (SOR/2010-91)

Regulations are current to 2023-11-14 and last amended on 2021-06-23. Previous Versions

PART 1Licensing of Pleasure Craft (continued)

Misleading Marking

110 Subject to paragraph 102(b), the owner of a pleasure craft shall not operate or permit another person to operate the pleasure craft if it is marked with a number that is not a licence number or a registration number issued under Part 2 of the Act and if that number could be confused with a licence number or a registration number.

Demonstration Licence

  • 111 (1) A vendor who sells pleasure craft in the course of a commercial enterprise may apply to the Minister for a demonstration licence for use on any of the enterprise’s pleasure craft that are operated for the purpose of demonstration.

  • (2) The holder of a demonstration licence shall ensure that it is used on only one pleasure craft at a time.

  • (3) The demonstration licence shall not be transferred to anyone except another vendor.

112 The Minister may cancel a demonstration licence if the licence is used for a purpose other than the demonstration of a pleasure craft.

PART 2Safety Equipment for Pleasure Craft

Application

  • 200 (1) Subject to subsection (2), this Part applies in respect of a pleasure craft that is operated in Canada.

  • (2) This Part does not apply in respect of a pleasure craft that meets the safety equipment requirements of another country and that is

    • (a) registered in that country as having the right to fly the flag of that country; or

    • (b) licensed in that country and not principally maintained and operated in Canada.

Safety Obligation

201 The operator of a pleasure craft shall take all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of the craft and of every person on board.

Personal Flotation Devices and Lifejackets

202 If a personal flotation device or lifejacket that must be carried on board a pleasure craft is to be worn by a person less than 16 years of age, it shall be inherently buoyant.

SUBPART 1Pleasure Craft Other than Human-Powered Pleasure Craft

Application

203 This subpart applies in respect of a pleasure craft other than a human-powered pleasure craft.

Life-Saving Appliances — Personal Life-Saving Appliances

204 A pleasure craft shall carry on board

  • (a) a personal flotation device or lifejacket of an appropriate size for each person on board;

  • (b) a reboarding device, unless the vertical height that must be climbed in order to reboard the pleasure craft is not more than 0.5 m; and

  • (c) for the length of pleasure craft set out in column 1 of the table to this section, the additional personal life-saving appliances set out in column 2.

    table

    Column 1Column 2
    ItemLengthAdditional Personal Life-Saving Appliances
    1not more than 6 ma buoyant heaving line of not less than 15 m in length
    2more than 6 m but not more than 9 m

    • (a) a buoyant heaving line of not less than 15 m in length; or

    • (b) a lifebuoy attached to a buoyant line of not less than 15 m in length

    3more than 9 m but not more than 12 m

    • (a) a buoyant heaving line of not less than 15 m in length; and

    • (b) a lifebuoy attached to a buoyant line of not less than 15 m in length

    4more than 12 m but less than 24 m

    • (a) a buoyant heaving line of not less than 15 m in length; and

    • (b) a lifebuoy that is equipped with a self-igniting light or attached to a buoyant line of not less than 15 m in length

    524 m or more

    • (a) a buoyant heaving line of not less than 30 m in length;

    • (b) two SOLAS lifebuoys, of which

      • (i) one is attached to a buoyant line of not less than 30 m in length, and

      • (ii) the other is equipped with a self-igniting light; and

    • (c) a lifting harness with appropriate rigging

Life-Saving Appliances — Visual Signals

205 A pleasure craft of a length set out in column 1 of the table to this section shall carry on board the visual signals set out in column 2.

table

Column 1Column 2
ItemLengthVisual Signals
1not more than 6 m

  • (a) a watertight flashlight; or

  • (b) three pyrotechnic distress signals, not more than one of which is a smoke signal

2more than 6 m but not more than 9 m

  • (a) a watertight flashlight; and

  • (b) six pyrotechnic distress signals, not more than two of which are smoke signals

3more than 9 m

  • (a) a watertight flashlight; and

  • (b) twelve pyrotechnic distress signals, not more than six of which are smoke signals

  • SOR/2018-102, s. 2
Previous Version

Vessel Safety Equipment

206 A pleasure craft of a length set out in column 1 of the table to this section shall carry on board the vessel safety equipment set out in column 2.

table

Column 1Column 2
ItemLengthVessel Safety Equipment
1not more than 9 m

  • (a) either

    • (i) a manual propelling device, or

    • (ii) an anchor, and not less than 15 m of cable, rope or chain or any combination of them; and

  • (b) a bailer or a manual bilge pump

2more than 9 m but not more than 12 m

  • (a) an anchor, and not less than 30 m of cable, rope or chain or any combination of them; and

  • (b) a manual bilge pump or bilge-pumping arrangements

3more than 12 m

  • (a) an anchor, and not less than 50 m of cable, rope or chain or any combination of them; and

  • (b) bilge-pumping arrangements

Navigation Equipment

207 A pleasure craft of a length set out in column 1 of the table to this section shall carry on board the navigation equipment set out in column 2 as indicated in that column.

table

Column 1Column 2
ItemLengthNavigation Equipment
1not more than 9 m

  • (a) a sound-signalling appliance that meets the requirements of the Collision Regulations, or a sound-signalling device;

  • (b) if the pleasure craft is operated after sunset or before sunrise or in periods of restricted visibility, navigation lights that meet the requirements of the Collision Regulations; and

  • (c) a magnetic compass

2more than 9 m but not more than 12 m

  • (a) a sound-signalling appliance that meets the requirements of the Collision Regulations, or a sound-signalling device;

  • (b) navigation lights that meet the requirements of the Collision Regulations; and

  • (c) a magnetic compass

3more than 12 m
Previous Version

Firefighting Equipment

208 A pleasure craft of a length set out in column 1 of the table to this section shall carry on board the firefighting equipment set out in column 2 as indicated in that column.

table

Column 1Column 2
ItemLengthFirefighting Equipment
1not more than 6 ma 5B:C portable 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 refrigerating appliance
2more than 6 m but not more than 9 m

  • (a) a 5B:C portable fire extinguisher, if the pleasure craft is a power-driven vessel; and

  • (b) a 5B:C portable fire extinguisher, if the pleasure craft is equipped with a fuel-burning cooking, heating or refrigerating appliance

3more than 9 m but not more than 12 m

  • (a) a 10B:C portable fire extinguisher, if the pleasure craft is a power-driven vessel; and

  • (b) a 10B:C portable fire extinguisher, if the pleasure craft is equipped with a fuel-burning cooking, heating or refrigerating appliance

4more than 12 m but less than 24 m

  • (a) a 10B:C portable fire extinguisher at the following locations:

    • (i) at each access to a space fitted with a fuel-burning cooking, heating or refrigerating appliance,

    • (ii) at the entrance to any accommodation space, and

    • (iii) at the entrance to the machinery space;

  • (b) an axe; and

  • (c) two buckets

524 m or more

  • (a) the equipment set out in item 4(a);

  • (b) a power-driven fire pump, located outside the engine space, fitted with a fire hose and a nozzle from which a jet of water can be directed into any part of the pleasure craft;

  • (c) two axes; and

  • (d) four buckets

SUBPART 2Human-Powered Pleasure Craft

Life-Saving Appliances — Personal Life-Saving Appliances and Visual Signals

  • 209 (1) A human-powered pleasure craft shall carry on board a personal flotation device or lifejacket that is of an appropriate size for each person on board.

  • (2) A personal flotation device or lifejacket that is carried on board a human-powered pleasure craft operated in whitewater shall be inherently buoyant.

210 A human-powered pleasure craft shall carry on board, for the category of life-saving appliance set out in column 1 of the table to this section, the life-saving appliance set out in column 2 as indicated in that column.

table

Column 1Column 2
ItemCategory of Life-Saving ApplianceLife-Saving Appliance
1personal life-saving appliances

  • (a) a reboarding device, unless the vertical height that must be climbed in order to reboard the pleasure craft is less than 0.5 m; and

  • (b) a buoyant heaving line of not less than 15 m in length

2visual signalsif the human-powered pleasure craft is more than 6 m in length, a watertight flashlight and six pyrotechnic distress signals, not more than two of which are smoke signals
  • SOR/2018-102, s. 3
Previous Version

Vessel Safety Equipment and Navigation Equipment

211 A human-powered pleasure craft shall carry on board, for the category of equipment set out in column 1 of the table to this section, the equipment set out in column 2 as indicated in that column.

table

Column 1Column 2
ItemCategory of EquipmentEquipment
1vessel safety equipment

  • (a) a bailer;

  • (b) a manual bilge pump; or

  • (c) bilge-pumping arrangements

2navigation equipment

  • (a) a sound-signalling appliance that meets the requirements of the Collision Regulations, or a sound-signalling device;

  • (b) if the pleasure craft is operated after sunset or before sunrise or in periods of restricted visibility, navigation lights that meet the requirements of the Collision Regulations; and

  • (c) a magnetic compass

SUBPART 3General Exceptions for Pleasure Craft

Personal Flotation Devices and Lifejackets

212 If a person who is a resident of a country other than Canada brings on board a pleasure craft a personal flotation device or lifejacket for their personal use that conforms to the laws of that country and that is of an appropriate size and in good condition, the pleasure craft is not required to carry on board a personal flotation device or lifejacket for that person that meets the requirements of these Regulations.

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