Pleasure Craft Operator

Course Description

By taking a boating safety course, you will learn about:

• your responsibilities as a boat operator
• how to get your boat, your guests and yourself prepared before leaving the dock
• the importance of making sure all the right boating safety equipment is on board and in good working order
• how to prevent unsafe situations once underway
• how to safely share waterways with others, including larger and less manoeuvrable commercial vessels
• what to do in the event of an emergency

Other Information 

In addition to the requirement to carry a document serving as proof of competency, boat operators under the age of 16 must also comply with other requirements. Restrictions are imposed on the horsepower (hp) (or kilowatt (kW)) capacity of the motor of the boat they wish to operate.

• Youth under the age of 12 with no direct supervision may only operate a boat with a motor of up to 10 hp/7.5 kW
• Youth aged 12–15 with no direct supervision may only operate a boat with a motor of up to 40 hp/30 kW
• Youth under the age of 16, regardless of supervision, may not operate a personal watercraft (PWC)

These restrictions do not apply in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.