Confession: the first time I read the required-gear table in Transport Canada’s Safe Boating Guide, I thought “radar reflector” was a joke about my sunglasses. It isn’t. If you’re looking for a boat safety checklist PDF you can actually use, this post covers two things: the gear Canada legally requires on board, and a pre-departure checklist to run before every trip. Both come from the official source. Then grab the free printable version and stick it in a ziplock bag on board.
Rookie disclaimer: I’m a beginner, not an instructor. This is a plain-English summary of Transport Canada’s Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E). The guide and the Small Vessel Regulations are the legal word, and requirements change. Check the current Safe Boating Guide for your exact boat, and take an accredited boating course.
Step 1: Know your boat’s length class
In Canada, required safety equipment depends on the type of boat and its length. TP 511E has separate tables for paddle craft, personal watercraft and power boats in several length classes. My free boat is a 33-foot Chris-Craft, which is just over 10 m and lands in the “between 9 m and 12 m (29′6″–39′4″)” row, so that’s the one I’ll walk through. If your boat is a different size, use your own row in the guide (pages 14–17), because the lists differ.
The required safety gear checklist (boats 9 m–12 m)
From TP 511E, page 16, for sail and power boats between 9 m and 12 m:
Personal lifesaving appliances – ☐ 1 Canadian-approved lifejacket or PFD for each person on board – ☐ 1 reboarding device (only if the freeboard, the height from the water to the deck, is more than 0.5 m) – ☐ 1 buoyant heaving line at least 15 m (49′3″) long – ☐ 1 lifebuoy attached to a buoyant line at least 15 m (49′3″) long
Visual signals – ☐ 1 watertight flashlight, and – ☐ 12 flares, of which no more than 6 can be smoke signals, or 1 electronic visual distress signal plus 1 smoke signal
Vessel safety equipment – ☐ 1 anchor with at least 30 m (98′5″) of cable, rope or chain in any combination – ☐ 1 manual bilge pump or bilge-pumping arrangements
Navigation equipment – ☐ 1 sound-signalling device or appliance – ☐ Navigation lights – ☐ 1 magnetic compass – ☐ 1 radar reflector
Fire-fighting equipment – ☐ 1 10BC fire extinguisher if the boat has a motor – ☐ 1 more 10BC fire extinguisher if the boat has a fuel-burning cooking, heating or refrigerating appliance
The fine print (TP 511E notes, page 17)
- Flares: You don’t need them if you’re operating within 1 nautical mile of shore. You can carry 50% fewer if you have a two-way communication device, a 406 MHz PLB worn by the operator, or a 406 MHz EPIRB on board.
- Electronic visual distress signals have to meet the RTCM 13200.0 standard.
- Navigation lights are required when you operate between sunset and sunrise or in periods of restricted visibility.
- Compass: Only boats 8 m or under are exempt, so at 9–12 m you need one.
- Radar reflector: There are exceptions, so check the note in the guide.
- Bilge pump: Not required for boats that can’t hold enough water to capsize, or that have sealed watertight compartments that are hard to get into.
🦺 Want the gear, the checks and the rules in one place? The Rookie Safety Manual puts all of this together in plain English, for rookies by a rookie. It isn’t a replacement for an official course, so take one! See the Rookie Guides →
Step 2: The pre-departure boat safety checklist template
Gear in the locker doesn’t help if the boat isn’t ready to go. TP 511E includes a pre-departure checklist (page 61). Here’s my condensed version to copy:
People – ☐ A lifejacket or PFD of the right size for everyone, in good condition (zippers, buckles, seams) – ☐ Pleasure Craft Operator Card or other proof of competency on board (Transport Canada: PCOC) – ☐ Safety briefing done: everyone knows where the gear is and how to use it
Plan – ☐ Marine weather forecast checked – ☐ Sail plan left with someone you trust (where you’re going, when you’ll be back) – ☐ Charts on board, local hazards, water levels and tides known
Fuel – ☐ The 1/3 rule: 1/3 to go, 1/3 to come back, 1/3 in reserve
Boat – ☐ Hull checked for cracks or damage – ☐ Electrical, fuel, propulsion and cooling systems checked – ☐ Throttle and steering working – ☐ Oil checked; hoses, clamps and belts in good shape – ☐ Battery charged (how to clean battery terminals (link goes live when that post is published)) – ☐ Drain plug in, and spare plugs for through-hull fittings on board – ☐ Load well distributed – ☐ Blowers run for four minutes before starting a gasoline engine, and airflow checked – ☐ First aid kit, basic tools and spare parts on board
Rookie tips nobody puts in the official list
- Check expiry dates. Flares have a life span, so look at the date on yours.
- Try your lifejacket on. Before you need it. In the parking lot. People will stare, and that’s fine.
- Make the checklist physical. Laminate it or put it in a ziplock, and keep it at the helm.
- Courses first. Transport Canada lists accredited course providers.
FAQ
What safety equipment is required on a boat in Canada? It depends on the boat’s type and length. Transport Canada’s Safe Boating Guide (TP 511E) has tables for each size class. For a power boat between 9 m and 12 m, the list includes a lifejacket for each person, a heaving line, a lifebuoy, a flashlight and flares (or an electronic alternative), an anchor, bilge pumping, a sound signal, navigation lights, a compass, a radar reflector and a 10BC extinguisher.
Do I need flares on my boat? Most boats in the larger classes do, but TP 511E exempts boats operating within 1 nautical mile of shore. It also lets you carry 50% fewer with certain two-way communication devices or 406 MHz beacons. Check the notes for your boat’s row.
Is there an official pre-departure checklist? Yes. Transport Canada’s Safe Boating Guide includes a pre-departure checklist in its reference cards section. The template above is condensed from it.
Does the Pleasure Craft Operator Card replace a safety checklist? No. The PCOC is proof of competency for the operator. You still need the required equipment on board and a pre-trip check every time.
Get your free printable checklist
Download the free pre-launch safety list by joining the Rookie Crew at Free Resources. When you want the complete version, with gear explanations, checks for every trip and the rules translated from regulation into human, get the Rookie Safety Manual from the Rookie Guides page →.
While you are stocking up on flares and PFDs, the Rookie Captain shop has a few less-essential (but more fun) things for the boat, too.
Source: Transport Canada, Safe Boating Guide, TP 511E, pages 14–17 and 61; Small Vessel Regulations (SOR/2010-91).
[…] magnetic compass, a radar reflector and a 10BC fire extinguisher. I break the whole list down in my boat safety checklist post (link goes live when that post is published), but the official guide is the final […]