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Updated May 2025 Boating in bad weather can be a risk to the safety of your boat and of everyone onboard. As a boat operator, it is important to know how to avoid being caught in bad weather, and it is your responsibility to know what to do if you are. Sudden weather changes are Read more ›
Updated May 2025 When preparing for an outing on the water, it’s important to be mindful of your boat’s maximum capacity. Overloading your vessel with passengers or equipment can have serious consequences, including instability, swamping, capsizing, and loss of control. Most pleasure craft under 6 m in Canada have a Compliance Notice on board that Read more ›
Updated June 2025 An isolated danger buoy notifies boat operators of a specific type of threat to their vessel’s safety. What is the purpose of an isolated danger buoy? An isolated danger buoy serves to mark an isolated hazard that has navigable water all around it. The dangers may be natural in origin, such as Read more ›
The purpose of special buoys is to provide boaters with important information. Unlike most other types of boating buoys and markers, they are not intended to serve primarily as navigation aids. Cautionary buoys Cautionary buoys mark hazardous areas such as locations of military exercises, underwater structures, race courses, seaplane bases and impassable channels. Cautionary buoys Read more ›
When towing someone behind a boat or personal watercraft, there must be a spotter on board in addition to the vessel operator. The spotter’s job is to keep an eye on the water skier and communicate with them. With the engine noise, distance and other environmental factors, there is no guarantee that the spotter and Read more ›
The International Radiotelephony Spelling Alphabet, commonly known as the NATO phonetic alphabet, is a set of code words used to clearly communicate the letters of the Roman alphabet over radio and telephone. The code was devised through the collaboration of several international agencies to make sure that letters can be easily distinguished from each other Read more ›
On Canada’s vast waterways, other recreational boaters are often closer and able to respond more quickly to a vessel in distress than search and rescue personnel. That’s why vessel operators in Canada are legally obligated to respond to distress signals and offer what help they can in the event of an emergency on the water. Read more ›
Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas that cuts off the body’s oxygen supply when inhaled. It can be lethal for those exposed to high concentrations or for long periods of time. Carbon monoxide is a common hazard on vessels, so it’s important for boaters to know what to look out for and how Read more ›
Recreational activities account for 86% of boating deaths in Canada. The Canadian Red Cross has analyzed almost two decades-worth of data on boating deaths in the country to determine the most common risk factors and make recommendations to improve boating safety. Failure to wear a PFD The number one contributing factor to recreational boating deaths Read more ›
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), provincial and municipal police forces and other authorized local authorities enforce boating safety regulations in Canada. Transport Canada’s Office of Boating Safety is responsible for overseeing enforcement activities. The purview of boating law enforcement officers Officers enforcing boating safety regulations are authorized to: Stop, board and inspect a vessel Read more ›
