I hope that all of you are now enjoying a safe and happy boating season. Recently there have been a number of minor changes to the Small Vessel Regulations and I have given a brief description of them below:
Stand up Paddle Boards will now be added to the list of Recreational Vessels and will be subject to the same safety equipment requirements as Paddleboards, Watercycles, Sealed-Hull and Sit-On-Top Kayaks.
They are required to carry*:
- One (1) lifejacket or PFD for each person on board
- A buoyant heaving line of at least 15 meters in length
- A sound signaling device, and
- A watertight flashlight or navigation lights if the vessel is used after sunset or before sunrise.
*If everyone on board is wearing a lifejacket or PFD of appropriate size they are only required to carry a sound signaling device (whistle attached to their PFD) and a watertight flashlight if the vessel is used after sunset or before sunrise.
The obvious aim of this exception is to have all those using these types of vessels wear their lifejackets or PFDs.
The other change that now affects safety equipment requirements relates to the number of required flares. Here is a list by vessel length of the current and new changes:
Vessels no more than 6 meters in length:
- Current: Three flares other than smoke signals
- New: Three flares not more than one of which is a smoke signal.
Vessels more than 6 meters up to not more than 9 meters in length:
- Current: Six flares other than smoke signals
- New*: Six flares, not more than two of which are smoke signals
*Exception: At least three flares, not more than one of which is a smoke signal if there is also a means of two way electronic communications on board.
Vessels more than 9 meters in length:
- Current: Twelve flares, not more than six of which are smoke signals.
- New*: No change
*Exception: At least six flares, not more than two of which is a smoke signal if there is also a
means of two way electronic communications on board.
Human Powered Craft more than 6 meters:
- Current: Six flares other than smoke signals
- New*: Six flares, not more than two of which are smoke signal
*Exception; At least three flares, not more than one of which is a smoke signal if there is
also a means of two way electronic communications on board.
Personal Watercraft:
- Three flares other than smoke signals.
- Three flares, not more than one of which is a smoke signal.
Note: Flares are not required for a vessel that is operating on a river, canal or lake on which it can be no more than 1 nautical mile (1.85 km) from shore or has no sleeping quarters and is engaged in official competition or in preparation for an official competition.
There is also a minor change to the
Pleasure Craft License requirement. This is the license for the boat, not the operator. The amendment would clarify that an update to a license would not extend the expiry date of a Pleasure Craft License by an additional 10 years.
On the renewal of Pleasure Craft Licenses, which are currently good for 10 years and for which there is currently no charge to renew the license, I strongly suspect that within the next few years there will a change to a 3 to 5 year renewal period and a renewal fee will be introduced so users will help to pay for the vessel licensing program.
On a regulatory education note, this week I was talking with Graham Ketcheson, Executive Director of Paddle Canada, and he told me the following story:
“A Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) paddler recently contacted us for more clarification. He was fined $250 for not having his PFD with him on Lake Erie. He had assumed that if paddling close to shore, he was not a vessel navigating and therefore not subject to any boating laws.
Lots more education to be done!”
Graham makes an excellent point and the example that he describes is very reflective of other examples that we all hear of on a daily basis.
Keep the faith, spread the word and help all boaters to enjoy happy and safe boating adventures.
John Gullick
CSBC Chair