Personal Watercraft

Personal Watercraft (P.W.C.)

Personal Protective Equipment:

• One Government of Canada (Department of Transport) approved personal flotation device (PFD) or a life jacket for small vessels of appropriate size for each person on board
• One buoyant heaving line of not less than 15m in length

Boat Safety Equipment:

• One manual propelling device (paddle or oars) OR an anchor with not less than 15m of cable, rope or chain in any combination. (This equipment is not mandatory if all people on the Personal Watercraft are wearing a Canadian-approved flotation device of appropriate size).
• One bailer or manual water pump fitted with or accompanied by sufficient hose to enable a person using the pump to pump water from the bilge of the vessel over the side of the vessel. (This equipment is not mandatory if all people on the Personal Watercraft are wearing a Canadian-approved flotation device of appropriate size).
• One Class 5BC fire extinguisher. (This equipment is not mandatory if all people on the Personal Watercraft are wearing a Canadian-approved flotation device of appropriate size).

Distress Equipment:

• A watertight flashlight or 3 Canadian approved flares of type A,B or C

Navigation Equipment:

• A sound signaling device or a sound signaling appliance audible at distances of one-half a marine mile (0.93 km)

The Canadian Coast Guard and P.W.C. manufacturers strongly advise against operating this type of craft at night.

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Not over 6m Powered

Personal Protective Equipment:

• One Government of Canada (Department of Transport) approved  personal flotation device (PFD) or a life jacket for small vessels of appropriate size for each person on board
• One buoyant heaving line of not less than 15m in length

Boat Safety Equipment:

• One manual propelling device (paddle or oars) OR an anchor with not less than 15m of cable, rope or chain in any combination
• One Class 5BC fire extinguisher (if the craft is equipped with an inboard engine, a fixed fuel tank of any size, or a fuel burning cooking, heating or refrigerating appliance).
• One bailer or one manual water pump fitted with sufficient hose to enable one person using the pump to pump water from the bilge of the vessel over the side of the vessel. (A bailer or manual water pump is not required for any multi-hull vessel that has subdivided multiple-sealed hull construction.)

Distress Equipment:

• A watertight flashlight or 3 Canadian approved flares of type A,B or C

Navigation Equipment:

• A sound signaling device or a sound signaling appliance audible at distances of one-half a marine mile (0.93 km)
• Navigation lights that meet the applicable standards set out in the Collision Regulations if the pleasure craft is operated after sunset and before sunrise or in periods of restricted visibility.

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Vessels over 6m but not over 8m

Personal Protective Equipment:

• One Government of Canada (Department of Transport) approved  personal flotation device (PFD) or a life jacket for small vessels of appropriate size for each person on board
• One buoyant heaving line of not less than 15m in length or one approved life buoys with an outside diameter of 610 mm or 762 mm that is attached to a buoyant line of not less than 15m in length
• a re-boarding device if the freeboard of the vessel is greater than 0.5 m

Boat Safety Equipment:

• One manual propelling device (paddle or oars) OR an anchor with not less than 15m of cable, rope or chain in any combination
• One bailer or manual water pump fitted with or accompanied by sufficient hose to enable a person using the pump to pump water from the bilge of the vessel over then side of the vessel
• One Class 5BC fire extinguisher, if the pleasure craft is a power driven vessel, plus another class 5BC fire extinguisher if the pleasure craft is equipped with a fuel burning cooking, heating or refrigerating appliance

Distress Equipment:

• a watertight flashlight
• 6 Canadian approved flares of Type A,B or C
  You are exempt from carrying pyrotechnic distress signals if:
• operating in a river, canal or lake in which it can at no time be more than one mile from shoreOR
• engaged in an official competition or in final preparation for an official competition and has no sleeping arrangements.

Navigation Equipment:

• a sound signaling device or a sound signaling appliance
• navigation lights that meet the applicable standards set out in the Collision Regulations if the pleasure craft is operated after sunset and before sunrise or in periods of restricted visibility

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Vessels over 8m but not over 12m

Personal Protective Equipment:

• One Government of Canada (Department of Transport) approved  personal flotation device (PFD) or a life jacket for small vessels of appropriate size for each person on board
• One buoyant heaving line of not less than 15m in length
• One approved life buoys with an outside diameter of 610 mm or 762 mm that is attached to a buoyant line of not less than 15m in length
• a re-boarding device if the freeboard of the vessel is greater than 0.5

Boat Safety Equipment:

• An anchor with not less than 30m of cable, rope or chain in any combination
• One bailer
• One manual water pump fitted with or accompanied by sufficient hose to enable a person using the pump to pump water from the bilge of the vessel over the side of the vessel
• One Class 10BC fire extinguisher, if the pleasure craft is a power driven vessel, plus another class 10BC fire extinguisher if the pleasure craft is equipped with a fuel burning cooking, heating or refrigerating appliance

Distress Equipment:

• a watertight flashlight
• 12 Canadian approved flares of Type A, B, C, or D (not more than 6 can be Class D)

You are exempt from carrying pyrotechnic distress signals if:

• operating in a river, canal or lake in which it can at no time be more than one mile from shoreOR
• engaged in an official competition or in final preparation for an official competition and has no sleeping arrangements.

Navigation Equipment:

• a sound signaling device or a sound signaling appliance
• navigation lights that meet the applicable standards set out in the Collision Regulations

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Vessels over 12m but not over 20m

Personal Protective Equipment:

• One Government of Canada (Department of Transport) approved  personal flotation device (PFD) or a life jacket for small vessels of appropriate size for each person on board
• One buoyant heaving line of not less than 15m in length
• One approved life buoys with an outside diameter of 610 mm or 762 mm that is equipped with a self-igniting light and is attached to a buoyant line of not less than 15m in length
• a re-boarding device

Boat Safety Equipment:

• An anchor with not less than 50m of cable, rope or chain in any combination
• bilge pumping arrangements
• One Class 10BC fire extinguisher at each of the following locations:
  1. at each access to any space where a fuel burning cooking, heating or refrigerating appliance is fitted
  2. at the entrance to any accommodation space
  3. at the entrance to the engine room space
• one axe
• Two buckets, each with a capacity of 10 litres or more.

Distress Equipment:

• a watertight flashlight
• 12 Canadian approved flares of Type A,BC, or D (not more than 6 can be Class D)

Navigation Equipment:

• Two sound signaling appliances (bell and whistle)
• Navigation lights that meet the applicable standards set out in the Collision Regulations

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Vessels over over 20m

Personal Protective Equipment:

• one personal flotation device or life jacket of appropriate size for each person on board
• one buoyant heaving line of not less than 30 metres in length
• two life buoys, each of which has an outside diameter of 762 mm. and is attached to a buoyant heaving line of not less than 30 metres in length, and one of which is equipped with a self-igniting light
• a lifting harness with appropriate rigging
• a re-boarding device

Boat Safety Equipment:

• an anchor with not less than 50 metres of cable, rope or chain in any combination
• bilge-pumping arrangements
• one power-driven fire pump located outside the machinery space, with one fire hose and nozzle whereby a jet of water can be directed into any part of the pleasure craft
• one Class 10BC fire extinguisher at each of the following locations:
  1. at each access to any space where a fuel-burning cooking, heating or refrigerating appliance is fitted
  2. at the entrance to any accommodation space
  3. at the entrance to the engine room space
• two axes
• four buckets, each with a capacity of 10 litres or more

Distress Equipment:

• a watertight flashlight
• 12 Canadian approved flares of Type A,BC, or D (not more than 6 can be Class D)

Navigation Equipment:

• Two sound signaling appliances, as specified in the Collision Regulations
• Navigation lights that meet the applicable standards set out in the Collision Regulations

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Additional Recommended Equipment

For all boats, the above equipment is obviously the minimum required.  To effectively respond to a boating incident, the following additional items of equipment should be carried on board:

Emergency Kit:

• Pyrotechnic distress signals;  There are four types of distress signals:
  1. rocket parachute flares,
  2. star rockets or shells which throw stars one or two at a time,
  3. hand flares (limited visibility because they are at water level)
  4. smoke flares (flares giving off orange smoke .. only effective during daylight).
• First aid kit;
• Repair kit (see section 2.1);
• One life buoy with 15m buoyant heaving line
• Two blankets
• One flutter board

Make sure that you have a method or equipment to get a person who is in the water, back onto your boat.

Consideration should be given as to how this will work if the person has sustained injuries

As required, other equipment could be added to this basic material, including a pole, a communications system, etc. (or a magnetic compass to assist the operator in determining direction, although the operator must be aware of any nearby metallic or electrical devices which are likely to distort the readings).