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Small Vessel Regulations (SOR/2010-91)

Regulations are current to 2024-10-30 and last amended on 2023-12-20. Previous Versions

PART 1Licensing of Pleasure Craft (continued)

Transfer of Ownership of a Pleasure Craft

 Immediately on the transfer of ownership of a licensed pleasure craft, the new owner of the pleasure craft shall apply to the Minister for transfer of the licence.

Misleading Marking

 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

  •  (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.

 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

  •  (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

 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

 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

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

Life-Saving Appliances — Personal Life-Saving Appliances

 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

 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

Vessel Safety Equipment

 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

 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

Firefighting Equipment

 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

  •  (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.

 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

Vessel Safety Equipment and Navigation Equipment

 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

 

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