Boat safety requirements OPP safety checks

scrimmy said:
If your boat is under 19'8" you can have a watertight flashlight instead of flares. The OPP needs to upgrade their knowledge on boat required safety equipment. My boat is 18' and I do not carry flares anymore.
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Flares are not required for a boat that:
Rocket parachute flare Multi-star flare Hand flare Smoke signal
• is operating on a river, canal or lake in which it can never be more than one (1) nautical mile (1.852 km) from shore; or
 
In the old days when you paid the sales tax at a Federal office on your boat you would be given a registration number. I may be wrong but I think it only applied to boats over 12 feet in length with a HP of 10 or more, hence 9.9 hp's on 12 footers were very popular, that plus many lakes in Ontario didn't allow boats over 10 HP on them. The website for Transport Canada is fairly user friendly and to register or re-new your number or update your information shouldn't be a traumatic experience . They do require a photo of the vessel , copy of the Bill of Sale, Govt approved identification and I believe the info off the Transport Canada plate attached to the transom of the boat but if it's missing there is a workaround for that ... I think ? I also think there is a new one time fee for this service now ? The money is suppose to go to wreck recovery ?
 
There is no cost.

This is an excellent source of information regarding Pleasure Craft Registration.

The registration (required by law) is useful in response to an emergency. Who is involved, what the responders are looking for. (picture and description)

Somewhat like the info involved in the MMSI registration of your DSC VHF radio.

Note: Without an MMSI # programmed into the radio, the Big Red button will not work. 🌻

Vessel licensing and registration

Links to information about vessel licensing and registration.
tc.canada.ca tc.canada.ca
 
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Lone ranger said:
Flares are not required for a boat that:
Rocket parachute flare Multi-star flare Hand flare Smoke signal
• is operating on a river, canal or lake in which it can never be more than one (1) nautical mile (1.852 km) from shore; or
Click to expand...

This comes from the Small Vessel Regulations under the Canada Shipping Act, Part 2/Subpart 3. It's an exception to the general length-based requirements regarding flares ("pyrotechnic distress signals") given in Subpart 1.

I.E. A pleasure boat greater than 6 m length is required to carry flares except if that boat is on a waterbody where it can't be more than 1 nautical mile from shore. On larger waterbodies, the length-based rules apply without exception, including the allowance for boats <6 m to carry a watertight flashlight in place of flares.

Another cause of confusion with this reg is that it doesn't actually matter how far from shore you are; it's the size of the waterbody that determines if the exception applies. I.E. a large pleasure boat (>6 m) on Lake Erie does need to have flares, even if it's only 100 ft off shore.
 
Crestliner16 said:
This comes from the Small Vessel Regulations under the Canada Shipping Act, Part 2/Subpart 3. It's an exception to the general length-based requirements regarding flares ("pyrotechnic distress signals") given in Subpart 1.

I.E. A pleasure boat greater than 6 m length is required to carry flares except if that boat is on a waterbody where it can't be more than 1 nautical mile from shore. On larger waterbodies, the length-based rules apply without exception, including the allowance for boats <6 m to carry a watertight flashlight in place of flares.

Another cause of confusion with this reg is that it doesn't actually matter how far from shore you are; it's the size of the waterbody that determines if the exception applies. I.E. a large pleasure boat (>6 m) on Lake Erie does need to have flares, even if it's only 100 ft off shore.
Click to expand...
Yes sir and like I said my boat is 18' so I do not need flares.
 
On the vessel permit:

PLEASURE CRAFT LICENCE
THIS LICENCE IS NOT A TITLE DOCUMENT

So what is a title document? Bill of sale?
 
I got stopped 2 days in a row a coue weeks back by opp first one was a strip down search then the next must of remembered me cuz we just had to show life jackets then last saturday i got checked by conservation just leavi g the peir after a day of fishing had a 28 1/4" wally with us that was all port maitland
 
HTHM said:
On the vessel permit:

PLEASURE CRAFT LICENCE
THIS LICENCE IS NOT A TITLE DOCUMENT

So what is a title document? Bill of sale?
Click to expand...
A bill of sale and a pleasure craft registration is what I carry on the boat but I have never been asked for the bill of sale only the pleasure craft registration so they could see who the boat was registered to. In order to register your boat you have to submit the bill of sale along with pictures of the boat.
 
Skunked2Often said:
"was still registered to the original owner"

Brings up an interesting point. When selling a boat privately there seems to be nothing that forces the buyer to register with Transport Canada and thus the boat remains under your name for eternity. Seems to me, to COA, the seller should assume the responsibility submit the T/C docs directly. Same could be said about transfer of trailer ownership.

OR am I missing something??? I wonder who Revenue Canada would come after to collect the tax on the sale?? (especially now a days when you are required to report the sale of the boat on your annual tax return )
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Yeah! Still having the boat registered to the original owner indicates that you probably avoided paying the 13% HST.
 
scrimmy said:
A bill of sale and a pleasure craft registration is what I carry on the boat but I have never been asked for the bill of sale only the pleasure craft registration so they could see who the boat was registered to. In order to register your boat you have to submit the bill of sale along with pictures of the boat.
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Isn’t the pleasure craft registration slapped on the side of our boats in big 3” white letters and numbers ? Maybe I’m getting things mixed up.
 
Wolkovitch said:
Isn’t the pleasure craft registration slapped on the side of our boats in big 3” white letters and numbers ? Maybe I’m getting things mixed up.
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yes it is and you need to show the paper copy of it when asked and it has to be on the boat. I think it just a way for them to confirm whose name the boat is registered to. My late brother in law never ever but his boat in his name for over 15 years and sold it that way before he passed. He also never put the trailer in his name either.
 
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After reading the regulations for boats under 6m...if operating more than 1 nautical mile offshore(ie Lake Erie) then you need flares. Please correct me if I'm wrong, cause I don't presently have flares.
 
BubbaGump said:
After reading the regulations for boats under 6m...if operating more than 1 nautical mile offshore(ie Lake Erie) then you need flares. Please correct me if I'm wrong, cause I don't presently have flares.
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In the chart posted above, for Boats under 6m you need either a flashlight or flares....
 
1) for flashlight, I use a waterproof spotlight from Can Tire...they frequently go on sale.

Search Results

www.canadiantire.ca www.canadiantire.ca

2) check that your fire extinguisher has not expired.

Boat Fire Extinguishers Regulations & Maintenance | BOATERexam.com®

The size of boat you're operating will determine what fire extinguisher you're required to carry. Learn the different types & requirements for each.
www.boaterexam.com www.boaterexam.com

Effective April 20, 2022, any non-rechargeable (disposable) fire extinguisher that is older than 12 years should be removed from service. Refer to the date of manufacturing stamped on the bottle; for example, "05" means "2005."


3) in terms of bills of sale and taxes, whenever I have sold a boat, I have given the buyer THREE bills of sale; one for the boat, one for the motor, one for the trailer. In that way, the buyer only pays the required taxes.
Lets say the total sale is $10,000.
- trailer $1000
-boat $4000
-motor $5000
Buyer goes to change trailer ownership at Service Ontario, he will pay taxes on $1000, not the full $10000
same goes for the boat...GST on $4000 not $10000
 
TonyMo said:
1) for flashlight, I use a waterproof spotlight from Can Tire...they frequently go on sale.

Search Results

www.canadiantire.ca www.canadiantire.ca

2) check that your fire extinguisher has not expired.

Boat Fire Extinguishers Regulations & Maintenance | BOATERexam.com®

The size of boat you're operating will determine what fire extinguisher you're required to carry. Learn the different types & requirements for each.
www.boaterexam.com www.boaterexam.com

Effective April 20, 2022, any non-rechargeable (disposable) fire extinguisher that is older than 12 years should be removed from service. Refer to the date of manufacturing stamped on the bottle; for example, "05" means "2005."


3) in terms of bills of sale and taxes, whenever I have sold a boat, I have given the buyer THREE bills of sale; one for the boat, one for the motor, one for the trailer. In that way, the buyer only pays the required taxes.
Lets say the total sale is $10,000.
- trailer $1000
-boat $4000
-motor $5000
Buyer goes to change trailer ownership at Service Ontario, he will pay taxes on $1000, not the full $10000
same goes for the boat...GST on $4000 not $10000
Click to expand...
Yup and there's no tax on the motor cost. So, maybe I got a deal on a really good motor and a crappy boat., hence the low value on the boat.
 
Thanks op for the psa,I immediately added my bill of sale to the other docs including insc ,all put in a ziplock bag.
 
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