Transport Canada PPHEL cheat sheet

A Pleasure Craft Operator Card is required to operate a motorized pleasure craft fitted with an engine of 10 hp (7.5 kW) or more in Canada; the card is issued after passing an accredited test and is valid for life.

The Pleasure Craft Licence (PCL) is a 10-digit number displayed on both sides of the bow; it is free, issued by Transport Canada, and must be renewed every 10 years or updated when ownership or address changes.

A vessel registration (rather than a licence) is required for commercial craft and is optional for pleasure craft; registration begins with a letter and does not expire but must be updated on transfer.

Age and power limits: under 12 years with no direct supervision may operate only a craft under 10 hp (7.5 kW); ages 12-15 only up to 40 hp (30 kW); 16 and older may operate any horsepower.

A person under 16 may not operate a personal watercraft (PWC) under any circumstances in Canada.

Required onboard documents: proof of competency (PCOC or equivalent), proof of vessel licence or registration, and a completed float plan or trip details where applicable.

The operator is legally responsible for the conduct and safety of the vessel and everyone aboard, regardless of who owns the craft.

It is an offence to operate a vessel while impaired by alcohol or drugs; the same Criminal Code limits apply as for motor vehicles.

Reporting: a collision or accident causing injury, death, or property damage above the regulatory threshold must be reported to the appropriate authority as soon as practicable.

Collision Regulations hierarchy: a power-driven vessel gives way to a sailing vessel, a vessel restricted in ability to manoeuvre, a vessel not under command, and a vessel engaged in fishing; the give-way vessel takes early and substantial action.

Head-on meeting: both power-driven vessels alter course to starboard and pass port-to-port.

Crossing situation: the vessel with the other on her starboard side is the give-way vessel and must keep clear or pass astern.

Overtaking: the overtaking vessel keeps clear of the vessel being overtaken, regardless of power or sail.

A power-driven vessel must keep out of the way of a vessel under sail, but the stand-on sailing vessel must maintain course and speed unless a risk of collision requires action.

Safe speed must allow stopping within a distance appropriate to visibility, traffic density, manoeuvrability, and current; no fixed speed limit applies on open water.

Sound signals: one short blast = altering course to starboard; two short = port; three short = operating astern propulsion; five or more short rapid blasts = danger or doubt.

A power-driven vessel underway must display a masthead light forward, sidelights, and a sternlight; a sailing vessel under sail displays sidelights and sternlight only.

A vessel at anchor displays an all-round white light where it can best be seen, and by day a black ball forward.

Required equipment scales with vessel length: all pleasure craft need a personal flotation device or lifejacket of appropriate size for each person aboard, a sound-signalling device, a buoyant heaving line of at least 15 m, and a reboarding device where the freeboard exceeds 0.5 m.

Vessels 6 m and over also need a bailer or manual bilge pump, a fire extinguisher (5BC for craft under 6 m, 10BC for 6-12 m), and a watertight flashlight; vessels 9 m and over add a 15 m buoyant heaving line and flares.

Flares: Type A (parachute), Type B (hand-held), Type C (buoyant smoke), and Type D (electronic visual distress signal); day and night signals must be carried as specified and checked for expiry dates.

Man-overboard drill: shout 'man overboard', throw a buoyant object, keep the person in sight, approach into the wind and current, and use a reboarding device or heaving line.

Fire aboard: shut off fuel, use the extinguisher at the base of the flames, keep the wind at your back, and abandon to a liferaft only if the fire cannot be controlled.

Mayday is used for grave and imminent danger to life; Pan-Pan for urgency without immediate danger; Sécurité for safety messages such as navigation warnings.

VHF Channel 16 is the distress and calling frequency; Channel 70 is reserved for DSC digital distress alerts; Channel 9 is used for recreational calling in many areas.

Cold-water immersion: the 1-10-1 principle - about 1 minute of cold shock, 10 minutes of meaningful movement, and 1 hour before hypothermia reduces consciousness.

Abandon ship: don a lifejacket, take water, flares, and a means of communication, stay with the vessel if it remains afloat, and deploy the liferaft on the leeward side.

A marine weather forecast should be checked before departure and monitored on VHF (Environment Canada continuous marine broadcasts) or via the Marine Weather app; small craft warnings mean winds of 20-33 knots.

A falling barometer indicates approaching low pressure and deteriorating weather; a rapid drop signals a fast-moving system.

Cumulonimbus clouds with an anvil top signal thunderstorms, squall lines, and possible waterspouts; seek shelter before the storm arrives.

Fog reduces visibility; reduce speed to a safe level, sound the appropriate fog signals (one prolonged blast every two minutes for a power-driven vessel underway), and use radar or GPS if available.

Wave height is driven by wind speed, fetch, and duration; a wind against current creates steep, short, and dangerous seas.

Tides and currents: consult tide tables and current atlases; slack water is the period of least current and often the safest for docking or transiting narrow channels.

Leeway and set: a vessel drifts downwind and down-current; allow for both when planning a course and a docking approach.

Knots and line handling: cleat hitch, bowline, and round turn with two half hitches are the core knots; nylon line stretches and absorbs shock, Dacron/Polyester has low stretch.

Anchoring: use a scope of 5:1 to 7:1 (rode length to depth), set the anchor by reversing slowly, and confirm the anchor is holding with a transit or GPS.

Discharge of untreated sewage is prohibited within 3 nautical miles of shore in most Canadian waters; use pump-out stations and holding tanks.

Garbage, oil, and fuel must never be discharged overboard; fuel docks and marinas provide reception facilities, and a small spill must be reported to the Canadian Coast Guard.

Use biodegradable, phosphate-free cleaning products and avoid discharging grey water near shorelines or sensitive habitats.

Respect speed and wake restrictions in posted areas and near shorelines; wakes erode banks, disturb nesting birds, and damage moored vessels.

Keep a safe distance from wildlife: at least 100 m from marine mammals and 200 m from whales and their calves in many Canadian regions; never chase or feed animals.

Prevent the spread of invasive species: clean, drain, and dry the hull, propeller, and trailer after each outing; remove all aquatic plants and mud.

Reduce engine idling to cut emissions and noise; a well-tuned engine and a four-stroke or direct-injection outboard reduce fuel consumption and hydrocarbon output.

At the launch ramp and dock, prepare the boat away from the ramp, launch and retrieve efficiently, and yield to boats returning to the dock.

Leave no trace: pack out all garbage, avoid disturbing seabird colonies and eelgrass beds, and use established moorings rather than anchoring on sensitive bottom.

Pre-departure checklist: check weather, fuel level, oil, battery, engine cooling water intake, safety equipment, and file a float plan with a responsible person.

Starting and stopping: attach the kill switch (engine cut-off lanyard) to the operator, start in neutral, warm up the engine, and shift into gear only at idle.

Mooring: approach the dock at a shallow angle (about 30-45 degrees), use spring lines to control fore-and-aft movement, and use the engine in short bursts.

Docking in wind: approach into the wind or current, whichever is stronger; use a bow line and spring line to pivot the boat alongside.

Towing and being towed: use a bridle or towing eye, keep the tow line clear of the propeller, and post a lookout; the towing vessel is responsible for the tow.

PWC operation: attach the lanyard, keep clear of swimmers and other craft, and remember that steering control is lost when the throttle is released - steer with throttle.

Right-of-way at ramps, narrow channels, and bridges: keep to starboard in narrow channels, pass under bridges in the marked span, and yield to commercial traffic.

Fueling: stop the engine, extinguish all flames, close hatches, fuel slowly to avoid spills, and ventilate the engine compartment before restarting.

Loading and stability: distribute weight evenly, keep the load low, never exceed the vessel's maximum capacity plate, and avoid standing or moving about while underway.