Small Vessel Regulations (SOR/2010-91)
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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 1 Column 2 Item Length Additional Personal Life-Saving Appliances 1 not more than 6 m a buoyant heaving line of not less than 15 m in length 2 more 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
3 more 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
4 more 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
5 24 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 1 | Column 2 | |
---|---|---|
Item | Length | Visual Signals |
1 | not more than 6 m |
|
2 | more than 6 m but not more than 9 m |
|
3 | more than 9 m |
|
- SOR/2018-102, s. 2
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 1 | Column 2 | |
---|---|---|
Item | Length | Vessel Safety Equipment |
1 | not more than 9 m |
|
2 | more than 9 m but not more than 12 m |
|
3 | more than 12 m |
|
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 1 | Column 2 | |
---|---|---|
Item | Length | Navigation Equipment |
1 | not more than 9 m |
|
2 | more than 9 m but not more than 12 m |
|
3 | more than 12 m |
|
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 1 | Column 2 | |
---|---|---|
Item | Length | Firefighting Equipment |
1 | not more than 6 m | a 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 |
2 | more than 6 m but not more than 9 m |
|
3 | more than 9 m but not more than 12 m |
|
4 | more than 12 m but less than 24 m |
|
5 | 24 m or more |
|
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 1 | Column 2 | |
---|---|---|
Item | Category of Life-Saving Appliance | Life-Saving Appliance |
1 | personal life-saving appliances |
|
2 | visual signals | if 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
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 1 | Column 2 | |
---|---|---|
Item | Category of Equipment | Equipment |
1 | vessel safety equipment |
|
2 | navigation equipment |
|
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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