There are many rules and regulations concerning boating to keep you, your family and your friends safe. A great place to start is the Safe Boating Guide, available for free from our store. This page contains some important rules & regualtions from this book that everyone should know and follow straight from the Safe Boating Guide.
Mandatory Safety Equipment for Pleasure Crafts
Operator Competency Rule 
| All operators born after April 1, 1983 | Sept 15, 1999 |
| All operators of craft less than 4m (13'1") in length, including personal watercraft | Sept 15, 2002 |
| All operators | Sept 15, 2009 |
The same rules of the road apply on the water. Those not conforming to speed limits, alcohol limitations, etc. can receive tickets from authorities. If you are caught drinking and boating, possible loss of a vehicle driver's license is possible.
Safety Equipment
Depending on the length of your boat, there are certain pieces of equipment that your boat should come with. At C.A.S. Power Marine Ltd., when we sell you your boat, we ensure that you're leaving with all of the necessary equipment. The following is an excerpt from the Transport Canada Office of Boating Safety website. "The right safety equipment provides peace of mind and if something goes wrong, it may save a life. There may be additional items you will want to take depending on your vessel, type of activities and environment. Go prepared. Make sure your equipment is easily accessible and can be operated by everyone on board."
Safety equipment regulations apply to all types of pleasure craft, including powerboats, personal watercrafts, sailboats, kayaks, canoes, airboats and hovercrafts.
Personal Watercraft
Personal protection equipment: One Canadian-approved pfd or lifejacket(keyhole) of approiate size for each person on board AND one buoyant heaving line, no less than 15m(49'3") in length.
Distress equipment: A watertight flashlight OR three Canadian-approved flares of Type A, B or C (C.A.S. Power Marine Ltd. recommends having both items on board).
Navigation equipment: A sound-signalling device or a sound-signalling appliance (C.A.S. Power Marine Ltd. recommends having an airhorn on board even if you have an electronic horn and we do not feel a whistle is suffienct unless attached to a pfd or lifejacket on the person).
Boat safety equipment: One manual propelling device(paddle or oar) OR an anchor with no less than 15m(49'3") of cable, rope or chain in any combination (C.A.S. Power Marine Ltd. feels that an anchor is more appropriate unless you are on a small lake in which paddling to shore is possible and your boat is of size where it is possible to move the craft at a reasonable speed against the current).
One bailer OR one manual water pump fitted with or accompanied by a sufficient hose to enable a person using the pump to discharge water from the bilge of the vessel over the side of the vessel.
One Class 5BC fire extinguisher
*If all people on the PWC are wearing a Canadian-approved floation device of the appropriate size, the boat safety equipment is not mandatory.
Powered pleasure craft less than 6m(19'8") in length [6m-8m, 8m-12m, 12m-20m]
Personal protection equipment: One Canadian-approved pfd or lifejacket(keyhole) of approiate size for each person on board AND one buoyant heaving line, no less than 15m(49'3") in length.
Distress equipment: A watertight flashlight OR three Canadian-approved flares of Type A, B or C (C.A.S. Power Marine Ltd. recommends having both items on board).
Navigation equipment: A sound-signalling device or a sound-signalling appliance (C.A.S. Power Marine Ltd. recommends having an airhorn on board even if you have an electronic horn and we do not feel a whistle is suffienct unless attached to a pfd or lifejacket on the person) AND 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.
Boat safety equipment: One manual propelling device(paddle or oar) OR an anchor with no less than 15m(49'3") of cable, rope or chain in any combination (C.A.S. Power Marine Ltd. feels that an anchor is more appropriate unless you are on a small lake in which paddling to shore is possible and your boat is of size where it is possible to move the craft at a reasonable speed against the current).
One bailer OR one manual water pump fitted with or accompanied by a sufficient hose to enable a person using the pump to discharge water from the bilge of the vessel over the side of the vessel.
One Class 5BC 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
Any pleasure craft greater than 6m(19'8") in length but no greater than 8m(26'3") in length
Personal protection equipment: One Canadian-approved pfd or lifejacket(keyhole) of approiate size for each person on board AND one buoyant heaving line, no less than 15m(49'3") in length OR one approved lifebouy with an outside diameter of 610mm or 762mm that is attached to a buoyant line no less that 15m(49'3")
A reboarding device (ladder) if the freeboard of the vessel is greater than 0.5m (1'8")
Distress equipment: A watertight flashlight AND three Canadian-approved flares of Type A, B or C (C.A.S. Power Marine Ltd. recommends having both items on board). Vessel is exempt from carrying flares if operating in a river, canel or lake in which it can at no time by more than one nautical mile (1.852km) from shore
Navigation equipment: A sound-signalling device or a sound-signalling appliance (C.A.S. Power Marine Ltd. recommends having an airhorn on board even if you have an electronic horn and we do not feel a whistle is suffienct unless attached to a pfd or lifejacket on the person) AND 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.
Boat safety equipment: One manual propelling device(paddle or oar) OR an anchor with no less than 15m(49'3") of cable, rope or chain in any combination (C.A.S. Power Marine Ltd. feels that an anchor is more appropriate unless you are on a small lake in which paddling to shore is possible and your boat is of size where it is possible to move the craft at a reasonable speed against the current).
One bailer OR one manual water pump fitted with or accompanied by a sufficient hose to enable a person using the pump to discharge water from the bilge of the vessel over the 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.
Any pleasure craft greater than 8m(26'3") in length but no greater than 12m(39'4") in length
Personal protection equipment: One Canadian-approved pfd or lifejacket(keyhole) of approiate size for each person on board AND one buoyant heaving line, no less than 15m(49'3") in length
One approved lifebouy with an outside diameter of 610mm or 762mm that is attached to a buoyant line no less that 15m(49'3")
A reboarding device (ladder) if the freeboard of the vessel is greater than 0.5m (1'8")
Distress equipment: A watertight flashlight
Twelve Canadian-approved flares of Type A, B, C or D, no more than six of which are of Type D. Vessel is exempt from carrying flares if operating in a river, canel or lake in which it can at no time by more than one nautical mile (1.852km) from shore
Navigation equipment: A sound-signalling device or a sound-signalling appliance (C.A.S. Power Marine Ltd. recommends having an airhorn on board even if you have an electronic horn and we do not feel a whistle is suffienct unless attached to a pfd or lifejacket on the person) AND 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.
Boat safety equipment: An anchor with no less than 30m(498'5") of cable, rope or chain in any combination .
One bailer
One manual water pump fitted with or accompanied by a sufficient hose to enable a person using the pump to discharge 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.
Any pleasure craft greater than 12m(39'4") in length but no greater than 20m(65'7") in length
Personal protection equipment: One Canadian-approved pfd or lifejacket(keyhole) of approiate size for each person on board AND one buoyant heaving line, no less than 15m(49'3") in length
One approved lifebouy with an outside diameter of 610mm or 762mm that is attached to a buoyant line no less that 15m(49'3")
A reboarding device (ladder)
Distress equipment: A watertight flashlight
Twelve Canadian-approved flares of Type A, B, C or D, no more than six of which are of Type D.
Navigation equipment: A sound-signalling appliance AND navigation lights that meet the applicable standards set out in the Collision Regulations
Boat safety equipment: An anchor with no less than 50m(194'1") of cable, rope or chain in any combination .
Bilge pumping arrangements
One Class 10BC fire extinguisher at each access to any space where a fuel-burning cooking, heating or refrigerating appliance is fitted; at the entrance to any accommodation space; at the entrance to the engine room space
One axe
Two buckets, each with a capacity of 10L or more
