When you are in charge of the operation of a boat in the waters of Canada, certain rules apply and will be enforced. The days of just hopping into a boat and buzzing around the lake as you please are gone, and anyone who operates a pleasure craft must obey certain requirements. If you in control of a motorized pleasure craft, regardless of the size, you must have a pleasure craft operator card handy to show to enforcement officers, if asked. This refers to larger, high horsepower motor boats all the way down to a rowboat with an outboard motor on the back. The pleasure craft operator card, or PCOC license is basically a driver's license for the water. Your operator card shows that you have taken and passed the necessary boating exam and you are qualified to operate a pleasure craft on the water.
Your PCOC license is referred to a "proof of competency" and it lets law enforcement officials know that you have at least a basic level of recreational boating knowledge and skill. The goal of the operator card and PCOC license program is to help reduce the number of boating accidents and fatalities in Canada each year. The pleasure craft operator card means you should know the laws that pertain to operating a pleasure craft under the influence, and all the various safety procedures. The PCOC license lets officers know you're able to operate the vessel, and that you have no valid excuse for disobeying any other laws or regulations.
Aside from needing the pleasure craft operating card to even control the boat, there are also rules that pertain to other aspects of pleasure craft operation. If you plant to build your own pleasure craft, you must follow and meet the requirements detailed in the small vessel regulations and construction standards for small vessels. A compliance notice on the boat isn't necessary if you're using it for your own personal use, but you do have to apply for a Manufacturer's Identification Code at transport Canada if you plan to sell after you're done.
It's also a requirement that you display a pleasure craft license on both sides of the bow of your boat and above the water line to stay within the law. This license is free, but it does contain a number that's unique for a pleasure craft, and is valid for 10 years after you get it. This license is different from your PCOC license or standard boating license that enables you to operate the boat. It's important that the boat be registered in your name if you're going to be the one in control and exploring Canadian waterways.
The pleasure craft license is required if your boat's motor or motors total 10 horsepower or greater. Make sure that you are thorough in your compliance with all the necessary rules, and always carry your pleasure craft operator card with you when you're on the water, to let everyone know you are a capable operator and avoid unnecessary trouble.
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Fun and safety go hand in hand. Get your boat license ontario the easy and safe way.
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