Small Commercial Vessel
Safety
Guide
TP 14070E
(12/2010)
Disclaimer and notice to the reader
This document is a guide only. It does not replace the applicable regulations, standards, advisory materials or other guidance
documents. It is not meant to be, nor should it be seen as, a substitute for the expertise of marine surveyors, consultants or those who
modify, repair or maintain the types of vessels covered in this guide.
The information it contains has been updated to reflect changes brought about by the entry into force, in July 2007, of the Canada
Shipping Act, 2001 and the requirements as of time of printing of new and amended regulations.
The guide explains many of the requirements for small vessels, but because laws and regulations can change over time, the
information in this guide may not be current. If in doubt about the status of the information presented or how it affects your vessel,
check the Transport Canada Marine Safety website (http://www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/menu.htm) to determine the laws and
regulations that apply. If you are still not sure, contact your local Transport Canada Centre (see Appendix 2).
For the purposes of interpretation and application of the specific Acts and regulations, please consult the Department of Justice
website (www.laws.justice.gc.ca).
No liability is assumed with respect to the use of information contained herein. Laws may be amended or court rulings made that
could affect a particular procedure, issue, or interpretation. The Government of Canada assumes neither responsibility for errors and
omissions nor any liability for damages resulting from the use of information contained in this document. Determination of the laws that
apply can only be done by examining the particulars of each individual case.
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Transport 2004.
Permission is granted by the Department of Transport to copy and/or reproduce the contents of this publication in whole or in part
provided that full acknowledgement is given to the Department of Transport and that the material be accurately reproduced. While use
of this material has been authorized, the Department of Transport shall not be responsible for how the information is presented, or for
any interpretations thereof.
The information in this copy of this publication may not be updated to reflect amendments made to original content. For up-to-date
information, contact the Department of Transport.
Author/Information
Transport Canada
Marine Safety
Place de Ville, 330 Sparks Street
Ottawa ON K1A 0N8
Alternative Formats
This publication is available in alternative formats.
Internet: www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety
For further information on other available versions, contact Marine Safety.
Catalogue No. T29-81/2010E
ISBN 978-1-100-16675-9
TP 14070E
(12/2010)
Cette publication est aussi disponible en français sous le titre Guide de sécurité des petits bâtiments commerciaux (2010).
TC-1002643
*TC1002643*
i
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
Contents
Who should read this guide? .......................................................................1
Introduction 2
Denitions ....................................................................................................4
Safety Is a Shared Responsibility ............................................................... 6
Chapter 1 8
Know and comply with the requirements that apply to you ...................8
What You Do Denes What You Are ............................................................ 9
Voyage Classes and Restrictions ...............................................................12
Chapter 2 14
Check your vessel .............................................................................. 14
Construction Requirements .......................................................................15
Built-In Safety ............................................................................................16
Compliance Notices ...................................................................................16
Maintaining Your Vessel .............................................................................18
Know More About Critical Safety Items ......................................................19
Building or Modifying a Vessel ...................................................................25
Special-Purpose Vessels and Vessels of Unusual Design ........................ 26
Chapter 3 28
Do the paperwork ...............................................................................28
Vessel Registration ................................................................................... 29
Insurance ..................................................................................................31
Chapter 4 32
Assure a competent crew ...................................................................32
Responsibilities of Owner and Operator .................................................. 33
Crew Size ..................................................................................................34
Crew Certication.......................................................................................35
Small Vessel Machinery Operator (SVMO) ................................................37
Dual Capacity Operator and Marine Engineer ......................................... 38
Proving Prociency ................................................................................... 38
Obtaining Certicates and Qualications .................................................. 39
Radio Certication Requirements ..............................................................42
Occupational Health and Safety Training ..................................................42
ii
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
Chapter 5 44
Be ready for emergencies ...................................................................44
Life-Saving Appliances .............................................................................. 46
Lifebuoys and Buoyant Heaving Lines ..................................................... 50
Vessel Safety Equipment ..........................................................................51
Distress Alerting Equipment .....................................................................51
Communication Equipment ........................................................................55
Fire Safety Equipment ............................................................................. 56
Chapter 6 60
Avoid problems and prepare for emergencies ....................................60
Voyage Planning .......................................................................................61
Staying Safe ...............................................................................................65
Cold Shock and Hypothermia ................................................................... 66
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning ..................................................................... 68
Chapter 7 70
Keep passengers informed .................................................................70
Pre-Departure Briengs .............................................................................71
Chapter 8 72
Keep your vessel stable ......................................................................72
Precautions ................................................................................................74
Freeboard ..................................................................................................76
Free Surface Effect ....................................................................................76
Chapter 9 78
Avoid collisions ...................................................................................78
Navigation Lights ...................................................................................... 79
Sound Signalling Equipment ..................................................................... 83
Radar Reectors .......................................................................................84
Chapter 10 86
Stay in contact ....................................................................................86
Communication Equipment .......................................................................87
Radio Station Licence and Call Sign ......................................................... 88
Radio Station Requirements .................................................................... 88
Mobile Phones ......................................................................................... 89
Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) ........................... 90
Chapter 11 92
Know where you are ...........................................................................92
Navigation Equipment ............................................................................... 93
Charts and Other Publications .................................................................. 93
Buoys ........................................................................................................94
iii
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
Chapter 12 98
Obey the “Rules of the Road” .............................................................98
Constant Lookout ..................................................................................... 99
Navigation ................................................................................................ 99
Chapter 13 102
Promote safe work practices ............................................................. 102
Chapter 14 104
Avoid surprises ................................................................................. 104
Be Organized ...........................................................................................105
Compliance Verication............................................................................106
Tools for Checking Compliance ................................................................106
Planned Maintenance ..............................................................................107
Chapter 15 108
Report accidents and pollution ......................................................... 108
Report All Accidents ................................................................................109
Accident Investigation ...............................................................................111
Protect Canada’s Waterways .................................................................... 112
Report Pollution ....................................................................................... 113
Thinking Green ......................................................................................... 114
Chapter 16 116
Make changes with care ................................................................... 116
Vessel and Equipment Changes ............................................................. 117
Changing the Area and Type of Operation .............................................. 117
Chapter 17 118
Help steer the future ......................................................................... 118
Regulatory Reform ...................................................................................119
Canadian Marine Advisory Council (CMAC) ........................................... 119
Submit Safety Concerns and Comments ................................................120
Appendices 121
Appendix 1: Your Primary Responsibilities —
Canada Shipping Act, 2001 ................................................ 121
Appendix 2: Transport Canada’s Regional Centres ..................................123
Appendix 3: First Aid Kits .........................................................................124
Appendix 4: Sample Maintenance Schedule............................................125
Appendix 5: Sample Compliance Checklist ..............................................127
iv
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
List of Tables
Table 1-1: Vessel Categories, Purposes And Applicable
Small Vessel Regulations ......................................................... 10
Table 2-1: Compliance Notice Information by Category ............................ 18
Table 2-2: ISO Design Category Environmental Limits.............................. 22
Table 3-1: Comparison of Small Vessel Register and
Canadian Register of Vessels ................................................... 29
Table 4-1: Operator Competency/Marine Emergency Duties (MED)
Training Requirements .............................................................. 36
Table 5-1: Required Safety Equipment ...................................................... 54
Table 5-2: Required Fire Fighting and Detection Equipment .................... 58
List of Figures
Figure 8-1 Stability ..................................................................................... 75
Figure 8-2 Heeling ..................................................................................... 75
Figure 8-3 Added Load.............................................................................. 75
Figure 8-4 Capsizing ................................................................................. 75
Figure 8-5 Freeboard ................................................................................. 76
Figure 8-6 Free Surface Effect Cross-Section ........................................... 76
Figure 9-1 Power driven vessels – Examples ............................................ 80
Figure 9-2 Power driven vessels – Vessels less than 12m........................ 80
Figure 9-3 Sidelights and sternlight ............................................................81
Figure 9-4 Combined sidelight and sternlight ............................................81
Figure 9-5 Vertical mounted all-round lights ...............................................81
Figure 9-6 Conical shape point downwards ...............................................81
Figure 9-7 Anchor ball ................................................................................81
Figure 11-1 Lateral Buoys ............................................................................ 94
Figure 11-2 Fairway Buoys .......................................................................... 94
Figure 11-3 Isolated Danger Buoys ............................................................. 95
Figure 11-4 Cardinal Buoys ......................................................................... 95
Figure 12-1 Crossing Situation ...................................................................100
Figure 12-2 Head-on Approach ..................................................................100
Figure 12-3 Sectors of a Vessel .................................................................. 101
1
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
Who should read this guide?
This guide is for owners and operators of small commercial vessels because you
are responsible, by law, for knowing, controlling and defending against the risks
related to your vessel and its use. The purpose of this guide is to inform you of
these responsibilities, and to let you know the safety requirements that apply to
your operation and how to comply with them to avoid accidents.
The information in this guide relates to:
• passenger-carrying commercial vessels that are not more than
15 gross tonnage and that carry no more than 12 passengers; and
• workboats (commercial vessels that do not carry passengers) that
are not more than 15 gross tonnage.
For more information on which vessels are covered in this guide and how to
determine which requirements apply to your operation, refer to Table 1-1, Vessel
Categories, Purposes and Applicable Small Vessel Regulations.
Note: While the information in this guide is intended mainly for owners and operators,
anyone who works on or with small commercial vessels may nd it useful. The
general safety information can also be helpful for owners of vessels of more than
15 gross tonnage or carrying more than 12 passengers, as well as small shing
vessel owners, even though the regulatory requirements for such vessels may
be different.
Introduction
3
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
Accidents don’t just happen. Unsafe water conditions, crew error, equipment failure
— any one or a combination of these can turn random events into accidents...
sometimes with tragic results.
Laws can’t eliminate human error and equipment failure. However, you can increase
the safety of your vessel if you:
• comply with regulations;
• apply best practices;
• increase crew knowledge; and
• improve vessel condition and emergency preparedness.
This guide can help you do that. It doesn’t cover every marine regulation or
standard, but if you own, operate or crew a commercial vessel that is not more
than 15 gross tonnage and does not carry more than 12 passengers, it can help
you make sure that your vessel is ready to operate safely and is properly equipped
for emergencies. Practical tools such as the sample maintenance schedule and
compliance checklist at the end of this guide can help you check that you meet
minimum safety requirements, as well as keep your vessel in top running order and
prevent dangerous situations and costly breakdowns.
This guide and the operations and training manual templates available on the
Transport Canada Marine Safety website (www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/debs/
small- vessels/procedures.htm) are part of the program to promote safety. Read and
use them to help you understand and comply with the law, and, most importantly,
operate safely. Remember that this is a guide only. To know all the requirements
that apply to your operation and the legal wording, you must refer directly to the
Canada Shipping Act, 2001 and its associated regulations.
Don’t accept safety hazards as the cost of doing business. You have a duty to
understand and comply with the laws and regulations that apply to your vessel.
Your responsibilities under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 are summarized in
Appendix 1. If you understand and comply with the Canada Shipping Act, 2001
and its regulations and standards, as well as follow prudent marine practices, you
will improve your operation’s safety. You will nd website URLs for the regulations
referred to at the end of each chapter so that you can check the legal wording
online if you have a question about a topic.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
4
We suggest that you download the checklists, sample maintenance schedule,
emergency procedures and other les and change them to reect your vessel and
operation. You can use them to make your own operations and training manual to
help you run your business and meet your responsibilities for safety.
Denitions
Denitions for certain words used in this guide follow because they are used
frequently and are either not dened in legislation, or are dened in legislation but
another, more common, word has been used in their place.
“Authorized Representative”* – the person who is responsible under the Canada
Shipping Act, 2001 for acting with respect to all matters relating to the vessel
that are not otherwise assigned by this Act to any other person. The authorized
representative of a Canadian vessel is the owner of the vessel. Where a foreign
vessel is brought into Canadian registry under a bare -boat charter, the authorized
representative is the bare-boat charterer. If more than one person owns a vessel,
the owners must appoint one of themselves as the authorized representative. If
the owner is a corporation, the authorized representative is the corporation. In this
guide, owner means authorized representative.
“Construction requirements” – requirements for vessel design and construction as
set out in the Small Vessel Regulations and the Construction Standards for Small
Vessels (TP 1332).
“Commercial vessel” – a vessel that is not a pleasure craft or used for commercial
shing. The Small Vessel Regulations do not dene “commercial” but refer instead
to “vessels other than a pleasure craft.” Both “commercial vessel” and “non-pleasure
vessel” are used in this guide to mean “vessel other than a pleasure craft.” Vessels
of all types, including human-powered vessels and vessels that are owned by any
level of government and government entities like re and police departments, are
commercial vessels unless used only for pleasure.
A small commercial vessel is a vessel that is no larger than 15 gross tonnage
and, if it is used to carry passengers, carries no more than 12 passengers.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
5
“Fishing vessel” – a vessel used for commercially catching, harvesting or transporting
sh or other living resources. Includes vessels that are less than 24 metres in length
whose sole activity relates to the catch or harvest of another vessel or aquaculture
facility (dened in the Marine Personnel Regulations). Vessels used for hire with
a guide or crew for sport shing charter operations are small commercial vessels,
not shing vessels. Vessels engaged in shing for pleasure by their owner or renter
are still pleasure craft.
“Gross tonnage”* – the measure of the overall size of a vessel as determined
by a tonnage measurer or calculated according to the Standard for the Tonnage
Measurement of Ships (TP 13430) Part 3. Calculation of gross tonnage is required
when you register your vessel (see Chapter 3).
“Guest”* – a person on board a vessel that is used exclusively for pleasure that
is carried without remuneration or any object of prot (from the denition of
“passenger”).
“Pleasure craft”* – a vessel that is used for pleasure and does not carry passengers.
If the vessel is used for the daily living needs of the operator, e.g., transportation or
subsistence shing/hunting, it is still considered a pleasure craft.
“Passenger”* – anyone on a vessel except for the master, a member of the crew
or a person employed or engaged in any capacity on board the vessel on the
business of that vessel, or a guest on board a pleasure craft. A fare does not have
to be paid for a person to be considered a passenger.
A person employed or engaged in any capacity on board the vessel on the
business of that vessel is a person who works on the vessel as part of the
service provided by the vessel or to service the vessel, but is not part of the crew.
Examples include waiters and tour guides. Persons employed by the person or
company that operates the vessel who are being transported to their place of work
are consideredpassengers.
The following are not passengers:
• people who are on board because the law says that the master
must carry them, such as shipwrecked or distressed persons;
• people who are on board due to circumstances that neither the
master nor the owner could have prevented; and
• people who are designated not to be passengers in regulations
(described in the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 as “persons of a
prescribed class”).
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
6
“Owner” – in this guide means the “authorized representative” as dened in the
Canada Shipping Act, 2001. See “authorized representative,” above.
“Operator” – means the person in command and charge of a vessel. This guide
uses the terms “operator,” the more common term for the person in charge of a
small vessel, and “master,” the term used in the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 and
regulations, interchangeably.
“Workboat” – a vessel that is not a passenger-carrying vessel, a shing
vessel, a human-powered vessel nor a pleasure craft (dened in the Small
VesselRegulations).
* dened in the Canada Shipping Act, 2001.
Note: The denitions may have been changed slightly for clarity. Refer to the relevant
legislation for the legal wording.
Safety Is a Shared Responsibility
Owner/Operator
As a vessel owner and/or operator, your role in running a safe operation is crucial.
When you take on a commercial marine operation, the law holds you responsible
for the safety of everyone involved.
But you are not alone. Others have a supporting role to play in promoting safety.
Vessel Suppliers
Designers, builders, importers, resellers and repairers are responsible for providing
safe vessels. They must make sure that every vessel they design, build, sell or
repair meets the minimum safety requirements set out in regulation.
Government
Transport Canada is responsible for promoting the safe operation of vessels and
protecting the marine environment from ship source pollution and damage due
tonavigation.
To do this, Transport Canada manages programs to help owners and operators
understand how to operate safely. As well, Transport Canada puts laws, regulations
and standards in place that establish minimum safety requirements for vessels and
crew, and that set the rules for vessel operation.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
7
To promote compliance with the law, Transport Canada Marine Safety and its
enforcement partners — police forces, conservation officers and other agencies —
work to raise the safety awareness and the understanding of safety requirements
of everyone involved in the marine industry. They also monitor vessels on the water
and at dockside to verify that all is in order.
This guide, as well as templates you can use to produce an operations and
training manual containing the more common of the procedures required by the
CanadaShipping Act, 2001 are available on the Transport Canada Marine Safety
website. They are all part of the program to promote small vessel safety. Read
and use them to help you understand and comply with the law, and, above all,
operate safely.
More Information
Transport Canada Centres (TCCs) are located throughout Canada. There you
can get answers to questions you may have on the requirements and how they
affect you. To nd the TCC nearest you, please contact your regional office
(see Appendix 2).
Visit the Transport Canada Marine Safety website at
www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety.
Operations and training manual templates are available at
www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/debs/small-vessels/procedures.htm.
To research regulations that apply to your vessel, please consult the references
provided throughout this guide.
Chapter 1
Know and comply with the
requirements that apply to you
9
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
The safety requirements for all vessels relate to the risk linked to each type and
use of vessel. As the vessel size, number of passengers, distance from shore and
other environmental risk factors increase, the requirements change to protect the
vessel and the people on it.
Consult the following sections for the information you need to determine which
requirements apply to your vessel.
• Vessel purpose: What You Do Denes What You Are (below).
• Area of operation: Voyage Classes and Restrictions (page 12).
• Vessel size (determined when you register your vessel):
Vessel Registration (in Chapter 3).
What You Do Denes What You Are
To know what requirements apply to your vessel, you must know what you are
doing with it in the legal sense.
The Small Vessel Regulations contain safety requirements for ve categories of
vessels. Which requirements apply depends on the vessel’s purpose (what it is used
for). If your vessel is used for more than one purpose, such as commercial shing
and carrying passengers, it must meet the applicable shing vessel requirements
when you are shing and the requirements in the Small Vessel Regulations for
passenger vessels when you are carrying passengers.
Table 1-1 on page 10 indicates which parts of the Small Vessel Regulations
apply to each category. Requirements of other regulations, such as the Collision
Regulations, also apply to small vessels.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
10
Table 1-1: Vessel Categories, Purposes And Applicable
Small Vessel Regulations
Category Purpose
Parts of the
Small Vessel Regulations that apply
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Pleasure craft A vessel used only for pleasure
or to carry out the needs of daily
living, e.g. personal transportation,
fishing for one’s own food.
a) May carry guests (see
Definitions, above).
b) Includes vessels that are
provided, without a master and
crew, for pleasure use, as part
of lodging rentals, for example.
c) May include vessels rented
or chartered for pleasure (see
Chartered Vessel, page 11).
X X X
3
X X X X X
Passenger-
carrying
A vessel that carries one or more
passengers
X X
3
X X X X
Workboat
(non-pleasure
non-passenger-
carrying)
A power-driven or sail-powered
vessel that is not used for pleasure
and does not carry passengers or
engage in commercial fishing.
Includes vessels operated by
agencies and departments of all
levels of government.
X X
3
X X X X
Tug A vessel built or converted primarily
for the purpose of towing.
Does not include a vessel that is
built or converted for the purpose of
(a) salvaging logs; or
(b) managing oil pollution booms
and associated equipment.
X X
1
X X
Human-powered
non-pleasure
vessel
A human-powered vessel that
is operated for non-pleasure
purposes, whether or not it carries
passengers.
Includes a vessel that leads a
guided excursion.
X X
2
X X
1. Other regulations apply for construction, such as Part VIII of the Hull Construction Regulations, and the
Marine Machinery Regulations.
2. Does not apply if the vessel is not designed to be propelled by a motor.
3. Applies for vessels to which part 7 does not apply.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
11
Chartered Vessel
If you rent or charter a vessel, it is a commercial vessel if:
• the master is the owner or someone provided by the owner; or
• it is used other than for pleasure.
If you rent or charter a vessel without crew and you either hire a master or operate
it yourself, it is a pleasure craft so long as it is used only for your pleasure, hunting
or shing for your own food, or for other needs of your daily living.
If you are the owner, and you rent or charter the vessel without crew to someone
else who uses it for pleasure, it is a pleasure craft. If you provide the master, or
operate the vessel yourself, it is a commercial vessel.
Fishing Vessels
Owners, operators and crew of vessels up to 150 gross tonnage that are used for
commercial shing should consult the Small Fishing Vessel Inspection Regulations
(to be replaced by the Fishing Vessel Safety Regulations), and the Marine
Personnel Regulations for the principal requirements for their vessel, bearing in
mind that some requirements, like those in the Collision Regulations, apply to all
vessels. They can get the Small Fishing Vessel Safety Manual (TP 10038) online
or from a Transport Canada Centre (see Appendix 2). It provides general safety
information and can be helpful for training new crew members.
If you use your commercial shing vessel for some other use, such as carrying
passengers, when you are not shing, the requirements in this guide or some other
regulations will apply. Contact your local Transport Canada Centre to learn more.
Other Situations
Contact a Transport Canada Centre for more information on:
• commercial river rafting;
• community-owned search and rescue vessels;
• power or sail boating schools; and
• sail training vessels.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
12
Voyage Classes and Restrictions
Commercial vessels must be designed, built and equipped to operate safely in
their area of operation and must be operated in a way that respects their design
limitations. This means you must know both your vessel and the area where you
operate it.
The requirements for crewing, construction and equipment may change from one
voyage class to another. Voyage classes are dened in the Interpretation section of
the Vessel Certicates Regulations (see Voyage Classes, page 13) and are mainly
based on distance from shore and, in some cases, nearest place of refuge.
You must also respect any additional restrictions/requirements noted on the Notice
of Inspection, if one has been issued to the vessel. Such restrictions are based on
an assessment of the vessel’s design, the crew’s qualications and the equipment
carried. The Notice of Inspection may also dene limits for the area you can operate
in or set environmental conditions (e.g., wave height and wind speed) and other
voyage restrictions.
It is your duty to:
• be aware of and comply with the safety requirements that apply to
your vessel;
• not exceed your vessel’s design limitations; and
• respect recommended limits for maximum load and environmental
conditions.
Did you know…?
Voyage classes changed in 2007, when the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 came into
force. Where there used to be ten voyage class definitions, there are now just four:
Sheltered Waters Voyage; Near Coastal Voyage, Class 1; Near Coastal Voyage,
Class 2; and Unlimited Voyage. Consult the Vessel Certificates Regulations for the
legal definitions.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
13
Voyage Classes
Sheltered Waters Voyage – a voyage that is in Canada on a lake or a river above tidal
waters, where a vessel can never be further than 1 nautical mile from the shore, or
that is on the waters listed in Schedules 1 and 2 of the Vessel Certificates Regulations.
Near Coastal Voyage, Class 2 – a voyage, other than a Sheltered Waters Voyage,
during which the vessel is always within 25 nautical miles from shore in coastal waters
of Canada, the United States (except Hawaii) or Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and within
100 nautical miles from a place of refuge.
Near Coastal Voyage, Class 1 – a voyage that is not a Sheltered Waters Voyage or a
Near Coastal Voyage, Class 2; that is between places in Canada, the United States
(except Hawaii), Saint Pierre and Miquelon, the West Indies, Mexico, Central America
or the northeast coast of South America; and during which the vessel is always north
of latitude 6°N, and within 200 nautical miles from shore or above the continental shelf.
Unlimited Voyage – a voyage that is not a Sheltered Waters Voyage or a Near
Coastal Voyage.
More Information
To consult your local Transport Canada Centre, see Appendix 2.
• Collision Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C.R.C.-c.1416/
• Hull Construction Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C.R.C.-c.1431/
• Marine Machinery Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-90-264/
• Marine Personnel Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2007-115/
• Small Fishing Vessel Inspection Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C.R.C.-c.1486/
• Small Vessel Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2010-91//
• Vessel Certicates Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2007-31/
• Small Fishing Vessel Safety Manual (TP 10038)
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/tp/tp10038/menu.htm
Chapter 2
Check your vessel
15
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
The rst step towards running a safe operation is having a safe vessel. This chapter
presents the safety requirements for vessels, because once you own a vessel,
you are responsible for making sure it meets all safety requirements every time
itisused.
The principal construction requirements are explained in this chapter. It also explains
the labels that builders, rebuilders, importers and resellers must put on vessels
as their declaration that it complies with Canadian construction requirements. If
you are buying a new vessel, this chapter will tell you what to look for and what
it means. If you are buying a used vessel, consider hiring a marine surveyor to
assess its condition and suitability, and to conrm that it meets the requirements
for its intended use.
Construction Requirements
The Small Vessel Regulations (Part 7) require that vessels meet the construction
requirements that were in effect when the vessel was built, when it was imported
into Canada, or when it was converted to commercial use — whichever comeslater.
These requirements are set out in the Small Vessel Regulations and the Construction
Standards for Small Vessels (TP 1332). The construction requirements are the
minimum requirements for safety that must be met by anyone designing or building
a vessel for personal use or for sale. Vessel importers must also make sure that the
vessels they import meet these same standards.
If your vessel was built, imported, or converted to commercial use:
• on or after April 29, 2010, when the new Small Vessel Regulations
came into force, it must meet the non-pleasure craft construction
requirements of the Small Vessel Regulations and the 2010 edition
of the Construction Standards for Small Vessels (TP 1332).
• before April 29, 2010, it must meet the non-pleasure craft
requirements of the 2004 edition of the Construction Standards for
Small Vessels (TP1332), or, as applicable, the alternatives set out
for vessels built before April 2005 in the Small Vessel Regulations.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
16
Consolidated Construction Requirements
Sections of the Small Vessel Regulations related to construction have been included
in information boxes in the Construction Standards for Small Vessels so that you can
find all the construction requirements for small commercial vessels and pleasure craft
in one place.
Built-In Safety
The construction requirements establish minimum requirements for safety. Anyone
building a vessel that is or can be tted with a propulsion engine or an auxiliary
engine or tted with a fuel-burning appliance, whether for personal use or for
sale, must build it to the construction requirements. This is true whether you
are building the vessel for yourself or for someone else. Likewise, vessel importers
must verify that the vessels they import meet the same requirements.
The Small Vessel Regulations require the builder or the importer of a vessel for use
in Canada to submit a Declaration of Conformity to Transport Canada and attach a
compliance notice to the vessel unless:
• it has been built or imported for personal use; or
• it is an open vessel of traditional construction that is not mass-
produced and can only be tted with an outboard engine.
Compliance Notices
From April 29, 2011, a compliance notice must be attached to all new small
commercial vessels. The builder, manufacturer, rebuilder or importer of the vessel
must also prepare a Declaration of Conformity and give a copy of this declaration
to the rst owner of the vessel.
Compliance notices are a statement by the builder or importer declaring that the
vessel met the construction requirements as they read on the date of construction,
manufacture, rebuilding or importation of the vessel. The compliance notice will
indicate the vessel model, the builder or importer, the category of construction
requirements and the design limitations, such as the ISO (International Organization
for Standardization) design category for stability.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
17
There are three vessel categories for compliance notices (see Table 2-1, on the
next page):
• not more than 6 metres long;
• more than 6 metres long – pleasure craft; and
• more than 6 metres long – non-pleasure vessels.
For vessels that are not more than 6 metres long, the construction requirements
are the same for both pleasure craft and non-pleasure vessels. Compliance notices
for vessels not more than 6 metres long will indicate recommended safe limits for
maximum capacity in kilograms and number of persons and, if it is designed for an
outboard motor, the maximum power.
For vessels more than 6 metres long, the requirements for pleasure craft and non-
pleasure vessels are not the same. Be aware that if you intend to use a vessel that
is more than 6 metres long that was built to the pleasure craft requirements,
it may have to meet additional construction requirements before you can
use it commercially. Depending on the type and the use of the vessel, these
may include such things as a stability assessment, bilge pumping arrangements
and additional re safety equipment. Consider hiring a marine surveyor to see if
your boat complies with the non-pleasure vessel requirements and determine any
required modications you must make, if you are not sure. Remember, when you
put it in operation, you, as the owner, are responsible for making sure your vessel
meets all regulatory requirements.
Getting Professional Help
Don’t know all the safety requirements? Not sure you can properly assess a vessel’s
condition?
Think about having your vessel surveyed. A good survey carried out by a competent
professional will:
• establish, as far as can be determined without taking the vessel apart, any
areas that do not meet regulatory requirements;
• indicate the vessel’s overall condition; and
• identify problems and potential problems so that you can take appropriate
action.
Marine surveyors (and marine consultants) can be found in the Yellow Pages or on
the Internet, however the areas and level of expertise can vary from one surveyor to
another. Before hiring someone, check the individual’s knowledge of small commercial
vessel requirements, ask about their experience, and get references. Associations of
marine surveyors that accredit their members may be a good place to start looking.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
18
Table 2-1: Compliance Notice Information by Category
Vessel Type
Pleasure Craft Non-Pleasure Vessels
Length of Vessel
More than 6 m
Compliance Notice for Pleasure Craft Compliance Notice for Non-Pleasure Vessels
• contains a statement of compliance with the
construction requirements for pleasure craft
at the time of construction
• contains a statement of compliance with the
construction requirements for non-pleasure
vessels at the time of construction and
indicates that the vessel may be used for
both pleasure and non-pleasure purposes
• may contain a statement of design
limitations that may apply to the vessel
• contains a statement of any design or
environmental limitations (e.g. ISO design
categories
1
) that may apply to the vessel
Less than or equal to 6 m
Generic Compliance Notice for both Pleasure Craft and Non-Pleasure Vessels
• contains a statement of compliance with the construction requirements for small vessels at the
time of construction;
• contains recommended maximum safe limits
2
of the vessel for load, number of persons and
engine power (if outboard powered) and the circumstances in which any of the recommended
safe limits may not apply; and
• may contain a statement of design limitations that may apply to the vessel
Note: Construction requirements for pleasure craft and non-pleasure vessels less than or equal to
6 metres are now identical.
1. See ISO Design Categories, page 21, for an explanation of the ISO design categories.
2. Calculated according to the methods set out in the Construction Standards for Small Vessels.
Maintaining Your Vessel
You shouldn’t have to be an expert in the construction requirements to run your
operation. If you bought your vessel from a reputable source, it has the appropriate
compliance notice and it has been well maintained without modications, you
should feel condent that it meets the construction requirements of the Small
Vessel Regulations and Construction Standards for Small Vessels that apply to the
type of vessel indicated on the label.
To keep your vessel in good condition:
• check it regularly (see the sample maintenance schedule in
Appendix 4, and the compliance checklist in Appendix 5);
• follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for maintenance; and
• x any problems you nd according to the requirements.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
19
Know More About Critical Safety Items
You must treat some hazards — loss of stability, explosion, re and person
overboard — with the respect they deserve. If you understand how the construction
requirements reduce such risks, you will be less likely to do something that may
increase them.
Loss of Stability
Stability is the characteristic of a vessel that helps it stay upright. A recent
amendment to the Small Vessel Regulations requires the owner and operator of a
commercial vessel to “ensure that the vessel has adequate stability to safely carry
out its intended operations.”
If your vessel is more than 6 metres long and was built to the non-pleasure craft
requirements after April 1, 2005, the builder was required to assess its stability
using the ISO stability standard for small vessels or another acceptable standard.
If the manufacturer cannot give you the information, you should hire a consultant to
assess the vessel’s stability. If the vessel was built before April1, 2005, refer to Ship
Safety Bulletin 07/2006: Guidance for Assessing Intact Stability and Buoyancy of
Existing Small Non-pleasure Vessels for acceptable assessmentmethods.
Is your vessel stable? That depends on what you use it for.
Only you can be sure of that. Stability assessments by a manufacturer assume a
typical operation. For example, if your vessel was assessed to the standard ISO 12217,
but you use it to tow or lift heavy objects, or carry loads in a way not taken into account
in the assessment, you will need an additional assessment that includes these factors.
The owner and operator are responsible for ensuring that “the vessel has adequate
stability to safely carry out its intended operations.”
1
If a vessel not more than 6 metres long can be swamped, it must carry flotation
material so that it will not sink. Make sure this material is kept in good condition so that
it works when you need it.
1. Small Vessel Regulations, Part 6 and Part 7.
How much cargo you carry and where and how you store it all affect your vessel’s
stability. So will taking on water. That is why watertight integrity and the pumping
and bailing system are also critical safety items.
If you use your vessel for towing or pushing, refer to section 520 of the Small
Vessel Regulations in addition to the information contained in this guide.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
20
Watertight Integrity
Most people understand that you have to keep water out of the hull, but many
accident reports point out where simple steps to prevent this from happening were
not taken. The construction requirements call for doors, hatches, windows and
port lights of marine construction so that they provide a level of watertightness
whensecured.
Other ways you can prevent downooding (water coming into the hull) are to:
• Check and service closure systems and seals regularly to make
sure that they keep water out.
• Train your crew to keep hatches, doors and other openings closed
when underway.
• Make sure that repairs to windows, port lights and skylights are
done with safety glass or equivalent strength material. You can do
this easily by demanding that repairs meet the standard ISO12216
Small craft — Windows, portlights, hatches, deadlights and doors
— Strength and watertightness requirements. If your vessel is
more than 6 metres long and was built on or after April 1, 2005,
it must meet this standard. For your protection, use only items
certied to meet this standard. You can nd, for example, a list of
hatches, windows and doors that have been certied to meet the
standard at www.imci.org. Click on Boats and Components and
select Certied Products, then Hatches, Windows, Doors. If the
component you want to install is not on the list, check with the
manufacturer to see if it meets the standard.
• Know which openings on your vessel — such as engine room
vents — could let water in and take steps to prevent this from
happening by being able to close them or by avoiding situations
where this could occur.
Holes that go through the hull below the waterline must not decrease the structural
strength of the hull and must have a valve or some other way of keeping water out,
except for wet exhaust systems that do not require the tting of such a closure. If it
is in a re-risk area, the closure system must be re-resistant. You must make sure
that ttings and piping of sufficient strength are used and you must also check them
regularly and keep them in good condition.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
21
Drainage
Your vessel may be built with a well, a cockpit or a recess that may retain a certain
quantity of water. These spaces may be tted with drains or scuppers to shed water
overboard. Be sure the drains or scuppers are always clear of any obstructions.
In cases where the well, cockpit or recess is not designed to shed water overboard,
do not rely on your pumping arrangement to keep your vessel dry in adverse
conditions. Stay out of conditions where water could come on board and accumulate.
Head for the nearest port of refuge or shore that is safe to approach, if possible.
Pumping or Bailing System
Bilge pumping and systems that detect water levels are important safety features,
especially for small vessels where water in the bilges can quickly lead to capsizing
or sinking. You must have a way to pump or bail each watertight compartment in
any operating condition.
To meet the construction requirements, vessels that are more than 6 metres long
must have a way of pumping or bailing each watertight compartment unless the
vessel cannot take on enough water for it to capsize or the compartment is sealed
and not easy to access. Bilge spaces that cannot be seen easily from the vessel
operating position must have a high bilge level alarm, and either an automatic
bilge pump or a bilge pumping system
1
. Pumps must have a capacity of at least
0.91 litres/second (865 US gallons/hr or 3,275 litres/hr). Automatic bilge pumps
must have a manual override switch and there must be an indicator at the helm to
let you know when the pump is running. If your vessel has sleeping quarters, the
high bilge level alarms must be loud enough to wake sleepers (84 decibels).
You must be able to access your bilge pump system and watertight compartments
so you can service the system and manually pump or bail watertight compartments,
if needed. Check that discharge pipes are arranged so that back-siphonage cannot
occur — even in the event of trim or list — and that there are suitable strainers on
the suction line from each compartment.
Refer to Chapters 5 and 8 to learn more about pumps and stability.
ISO Design Categories
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has established four
design categories for small craft: A, B, C and D. Assessment to the standard ISO
12217 determines a vessel’s design category. The design category establishes the
environmental operating limits for stability and buoyancy, as shown in Table 2-2, below.
Find out your vessel’s design category from the builder so you can operate with a
better understanding of your vessel’s stability limitations.
1. A bilge pumping system is required on vessels more than 12 metres in length.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
22
Table 2-2: ISO Design Category Environmental Limits
Design category
Wind force
Beaufort scale (knots)
Wave height
A exceeding 8 (54 knots) exceeding 4 m significant*
B up to, and including, 8 (41 knots) up to 4 m significant*
C up to, and including, 6 (33 knots) up to 2 m significant*
D up to, and including, 4 (25 knots) 0.5 maximum
* The signicant wave height is the mean height of the highest one-third of the waves, which approximately
corresponds to the wave height estimated by an experienced observer. Some waves will be double this
height. (Not applicable to Design Category D, which uses maximum wave height.)
To learn more about the ISO stability standards or vessel stability in general, visit
the Vessel Stability web page on the Transport Canada Marine Safety website.
Explosion
Using gasoline or compressed gases on board a vessel creates a risk of explosion.
That is why Parts 6, 7 and 10 of the Small Vessel Regulations restrict the use and
installation of fuel-burning systems and appliances such as stoves, cabin heaters
and refrigerators. Read them and check your vessel to see if you comply. Make
sure that you use only marine-rated equipment and that you have any work done
by a technician qualied in marine installation.
Note: If you carry passengers on your vessel, installing systems and appliances that
use gaseous fuel, liqueed petroleum gas, compressed natural gas or naptha
isprohibited.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
23
The danger is reduced by not allowing fumes to accumulate and by eliminating
possible ignition sources. You must have a mechanical blower in any enclosed
gasoline engine space, and you must run the blower for at least four minutes —
more if that’s what the manufacturer recommends — before starting the engine.
Ignition-protected electrical parts must be used where there is a risk of explosions,
so take care when making repairs. The Ship Safety Bulletin 03/2006: Automotive
Parts Dangerous in a Marine Environment explains what can happen when repairs
are made using non-marine parts.
Additional protection: If you have propane on board, a marine propane fume
detector is a good way to be made aware of leaks and risk of explosion.
Fire Safety
An important requirement for re ghting is that there is a way to put out a re in
enclosed engine spaces without needing to open the engine space access hatch
or door.
For vessels that are no more than 6 metres long, a discharge port (hole, with a
closure) that you can open to discharge a portable re extinguisher into the engine
space is required, unless the vessel is tted with a xed re extinguishing system.
You must make sure the hole is labelled to show that it is for re ghting and keep a
re extinguisher to be used only for engine room res nearby. The extinguisher must
be large enough for the size of the space (at least 1.2 kg of carbon dioxide(CO
2
) for
each cubic metre of the space).
Vessels longer than 6 metres with engine spaces small enough to meet the
requirement with a portable re extinguisher weighing less than 23 kg and that
can be completely discharged in the time period specied in the Small Vessel
Regulations may also use the discharge port option. For example, for an engine
space of a volume of 8 cubic metres, a typical 10 kg CO
2
extinguisher weighing not
more than 23 kg may be used.
All other vessels must have a xed re extinguishing system that is certied for
marine use and has enough CO
2
or other agent for the size of the engine space.
A detector that activates a remote audible and visible alarm at the operating
position when the temperature either reaches a pre-set level or increases rapidly
is required in the engine space on all vessels more than 6 metres long. On smaller
vessels, a heat detector is required only if the presence of re in the engine space
cannot easily be noticed.
Smoke detectors are required in accommodation and service spaces of small
commercial vessels. A re alarm panel is required on all vessels that are more
than 6 metres long. Requirements for the panel vary with the vessel length. On
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
24
smaller vessels, independent detectors with a built-in alarm are permitted. On
larger vessels, all detectors must be connected to the re alarm panel. Refer to the
Small Vessel Regulations and the Construction Standards for Small Vessels for
detailed requirements.
Fire prevention tips
Most boat res are the result of electrical problems, fuel leaks or vapours, unwatched
portable heaters, improper engine exhaust installation and poor housekeeping.
Follow these tips
2
to reduce the risk of re on your vessel and to be ready if one
does occur:
• Inspect electrical and fuel systems regularly. Have a professional
upgrade the wiring to meet the needs of your vessel.
• Have any gaseous fuel system inspected at least once a year
by a qualied technician.
• Verify that all compartments are properly vented. Always use the
mechanical ventilation for at least four minutes or as indicated by
the vessel manufacturer before starting an engine.
• Install a marine gasoline fume detector and a propane fuel
detector, if applicable.
• Always watch operating electrical equipment, including heaters.
Heaters must be safely xed in place.
• Do not leave any combustible material in contact with the engine
exhaust or any other hot surfaces.
• Put oily rags in a metal container with a tight-tting lid. Leaving oily
rags wrapped up in a grocery bag is not safe. The chemicals will
begin to break down the rags, causing heat and possibly a re.
• Follow proper refuelling procedures.
• Know your escape routes.
• Keep re extinguishers near exits so that you don’t trap yourself
when you move to get one.
• Service and replace re extinguishers according to the
manufacturer’s recommendations, and know how to use them.
Falls: On and Overboard
Guardrails or some other way to prevent falls on and overboard are required for all
vessels. Details are given in the Construction Standards for Small Vessels.
2. Based on the Seattle Fire Department website (www.seattle.gov/re/pubEd/marine/boatOwners.htm), with permission.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
25
Building or Modifying a Vessel
Once a vessel is put into service, the vessel owner is responsible for making sure
that it meets the legal requirements. If you are having a vessel built or modied:
• demand that the work comply with the non-pleasure craft
requirements of the Small Vessel Regulations; and
• make sure the builder has experience in working with the
regulations and the construction requirements.
Starting April 29, 2011, the builder of new vessels must provide you with a Declaration
of Conformity, in addition to the compliance notice that must be attached to the
vessel. The builder must also give Transport Canada a copy of the Declaration
of Conformity and keep on le the technical documentation or information used,
including the tests or calculations performed, to ensure compliance with the
construction requirements.
If you are doing the work yourself, make sure you understand what the requirements
are before you begin.
When you make a major modication, you must advise Transport Canada, who
may ask you to supply plans or other technical information. Transport Canada may
also request plans or other documentation to verify that a newly built or imported
vessel complies with the construction requirements. These plans will usually be a
general arrangement of the vessel; a diagram of the propulsion system; a machinery
arrangement and the identication of the machinery, along with a description of
the bilge pumping systems, fuel systems and re ghting systems; and a one-line
electrical diagram.
A “major modication” is dened as follows:
A modication or repair or a series of modications or repairs that substantially
changes the capacity or size of a vessel or the nature of a system on board a
vessel, that affects its watertight integrity or its stability or, except in the case of
the restoration of an antique wooden pleasure craft, that substantially increases its
service life.
3
Whatever the age of the vessel, any major modications must meet the construction
requirements in place when the work began.
3. Small Vessel Regulations, Part 7.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
26
Special-Purpose Vessels and Vessels
of Unusual Design
The Small Vessel Regulations may not be suitable for some operations due to
vessel design or use. The Special-purpose Vessels Regulations currently apply
only to commercial river rafting, but other operations may be added over time.
In some cases, a vessel’s design may be so different that it would be unsafe for it to
meet certain construction requirements. Examples include dynamically supported
craft; submarines; wing-in-ground-effect vessels; and hydroplanes and other low-
volume, high-powered vessels used exclusively for competitive racing. Such vessels
can be built using practices and standards recognized by the marine industry as
being suitable for that type of vessel — so long as it will produce at least the same
level of safety as provided by the regulations.
Before you get a vessel of unusual design, check with a marine surveyor to make
sure that its level of safety is acceptable before you approach Transport Canada
with your proposal.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
27
More Information
To consult your local Transport Canada Centre, see Appendix 2.
Visit the Small Vessels section of the Transport Canada Marine Safety website at
www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/debs/small-vessels/CSV-upto15.htm.
• Small Vessel Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2010-91//
• Special-purpose Vessels Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/SOR-2008-121/
• Construction Standards for Small Vessels (TP 1332)
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/tp/TP1332/menu.htm
• Ship Safety Bulletin 03/2006: Automotive Parts Dangerous in a
Marine Environment
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/bulletins/2006/03-eng.htm
• Ship Safety Bulletin 07/2006: Guidance for Assessing Intact
Stability and Buoyancy of Existing Small Non-pleasure Vessels
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/bulletins/2006/07-eng.htm
• Vessel Stability – Using the ISO Small Craft Stability Standard
ISO 12217-1; FAQs
www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/debs/vessel-stability/menu.htm
Chapter 3
Do the paperwork
29
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
Vessel Registration
In Canada, you must register commercial vessels of all sizes. This includes human-
powered craft such as kayaks and white-water rafts used by guides for guided trips,
but not lifeboats or other survival craft on board a larger ship, which are inspected
as a part of the ship’s equipment. A pleasure craft licence is not acceptable for a
commercial vessel.
You should have your registration documents on board at all times. The penalty for
operating an unregistered vessel is from $250 to $10,000 — per day!
If your vessel is no more than 15 gross tonnage, you may register it in either the
Small Vessel Register or the Canadian Register of Vessels. If your vessel is more
than 15gross tonnage, or if you want to register a mortgage, you must register it
in the Canadian Register of Vessels. Table3-1 below compares the two registers.
Tonnage is determined by a tonnage measurer, who will charge a fee. For some
vessels that are no longer than 15 metres, the tonnage can be calculated without
a tonnage measurer by using a simple formula. Check the Tonnage Measurements
section of the Small Vessel Register website to see if your vessel is one of these.
Table 3-1: Comparison of Small Vessel Register and
Canadian Register of Vessels
Small Vessel Register Canadian Register of Vessels
Eligible vessels
Commercial vessel of 15 gross tonnage
or less owned by a qualified person*
Not registered in another country
Any vessel owned by a qualified person*
Not registered in another country
How your vessel will be
known
Official number Official number and unique name
Registration fee $50 per five-year term** $250 – one-time only
Mortgage registration
allowed
No Yes
* A Canadian citizen or permanent resident (within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the Immigration and
Refugee Protection Act) or a corporation incorporated under Canadian federal or provincial laws.
** The Vessels Registry Fees Tariff allows for the registration of a “eet of vessels,” which means two or more
vessels of less than 5 gross tonnage that are owned by the same person, other than a federal, provincial,
territorial or municipal government, for a at fee of $50 if the owner applies for all registrations/renewals
at the same time.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
30
Licensed Vessels
If you licensed your vessel in the Small Vessel Licensing System (your licence
begins with “C”) before July 1, 2007, it will be treated as if it were registered until:
• it is sold to someone else; or, if it is not sold
• the licence expires.
If you licensed your vessel with Canada Customs (your licence number doesn’t
begin with “C”), it will be treated as if it were registered until:
• it is sold to someone else; or, if it is not sold
• July 1, 2012.
For more information on how to register your vessel, see the More Information
section at the end of this chapter.
Vessel Markings
Vessels registered in the Small Vessel Register must display their Official Number
in block characters not less than 75 mm high and in a colour that contrasts with
their background. The number must be displayed on each side of the bow of the
vessel or on a board permanently attached to the vessel as close to the bow as
practicable so that the number is clearly visible from each side of the vessel.
If your vessel is registered in the Canadian Register of Vessels, the requirements
for vessel markings are shown on the reverse side of the Certicate of Registry.
Notice of Changes
The vessel owner must notify the vessel Registrar within 30 days of any change to
the information shown on the Certificate of Registry, including:
• change of address;
• vessel alteration or modification;
• company name change; or
• transfer of ownership.
If you fail to give notification, your registration will be invalid and you may be fined
from $250 to $10,000.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
31
Insurance
It is a good idea for any business to purchase insurance. Some types of coverage
are required by law, and others simply make good sense. It is up to you to make
sure you have the right kind and right amount of protection.
Liability insurance covers losses if you cause property damage or bodily injury to
a passenger. The Marine Liability Act (MLA) sets the liability of marine operators
for passengers, cargo, pollution, and property damage. It applies to commercial
vessels and sets a maximum liability for operators of approximately $350,000 per
passenger. It also prohibits the use of waivers of liability. The MLA also provides for
linking liability to the degree of fault or neglect. Consult Transport Canada Marine
Policy or email [email protected] to learn more.
Many cities and provincial governments require proof of appropriate insurance
coverage before issuing permits. Contact your local authorities for details.
More Information
To consult your local Transport Canada Centre, see Appendix 2.
To register your vessel, follow the steps on the Vessel Registration Office website.
For the Small Vessel Register:
www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/oep/vesselreg/smallcomm/menu.htm
For the Canadian Register of Vessels:
www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/oep/vesselreg/registration/procedures.htm
You may also contact the Vessel Registration Office during business hours from
anywhere in North America by using a toll-free help line (1-877-242-8770) or by
email ([email protected]).
• Marine Liability Act (2001, c. 6)
www.tc.gc.ca/acts-regulations/acts/2001c6/menu.htm
• Marine Liability Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2002-307
Chapter 4
Assure a competent crew
33
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
One of the highest priorities for a vessel’s safety is having enough properly trained,
competent crew members to operate the vessel.
The information in this chapter will help you understand how the size, design and
power of your vessel, along with its purpose and area of operation, determine
which of the Marine Personnel Regulations apply to your operation so that you
cancomply.
Responsibilities of Owner and Operator
The vessel owner must:
• develop procedures for safe operation of the vessel in normal
and emergency conditions;
• ensure that the crew is trained so that it can carry out its duties
with skill; and
• maintain a record of training that has been carried out.
Check out the Transport Canada website for examples of policies and procedures
that you can review and change to suit your operation.
These policies and procedures support the operator’s duty to make sure the crew
is trained and able to carry them out well.
The owner must also make sure the operator has the certication necessary to
operate the vessel. Together, the owner and operator must make sure the crew
meets the certication and training requirements.
To learn more about certication and training requirements, refer to:
• Marine Personnel Regulations
• The Examination and Certication of Seafarers (TP 2293)
• Small Vessel Operator Prociency Training Course (TP 14692)
• Marine Emergency Duties Training Program (TP 4957)
or contact your local Transport Canada Centre (see Appendix 2).
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
34
Crew Size
Every vessel in Canada must have enough crew members to perform the tasks
necessary for the safety of the vessel and the people on board during its voyage.
The minimum crew complement for your vessel is the number of crew members
required to safely handle the tasks below:
1. Safely launch survival craft (one qualied person for each
required liferaft).
2. Handle re-extinguishing equipment at any one location
on the vessel and operate the ship’s pumping and emergency
power system.
3. Keep a qualied operator on continuous radio watch.
4. Maintain a deck watch in accordance with section 216 of the
Marine Personnel Regulations while underway (see Deck Watch
Requirements below) or under certain circumstances while securely
anchored or moored, such as when passengers are on board.
5. Provide rst aid on board.
Marine Engineering certication may also be required for vessels that are 5 gross
tonnage or more, depending on their propulsive power, unless they are of open
construction as dened in the Marine Personnel Regulations or are propelled by
outboard motors that are not permanently xed. In general, an extra person to
look after machinery is required on passenger vessels if the power is more than
75 kilowatts (kW) and on workboats and tugs if the power is more than 750 kW,
although there are some exceptions.
Deck Watch Requirements
On a vessel of at least 5 gross tonnage, at least two people are required to maintain
the deck watch, unless the vessel:
• provides an unobstructed all-round view from the steering position and is
engaged on a voyage of not more than 5 nautical miles within the limits of a
harbour, in good visibility between sunrise and sunset; or
• is a tug assisting another vessel while attached to it by a tow line; or
• is engaged in a log sorting or yarding operation that is carried out at a booming
ground and that does not use lines or chains.
If the vessel does not return to port at night to allow time for rest, at least two persons
who hold the certificate required to operate the vessel must be on board to meet the
requirements for the deck watch, in addition to any other personnel required to meet
minimum crew requirements.
If you need help in determining the manning requirements for your vessel, contact
the nearest Transport Canada Centre (see Appendix 2).
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
35
Crew Certication
Certication that shows that a crew has at least the minimum level of training
required is mandatory for all non-pleasure vessel crews in three areas:
1. First aid – At least one crew member must hold a valid certicate
in marine basic rst aid while a vessel is engaged on a Near
Coastal Voyage, Class 2 or Sheltered Waters Voyage. A valid marine
advanced rst aid course is required for vessels engaged on a
Near Coastal Voyage, Class 1. In some cases, a rst aid training
course (2 days as a minimum) recognized by a province or territory
is acceptable. For more information refer to Ship Safety Bulletin
03/2009: Training Requirements For the Person Designated to
Provide First Aid on Board a Vessel and Period of Validity of First Aid
Training Courses Recognized By a Province or Territory, Marine First
Aid and Marine Medical Care Training Certicates.
2. Operator competency – The operator of the vessel must be
certied at the appropriate level, or higher, for the size and type of
vessel and the voyage that is being undertaken. See Table 4-1 for
the level of certication required and when it will be necessary.
3. Basic safety training – The owner and operator must make sure
that all crew members receive on board familiarization and safety
training before they start to perform any assigned function (see
Section4-Marine Emergency Duties Training Program - TP4957).
Unless the level of operator competency required is a Pleasure
Craft Operator Card (PCOC), each crew member must also obtain
a certicate in basic safety training, also known as MED or Marine
Emergency Duties, at the level shown in Table 4-1 before completing
six months of sea service.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
36
Table 4-1, below, shows, by vessel type, size in gross tonnage (GT) and length
in metres (m), and voyage class, the minimum requirements for competency
for the vessel operator (shown in blue) as well as the marine emergency duties
training requirements (shown in red) for each person required to be on board in
order to meet the requirements for the minimum complement set out in the Marine
Personnel Regulations.
Table 4-1: Operator Competency/Marine Emergency Duties (MED)
Training Requirements
Vessel
Near Coastal,
Class 1
Near Coastal, Class 2
Sheltered Waters
More than 2
nautical miles
from shore
2 nautical miles or
less from shore
Passenger-Carrying Vessels
4
More than 5 GT
Master 150 GT
(Domestic)
(if endorsed for
limited, contiguous
waters)
MED BST
Limited Master < 60 GT MED A1, A2 or A3
Less than or equal
5 GT and either:
• more than
8 m; or
• more than 6
passengers
SVOP
MED A1, A2
or A3
SVOP
MED A1, A2
or A3
SVOP
MED A1, A2 or A3
No more than 6
passengers and
no more than 8 m
PCOC
5
Workboats
More than 5 GT
Master 150 GT
(Domestic)
(if endorsed for
limited, contiguous
waters)
MED BST
Limited Master < 60 GT MED A1, A2 or A3
Less than or equal
5 GT and more
than 8 m
(except tugs)
SVOP
MED A1, A2
or A3
SVOP
MED A1, A2 or A3
SVOP
MED A1, A2 or A3
No more
than 8 m
(except tugs)
PCOC
5
Tugs Limited Master < 60 GT MED A1, A2 or A3
This table is for easy reference only. If different from the
Marine Personnel Regulations, the regulations shall prevail.
Operator Competency Certificates for Small
Commercial Vessels:
PCOC – Pleasure Craft Operator Card
SVOP – Small Vessel Operator Proficiency
Limited Master < 60 GT
Master 150 GT (Domestic)
Refer to TP 10655, 4957, 14692, 13008
Marine Emergency Duties (MED) Training
MED Basic Safety Training (BST) – STCW
(Standard for Training, Certification and
Watchkeeping) Basic Safety
MED A1 – Basic Safety
MED A2 – Small Passenger Vessel Safety
MED A3 – Small Non-Pleasure Vessel Basic Safety
PCOC – Pleasure Craft Operator Card
ssenger-Carrying Vessels
4
---PCOC
5
4. A training certicate in marine emergency duties with respect to small seasonal passenger vessel safety (non-certicated
personnel) is acceptable for crew members that are not required to hold a certicate if the vessel is a passenger-carrying
vessel that operates only between March 31 and December 1 on a sheltered waters voyage, provided it does not have berthed
accommodations and it is not a ferry.
5. Where a Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC) meets the requirements for operatory competency, it also meets the training
requirements for marine emergency duties.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
37
Small Vessel Machinery Operator (SVMO)
The Small Vessel Machinery Operator (SVMO) or Small Vessel Machinery Operator
– Restricted
6
(SVMO-R) is the minimum Marine Engineer Certicate required for
passenger vessels that have propulsive power from 75 to 749 kW and do not go
beyond a Limited Near Coastal Voyage, Class 2
7
. To learn what a Small Vessel
Machinery Operator must know, refer to the Small Vessel Machinery Operator
Examination Study Guide (TP 14814).
The SVMO is also acceptable for:
• passenger vessels with propulsive power from 750 to 1499 kW; and
• workboats with propulsive power from 750 to 1999 kW
on voyages that last less than 6 hours and are either a Limited Near Coastal Voyage,
Class 2 or a Sheltered Waters Voyage, if all the following conditions are met:
(a) the vessel drives with at least two engines that allow for continued
thrust and steering if one engine fails;
(b) the engine and all required gauges, alarms, and emergency features
are controlled from the bridge;
(c) radio contact is maintained with the home base at all times;
(d) the Small Vessel Machinery Operator carries out set checks and
tests before each departure;
(e) maintenance is carried out:
i. according to a schedule that meets the main
engine manufacturer’s recommendations, and
ii. by a marine engineer who holds at least a
Fourth-Class Marine Engineer Certicate or by a
service rm that is accredited by the main engine
manufacturer and with which the owner has entered
into a maintenance contract schedule; and
(f) records of the pre-departure procedures are kept on board or at
home port if the vessel travels less than 5 nautical miles from its
home port.
If the voyage goes beyond these limits or the vessel has greater propulsive power,
refer to sections 218-226 of the Marine Personnel Regulations.
Converting to kilowatts
If you know your propulsive power in horsepower, multiply total horsepower by
0.746 to convert to kilowatts.
Examples: 100 hp ≈ 75 kW, 1006 hp ≈ 750 kW
6. Valid only on the vessel(s) listed on the certicate.
7. The limits are determined when the certicate is issued.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
38
Dual Capacity Operator and Marine Engineer
No person may act as both operator and engineer on a vessel that exceeds
20 metres in registered length. If your vessel is not more than 20 metres long,
a person holding a Master’s Certicate and a Marine Engineer’s Certicate
appropriate to the power rating of the main engines can act in both roles if:
• the engine can be controlled from the helm;
• engine problems can be easily detected and xed from the steering
station while keeping a navigational lookout; and
• there is another crew member on board, who is at least 18 years
of age, that can help if there is an emergency.
Proving Prociency
The safety of your vessel, crew, and passengers depends on knowing safety
procedures and using safety equipment quickly and properly when needed.
Transport Canada inspectors or its enforcement partners may check that your
crew’s certication meets requirements at any time. Inspectors may also test your
crew’s ability to respond efficiently in distress situations by asking questions related
to safety, emergency, and survival procedures or by requiring a test voyage to
show how well they:
• know navigation rules, local conditions and hazards;
• operate the vessel;
• use safety equipment;
• follow specic operating and emergency procedures; and
• ll other safety-related roles and responsibilities.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
39
Obtaining Certicates and Qualications
To get a Pleasure Craft Operator Card you must pass a test, and Transport Canada
recommends that you take a boating safety course before you take it. The course
covers a full range of basic boating topics such as:
• the safety equipment required on board your boat;
• the Canadian Buoyage system;
• the Rules of the Road (how to share the waterways);
• the regulations that apply to you; and
• how to respond in emergency situations.
Tests can be taken from accredited course providers, who are listed on the
Transport Canada Marine Safety website at www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/debs/
obs/courses/pcoc/menu.htm.
Courses in Small Vessel Operator Prociency (SVOP) and Marine Emergency
Duties (MED) are also available and training certicates are issued to people
who pass these courses. You can consult the list of Approved Training Courses
(TP10655) online.
If you want a Master or Marine Engineer Certicate, you must pass a written and
oral exam that covers subjects related to the type of vessel and where you will
operate it. Please consult the nearest Transport Canada Centre to determine the
requirements that apply in your case (see Appendix 2).
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
40
Requirements - Master, Limited, Vessel less than 60 gross tonnage
To apply for a certicate of competency as Master, Limited, for a vessel of less than
60 gross tonnage, you must have:
1. At least two months of sea service on board one or more vessels of
a gross tonnage at least equivalent to that of the vessel for which the
certicate is sought, on voyages that correspond to those permitted
by the certicate being applied for.
2. Valid Marine Medical Certicate (if a passenger-carrying vessel)
prescribed by the Marine Personnel Regulations, Part II, Division 8.
3. (a) Passenger-carrying vessels:
• Marine Emergency Duties (MED) with respect to Small
Passenger Vessel Safety; or
• MED with respect to basic safety and MED with respect
to small seasonal passenger vessel safety (certicated
personnel); or
• MED with respect to small seasonal passenger vessel safety
(certicated personnel) and MED with respect to small
seasonal passenger vessel safety (non-certicated personnel).
(b) Non-passenger vessels: Marine Emergency Duties with
respect to Basic Safety or pass a practical examination on
MED using the vessel’s emergency equipment.
4. Marine Basic First Aid training certicate.
5. An appropriate radio operator certicate issued under the
Radiocommunication Act if the vessel is equipped with a VHF
radiotelephone installation.
6. A written examination on subject matter appropriate to the area of
operation and the type and gross tonnage of the vessel to which the
certicate relates as set out in The Examination and Certication of
Seafarers (TP2293).
7. A practical examination on board the vessel.
A Master, Limited, certicate is valid for ve years beginning on its issue date and
only within the voyage area and on the vessels named on it.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
41
Requirements - Small Vessel Machinery Operator
An applicant for a Small Vessel Machinery Operator certicate must meet the
following requirements:
1. have acquired at least two months of qualifying service as follows
8
:
(a) at least 1 month of sea service as an engineer or a
rating performing engine-room duties on one or more
motor vessels; and
(b) any remaining time in any combination of the types of
service set out in item 2 of the table to subsection 147(1)
of the Marine Personnel Regulations;
2. hold an MED training certicate with respect to small passenger
vessel safety;
3. hold a certicate for marine basic rst aid;
4. pass a written examination on general engineering knowledge
of small vessels;
5. pass an oral examination on general engineering knowledge
of small vessels, if applying for an unrestricted certicate;
6. pass a practical examination on board the vessel for which the
certicate is sought, if applying for the restricted certicate.
A Small Vessel Machinery Operator certicate is valid for ve years from its
issuedate.
8. If applying for a Small Vessel Machinery Operator - Restricted certicate for use on board a passenger carrying vessel that has a
propulsive power of less than 750 kW that carries out only Limited Near Coastal Voyages, Class 2 or Sheltered Waters Voyages,
the requirements for qualifying sea service may be replaced with
(a) successful completion of training related to the propulsion system and safety systems tted on the vessel; or
(b) accumulation of at least 10 days of sea service performing engine-room duties on the vessel or a vessel of the same class.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
42
Radio Certication Requirements
The Marine Personnel Regulations require that persons in charge of a radio watch
on vessels that are required to be tted with a very high frequency
(
VHF
)
radio (see
Communication Equipment in Chapter 5) hold one of the following:
• Restricted Operator Certicate with Maritime Qualication;
• General Operator Certicate; or
• Restricted Operator’s Certicate (ROC-MC).
For vessels that must have a VHF radio with Digital Selective Calling (VHF-DSC)
that are on a voyage other than a Sheltered Waters Voyage, the person in charge
of the radio watch must have a Restricted Operator’s Certicate (ROC-MC) except
where the vessel is on a Near Coastal Voyage, Class 2 and the VHF-DSC radio is
the vessel’s only radio. In this case, the person must hold a Restricted Operator
Certicate with Marine Qualication that was issued after January 1, 2005.
Occupational Health and Safety Training
Every vessel owner and operator must provide all information, instruction, training,
and supervision needed to protect the health and safety of crew members. This
includes training related to the vessel’s safety policy and procedures. Employees
must be made aware of foreseeable hazards and the steps they should take to
avoid accidents and injury.
Most vessels that operate only within the limits of a province will have employees
that are covered by that province’s health and safety legislation. Vessels with
employees that are covered by federal health and safety legislation will fall under
Part 2 of the Canada Labour Code and the Marine Occupational Health and
Safety Regulations.
Under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, the Safe Working Practices Regulations
apply to all vessels (see Chapter 13 for more details).
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
43
More Information
To consult your local Transport Canada Centre, see Appendix 2.
• Marine Personnel Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2007-115
• Safe Working Practices Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C.R.C.-c.1467/
• Approved Training Courses (TP 10655)
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/tp/TP10655/menu.htm
• The Examination and Certication of Seafarers (TP 2293)
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/tp/TP2293/menu.htm
• Marine Emergency Duties Training Program (TP 4957)
www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/tp/TP4957/menu.htm
• Small Vessel Machinery Operator Examination Study Guide (TP 14184)
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/tp/TP14814/menu.htm
• Small Vessel Operator Prociency Training Program (TP 14692)
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/tp/TP14692/menu.htm
• Training Standards for Marine First Aid and Marine Medical Care
(TP13008)
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/TP/TP13008/menu.htm
• Ship Safety Bulletin 03/2009: Training Requirements For the
Person Designated to Provide First Aid on Board a Vessel and Period
of Validity of First Aid Training Courses Recognized By a Province or
Territory, Marine First Aid and Marine Medical Care Training Certicates
www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/bulletins/2009/03-eng.htm
Chapter 5
Be ready for emergencies
45
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
Accidents can happen — to even the best equipped vessels and crews. To help
you manage an emergency, Canada’s Small Vessel Regulations require ve types
of safety equipment:
1. Life-saving appliances (such as lifejackets and liferafts).
2. Vessel safety equipment (such as bailers, paddles and anchors).
3. Distress alerting equipment (such as a ashlight, ares and a radio).
4. A rst aid kit.
5. Fire safety equipment (such as portable extinguishers and re
detectors).
Additional equipment and ways to let others know you are in trouble are also
discussed in this guide, as are procedures that are required if you operate in water
less than 15°C without a liferaft.
Making sure that the vessel has the required safety equipment on board and
that it is readily accessible, in good working order and serviced according to the
manufacturer’s recommendations can save lives, and protect your vessel and
business. It is also the law. As the owner or operator of a vessel, you must comply
with safety regulations. You must make sure that all required safety equipment is
on board and that your crew members know how and when to use it.
The vessel operator and the owner must make sure that all crew members receive
the on board familiarization and safety training set out in the Marine Emergency
Duties Training Program (TP 4957) before they start to perform any duty on board
the vessel.
Carry out regular drills with the crew to ensure they stay familiar with the safety
equipment on board and its use. Keep a record of drill dates and the names of
those who took part. This will help you plan your next drill and will show that you use
due diligence, if the vessel is ever involved in an incident. Keeping records of crew
training is also a requirement of the Marine Personnel Regulations (section205).
All safety equipment must be stowed where it is readily accessible. This means it
can be reached easily and safely under emergency conditions without the use of
tools. If items are not stored where they can be easily seen, the storage location
should be clearly marked so that people know what is inside.
If this guide doesn’t give enough information for you to know what you need to
carry, check the regulations, consult a marine surveyor or ask your local Transport
Canada Centre for guidance (see Appendix 2).
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
46
Life-Saving Appliances
Life-saving appliances provide support if you fall overboard or in case you have to
abandon ship.
Lifejackets
All too often, drowning victims were not wearing a lifejacket or not wearing it
properly. Lifejackets are designed to keep a person’s head above water and to help
them remain in a proper breathing position. Lifejackets come in different sizes. You
must have a Transport Canada approved lifejacket of the right size to t each
person you have on board. For children less than 9 kg (20 lb) and persons with
chests more than 140 cm (56 in), use the lifejacket that ts best.
Three types of inherently buoyant
9
lifejackets — SOLAS
10
, Standard and Small
Vessel — have been approved for many years; however, more types of lifejackets
have been approved (see below).
New Lifejacket Standard Offers More Alternatives
In June 2007, a new lifejacket standard was adopted. The new standard adds three
new types of lifejackets to the familiar inherently buoyant jacket. These inflatable,
hybrid (a combination of inherently buoyant and inflatable) and thermal protection
jackets provide more options. As these products become available, you will be able
to choose the lifejacket that best suits your needs.
It is your responsibility to make sure that your lifejackets provide the required
protection for your passengers. When buying lifejackets, check the stamp or label
to make sure it is a lifejacket, not a personal otation device (PFD), and that it is
approved by Transport Canada.
Note: If your vessel is enclosed or tted with a canopy, warn passengers before leaving
shore about the danger of being trapped if they put lifejackets on while inside.
Lifejacket Maintenance and Testing
For lifejackets to work, you must keep them in good condition. You should inspect
them often for outer skin and stitching damage, mildew, leaks, insecure straps or
hardened stuffing. Clean them only with a mild soapy solution. Since using oil-
based solvents such as gasoline or strong detergents to remove stains can cause
lifejackets to deteriorate and lose buoyancy, you should always keep them away
from gasoline, oil and grease.
9. Made of buoyant material; does not need to be inated to oat.
10. Meets the requirements of the Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS)
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
47
Inatable and hybrid jackets need special care to make sure that their cartridges
remain effective. Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions and replace
cartridges before their expiry dates.
Lifejacket Handling and Storage
Air-drying lifejackets before putting them away prevents mildew. Never dry them on
a heater or any other direct heat source, or stow them away when they are damp.
When they are not in use, stow dry lifejackets out of the sunlight in a place that is
dry, well ventilated and easy to reach when needed. Do not step on lifejackets or
use them as kneeling or seating pads, as placing heavy weight on a lifejacket can
damage its internal buoyancy material.
Lifejacket Tips
Mark each lifejacket so you can keep a record of the date you bought it. This will
help you know when to replace it. Marking should be done so that it will not damage
the jacket. Use a tag or write on the label, taking care to be able to still read the
information on the tag.
Lifejackets and PFDs — What’s the Difference?
To comply with the law, as well as make an informed decision about safety, it helps
to know the differences between lifejackets and personal otation devices (PFDs).
Only lifejackets satisfy the requirements for life-saving equipment on commercial
vessels (except for human-powered vessels). This is because lifejackets, which
are intended to be put on when you evacuate the vessel or there is a clear risk
of going in the water, have two big advantages over most PFDs: they are usually
more buoyant and do a better job of keeping your mouth out of the water. To do this,
lifejackets can be bulky, making them less likely to be worn at all times, although
newer models do provide increased wearability.
PFDs, on the other hand, are generally more comfortable and can often be worn at
all times — even while working, which provides added protection in case a person
falls overboard accidentally. This is particularly important if you operate alone or in
cold water as the effects of cold water immersion will reduce the time you are able
to keep your head above water without a otation device.
For rst-hand accounts of people in cold water and the difficulties they had
staying aoat without a lifejacket, go to www.coldwaterbootcamp.com/pages/
bootcampers. html.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
48
For an extra level of safety, consider carrying both lifejackets and PFDs and making
it a habit to wear your PFD at all times for extra protection. Be aware, however, that
inherently buoyant PFDs are designed for the average person and may not be
enough to keep a fully dressed worker aoat, especially if carrying a tool belt or
other equipment. You may want to consider using an inatable PFD instead, as
they often have buoyancy equivalent to a Small Vessel Lifejacket (100 newtons).
Liferafts
No operator wants to abandon ship, but it is best to be prepared. Because a liferaft
can be launched in almost all weather and is designed to keep you out of the water
when you abandon ship and while you wait for rescue, it is the preferred rescue
system for any small vessel that operates in water with a temperature below 15˚C
if it can carry a raft safely.
If your vessel is more than 8.5 metres long and carries passengers on voyages that
are not Sheltered Waters Voyages or more than 2 nautical miles from the shore of
rivers or lakes, you must have one or more liferafts. Workboats more than 12 metres
long must carry one or more liferafts. On workboats, a buoyant apparatus may be
used instead of a liferaft if the water temperature is more than 15°C. The combined
capacity of the rafts or buoyant apparatus must be enough to carry everyone on
board. Inatable liferafts must be marked with the maximum capacity of the raft and
the date it was last serviced.
Coastal liferafts are designed for near shore waters. A vessel operating beyond a
Near Coastal Voyage, Class 2 must carry a SOLAS liferaft.
Crews must be trained and ready to launch liferafts and other life-saving equipment
on a moment’s notice. Carry out regular drills with the crew up to the point where
the liferaft would be inated. If your liferaft is due for servicing, consider carrying out
a drill that includes inating the raft so that you and your crew know what it’s like.
This may increase the cost of servicing, so check with your service depot and then
decide. Conduct regular inspections to make sure that each survival craft holds all
required equipment, is in place and is properly stowed.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
49
Inatable liferafts must be serviced at a service station accredited by the raft’s
manufacturer at the frequency set out in the Life Saving Equipment Regulations.
11
Servicing helps to identify problems caused by your vessel’s pitching-and-rolling
movements and from exposure to humidity and water spray, which can nd their
way into the liferaft container.
Any hydrostatic release (oat-free device) that requires yearly or other regular
service should be serviced at the same time as the liferaft. A disposable release
should be replaced before its expiry date. Failure to service liferafts and release
devices may result in an operating failure when it is needed, and could cost lives.
Make sure that your equipment works and your crew is prepared.
How a Hydrostatic
Release Works
A hydrostatic release is made up of a
pressure activated release mechanism,
a loop to which the liferaft lashing is
attached and a weak link to which
the liferaft painter (the rope attached
to the liferaft) is attached. Follow the
manufacturer’s instructions carefully when
installing the release.
When the device is submerged to a depth
of about 4 metres, the water pressure
causes the mechanism to release the
loop holding the lashing. This allows the
raft to float to the surface if there are no
obstacles to stop it (see Liferaft Stowage,
page 50). As the vessel sinks, the painter
is stretched, causing the liferaft to inflate.
As the vessel sinks further, the weak
link will break, freeing the liferaft from
thevessel.
11. Servicing requirements are currently in section 2 of Schedule IV of the Life Saving Equipment Regulations; however, this may
change when the regulations are updated.
One of several hydrostatic release
units approved for use in Canada
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
50
Liferaft Stowage
Every liferaft or buoyant apparatus must be stowed so it can oat free if the vessel
sinks or capsizes. You can either place the liferaft in deep chocks without lashings,
so it can oat free if the vessel sinks, or secure it with lashings tted with a hydrostatic
release. The liferaft must be stowed well away from any ttings, rigging or any other
thing that may prevent it from oating free and inating. The liferaft must also be
easy to access for manual release (consult Ship Safety Bulletin 07/2007: Inatable
Liferafts and Rescue Platforms: Stowage and Proper Access for more information).
To prevent a liferaft from being damaged or lost because of weather, it must be
properly secured (if not in deep chocks). Be careful to secure the liferaft in a way
that allows the hydrostatic release to work properly when needed. You must also
make sure that the painter is properly secured to the vessel.
Lifebuoys and Buoyant Heaving Lines
Lifebuoys
When buying a lifebuoy, check to make sure it is approved by Transport Canada. It
should bear an “Approved by the Department of Transport” marking and an approval
number like this: “T.C.xxx.xxx.xxx.”
Lifebuoys approved for use on small commercial vessels must be at least
600 millimetres in diameter and be made of inherently buoyant material. If it doesn’t
already have one, you must attach the lifebuoy to a buoyant line of good quality that
will not kink and is at least 9.5 millimetres in diameter and 15 metres long.
Approved lifebuoys have colours that are easy to see. Don’t paint them or do
anything else that may make them less visible. The name of your vessel should be
marked on your lifebuoys.
Horseshoe lifebuoys are not approved for use on commercial vessels.
Buoyant Heaving Line
A fancy name for a oating rope, a buoyant heaving line has a soft buoyant mass
on one end. You throw the line toward a person in the water for them to hold on to
while you pull them alongside. It can be packed into a rescue throw bag to keep it
from getting knotted and make it easy to throw.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
51
Vessel Safety Equipment
Life-saving appliances are for personal safety; vessel safety equipment helps to
preserve the vessel in the hope that you will not have to use the life-savingequipment.
Oars and Anchor
Your vessel must have a way to control drifting in case you lose your engine. This
can be an anchor with a length of rope, chain or cable, or any combination of these,
that suits the size of the vessel. If your vessel is not more than 9 metres long, you
may carry a paddle or two oars and rowlocks or any other device that can be used
to propel the vessel manually instead of the anchor.
Bailers and Manual Bilge Pumps
To be able to remove water from the hull, you must carry a manual bilge pump. If
your vessel is not more than 9 metres long, you may carry a bailer instead of a
pump. The bailer should be made of plastic or metal, have an opening of at least
65 square centimetres, and should be able to hold 750 millilitres or more.
Bilge Pumps
In addition to carrying a manual bilge pump, every vessel over 6 metres long must
have bilge pumping arrangements that meet the construction requirements (see
Pumping or Bailing System in Chapter 2).
Distress Alerting Equipment
If you run into trouble, this equipment allows you to let others know you need
help. Please note that it is against the law to use ares and other distress signals,
or make other signals that could be mistaken as distress signals, if you do not
needhelp.
Visual Signals
All small commercial vessels must carry a watertight ashlight and ares. The
number and type of ares required vary according to the size of the vessel.
SeeTable 5-1 for details.
To be sure that the ashlight can be used as a signalling device, make sure the
batteries are charged. It is a good idea to check the ashlight regularly and to keep
spare batteries on hand.
Signalling with a ashlight will be more effective when there is little or no sunlight.
During the day, you may wish to try other visual signals rst.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
52
To signal with a ashlight, aim it where you expect that it will be seen and ash it so
as to attract attention. Using Morse code for SOS may help others understand that
you need help. The pattern for SOS is: short, short, short; long, long, long; short,
short, short. Pause and repeat.
Pyrotechnic Distress Signals (Flares)
In an emergency, ares can be very effective in letting others know that you need
immediate help.
All ares must be clearly marked as being Transport Canada approved and must not
have expired. Flares expire four years from the manufacture date stamped on them.
Flares are hazardous! Do not just throw them away. Dispose of old ares as directed
by the manufacturer.
Hint: While you must have enough valid ares on board to meet regulatory
requirements, you can keep expired ares on the vessel and use them rst if you
need to attract attention. If they work, you’ve saved your newer ares. Dispose of
them properly when they start to show signs of deterioration.
Safety Measures and Use
• Store ares in a watertight container to keep them dry.
• Store ares in a place that is cool, dry, and easy to reach — away
from any heat source.
• Check ares regularly and replace them before they reach their
expiry date.
• Always shoot ares into the wind and away from the vessel at a
45-degree angle so it will drift back over your position.
• Never use or store a are close to ammable liquids or gas (e.g.,
propane, gas, oil).
• If a are does not work, dispose of it safely as soon as possible.
• Train your crew to use ares.
• Never point a are at another person.
• Always treat ares as explosive devices.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
53
Types of Flares
1. Rocket Parachute Flares (Type A)
• Ignition and the rocket are contained in a waterproof casing.
• Launching rocket ignites are and projects parachute with are.
• Reaches maximum height of 300 metres.
• Flare burns bright red for at least 40 seconds.
• Parachute deploys between 200 and 300 metres.
• Visibility up to 20 nautical miles.
• Used to alert rescuers who may be a long distance away — possibly
over the horizon.
2. Multi-Star Flares (Type B)
• Produces two or more bright red stars in rapid succession
(maximum 15 seconds).
• Reaches maximum height of 100 metres.
• Each star burns for at least 4 seconds.
• Automatic or cartridge ring device.
• If cartridge, the package may instruct users to re two signals
within 15 seconds of each other.
• Firing device and the cartridges, if any, should be waterproof and
packed in a waterproof container.
• Visibility up to 12 nautical miles.
• Used to alert rescuers who may be a long distance away.
3. Hand Flares (Type C)
• Hand-held red are.
• Burns for at least 1 minute.
• Sheathed to prevent drips of burning material.
• Limited surface visibility — used to alert rescuers who are within
a few nautical miles.
• Contained in a waterproof case.
4. Smoke Signal (Type D)
• Can be either hand-held or buoyant.
• Buoyant signal gives off a dense orange-coloured smoke for at
least 3 minutes when oating in calm water.
• Hand-held gives off a dense orange-coloured smoke for a period of
at least 1 minute.
• Mechanically ignited.
• The buoyant type is effective when aoat in moderate seas.
• Used as a day signal only.
• Contained in a waterproof case.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
54
Table 5-1: Required Safety Equipment
Vessel length
6 metres or
less
More than 6 but
not more than 9
metres
More than 9 but
not more than 12
metres
More than 12
metres
Transport Canada
approved lifejacket, sized
for each person on board
√ √ √ √
Marine emergency first
aid kit
(see Appendix 3 for
required contents)
√ √ √ √
Reboarding device if
vertical height to be
climbed is more than 0.5
metre
√ √ √ √
Buoyant heaving line at
least 15 metres long
√ √
1
√ √
Lifebuoy attached to
buoyant line at least 15
metres long
√
1
√ √
2
Watertight flashlight √ √ √ √
Flares
3 (other than
smoke signals)
6 (other than
smoke signals)
12 (no more than
6 of which may be
smoke signals)
12 (no more than
6 of which may be
smoke signals)
Liferaft √
3
√
3
√
3
Manual propelling device
(e.g. oars)
√
4
√
4
Anchor with at least
the number of metres
indicated of chain, rope
or cable
√
4
(15m) √
4
(15m) √ (30m) √ (50m)
Manual bilge pump √
5
√
5
√ √
Sound signalling device
or appliance
6
√ √ √
6
Appliance only
Navigation lights √
7
√
7
√ √
Magnetic compass √
8
√
8
√ √
1. May carry either heaving line or lifebuoy.
2. Buoyant line not required if lifebuoy is equipped with a self-igniting light.
3. Liferafts are required on:
• passenger-carrying vessels more than 8.5 metres long that operate:
- outside sheltered waters on the Atlantic, Pacic or Arctic coast;
- more than 2 nautical miles from the shore of lakes and rivers; or
- on the St. Lawrence River east of 70° 53’ W;
• workboats more than 12 metres long (a buoyant apparatus may be used instead of a liferaft if the water
temperature is more than 15°C); and
• tugs more than 8.5 metres long that carry more than one person.
4. May carry either a manual propelling device or an anchor.
5. May carry a bailer instead.
6.
A sound signalling device is a pealess whistle or a compressed gas or electric horn. A sound signalling
appliance is a whistle that meets the requirements of the Collision Regulations. An appliance is required on
vessels less than 12 metres long that are ordinarily used for pushing or pulling oating objects outside warding
or yarding operations.
7. If operated after sunset or before sunrise or in periods of restricted visibility.
8. A compass is not required on vessels 8 metres or less if they are always within sight of navigation marks.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
55
Communication Equipment
VHF Radio — Making a Distress Call (MAYDAY) or Early Notication
(PAN PAN)
Radio as distress alerting equipment is by far the best in terms of range and the
ability to provide detailed information about the kind of problem you are facing.
If you are not required to carry a radio, you might want to consider installing one
simply for this reason. Remember, however, that any equipment that you carry
must be in good working order, even if it is not required by regulation.
Two types of emergency radio signals are used: MAYDAY, for distress, and PANPAN,
for urgent messages. MAYDAY indicates a person or vessel is threatened by grave
and imminent danger and requests immediate help. PAN PAN indicates a safety
problem that does not require immediate assistance.
The recommended call format includes the word MAYDAY (or PAN PAN) spoken
three times, followed by the vessel’s name (or other unique identier), also spoken
three times, then MAYDAY (or PAN PAN) and the name or identier again. Vital
information, including the position, nature of the emergency, assistance required
and the number of people on board, should follow. A typical message might be:
“MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, this is NONSUCH, NONSUCH,
NONSUCH. MAYDAY, NONSUCH. Position 54 25 North 016 33
West. My boat is on re and sinking. I require immediate assistance.
Four people on board, are taking a lifeboat. OVER.”
It is strongly recommended you report any situation that may present a danger to
life, without delay. Early notication can be crucial to a positive outcome. You can
use the PAN PAN radio signal for this purpose.
Take it with you: you can order free, water-resistant quick reference cards that you
can keep near your radio to guide you in making a call for help. Search http://shop.
tc.gc.ca for Distress and Safety Radiotelephone Procedures (TP 9878).
Locating Devices
If you are in trouble, the time it takes for Search and Rescue to reach you depends
on where you are and how hard they have to look. A locator device such as an
Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) (see Chapter 10) or a Digital
Selective Calling (DSC) radio connected to a Global Positioning System (GPS) will
let authorities know your exact position.
Personal locator beacons can also be of use but they have limitations. They should
be used with, not instead of, an EPIRB.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
56
Fire Safety Equipment
Fire Extinguishers
The size and number of re extinguishers required for commercial vessels depends
on the size of the boat and its equipment. Portable re extinguishers carry labels
that indicate the size and type of re that they can be expected to handle. Refer
to the Small Vessel Regulations, section 11, for a table of equivalents for re
extinguishers.
Every re extinguisher carries one or more letters, which tell you the kinds of res
it can be used on (see Fire Extinguisher Classication System) and a number that
indicates the size of the re it can put out. The higher the number, the larger the
re it can handle. To meet regulation requirements, your extinguisher must have
all the letters and the same number
or higher for the extinguisher set out
in Table 5-2. Always remember that
the requirements are the minimum
— installing a 2:A 10:BC instead
of a 1:A 10:BC will increase your
ability to ght a Class A re.
Inspect extinguishers each month
to make certain seals and tamper
indicators are not broken or missing.
Check the pressure gauge to make
sure that tank pressure is ne as
well. Mount re extinguishers with
an appropriate bracket from the extinguisher manufacturer that keeps them from
being damaged or misplaced but allows them to be put into action quickly. Turn
over and shake dry chemical extinguishers from time to time so that their contents
do not become compacted by the motion of the vessel. Replace cracked or broken
hoses and look for damage such as corrosion, leaks or clogging.
Marine type re extinguishers are required. Do not keep extinguishers that use CO
2
or other gas harmful to humans in or near spaces normally occupied by passengers
or crew. Do use extinguishers with CO
2
or other gas with similar re smothering
capability for enclosed engine spaces that will not have people in them. Some dry
chemical extinguishers may be corrosive for metal such as aluminum. Consider all
these factors before selecting the proper re extinguisher.
The Small Vessel Regulations and the Construction Standards for Small Vessels
(TP 1332) also address xed extinguishing systems. Even if your vessel has one,
you must also carry the required portable extinguishers.
Marine Type Fire Extinguishers
A marine type fire extinguisher will be
marked “marine listed” or “USCG approved”
but to be compliant it must also be installed
with an approved (strap-type) quick-release
mounting bracket.
Many extinguishers come with the bracket
as an option. Make sure you have the
approved bracket to hold your extinguisher
securely.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
57
Controlling a Fire
Read the instructions on your re extinguishers and make sure you understand
how they work.
If a re starts, grab the re extinguisher, activate it and direct it at the base of the
ames using short bursts and sweeping the hose from side to side.
If a re starts while underway:
• Use extinguishers and/or re buckets to control the re
(or the xed extinguishing system if installed in the space).
• Send out a distress signal.
• Position your boat so the re is downwind.
• Order passengers and crew that are not ghting the re to put
on lifejackets.
• If the re is located in the engine space, stop the engine, shut off
the fuel source and close the engine space ventilation.
• Consider evacuation if the re is spreading quickly or cannot be
brought under control.
Fibreglass boat owners should remember that breglass burns, and take extra
care, as for a wooden vessel.
Fire Extinguisher Classication System
The class of re extinguisher is based on the type of re it puts out.
Class A Fire
A re involving wood, cloth, paper, rubber and some plastics.
Class B Fire
A re involving ammable liquids, gases, greases and paint.
Class C Fire
A re involving live electrical wires or equipment.
Class D Fire
A re involving combustible metals such as magnesium,
sodium or potassium.
Class K Fire
A re involving combustible cooking products such as
vegetable or animal oil. A Class K may be substituted for a
Class B in a cooking area.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
58
Table 5-2: Required Fire Fighting and Detection Equipment
Vessel length
6 metres or
less
More than 6 but
not more than 9
metres
More than 9 but
not more than 12
metres
More than 12 metres
General use fire
extinguisher
1
One 1A:5B:C One 2A:10B:C One 2A:10B:C One 2A:20B:C
Additional extinguishers
• if vessel equipped
with fuel burning
cooking, heating
or refrigerating
appliance
One 1A:5B:C One 2A:10B:C One 2A:10B:C
One 2A:20B:C
at each access to any
space equipped with fuel
burning cooking, heating
or refrigerating appliance
• at entrance to the
engine space
One 10B:C One 10B:C One 20B:C
• at entrance to each
accommodation
space
One 2A:20B:C
Engine space port
and dedicated CO
2
or equivalent fire
extinguisher
√
2
Fixed fire extinguishing
system
√
3
√
3
√
Fire axe One One
Fire bucket(s) One Two
Fire pump, hose and
nozzle
4
√
Temperature detector –
Engine space
√
5
Temperature and rate
of heat rise detector –
Engine space
√
6
√
6
√
6
Smoke detectors -
Accommodation and
service spaces
√
7
√
7
√
7
√
8
1. Not required if the vessel is not power-driven and does not have an electrical system.
2. Must have a clearly labelled port or other way of discharging a properly sized re extinguisher directly into any
enclosed engine space without opening the primary access to the space. This extinguisher is in addition to
all other extinguishers required in the table. (See Fire Safety in Chapter 2 for further details on construction
requirements.) A xed re ghting system may be installed instead of the engine space port.
3. May use the engine space port described above if the engine space is less than 8m
3
(based on a CO
2
extinguisher containing 10 kg of gas), depending on the extinguisher type and size.
4. Power-driven pump located outside the engine space with enough hose to be able to direct the water jet into
any part of the vessel.
5. Connected to a remote alarm at the operating position as per the Small Vessel Regulations. Not required on a
vessel in which the engine is enclosed by boxing in such a manner that a re would be immediately apparent
to a person at the operating position.
6. Connected to a re alarm panel as per the Construction Standards for Small Vessels.
7. Stand-alone installation (alarm and power).
8. Connected to the re alarm panel on all passenger-carrying vessels and on workboats with overnight
accommodations.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
59
More Information
To consult your local Transport Canada Centre, see Appendix 2.
• Small Vessel Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2010-91//
• Collision Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C.R.C.-c.1416/
• Life Saving Equipment Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C.R.C.-c.1436/
• Marine Personnel Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2007-115/
• Construction Standards for Small Vessels (TP 1332)
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/TP/TP1332/menu.htm
• Marine Emergency Duties Training Program (TP 4957)
www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/tp/tp4957/menu.htm
• Ship Safety Bulletin 07/2007: Inatable Liferafts and Rescue
Platforms, Stowage and Proper Access
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/bulletins/2007/07-eng.htm
Chapter 6
Avoid problems and prepare for
emergencies
61
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
Voyage Planning
The best way to avoid hazards and dangerous situations is to make sure you do a
good job of planning your voyage before you set sail.
This is why Regulation 34 of Chapter V of the Convention for the Safety of Life at
Sea (SOLAS) and the Charts and Nautical Publications Regulations, 1995 require
masters to ensure the intended voyage has been planned.
The degree of voyage planning for small vessels will depend upon the size of the
vessel, its crew and the length of the voyage.
Take the following into account when planning a voyage:
• Weather – check the weather forecast before you leave shore,
and get regular updates if you are planning to be out for any
length of time.
• Tides – check the tidal predictions for your trip and ensure that
they t with what you are planning to do.
• Limitations of the vessel – consider whether your boat is up to
the proposed trip, especially if the weather gets bad (even if good
weather is forecasted).
• Supplies – make sure you have everything you will need, as well
as some extra in case you run into trouble.
• Navigational dangers – make sure that you are familiar with
any navigational dangers you may encounter during your voyage.
This generally means checking an up-to-date chart and a current
pilot book.
• Contingency plan – always have a contingency plan should
anything go wrong. Before you go, think about where you can take
refuge if conditions deteriorate or if you suffer an accident or injury.
If you use a GPS for navigation, be aware that it could fail at any
time. It is sensible and good practice to be able to navigate yourself
to safety without it, should it fail.
• Sail plan – make sure that someone responsible ashore knows
your plans and knows what to do if they become concerned for
your safety.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
62
Voyage Planning Stages
Voyage planning, as set out in the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s)
Guidelines for Voyage Planning, involves four distinct stages:
1. Appraisal – gathering the information relevant to the coming trip.
2. Planning – preparing a detailed plan of the expected trip and
alternate plans; this includes establishing waypoints, identifying
hazards, setting the times for passing certain landmarks and
decision points where you must decide to proceed or engage
alternate plans.
3. Execution – implementing the plan and making the necessary
decisions and, if necessary, implementing alternate plans.
4. Monitoring – keeping an eye on your progress and the effectiveness
of the plan’s execution.
For a more detailed explanation of the steps involved at each stage, refer to the
IMO Guidelines for Voyage Planning.
Putting the Plan into Action
Your plan is more likely to succeed if you carry out the following.
Before You Set Out
Check the Vessel
Running through a safety checklist before leaving shore can help you avoid a real
emergency. It is better to invest a few minutes at the dock making sure your vessel,
engine and equipment are in working order than to spend hours stranded offshore
and/or in danger.
Sample Pre-Departure Safety Checklist
1. What is the weather forecast?
2. Do conditions match the forecast?
3. Are there any local hazards (such as tides, currents, sand bars,
rocks) on your intended route?
4. Are there any vessel operation restrictions
12
on the route that will
affect where you can go or the speed at which you can travel?
5. Do you have updated charts of the operating area?
6. Do you have the required crew for the number of passengers and
intended voyage?
7. Is the navigational equipment working?
8. Have you given a sail plan that includes how many persons will
be on board to a responsible person?
9. Are there enough lifejackets of appropriate size for everyone on
board, including children?
12. The Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations set out waters in which some vessels may be prohibited, where speed limits may
apply or where water-skiing may be prohibited at certain times.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
63
10. Is all safety equipment in good working order?
11. Is your VHF radio or other communication equipment
working properly?
12. Are navigation lights working properly?
13. Are the rst aid kit, basic tools and spare parts on board?
14. Are drain holes / scuppers free of obstructions? Is your drainage
plug in place?
15. Is your bilge pump free of debris and working?
16. Did you check the battery’s charge and its uid levels?
17. Did you check for oil and water leaks?
18. Did you check fuel, lube oil and coolant levels, hoses, and belts?
File a Sail Plan
A sail plan includes your travel route and basic details about your vessel. For long
voyages you should le a daily position report, especially if your planned route or
schedule changes.
File a sail plan with a responsible person on shore, such as someone at home,
from your corporate office or at the local marina, before heading out. If this is
not possible, you may le a sail plan with any Canadian Coast Guard Marine
Communications and Traffic Services (MCTS) Centre by telephone, radio or in
person. Include the number of persons carried on each voyage
13
with the same
person or in a visible place where it can be found easily, so it can be passed on to
Search and Rescue authorities if needed. (Consult Ship Safety Bulletin 06/2007
– Information on Persons on Board, Counting, Recording, and Special Needs for
more information.)
Be sure to report that you have returned or completed your trip to avoid a needless
search for your vessel.
Tell the person holding your sail plan to contact the nearest Rescue Coordination
Centre if you are overdue. The telephone number can be found at the front of or in
the government blue pages of most telephone books.
While Underway
Plan for Contingencies
A master must plan for what might happen as the day progresses. Try to anticipate
everything that can change or go wrong and make alternate plans ahead of time.
During the day, as you pass different locations, hazards, etc., and see the reality of
the area, you may decide to alter your plans. Keep alternate plans in your mind and
know when changes in conditions mean you should put these plans into action.
13. Small Vessel Regulations, Section 402.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
64
Track Your Course
Instruments can fail. Take steps to protect yourself from navigational equipment
problems from the time you set off.
To protect yourself, regularly record your position on the chart with the time noted
beside it.
Be sure to regularly check the accuracy of your compass. The Navigation
Safety Regulations require you to have a properly adjusted magnetic compass
14
and that you have a way of correcting headings and bearings to true, such as a
table of deviation, on board at all times. Get your compass swung by a professional
if necessary. Check it again whenever you reposition any large metal items on the
vessel or when you add new electrical or electronic equipment.
Monitor Your Progress Along the Course Line
• On open water passages, regularly check your position against the
course line you have drawn on the chart.
• In restricted waters, compare your position against the distance you
expected to have covered. Regularly check your position against
the chart to make sure you are in safe water.
• Always maintain a dead reckoning position. If you lose your
electronics, you may have to navigate using dead reckoning until
you can get your equipment repaired.
• Use all your navigational aids.
• Develop your ability to navigate using the resources that are on
board. Practice using alternate means to navigate.
Maintain Situational Awareness
Situational awareness is:
• knowing what is going on around you;
• understanding your vessel’s position in relation to its environment
and other vessels; and
• being aware of how your vessel is behaving.
Enhance your situational awareness by paying attention to all the cues coming
from your environment, and staying alert.
14. Not required if the vessel is eight metres or less in length and is navigated within sight of navigation marks.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
65
A United States Coast Guard analysis of navigational mishaps for cutters and boats
revealed that 40 per cent were due to a loss of situational awareness.
Since situational awareness is so important, you should:
• know where you are at all times;
• form a mental picture of your environment and know how and
where your vessel ts into the picture;
• be familiar with your radar and its operation (use it day and night to
increase your comfort level with the instrument — don’t just turn it
on when you need it the most);
• pay attention to other cues and other systems of navigation, such
as your GPS, compass, sounder, etc.;
• continually assess and re-assess your situation and the relative
position of other vessels, lights, buoys and navigational hazards; and
• keep track of the tides and currents, and continually re-assess their
effect in relation to prevailing weather conditions, shoals, etc.
Maintaining situational awareness gets harder when night falls or the weather
is closing in. As weather conditions become poorer, you may lose so many
clues that you lose your situational awareness. When you begin to doubt your
own understanding of the navigational situation, you have lost your situational
awareness, and must make every effort to regain it.
Clues that you are losing situational awareness include:
• being confused or having a “gut feeling” that “this can’t be right”;
• realizing that you are not watching or looking for hazards;
• noticing discrepancies in information from two or more sources;
• getting ambiguous or unclear information (if this happens, you must
resolve the ambiguity before proceeding); and
• being xated or preoccupied (if you are xated on one aspect of the
situation, you cannot hope to understand all of the forces affecting
your vessel).
Staying Safe
Here are some more requirements and tips for staying out of trouble and what to do
if you do nd yourself in difficulty.
Safe Speed
You must stay alert and maintain a safe speed at all times to avoid collision.
15
Makecertain you have a clear view in all directions.
15. Collision Regulations, Rules 5 and 6.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
66
Loads and Stability
Never overload your vessel with people or cargo. This will make your vessel
unstable and it may capsize. Distribute loads so that the vessel is level, store them
as low as possible and secure them to keep them from shifting (see Chapter 8 for
details on vessel stability).
Severe Weather
In severe weather:
• Turn on your navigation lights.
• Reduce speed to match sea condition.
• Maintain enough power to allow steering.
• Have crew and passengers put on lifejackets. On small boats, seat
passengers as low as possible and near the centre line.
• Close and secure all doors, hatches and other openings.
• Make sure that cargo and other objects are secure.
• Make sure that all overboard drains that are designed to be open at
sea and freeing ports are open and clear.
• Head for the nearest port of refuge or shore that is safe to
approach, if possible.
• Direct the bow into the waves at about a 45-degree angle, if
possible.
• Keep bilges free of water.
• Run out a sea anchor on a line from the bow to keep the boat
headed into the waves if your engine fails.
• If you have concerns about the safety of your vessel or crew,
make early radio contact with the Canadian Coast Guard Marine
Communications and Traffic Services
(
CCG MCTS
)
radio station
to advise them of your concerns. Do not wait until it is too late
(see VHF Radio — Making a Distress Call and Early Notication
in Chapter5).
Cold Shock and Hypothermia
If, in water that is less than 15°C, you operate a passenger-carrying vessel or
are responsible for a guided excursion, the Small Vessel Regulations
16
require you
to carry equipment or have procedures for protecting people from the effects of
cold shock or hypothermia unless you carry a liferaft. Workboat operators should
also address the risk of cold shock and hypothermia by equipment or operating
procedures, which may include requiring that workers wear otation suits or other
otation devices.
16. Small Vessel Regulations, sections 302 and 417.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
67
People who fall into cold water drown more often from their body’s initial reaction to
the change in temperature (cold shock and swimming failure) than from low body
temperature (hypothermia). Understanding the four phases of cold water immersion
will help you react in case you or someone on board your vessel falls overboard.
Phase 1. Cold shock (occurring in the rst two to three minutes after immersion)
starts with a big gasp, followed by shallow, rapid breathing and a sharp increase
in heart rate. It may cause small muscle spasms. Death due to drowning is not
uncommon during this phase because victims are unable to focus attention on
keeping their airway above water. Making your crew and passengers aware of
thesymptoms so that they can try to control breathing while their bodies adjust
is the best preparation you can give other than having them wear lifejackets.
Don’t panic. Don’t try to swim during this phase. It will pass and you can then
attempt to self - rescue.
Phase 2. Swimming failure (which occurs after three to thirty minutes in the water)
is when the victim’s muscles stop working normally; for example, the ngers curl
up and won’t open. As time passes, the victim, often healthy and a good swimmer,
is no longer able to make swimming movements. Wearing a lifejacket is still the
best defence, but it may help people to know, before they start swimming for shore,
that swimming has a massive impact on body heat loss and that the colder the
water, the greater the likelihood of swimming failure. Do anything that needs nger
movement, like putting on lifejackets and opening are packages, as soon as you
can. If possible, climb partly out of the water on the vessel or any oating debris.
Getting your body out of the water will reduce the speed at which it loses heat.
Phase 3. Hypothermia (occurring after more than thirty minutes in the water) is the
lowering of the body temperature until the victim loses consciousness and drowns
or the heart stops. While waiting for rescue, curl up like a baby in the H.E.L.P. (heat
evacuation loss prevention) position and, if there is more than one of you, huddle
together to reduce heat loss. Don’t move unless you have to.
Phase 4. Post-rescue collapse Sadly, 20 per cent of immersion deaths occur
during or within hours of rescue. Knowing this, you should keep a close eye on
rescued victims and keep them as still as possible.
Check out the website www.coldwaterbootcamp.com or read The Chilling
Truth about Cold Water, and Transport Canada’s Survival in Cold Waters (2007)
(TP 13822) to learn more about surviving in cold water. Information on treating
people suffering from hypothermia can be found on the Transport Canada website
as well as in the State of Alaska’s Cold Injuries Guidelines.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
68
Guidelines for Operating in Cold Water
If you operate a passenger vessel or are responsible for guided excursions in water
that is less than 15°C, you must carry equipment and/or establish procedures to
protect persons from hypothermia and cold shock.
Inform people on board of the symptoms of cold shock and swimming failure so that
they are prepared for it and know what they have to do to get over the initialstages.
Equipment may include a Jason’s cradle to help lift a person from the water without
having to lean over or get in the water. The horizontal recovery position provided by
the cradle helps reduce post-rescue collapse. Other means of reducing the amount
of time a person is in the water can also help meet this requirement.
Once the person is safely out of the water, focus on helping to make them dry and
warm. You may consider removing wet clothing and starting to warm the person
through body contact and/or drinking warm uids. Having blankets available and
a way of preparing warm liquids are additional ways of meeting the requirement.
What to do in the event of capsizing is a bigger problem since everyone on board
and all equipment will be in the water. You may want to consider wrapping blankets
so that they are water-resistant, or travelling with another vessel that can come to
your aid should you capsize.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible, silent and deadly danger. It is a colourless,
odourless gas produced during the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels. It cuts
off the oxygen supply to the body, causing death in minutes. Symptoms of CO
poisoning such as headaches, nausea and fatigue can be mistaken for seasickness
or the u because you can’t tell the deadly gas is in the air without a CO detector.
The risk of poisoning by carbon monoxide is also increased in the case of divers
because any CO present in the blood will have its effect magnied by the pressure
divers are exposed to at depth.
Be aware of the warning signs and get anyone who complains of these symptoms
to fresh air immediately. Install a marine grade CO detector according to the
manufacturer’s instructions so that you’ll be alerted if CO is present.
Become familiar with and avoid situations that cause CO to build up:
• Do not heat cabins or cook unless the cabins are well-ventilated.
• Be especially careful in areas such as the stern, cabin extensions
and areas tted with canvas tops.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
69
• Be aware that engines left idling in poorly ventilated areas can create
dangerous concentrations of CO; a tail wind can easily carry CO back
on board.
• Be aware of other vessels. Exhaust from a nearby vessel may cause
a build-up of carbon monoxide even when your engine is not running.
More Information
Contact your local Transport Canada Centre to nd out about the laws and
regulations that apply to your vessel and situation (see Appendix 2).
• Fire and Boat Drills Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/SOR-2010-83
• Charts and Nautical Publications Regulations, 1995 www.laws.
justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-95-149
• Navigation Safety Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2005-134
• Small Vessel Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2010-91//
• Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2008-120
• Ship Safety Bulletin 09/2002: Bilge Pumping Systems:
Early Detection Saves Lives
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/bulletins/2002/09-eng.htm
• Ship Safety Bulletin 04/2007: Carbon Monoxide, Preventive
Measures and Recognition of Danger
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/bulletins/2007/04-eng.htm
• Ship Safety Bulletin 06/2007: Information on Persons on Board,
Counting, Recording, and Special Needs
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/bulletins/2007/06-eng.htm
• “The Chilling Truth About Cold Water”
www.shipwrite.bc.ca/Chilling_truth.htm
• Cold Injuries Guidelines, State of Alaska
www.chems.alaska.gov/ems/documents/AKColdInj2005.pdf
• Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), Chapter 5,
Regulation 34
• Educational Information About Carbon Monoxide, American Boat
and Yacht Council www.abycinc.org/standards/purpose.cfm - TH22
• IMO Guidelines for Voyage Planning,
www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/marinesafety/a2res893.pdf
• Survival in Cold Waters (2007) (TP 13822)
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/TP/Tp13822/menu.htm
Chapter 7
Keep passengers informed
71
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
Pre-Departure Briengs
Holding safety briengs before the voyage begins — similar to those given on an
aircraft — is a legal requirement. Show and tell your passengers how to react in an
emergency. Give the brieng in English, French or both, as needed.
You must tell passengers:
• where to nd lifejackets closest to their position on the boat,
including children’s lifejackets;
• how to properly put on, secure, and, if you have inatable and
hybrid lifejackets, how to operate, each type of lifejacket on board;
• not to put lifejackets on until they are outside the cabins and out
from under canopies;
• where the liferafts are, if you have any, and where they are to
gather to get on board the liferaft (muster stations); and
• how to reduce the effect of their movement on vessel stability and
how to avoid potential hazards, such as ropes and docking lines.
Whether you talk, distribute handouts with pictograms, use a recording or show a
video to give the brieng, you must show your passengers how to put on each type
of lifejacket on board.
Keep your passengers safe by keeping them informed.
More Information
To consult your local Transport Canada Centre, see Appendix 2.
• Small Vessel Regulations, section 401
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2010-91//
• Ship Safety Bulletin 06/2002: Passenger Safety Briengs
www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/bulletins/2002/06-eng.htm
Chapter 8
Keep your vessel stable
73
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
Stability refers to a vessel’s ability to resist capsizing by returning to an upright
position after being heeled over (tilted to one side due to wind or sea conditions).
Many forces affect vessel stability and each type of vessel reacts differently to
heeling forces. The owner is responsible for ensuring that the vessel has adequate
stability to safely carry out its intended operations. As a result, you need to know
how your vessel with its load interacts with outside forces of nature and what affects
its stability. For example, open boats and vessels with large well decks may tend to
ship water and/or downood (when water enters the hull from above deck or over
the gunwale), making them less stable.
Vessels built or converted to non-pleasure use on or after April 1, 2005,
must comply with the stability requirements of section 717 of the Small Vessel
Regulations. For information on how to assess the stability of a vessel built or
converted to non-pleasure use before April 1, 2005, refer to Ship Safety Bulletin
07/2006: Guidance for Assessing Intact Stability and Buoyancy of Existing Small
Non-pleasureVessels.
A properly designed and loaded vessel should resist heeling forces when operated
within its design limitations (see Figures 8-1 and 8-2).
Adding weight above a boat’s centre of gravity will raise the centre of gravity and
decrease stability. As the centre of gravity is raised, less heel is required to capsize
the vessel (see Figures 8-3 and 8-4). Removing weight from below the centre of
gravity may also make the vessel less stable.
The best way to prevent a boat from capsizing is to operate a well designed,
maintained and loaded vessel with an experienced crew. Preventing unstable vessel
conditions and being able to recognize the warning signs when such conditions do
occur can save lives. Be on constant watch for loss of stability (see Warning Signs
of Instability). Consult a marine professional to determine the impact on stability of
modications you are thinking of doing before you go ahead.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
74
Precautions
Of all accident types, founders and capsizes caused by a loss of stability are the
most likely to lead to death on the water. Many of these accidents can be avoided.
A well-designed vessel will resist capsizing or foundering in severe conditions if it
is operated properly. Keep these rules in mind:
• Be aware of outside forces: wind, waves and water depth. Always
check the weather forecast before setting out and avoid rough
weather conditions.
• Don’t overload your vessel. Be aware of the amount of weight
added to your vessel and available freeboard. Place people and
cargo evenly.
• Make sure that all cargo, tools and equipment are well secured
during the entire voyage. It is a lot safer and simpler to remove
well-prepared lashings after a successful voyage, than to try to
add lashings in poor weather while a vessel is rolling and pitching.
Store cargo below deck if you can.
• Reduce both the amount of liquids/cargo that are able to move and
the area in which they can slosh back and forth by using smaller
tanks and by subdividing cargo holds, because partly-lled water
and fuel tanks and cargo holds can make your vessel unstable.
• Prevent water from getting into your vessel by keeping hatches,
doors and windows closed, as much as you can, when underway.
Regular maintenance of seals and fastening devices will help to
ensure watertightness.
• Remove water as quickly as possible. Scuppers and drains must
meet design standards and be kept in good working order.
• Do not perform operations such as lifting or towing unless the
stability of your vessel has been assessed under these conditions.
• Adjust course, speed, or both if you can, to reduce the vessel’s
rolling motion.
• Avoid sharp turns or turns at high speed.
• Consult a marine professional before making changes, because
modications to your vessel may affect its stability. Have the
stability information revised to reect any changes you make
to the vessel.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
75
Warning Signs of Instability
• Your vessel’s handling changes. For example, it seems sluggish, rolls more or
rolls more slowly.
• Your vessel is listing to port or starboard or is trimmed more than usual by the
bow or stern.
• There is less freeboard than you would expect normally. If so, check tanks and
holds for flooding or cargo shift.
• The bilge pumps are working more frequently than usual. If this happens, check
the bilges for water and that bilge pumps and alarms are working properly.
• The bilge alarm is sounding.
Figure 8-1 Stability
Figure 8-3 Added Load
New centre
of gravity
Centre of
buoyancy
Buoyancy
Weight
Weight added above the centre of
gravity reduces the righting ability of
the vessel.
Figure 8-2 Heeling
Centre
of gravity
Centre of
buoyancy
Buoyancy
Weight
Buoyancy and gravity bring the
boat upright.
Figure 8-4 Capsizing
Centre
of gravity
Centre of
buoyancy
Buoyancy
Weight
Centre of gravity located too high
will cause the boat to capsize.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
76
Figure 8-5 Freeboard
Working deckFreeboard
Figure 8-6 Free Surface Effect
Cross-Section
G
G
G
Freeboard
Freeboard is the distance between the water and the watertight deck of your vessel,
or the gunwale (upper edge of the hull) if it’s an open boat without scuppers (see
Figure 8-5). If the deck edge goes under water when the vessel heels, its stability
will decrease rapidly and the danger of capsizing will increase. If the gunwale
of an open boat is going under water, there is an imminent risk of capsizing. An
overloaded vessel’s freeboard will be smaller and the deck edge or gunwale may
go under water with even a slight heel.
You need a safe freeboard height, so take care not to overload your vessel.
Free Surface Effect
When a vessel with a full tank heels over, the tank’s centre of gravity does not
change, so the vessel’s stability is not affected. Water on deck, liquids in holds
and partly lled tanks and bilge water, however, will shift with the movement of the
boat. When this happens, the centre of gravity will also shift, making the vessel
less stable. This “free surface effect” reduces stability and increases the danger of
capsizing (see Figure 8-6).
If you want to test the “free surface effect” in your own home, ll a glass of water and
walk across the kitchen. You should have no trouble doing so without spilling any
water. Next, pour the same amount of water into a cookie sheet and carry it across
the kitchen. It’s harder to keep the water in or on the cookie sheet. That’s because
the large free surface allows the water to slosh over a greater surface.
It is good practice to reduce free surface effect by dividing tanks with baffles and
uid cargo holds with bulkheads, and by having as few partly lled tanks and holds
as you can.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
77
More Information
Contact your local Transport Canada Centre to nd out the laws and regulations
that apply to your vessel and situation (see Appendix 2).
• Cargo, Fumigation and Tackle Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2007-128/
• Small Vessel Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2010-91//
• Construction Standards for Small Vessels (TP 1332)
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/TP/TP1332/menu.htm
• Ship Safety Bulletin 07/2006: Guidance for Assessing Intact
Stability and Buoyancy of Existing Small Non-pleasure Vessels
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/bulletins/2006/07-eng.htm
• Transport Canada Marine Safety Vessel Stability web page
www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/debs/vessel-stability/menu.htm
Free Surface Math
Free surface effect (FSE) increases with the cube of the breadth of the free surface.
If you divide the breadth of a tank by half (for instance, by installing a watertight
internal baffle), each half has a free surface that is about eight times less. The total
free surface effect (the sum of the two sides) is therefore diminished by a factor of four.
Free Surface Effect =
breadth x breadth x breadth x length
12
For a tank that is 4 metres wide and 3 metres long, the FSE is 16 (4 x 4 x 4 x 3 / 12).
If you add a baffle at the tank’s mid-point, you turn it into two tanks, each 2 metres
wide. The free surface effect for each tank is 2 (2 x 2 x 2 x 3 / 12), making a total FSE
of 4 for the two tanks together – one-quarter of the FSE for the tank with no baffle.
FSE = 16
FSE = 2 FSE = 2
4 metres
2 metres 2 metres
Chapter 9
Avoid collisions
79
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
IMPORTANT: Throughout this guide, including in this chapter, the information provided
is general and not all situations are included. If you operate a vessel, you need to
know how different vessel types, such as shing vessels and seaplanes, will act
or react in all situations. As a result, you must be aware of all Collision Regulations
requirements, not just those applicable to your vessel.
Navigation Lights
Navigation lights help prevent collisions by making your vessel and its direction of
travel more visible to others. Vessels near you will make decisions based on the
information your lights provide. The navigation lights on other vessels can help you
tell the direction they are moving or whether they are at anchor or engaged in some
other activity.
Navigation lights must meet Collision Regulations requirements. For example,
youmust:
• show navigation lights from sunset to sunrise and during periods
of reduced visibility;
• make sure your vessel is equipped with the proper lights for its size
and purpose; and
• verify that the lights are correctly mounted.
Power-Driven Vessels
Power-driven vessels up to 50 metres long must exhibit a masthead light forward,
sidelights and a sternlight when underway. A second masthead light may also be
exhibited abaft of (behind) and higher than the foward one. Power-driven vessels
less than 20 metres long may have the sidelights placed in front of the forward
masthead light (see Figure 9-1).
Power-driven vessels less than 12 metres long may, in addition to sidelights,
exhibit an all-round white light instead of the masthead light and the sternlight
(see Figure9-2).
Power-driven vessels less than 7 metres long that can travel no faster than 7 knots
may exhibit an all-round white light, and sidelights if practicable, instead of the
lights required for power-driven vessels.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
80
Figure 9-1 Power driven vessels – Examples
Astern Ahead
Two Masthead Lights
Ahead
Under 12m
Under 20m
One Masthead Light
Two Masthead Lights
Figure 9-2 Power driven vessels – Vessels less than 12m
Sailing Vessels
A sailing vessel is any vessel under sail provided that if propelling machinery is
tted, it is not being used.
A sailing vessel under way must exhibit sidelights and a sternlight (see Figure9-3)
or, if less than 20 metres long, a combined lantern carried at or near the top of the
mast (see Figure9-4).
A sailing vessel may exhibit at or near the top of the mast, two all-round lights in
a vertical line: the upper one red and the lower one green. These lights are shown
along with the sidelights and sternlight, but not with the combined lantern (see
Figure 9-5).
Sailing Vessels Propelled by Motor
A vessel under sail is considered to be a power-driven vessel if it is also being
propelled by a motor, and must display the lights required by the Collision
Regulations for power-driven vessels, and must also display a day shape that is
cone-shaped with its point downwards
17
(see Figure 9-6).
17. Vessels less than 12 metres in length are not required to exhibit the day shape in Canadian waters of a roadstead (a partly
sheltered anchorage), harbour, river, lake or inland waterway.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
81
Figure 9-3 Sidelights and
sternlight
Figure 9-4 Combined sidelight and
sternlight
Figure 9-5 Vertical mounted
all-round lights
Figure 9-6 Conical shape
point downwards
Anchored Vessels
Vessels that are at anchor and are
less than 50 metres long must exhibit,
depending on the time of day and
visibility, an all-round white light or
one ball where it can best be seen
(see Figure 9-7).
Vessels less than 7 metres long are
not required to exhibit anchor lights
or shapes when anchored — unless
in or near a narrow channel, fairway
or anchorage, or where other vessels
normally pass.
Figure 9-7 Anchor ball
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
82
Vessels Towing and Under Tow
Tugs may be towing barges or other vessels on a long towline astern. Often, the
length of the tow is so great the towline hangs below the surface of the water
and is nearly invisible. If a small craft were to strike
the submerged towline, it could capsize and be run
down by the barge.
Never pass between a tug and its tow. To avoid
this and to keep from getting caught on the towline
(or worse), you must be alert for the special
shapes and lights displayed by vessels towing
barges, other vessels or objects. The towing vessel is
usually more visible than its tow. The tow’s navigation lights
do not include masthead lights and are often much dimmer
than those of the towing vessel.
In the case of a power-driven vessel towing another vessel from its stern, the towing
vessel must exhibit the following:
• Sidelights and sternlight.
• Towing light (yellow light with the same characteristics as the sternlight).
• Two masthead lights in a vertical line — three of these lights if the tow
(length of tow cable plus object being towed) exceeds 200 metres.
• A diamond shape where it can best be seen, if the tow exceeds
200metres — day signal.
In the case of the vessel being towed, it must exhibit the following:
• Sidelights and sternlight.
• A diamond shape where it can best be seen, if the tow exceeds
200 metres.
• If it is impractical for the vessel being towed to exhibit the lights
stated above, it must have one all-around white light at each
of the fore and aft ends.
Navigation Lights Maintenance
Navigation lights must be kept in good condition. Always check that they are
working before leaving the dock. Be sure to carry spare bulbs and fuses of the
proper size and power.
It is a good idea to include navigation lights as part of your regular maintenance
program. Most lights use a rubber or foam gasket to seal against moisture. If you
see condensation inside the lens, it means the gasket leaks. Inspect the gasket
for proper placement, splits or cracks, and replace as needed. Spray gaskets with
silicone and electrical connections with a corrosion protector to extend your xtures’
life. Be sure to clean thoroughly the light, reector and lens when needed.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
83
Sound Signalling Equipment
The Small Vessel Regulations require that you carry a sound signalling device or
appliance to alert other vessels to your presence or your intentions. Sound signals
are necessary in certain meeting, crossing, overtaking and emergency situations. All
vessels must sound the appropriate signal (described in the CollisionRegulations)
during periods of fog, heavy rain or other conditions of reduced visibility.
A vessel 12 metres long or more must carry a sound signalling appliance meeting
the requirements of the Collision Regulations, such as a horn or whistle that has
an audible range of at least 0.5 nautical miles (1 nautical mile if the vessel is more
than 20 metres long) and that can give a “prolonged blast” 4 to 6 seconds long.
Vessels less than 12 metres long can use any efficient sound signalling device —
such as a pealess whistle or a compressed gas or electric horn — that can make a
sound for 4 to 6 seconds and that can be heard within a range of 0.5 nautical miles.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
84
Radar Reectors
A passive radar reector can help a radar-equipped vessel detect your vessel.
Vessels less than 20 metres long or built mostly from non-metal materials must
have a radar reector mounted above the superstructure, when possible not less
than 4 metres above the water. The reector must be able to perform under the
range of foreseeable environmental conditions.
The radar reector requirement does not apply if your vessel is very small or if it
operates only:
• in limited traffic during daylight hours when the visibility is good; or
• where no vessels use radar.
Refer to Ship Safety Bulletin 07/2008: The Importance of Properly Fitting an
Effective Radar Reector on Small or Non-Metallic Vessels for more information
on the need to carefully select and install radar reectors.
Remember: Having a radar reector simply helps you be seen. You still have to
keep a proper lookout for other vessels.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
85
More Information
To consult your local Transport Canada Centre, see Appendix 2.
• Collision Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C.R.C.-c.1416/
• Small Vessel Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2010-91//
• Standards for Navigation Lights, Shapes, Sound Signal Appliances
and Radar Reectors (1991) (TP 1861)
www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/TP/TP1861/menu.htm
• Ship Safety Bulletin 07/2008: The Importance of Properly Fitting an
Effective Radar Reector on Small or Non-Metallic Vessels
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/bulletins/2008/07-eng.htm
Chapter 10
Stay in contact
87
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
Communication Equipment
Two-Way Communication
Two-way communications are invaluable in emergency situations. You must equip
your vessel with a non-portable
18
VHF radiotelephone if it:
• is more than 8 metres long and of closed construction
19
; or
• carries passengers more than 5 nautical miles from shore or on
a voyage that is even partly in a Canadian Coast Guard VHF
coverage area; or
• is a towboat.
If your passenger vessel operates outside a VHF coverage area, you must have a
reliable means of communication with a responsible person on shore.
20
To know if
you are in a VHF coverage area, check the map showing VHF coverage in Radio
Aids to Marine Navigation.
In the Great Lakes Basin, a vessel with more than six passengers must be equipped
with two VHF radiotelephones, one of which may be portable.
Digital Selective Calling (DSC)
Digital Selective Calling (DSC) radios are based on digital technology and encoded
with a unique nine-digit identication number that allows for private calling. This
unique number, called your Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI), is much like a
cellular telephone number. For more information on the MMSI, refer to the Maritime
Information section of the Industry Canada Spectrum Direct website.
DSC lets you make MAYDAY calls by simply pressing its “DISTRESS” button. The
MAYDAY message includes your position (when connected to a GPS receiver)
and who you are (from the MMSI). The message repeats until acknowledged by
another DSC radio. The recipient’s DSC radio sounds an alert tone and displays
the distressed vessel’s coordinates and MMSI on the radio display.
18. If a vessel is not of closed construction and never carries more than 6 passengers, a portable VHF radiotelephone that meets the
requirements of the regulations is acceptable.
19. “Closed construction ship” means a vessel that has a xed structural deck covering the entire hull above the deepest operating
waterline and that is not in danger when the open wells or cockpits tted in the deck are ooded.
20. Not required if carrying no more than 6 passengers and operating on a Sheltered Waters Voyage within 2 miles of shore.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
88
Who Needs VHF-DSC Radio?
Vessels of closed construction that are more than 8 metres long or vessels carrying
more than six passengers must be equipped with a VHF-DSC radio when making
Near Coastal or Unlimited Voyages off the coasts of Canada.
Radio Station Licence and Call Sign
Vessels making or planning voyages to other countries, including the United
States, should apply for a Radio Station Licence and radio call sign. This licence
must be renewed every year for a fee. Foreign vessels operating within Canadian
waters are exempt from Industry Canada Spectrum Management (ICSM) licensing
requirements. For more information, contact Industry Canada.
Radio equipment on board Canadian vessels must be type-approved by ICSM.
Look for the type approval number on a label on the back of your radio. When
buying radio equipment, make sure it has ICSM approval. Equipment bought
outside of Canada may not be approved.
Radio Station Requirements
Radio Installation
A VHF-DSC radio must be able to transmit and receive communications using
DSC on frequency 156.525 megahertz
(
MHz
)
(channel 70), as well as voice
communications on frequency 156.3 MHz (channel 6), 156.65 MHz (channel 13),
156.8 MHz (channel 16), and any other frequencies assigned for transmitting
maritime safety information in the area you are navigating.
Radio Watch
Vessels that must carry VHF equipment must begin radio watch on 156.8 MHz
(channel 16) at least 15 minutes before getting under way, and continue until
at anchor or moored. If you choose to carry MF (medium frequency) and VHF
equipment, you should try to keep watch on both 2182 kHz (MF) and 156.8MHz
(VHF) (channel 16) when at sea, to ensure that distress, urgency or safety
communications will be heard and answered by as many stations as possible.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
89
Documents and Log Keeping
If you are required to have a VHF radio installation on board, you must also have
a certied radio operator (see Radio Certication Requirements in Chapter 4),
instructions for operating and maintaining the radio, and other documents as set
out in the Ship Station (Radio) Regulations, 1999. A card setting out radio distress
procedures (available from Transport Canada) must be displayed near the vessel’s
main controls.
21
Vessels required to carry VHF equipment must also maintain a radio log of distress,
urgency and safety communications specic to the vessel, and a record of radio
servicing and testing. While this is not required if you carry VHF equipment by
choice, keeping a log, especially of all emergency communications, is a good idea.
Mobile Phones
If your vessel is not required to carry marine radio equipment, it is a good idea to
carry a cellular phone in areas where coverage is available, or a satellite phone. In
some areas, you can get emergency response by dialling a Rescue Coordination
Centre or by dialling *16, which routes your call through the nearest Canadian
Coast Guard Marine Communications and Traffic Services (CCG MCTS) Centre.
Remember that cellular and satellite phones cannot replace a marine radio. See
Ship Safety Bulletin 04/1995: Recommended Safety Communication Measures
for Small Craft for more information.
Note: Making a cellular or satellite call does not alert other boaters close to you. In most
cases, rescuers cannot follow the cellular phone signal back to your location.
21. Transport Canada’s Safety and Distress Radiotelephone Procedures (TP 9878) are available free of charge and should be carried
for easy reference.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
90
Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)
Your vessel must be equipped with an Emergency Position Indicating Radio
Beacon(EPIRB) if:
• it makes voyages more than 20 nautical miles from shore with a
maximum distance between suitable ports of refuge on the route
of no more than 100 nautical miles, and
• it carries passengers, or
• it is 8 metres long or more or:
• it is a tug
- of more than 5 gross tonnage on a voyage other than a
Sheltered Waters Voyage; or
- less than 20 metres in length on a voyage other than a voyage
of not more than 50 nautical miles during which the tug remains
within either 2nautical miles of shore or 20nautical miles of the
nearest place of refuge.
Keep your EPIRB within reach so you can activate the alert while you navigate
the vessel. It must be installed so that it is easy to pick up and take with you into
a survival craft. Tugs, and vessels more than 15 gross tonnage, must install the
EPIRB so that it will oat free.
Choosing an EPIRB
When buying an EPIRB, choose one that operates on 406 MHz. Alerts on this
frequency will be detected more quickly and include information from the Canadian
Beacon Registry, allowing alert information to be conrmed and searches to start
sooner. To help rescue teams nd you if you need help, consider buying a unit with
a built-in GPS or one you can connect to an external GPS so that your location is
included in the alert.
Note: As of February 9, 2009, signals from 121.5/243.0 MHz EPIRBs are no longer
monitored by satellite. EPIRBs that operate only on 121.5/243.0 MHz are not
approved for use in Canada.
Register Your EPIRB for Quicker Response
Under the Ship Station (Radio) Technical Regulations, 1999, if you have a 406MHz
EPIRB, you must register your emergency contact details in the Canadian Beacon
Registry database and keep them current. You can register or update your
emergency contact details online at www.canadianbeaconregistry.forces.gc.ca or
by phone (1-877-406-SOS1 (7671)). There is no charge. Emergency contacts are
the people who will be called to get more information on your vessel and its likely
location if an alert is received. EPIRB registration is not the same as getting an
MMSI from Industry Canada and must be done separately.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
91
More Information
Contact your local Transport Canada Centre to nd out the laws and regulations
that apply to your vessel and situation (see Appendix 2).
A map showing VHF coverage is contained within the publication entitled Radio
Aids to Marine Navigation, which can be viewed at www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/eng/CCG/
MCTS_Radio_Aids.
• Marine Personnel Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2007-115/
• Ship Radio Inspection Fees Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C.R.C.-c.1472/
• Ship Station (Radio) Regulations, 1999
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2000-260/
• Ship Station (Radio) Technical Regulations, 1999
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2000-265/
• VHF Radiotelephone Practices and Procedures Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-81-364/
• Safety and Distress Radiotelephone Procedures (TP 9878)
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/TP/TP9878/menu.htm
• Ship Safety Bulletin 04/1995: Recommended Safety
Communication Measures for Small Craft
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/bulletins/1995/04-eng.htm
• Industry Canada Spectrum Direct website
www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/sd-sd.nsf/eng/Home
Chapter 11
Know where you are
93
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
Navigation Equipment
Vessels must carry the navigation equipment required by the Canada Shipping
Act, 2001 and its regulations. See Table 5-1, Required Safety Equipment, in
Chapter 5. All devices and equipment on board — required or not — must be in
good working order, and properly installed and situated.
Your equipment must be able to keep working under all environmental conditions
likely to exist (such as vibration, humidity and change of temperature). You must
also carry the manufacturer’s operating and maintenance manuals, as well as
spare parts, fuses and lamps for any navigating equipment you are required to
have on board.
Charts and Other Publications
The Charts and Nautical Publications Regulations, 1995, require you to carry the
most recent editions of charts, publications and documents published for your area
of operation unless the person in charge of navigation has enough knowledge of
shipping routes, lights, buoys and marks, navigational hazards as well as normal
navigational conditions and weather patterns to ensure safe navigation.
If you are required to carry charts, you must also carry the tools you need to
accurately determine the vessel’s position and at least one pair of binoculars. Keep
your charts up to date by subscribing to the Notices to Mariners (www.notmar.
gc.ca/). For tips on both reading and updating nautical charts, go to www.chs-shc.
gc.ca/pub/en/educational/default.asp.
You can get Canadian nautical charts and publications from over 700
authorized Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) Chart Dealers across the
country and around the world. For a list of authorized CHS chart dealers, visit
www.charts.gc.ca, or email chsinf[email protected].
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
94
Buoys
Buoys are indispensable guides to safe navigation. Below are descriptions and
explanations of some of the most common buoys.
Lateral Buoys
Lateral buoys indicate the edge of a channel as well as direction.
PORT (green can)
Keep this buoy on your port (left)
side when moving upstream.
BIFURCATION (red and green bands)
You may pass this buoy on either
side when moving upstream, but
the colour of the top band will
indicate the main or preferred
channel.
PORT (green pillar)
Keep this buoy on your port (left)
side when moving upstream.
PORT (green spar)
Keep this buoy on your port (left)
side when moving upstream.
STARBOARD (red spar)
Keep this buoy on your starboard
(right) side when moving
upstream.
STARBOARD (red conical)
Keep this buoy on your starboard
(right) side when moving
upstream.
STARBOARD (red pillar)
Keep this buoy on your starboard
(right) side when moving
upstream.
Fairway Buoys
A fairway buoy marks safe water at landfalls,
channel entrances or channel centres.
When it is marking the middle of a channel,
it should be kept to the port (left) side;
otherwise, it may be passed on either side.
Figure 11-1 Lateral Buoys
Figure 11-2 Fairway Buoys
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
95
Figure 11-3 Isolated Danger Buoys
Isolated Danger Buoys
An isolated danger buoy is moored on or above an
isolated danger that has navigable water all around
it. It may be used to mark natural dangers such
as small shoals or obstructions such as wrecks.
Consult the appropriate chart for more details,
such as dimensions and depth of the danger.
Cardinal Buoys
A cardinal buoy indicates the direction to safe water (for example, a north cardinal
buoy indicates that the safest water exists to the north).
DESCRIPTION
Yellow and black
White light – ashes
characters indicated
below (if equipped)
Two conical topmarks
indicate direction
Black topmark cones
point to the black
portion(s) of the buoy
Lettered – no numbers
White retroreective
material
Take it with you: you can
order free, waterproof quick
reference cards that explain
lateral buoys, standard day
beacons, cardinal buoys
and special buoys from the
Transport Canada website.
Search http://shop.tc.gc.ca for
Lateral Buoys and Standard
Daybeacons (TP 14541)
and Cardinal Buoys and
Special Buoys (TP 14542).
East
Figure 11-4 Cardinal Buoys
North
Topmarks
South West
Flash Groups
Transport Canada gratefully acknowledges having used some of the reprographic material from the Canadian Hydrographic Service.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
96
More Information
To consult your local Transport Canada Centre, see Appendix 2.
• Charts and Nautical Publications Regulations,1995
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-95-149/
• Navigation Safety Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2005-134/
• Small Vessel Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2010-91/
• Cardinal Buoys and Special Buoys (TP 14542)
www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/tp/tp14542/menu.htm
• Lateral Buoys and Standard Daybeacons (TP 14541)
www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/tp/tp14541/menu.htm
Chapter 12
Obey the “Rules of the Road”
99
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
The Collision Regulations govern marine traffic behaviour and patterns to reduce
the risk of collisions at sea. These regulations are the “rules of road.” They set out
the rules between vessels underway and for vessels meeting head-on, crossing
and overtaking when in sight of one another and when visibility is restricted.
The Collision Regulations apply to all vessels, from small boats up to large
freighters, on all navigable waters in Canada and, with some modications, are the
same as international requirements.
This guide covers general rules of navigation for common situations in good
visibility that all small vessel operators must know and remember
22
. To learn what
to do in other situations, such as when you cannot see other vessels because of
rain or fog, refer directly to the Collision Regulations, Schedule 1, Part B.
Constant Lookout
Operators must maintain a constant all-around lookout by sight and hearing.
You must use every available means, including radar and radio (if equipped), to
determine whether there is any risk of collision with another vessel.
Navigation
Safe Speed
You must always operate your vessel at a safe speed so that you can take proper
and effective action to avoid collision and stop within a proper distance for the
circumstances and conditions.
In the Canadian waters of a roadstead (a partly sheltered anchorage), harbour,
river, lake or inland waterway, every vessel passing another vessel or work that
includes a dredge, tow, grounded vessel or wreck must proceed with caution at a
speed that will not adversely affect the vessel or work being passed and comply
with relevant content of any Notice to Mariners or Notice to Shipping.
22. IMPORTANT: The information provided here highlights only some of the rules of the road. It is the duty of the vessel owner and
operator to be aware of the complete Collision Regulations requirements relating to their vessel.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
100
A general speed limit of 10 km/h within 30 metres of shore is in force
23
for all power-
driven vessels on:
• the waters of Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta;
• the lakes and rivers of Nova Scotia and British Columbia;
• Bras d’Or Lake in Nova Scotia, inland of a line drawn from Coffin Head
and Red Head in Great Bras d’Or Channel and the inland end of St.
Peters Canal; and
• Nitinat Lake and Nitinat River, upstream of Nitinat Bar, in
British Columbia
unless the river is less than 100 metres wide, or the vessel is travelling in canals
or buoyed channels, or another speed limit is in effect.
Power-Driven Vessels
A power-driven vessel is any vessel propelled by machinery.
Crossing Situation in Sight of One Another
If a power-driven vessel approaches
your power-driven vessel from your port
side and poses a risk of collision, you
are the “stand-on” vessel. Maintain your
courseand speed unless you see that the
“give-way” vessel is not taking appropriate
action. The other vessel is the “give-way”
vessel and is required to keep out of your
way (see Figure 12-1).
If a power-driven vessel approaches
your power-driven vessel from your
starboard side and poses a risk of
collision, you are the “give-way” vessel.
You must keep out of the way and avoid
crossing ahead of the other vessel. The
other vessel is the “stand-on” vessel and
will maintain its course and speed.
Meeting or Head-On Situation in
Sight of One Another
If a power-driven vessel approaches your power-driven vessel head-on or nearly
head-on, where there is a possible risk of collision, you should alter your course
to starboard so that the other vessel will pass on your port side. The other vessel
must take the same action, so that you will pass on its port side (see Figure 12-2).
23. Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations.
Figure 12-1 Crossing Situation
Figure 12-2 Head-on Approach
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
101
Passing or Overtaking
If you are approaching another vessel
to pass, you must keep out of its way.
A vessel is considered to be overtaking
another vessel if it approaches from
a direction within the stern sector (see
Figure 12-3).
Keeping out of the Way
Power-driven vessels must keep out of the way of sailing vessels, vessels engaged
in shing, vessels that are not able to manoeuvre, as well as rowing boats and
other craft with restricted handling. You must take early action to keep clear of these
vessels unless being overtaken by one of them.
Vessels less than 20 metres long and shing vessels must not get in the way of
larger vessels within a narrowchannel.
When changing course or speed to keep out of the way of another vessel, make it
clearly visible to the stand-on vessel that you have taken appropriateaction.
If you are not sure what another vessel is going to do, give 5 short blasts on your
whistle. If the vessel doesn’t make a clear change in course, change your course
to get out of its way.
Take it with you: You can order a free, waterproof quick reference card that explains
the basic rules of the road from the Transport Canada website. Search shop.tc.gc.
ca for Rules of the Road (TP 14352).
More Information
To consult your local Transport Canada Centre, see Appendix 2.
• Collision Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C.R.C.-c.1416/
• Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2008-120/
• Rules of the Road (TP 14352)
www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/tp/tp14352/menu.htm
Stern
Starboard
Port
135°
112.5°
112.5°
Figure 12-3 Sectors of a Vessel
Chapter 13
Promote safe work practices
More Information
Contact your local Transport Canada Centre to nd out the laws and regulations
that apply to your vessel and situation (see Appendix 2).
• Marine Personnel Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2007-115/
• Safe Working Practices Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C.R.C.-c.1467/
• Canada Labour Code, Marine Occupational Safety and Health
Regulations www.laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/SOR-87-183/
103
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
It is the owner’s duty to make sure that work on board and around the vessel is not
dangerous to the health or safety of crew members.
The Safe Working Practices Regulations set out common sense requirements for
preventing injuries and illness that apply to all small commercial vessels. These
include making sure crew members:
• receive proper training in the dangers of their job;
• are aware of common hazards as well as ways to avoid accidents
and injury;
• wear protective clothing and use equipment where there is a risk
of injury;
• have competent supervision;
• are not allowed to work if they are not in a t state;
• use tools and other items only for their intended purpose; and
• follow established procedures for potentially hazardous activities,
such as refuelling.
You must also make sure that:
• only competent and qualied people carry out installation
and repairs;
• equipment and machinery is safe to operate;
• guards are placed on moving parts and protection is in place on
hot objects where people could come into contact with them; and
• any unsafe conditions are made safe once again.
Training for workplace safety is also covered in the Marine Personnel Regulations.
Among other things, you must make sure that new crew members are trained and
aware of dangers on board before their rst voyage.
For vessels operating under federal jurisdiction, the Canada Labour Code and the
Marine Occupational Safety and Health Regulations are also applicable. Vessels
under federal jurisdiction include vessels owned by a corporation established to
perform any duty on behalf of the Government of Canada, vessels doing inter-
provincial business, and vessels operated by a federal corporation other than a
corporation doing local or private business in Yukon, the Northwest Territories
orNunavut.
Provincial and territorial workplace safety legislation may also apply to your
operation. In some provinces the Workers’ Compensation Board is active in the
marine eld.
Chapter 14
Avoid surprises
105
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
A breakdown at sea is an unwelcome surprise. If you are not prepared, you may
feel the same about a visit from an inspector to check that your vessel meets
regulatory requirements.
You can prevent dangerous situations as well as avoid costly breakdowns and
penalties by:
• keeping your vessel in top running order; and
• making sure that it continues to comply with the law.
Be Organized
Create an Operations and Training Manual
We suggest that you create a reference tool that prevents maintenance from being
overlooked and helps you prove that you are fullling your legal responsibilities.
How? Simply download the templates available on the Transport Canada
website or call 1-800-O-Canada to request a copy. In it you will nd examples of
policies, procedures, personnel records, compliance checklists and maintenance
schedules that you can change to suit your operation. For example, change the
sample maintenance schedule by including the servicing recommendations by the
manufacturers of the different vessel components to make a maintenance plan for
your vessel.
Your complete operations and training manual should include:
• your maintenance plan;
• the written policies and procedures that you are required to have by
law; and
• records of all training activities and drills.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
106
Compliance Verication
The owner and the operator are responsible for meeting their responsibilities
under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001 and its associated regulations. The primary
responsibilities under the Act are summarized in Appendix 1.
To help you and to protect the public, Transport Canada has developed a program to
promote small commercial vessel safety. In addition to its education and awareness
activities, such as producing this guide, the program reviews and amends safety
requirements and monitors vessels to see that owners and operators are meeting
their responsibilities for complying with safety requirements.
Transport Canada inspectors and its enforcement partners may come by at any
time to check:
• the condition of the vessel and that it meets the construction
requirements;
• that all required equipment is on board, in good shape and
accessible; and
• that crew members are properly certied and trained.
The amount of time that this will take depends on the risks involved in your operation
and what they nd. You may be able to reduce the time the enforcement officers are
on board if you provide them with records from your operations and training manual
that are up to date and show that you are meeting all of your responsibilities.
If you do not comply, you may be ned or charged with an offence and have to
appear in court. If your vessel is found to be unsafe, it will be detained until it
no longer poses a hazard. The offences that carry penalties and the amount of
the penalties are found in the Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations. The
Canada Shipping Act, 2001 also states offences and punishment applicable in
case of a summary conviction in court.
Tools for Checking Compliance
Contact your local Transport Canada Centre to obtain a compliance check package.
It will help you become more familiar with the laws governing your operation and
guide you on carrying out regular examinations of your vessel, equipment and other
safety requirements using a checklist like the one in Appendix 5. Keep completed
checklists in your operations and training manual to demonstrate that you take your
responsibilities seriously.
Let others know that safety is a priority for you. Complete and send the declaration
from the compliance check package to your local Transport Canada Centre. You
will receive a decal showing that you participate in the Transport Canada small
commercial vessel safety program the rst time you do so, and a sticker showing
the year of the compliance check each time thereafter.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
107
Planned Maintenance
Servicing your vessel according to a schedule will keep your vessel at peak
performance, economy, and safety. It will also safeguard the environment, extend
the life of your vessel and increase its resale value.
A routine maintenance schedule and frequent checks of uid levels, high-wear
items, the engine, hull, electrical system and accessories will help your vessel
function at top level. Emergency maintenance may still be required, but not as
often. Take care of faulty gear or equipment right away: repair it, replace it or take it
out of service. Quick action can save the cost of a large repair later and it will help
keep your vessel safe for passengers and crew.
It is a good idea to keep a log of repairs and parts replacements. Include the
part numbers for lters, belts and other frequently replaced items. This will help
you keep track of equipment that needs regular servicing and parts that must be
replaced often. For example, by noting the time between zinc anode replacements,
you will get an idea of how quickly they are used (which is mostly related to time
and not engine hours) so you can schedule future replacements.
Set maintenance intervals by the number of hours of service or number of months,
whichever comes rst. Follow the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance
schedule. All engines require service and inspection at specied intervals. Take
time to read your engine maintenance manuals and prepare your own maintenance
plan using the sample maintenance schedule in Appendix 4 as a guide.
More information
To consult your local Transport Canada Centre, see Appendix 2.
Operations and training manual templates are available at
www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/debs/small-vessels/procedures.htm.
• Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2008-97/
• Small vessel compliance program
www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/debs/small-vessels/svmip-upto15.htm
Chapter 15
Report accidents and pollution
109
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
Report All Accidents
Reportable marine accidents and incidents must be reported as soon as possible.
A reportable marine accident is where:
(a) a person suffers a serious injury or is killed as a result of:
i. being on board the vessel or falling
overboard from the vessel; or
ii. coming into contact with any part of
the vessel or its contents; or
(b) the vessel:
i. sinks, founders or capsizes;
ii. is involved in a collision;
iii. sustains a re or an explosion;
iv. goes aground;
v. sustains damage that affects its seaworthiness
or renders it unt for its purpose; or
vi. is missing or abandoned.
A reportable marine incident is where:
(a) a person falls overboard from the vessel;
(b) the vessel, of 100 gross tonnage or more, unintentionally makes
contact with the bottom without going aground;
(c) the vessel fouls a utility cable or pipe, or an underwater commodity
pipeline;
(d) the vessel is involved in a risk of collision (close call);
(e) the vessel sustains a total failure of any machinery;
(f) the vessel sustains a shifting of cargo or a loss of cargo overboard;
(g) the vessel is intentionally grounded or beached to avoid an
accident;
(h) any crew member whose duties are directly related to safely
operating the vessel is unable to perform his/her duties as a result
of a physical illness or injury, posing a threat to the safety of any
person, property or the environment; or
(i) any dangerous goods are released on board or from the vessel.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
110
When a reportable marine accident or incident takes place, the owner, operator,
charterer, pilot or any crew member of a commercial vessel must report, without
delay, as much of the information listed below as possible, by radio or by telephone
to a Canadian radio ship reporting station. You must also make a written report to
the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) by the quickest available means.
Your report should include:
(a) the name or identication number, nationality and type of the vessel;
(b) the names of the owner, operator, charterer and agents of the vessel;
(c) the names and qualications of the master of the vessel;
(d) the date and time of the accident or incident;
(e) the weather and sea conditions at the time of the accident or incident;
(f) a description of the navigational aids on board the vessel;
(g) the last point of departure and intended destination of the vessel,
including the date and time of the departure;
(h) where the vessel is not missing,
i. the location of the accident or incident by reference to an
easily dened geographical point, or by latitude and longitude,
ii. the number of crew members, passengers and other
persons that were killed or sustained a serious injury,
iii. a description of the accident or incident and the
extent of any resulting damage to the vessel,
the environment and other property, and
iv. a description of any dangerous goods
aboard, or released from, the vessel;
(i) where the vessel is missing,
i. the last known position of the vessel by reference to
an easily dened geographical point, or by latitude and
longitude, including the date and time of that position,
ii. the number of crew members and
passengers aboard the vessel,
iii. a description of any dangerous goods aboard the vessel, and
iv. the action being taken to locate the vessel;
(j) the technical specications of the vessel such as the tonnage,
length and type of propulsion;
(k) a description of the cargo aboard the vessel; and
(l) the name and address of the person making the report and, where
applicable, the name or identication number of the vessel from
which the report is being made.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
111
You must also submit a Report of a Marine Occurrence/Hazardous Occurrence
Report (TSB Form 1808) on the accident or incident directly to the Transportation
Safety Board
(
TSB
)
at the address below within 30 days of the occurrence.
The report must include a statement as to the probable cause.
The report to TSB may also be made to a Marine Communications and Traffic
Services (MCTS) Centre.
Transportation Safety Board of Canada
200 Promenade du Portage, 4th Floor, Place du Centre
Gatineau QC K1A 1K8
Tel.: (613) 720-5540 (24 hours/day)
Fax: (819) 953-1583
Email: Marine.investigations@bst-tsb.gc.ca
Note to vessel owners and operators: Penalties may result if you fail to report a marine
occurrence. The penalty for not giving notice or falsifying a report is a ne of up to
$2,000, a prison term of up to two years — or both.
Accident Investigation
The Transportation Safety Board is an independent agency. It investigates selected
marine accidents and incidents and communicates risks in the transportation
system. The TSB does not assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability, but
identies causes and contributing factors and publicly reports its ndings to improve
transportation safety.
Transport Canada may also investigate marine occurrences for breach of
regulations that may identify unsafe operating procedures, poor vessel standards
or insufficient crew training. Transport Canada may also investigate where a vessel
is involved in an accident resulting in its loss, destruction or damage and that put
people in danger to nd out if an operator or crew’s actions were unsafe or illegal.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
112
Protect Canada’s Waterways
A cleaner marine environment begins with you. Operating a well designed and
maintained vessel and using safe, environmentally sound practices when handling
pollutants are ways you can help ensure the health of Canada’s waterways for
future generations.
Canada has laws to protect our waterways and shorelines that apply to small
commercial vessels. The Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships
and for Dangerous Chemicals make it illegal to accidentally or wilfully discharge
oil, garbage, sewage or other pollutants into Canadian waters — actions that carry
penalties of up to $1 million. It is your responsibility to make sure you know and
obey the laws in force wherever you go boating.
Holding and Treating Sewage
Sewage contains, among other things, human or animal body waste, drainage
and other waste from toilets. Division 4 of the Regulations for the Prevention of
Pollution from Ships and for Dangerous Chemicals sets out where and how you
can discharge sewage, with additional restrictions for the Great Lakes basin and
waters that are “designated sewage areas.” The regulations prohibit the use of
freestanding portable toilets. They also require that vessels tted with toilets be
equipped with either a holding tank or a marine sanitation device if they were built
after May 16, 2007, or they operate on the Great Lakes basin or in designated
sewage areas. Vessels built before May 16, 2007, have until May 2012 to install
thisequipment.
Choose a holding tank or a marine sanitation device that works for you. A holding
tank is only used to collect and store sewage or sewage sludge, and must be
emptied at approved pump-out facilities on dry land only. Be sure to follow pumping
instructions and avoid using disinfectants, as they may harm the environment.
A marine sanitation device (MSD) is designed to receive and treat sewage on
board. Only sewage treated with an MSD that meets the standards set out in the
regulations may be discharged in rivers, lakes and other navigable fresh waters
within Canada. To nd an approved MSD, check the Approved Products Catalogue
Index online at wwwapps2.tc.gc.ca/saf-sec-sur/4/apci-icpa/.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
113
Report Pollution
The law requires polluters to report any oil spill to the Canadian Coast Guard right
away. Polluters must pay for clean up, and a rapid response can often lower overall
costs. Failing to report a spill from your vessel may lead to heavy nes and penalties.
Help hold polluters accountable. If you see pollution being discharged from any
vessel or notice oil or chemical pollution in Canadian waters, contact the Canadian
Coast Guard using VHF channel 16 (156.8 MHz).
You will be asked to provide the following information:
1. Your name and contact details.
2. When and where the pollution occurred.
3. The type of discharge or a description of the product.
4. The extent of pollution or area covered.
5. The name of the vessel or other source.
The Canadian Coast Guard will contact the owner and take steps to remove
thepollution.
Listed below are phone numbers for pollution reporting.
Pollution Reporting
Telephone Numbers
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
1-800-563-9089
P.E.I., NOVA SCOTIA, NEW BRUNSWICK
1-800-565-1633
QUEBEC
1-800-363-4735
ONTARIO, MANITOBA,
SASKATCHEWAN, ALBERTA,
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, NUNAVUT
1-800-265-0237
BRITISH COLUMBIA, YUKON
1-800-889-8852
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
114
Thinking Green
“As mariners, we only contribute a small portion of the overall pollution
entering our coastal waters, but it often concentrates near sensitive
foreshore areas and in conned bays. There’s a lot we can do to ensure
the future health of our coastal waters.”
Message from the Commercial Green Boating Guide
published by the T. Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation
and available on the foundation web site
www.bucksuzuki.org.
The Commercial Green Boating Guide outlines steps that you can take to reduce
your environmental impact, such as the following.
Stop the Spread of Invasive Species
Many have seen invasive species, such as zebra mussels and green crab, take over
local waters. You can do your part by keeping your hull clean. Rinsing or cleaning
your hull after use or before entering new waters helps to remove spores and other
invasive organisms. Some communities require this as part of local bylaws.
Use Environmentally Friendly Cleaners
All-purpose
cleanser
Mix 30 millilitres (ml) of baking soda or borax, 30 ml of tea tree essential oil, 125 ml of
vinegar, 15 ml of biodegradable dish soap and 2 litres of hot water. Spray on the surfaces
to be cleaned.
Chromium Rub with baking soda. Rinse and polish with vinegar in hot water.
Deck and floor Pour 250 ml of vinegar in 2 litres of water.
Drain Pour 60 ml of baking soda in the drain, followed by 60 ml of vinegar. Let it rest for 15 minutes,
then pour in a full kettle of boiling water.
Mould Add 60 ml of borax and 30 ml of vinegar to 500 ml of hot water. Spray the mixture to
eliminate germs.
Toilet Pour 125 ml of baking soda and 125 ml of vinegar into the toilet bowl. The foaming reaction
cleans and deodorizes. Brush and flush.
Window and
mirror
Mix 2 ml of liquid soap, 45 ml of vinegar and 500 ml of water in a spray bottle. Use a cotton
rag to clean and shine.
Wood (polish) Mix 30 ml of edible linseed oil, 30 ml of vinegar and 60 ml of lemon juice in a glass pitcher.
Rub the solution into the wood with a soft rag until it is clean. To store the solution, add a
few drops of vitamin E from a capsule and cover.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
115
Remember These Green Boating Tips
• Make sure your engine is well maintained to reduce air pollution.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to properly tune your motor
and limit air emissions.
• Limit engine idling.
• Use only paints approved for marine use.
• When fuelling, do not top off tanks, and clean up any spilled fuel.
• Obey all sewage regulations.
• Put garbage in its place. Do not litter.
• Try not to use detergents — even biodegradable cleaners may be
hard on water-dwelling plants and animals.
• Avoid shoreline erosion — watch your wake and propeller wash.
• Obey all speed limits for better fuel economy.
• Report pollution when you see it.
More Information
To consult your local Transport Canada Centre or the nearest Transportation Safety
Board Regional Office, see Appendix 2, or visit the Transportation Safety Board
website at www.tsb.gc.ca.
• Pollutant Discharge Reporting Regulations, 1995
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-95-351
• Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and for
Dangerous Chemicals
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2007-86
• Shipping Casualties Reporting Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-85-514
• Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act and Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/A-12
• Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and
Safety Board Act
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/C-23.4
• Commercial Green Boating Guide
www.bucksuzuki.org/publications
• Fisheries Act, section 36
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/F-14/
• Transportation Safety Board Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-92-446
Chapter 16
Make changes with care
More Information
Contact your local Transport Canada Centre to nd out the laws and regulations
that apply to your vessel and situation (see Appendix 2).
To contact the Vessel Registration Office, visit
www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/oep/vesselreg/contact/menu.htm.
• Small Vessel Regulations
www.laws.justice.gc.ca/en/SOR-2010-91//
• Construction Standards for Small Vessels (TP 1332)
www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/TP/TP1332/menu.htm
117
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
Vessel and Equipment Changes
Be aware that changes to your vessel’s equipment and structure may lower its
freeboard and stability or make it less suited to its use and the environmental
conditions it may meet. Changes may also affect the watertight integrity of your
vessel or its ability to quickly shed water overboard. Any changes must comply with
the construction requirements and provide for adequate stability for the vessel’s
intended use.
Changes to your vessel or its system may also increase other risks such as re,
explosion and electrocution if not done properly.
When making changes that may impact vessel safety, you should consult a qualied
marine professional to help you decide if the changes you want to make follow good
marine practices and meet the construction, equipment and safety regulations for
your vessel’s intended area of service. If you are making a major modication,
you must advise your local Transport Canada Centre and the appropriate Vessel
Registration office (see Building or Modifying a Vessel in Chapter 2 and Vessel
Registration in Chapter 3).
Changing the Area and Type of Operation
Changes to where and how you operate your vessel deserve careful thought.
Forexample:
• Does the new area include a higher voyage classication?
• Will your vessel be carrying more passengers than before?
• Will your vessel’s status change fromnon-passenger-carrying to
passenger-carrying?
• Does the new area of operation feature different prevailing
conditions (wind, waves, current) or take the vessel further
from shelter?
Changes like these may mean that extra safety requirements will apply. If the
change in area or type of operation is signicant, then you may need to re-evaluate
your vessel’s stability and strength in its new operating environment, add additional
safety equipment or increase the level of qualication of the crew. Changes in
normal environmental conditions may also mean that you must access weather
updates more often or adjust the amount of time you need to head for shelter.
Take the time to think through any proposed changes and do your homework to
keep your operation safe.
Chapter 17
Help steer the future
119
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
Regulatory Reform
The Canada Shipping Act, 2001 came into force in July 2007. It takes into
account safety, global standards, changes in marine operational practices and
newtechnologies.
Transport Canada is still working to update regulations to help the economic
performance of the marine industry, maintain safety and protect the
marineenvironment.
Consultation
Changes to Canada Shipping Act, 2001 regulations will affect commercial shipping,
so make your opinion and interests heard. Good laws require active public input.
Canadian Marine Advisory Council (CMAC)
The Canadian Marine Advisory Council (CMAC) is Transport Canada’s forum for
consulting with the marine community on safety, navigation and marine pollution.
Members include commercial shippers, owners, operators, shers, recreational
boaters, unions and government. Anyone interested in marine safety is welcome to
attend regional or national meetings.
Contact Information
Find out more about CMAC and current proposals for changing regulations at
www.cmac-ccmc.gc.ca.
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120
Submit Safety Concerns and Comments
Transport Canada Marine Safety staff can help owners and operators by providing
tools, such as this guide, and locating marine professionals for advice when
needed, so that their vessel will comply with Transport Canada commercial shipping
regulations. Direct any safety-related concerns and comments to the Transport
Canada Centre nearestyou (see Appendix 2) or use one of the means below.
Contact Information
You can contact us through our website:
www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/contact-us/menu.htm
or email us directly: MarineSafety[email protected]a
You can also contact us by mail, telephone or fax:
Transport Canada
Marine Safety
330 Sparks Street
Ottawa ON K1A 0N8
Tel.: 613-991-3135
Fax: 613-991-1879
121
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
Appendices
Appendix 1: Your Primary Responsibilities —
Canada Shipping Act, 2001
A summary of the primary responsibilities for safe operation and protecting the
environment follows. This appendix indicates the relevant sections of the Canada
Shipping Act, 2001, which is available on the Transport Canada website.
The Authorized Representative is responsible for all matters related to the vessel
that are not assigned to someone else by the Act. (Section14)
In particular, the authorized representative of a Canadian vessel is responsible for:
• ensuring that the vessel and its machinery and equipment meet
the regulatory requirements;
• developing procedures for the safe operation of the vessel and for
dealing with emergencies; and
• ensuring that the crew and passengers receive safety training.
(Section 106)
The master, and where applicable, the Authorized Representative, is responsiblefor:
• using all reasonable means to make sure the vessel is seaworthy
before and during each voyage;
• protecting the vessel and the people on board from hazards; and
• operating within legal limits, including maximum number of
passengers. (Sections85,109,110)
The master is also responsible for:
• ensuring everyone employed on the vessel has the necessary
certication (Section82(1));
• ensuring the crew is sufficient and competent for safe operation
(Section82(2));
• assisting persons in distress (Sections130-133); and
• helping and providing information to the other vessel if involved in a
collision. (Section148)
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122
Crew members are responsible for:
• carrying out their duties in a safe manner;
• letting the master know if they become aware of any hazard or
anything else that might affect safe operations; and
• following the master’s lawful orders except where the master is
putting the vessel or people on board at risk. (Sections113,82(3))
Everyone on board has a responsibility to make sure that pollutants do not enter
the water. (Section187)
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
123
Appendix 2: Transport Canada’s Regional Centres
Contact details for district offices, as well as the following regional offices, can be
found online at: www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/debs/contact/menu.htm
Pacic Region
Transport Canada
Marine Safety
Pacic Region
620 – 800 Burrard Street
Vancouver BC V6Z 2J8
Tel.: 604-666-5300
Fax: 604-666-5444
Prairie and Northern Region
Transport Canada
Marine Safety
Prairie and Northern Region
344 Edmonton Street
Winnipeg MB R3C 0P6
Tel.: 204-983-7498
Fax: 204-984-8417
Ontario Region
Transport Canada
Marine Safety
Ontario Region
100 Front Street, South
Sarnia ON N7T 2M4
Tel.: 519-383-1826
Fax: 519-383-1997
Quebec Region
Transport Canada
Marine Safety
Quebec Region
901 Cap Diamant, 4th Floor
Quebec QC G1K 4K1
Tel.: 418-648-4166
Fax: 418-648-3790
Atlantic Region
Transport Canada
Marine Safety
Atlantic Region
45 Alderney Drive, 11th Floor
Queen Square, P.O. Box 1013
Dartmouth NS B2Y 4K2
Tel.: 902-426-7729
Fax: 902-426-7585
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124
Appendix 3: First Aid Kits
Every small commercial vessel must have on board:
• a waterproof container holding all the items listed in this appendix; or
• a rst aid kit that meets the requirements set out in the
MarineOccupational Safety and Health Regulations or provincial
regulations governing workers’ compensation, with the addition of a
resuscitation face shield and two pairs of examination gloves (if not
included in the kit); or
• for a period of three years from the coming into force of the
amended Small Vessel Regulations on April 29, 2010, a rst aid
kit that met the requirements of the Small Vessel Regulations as
they read immediately before that day on which the amended
regulations came into force.
Required Contents
• an up-to-date rst aid manual or up-to-date rstaid instructions, in
English and French
• 48 doses of analgesic medication of a non-narcotic type
• six safety pins or one roll of adhesive rst-aid tape
• one pair of bandage scissors or safety scissors
• one resuscitation face shield
• two pairs of examination gloves
• 10 applications of antiseptic preparations
• 12 applications of burn preparations
• 20 adhesive plasters in assorted sizes
• 10 sterile compression bandages in assorted sizes
• 4 metres of elastic bandage
• two sterile gauze compresses
• two triangular bandages
• a waterproof list of the contents, in English and French
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
125
Appendix 4: Sample Maintenance Schedule
Note: This is a sample maintenance schedule only. Use it as a guide, and change the
items and suggested timeframes to customize a maintenance plan for your vessel.
Be sure to refer to the servicing recommendations by the manufacturers of the
different vessel components.
Hull
Inspect and renew as needed. (anti-fouling bottom paint / topside
cleaning / waxing)
End of season
Inspect all through-hull fittings and attachments for leaks. Weekly
Check all through-hull fittings can be moved to closed position. Week 1
Check all above-deck watertight and through-deck fittings, including
cleats, stanchion mounts, hatches, ports, doors, antenna mounts, and
the hull to deck seal.
Week 2
Check the cabin interior for water and stains, which could signal a leak
and weak materials.
Week 3
Machinery
Change main engine and auxiliary generator oil and filter at the hours
of operation interval recommended by the manufacturer or once a year,
whichever comes first.
Insert manufacturers recommended
intervals, e.g. “Every 300 hours”
Check fluid levels. (oil, water, engine coolant) Daily
Check the engine(s) for oil or fuel leaks. Daily
(For gasoline powered vessels) Check the blower works properly and
verify that the associated ductwork is free from leaks.
Check that the bilge pump is operating properly and that the strainer
inlet to the bilge pump suction is free from debris. When checking the
pump, take care to not discharge a pollutant overboard.
Tune up gasoline engines every year and replace electrical parts, such
as spark plugs, as needed.
Yearly
Inspect and tighten all hoses and drive belts often. Replace them
when they are worn or cracked.
Inspect the starter motor and alternator.
Maintain painted surfaces and apply a light coating of oil every year to
reduce corrosion.
Yearly
Inspect and service transmissions and outdrive units according to
manufacturer’s recommendations.
Insert manufacturers recommended
intervals
Pressure check outdrive units.
Check transmission fluids and gear oil for water.
Change transmission fluids and gear oil from time to time.
Grease universal joint, gimbal bearing, propeller spline, and unit
fittings.
Check bellows and water seals and replace, if needed.
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126
Check and replace the sacrificial zinc anodes on shafts, props, tabs,
and other underwater gear, as well as engine-mounted zincs on the
underside of exhaust elbows or risers and on the end caps of heat
exchangers to guard against corrosion.
Clean and service outdrive unit.
Electrical System
Test all circuits for proper operation.
Inspect all exposed wiring, fuse/ breaker panels and electrical
equipment. Wire insulation should be intact and contacts and
connectors should be secure and clean.
Replace defective parts.
Secure loose wiring.
Inspect and test batteries. Batteries should be in approved boxes or
trays, well ventilated and securely fastened.
Other Systems
Inspect and service the fuel tank, filter, fitting, and lines on a regular
basis. Keep tanks free of scale, dirt, and water.
Flush and chlorinate the fresh water system, taking care not to pollute.
Check all fresh water lines and connections for tightness. Repair and/
or replace as needed.
Check, clean and lubricate mechanical parts of all systems as needed
for proper operation. These systems include hydraulic trim systems,
air systems, anchoring systems, and bilge pumping and sanitation
systems.
Check safety equipment: lifejackets, flares, fire extinguishers, liferafts,
life buoys, bilge pumps, oars, anchors, etc.
Check radio equipment, EPIRB, antennas, batteries, and backup
systems.
Inspect and clean covers and upholstery.
Replace any outdated or damaged equipment.
Sailing vessels
Inspect all standing and running rigging and sails.
Clean and repair sails as needed.
Lubricate winches, blocks, turnbuckles and other mechanical
equipment.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
127
Appendix 5: Sample Compliance Checklist
Note: Since the checklist and related guidance notes are updated frequently, the
example in this guide may be out of date. Please consult the TransportCanada
website (www.tc.gc.ca/marinesafety/debs/small-vessels/procedures.htm) oryour
nearest Transport Canada Centre (see Appendix 2) for the most up-to-date copy.
Compliance Checklist for Non-pleasure Vessels not more than 15 gross tons
and carrying no more than 12 passengers
Who should use this checklist:
The authorized representative is responsible for ensuring that the vessel meets
regulatory requirements. Use this checklist to verify that your vessel and its
equipment continue to comply with basic safety requirements.
Refer to the Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide or the Compliance Checklist
Guide for more information if you are not sure of the requirements or whether
you comply.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
128
Record of Compliance Check
Vessel Name (if any): _____________________ Official Number: _________________________
Vessel, Ownership and Operation Information
Complete this section in full the rst time you send the checklist in.
If there are any changes since your last submission, please note them.
Builder _______________ Year Built _________ Build Type ❏ Custom ❏ Series ❏ Home Built
Hull Identication Number _________________________________________________________
Length (m) _________ Breadth (m) __________ Depth (m) ________Gross Tonnage _______
Vessel Purpose: Originally built to: ___________________________________________________
Leave blank if this is a general purpose production vessel
Now used to: ___________________________________________________________________
e.g carry passengers
Construction Material and colour
Hull ❏ Aluminum ❏ GRP ❏ Steel ❏ Wood ❏ Other Colour: __________
Superstructure ❏ Aluminum ❏ GRP ❏ Steel ❏ Wood ❏ Other Colour: __________
Hull Type: ❏ Mono Hull ❏ Inflatable/RIB ❏ Multi Hull ❏ Pontoon
Does the vessel have a deck? ❏ Yes ❏ No Is it watertight above the waterline? ❏ Yes ❏ No
Engine # 1 ❏ Inboard ❏ Outboard ❏ Inboard-Outboard ❏WaterJet
Fuel: ❏ Gasoline ❏ Diesel Power: ________ kW/HP
Make _____________________________ Serial # __________________________________
Engine # 2 ❏ Inboard ❏ Outboard ❏ Inboard-Outboard ❏WaterJet
Fuel: ❏ Gasoline ❏ Diesel Power: ________ kW/HP
Make _____________________________ Serial # __________________________________
Aux. Machinery Type ________________________ Aux. Machinery Serial # _________________
Owner (Contact Person if owned by a company or more than one person)
Name ______________________ Address _________________________________________
City ________________Province ___________ Postal Code _________ Country ___________
Tel. # _______________Fax. # _____________ Cell. # ______________ Email _____________
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129
Operation – how do you use the vessel?
❏ Passenger-vessel (indicate the maximum number of passengers carried) __________________
❏ Workboat– i.e. no passengers
Crew size (number) ______________________________________ (if this varies, please explain)
Master’s certicate - ❏ Master, Limited less than 60 GT ❏ SVOP ❏ PCOC
❏ Other (describe)__________________
Where and when do you operate? Describe what you do and typical voyage(s), including
maximum distance from shore, hours of operation, and approximate season start and end dates.
If you have a website describing your operation, please provide the link (URL). If you use the
vessel for lifting or towing, please provide more details.
How many years have you operated this vessel?
What are the maximum wave heights and wind speed that you operate in?
Wave height _________ m Wind speed _________ km/h
Has the type or area of operation changed over the years? Yes / No If yes, please explain below.
Have you or the vessel been involved in an accident or incident in the past ve years? If yes,
please provide details.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
130
Description
Length in metres
Passenger
Workboat
Yes/No/NA
≤ 6
> 6 ≤ 9
> 9 ≤ 12
> 12
REGISTRATION
Is the vessel registered? • • • • CSA S.46 CSA S.46
Is the vessel properly marked in accordance with the
certificate of registry?
• • • • CSA S.57 CSA S.57
Have there been structural or mechanical changes
made to the vessel since it was registered?
• • • • CSA S.58 CSA S.58
Is a copy of the certificate of registry on board? • • • • CSA S.63 CSA S.63
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
SAFETY PROCEDURES
Are there procedures in place for the safe operation
of the vessel and for dealing with emergencies?
• • • • CSA 106 CSA 106
Are passengers given a complete pre-departure
safety briefing?
• • • • 401 —
Are records detailing the number of persons on board
given to a person on shore or left in a known location
so they are available to search and rescue services in
the event of an emergency?
• • • • 402 —
Do you have established procedures or equipment to
protect all persons on board from hypothermia and
cold water shock resulting from swamping, capsizing
or falling overboard?
• • • • 403 CSA 106
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
Are procedures established for the use of the vessel’s
life-saving appliances and fire extinguishing equipment
in case of emergency?
• • • • 420 520
Are you and/or your crew proficient in the procedures
and practiced in the use of the vessel’s lifesaving
appliances and fire extinguishing equipment?
• • • • 420 520
ENGINE START-UP
Do you have established procedures and are signs
posted to prevent any person starting an enclosed
gasoline engine powered vessel unless the engine
space blower has been operated for a period of not
less than four (4) minutes immediately before the
engine is started?
• • • • 1001 1001
FUEL
Are procedures in place for safe refuelling and to
prevent the leakage of fuel into or overboard from
the vessel?
• • • • 1002 1002
If liquefied petroleum gas is carried (but not installed or
used) is the total amount of liquefied petroleum gas not
more than 30 kg, and is it secured as required?
• • • • 1002 —
Compliance Check Results for Year 20 ____ (to be completed in full every year)
Note: For more information on the requirement, refer to the section of the regulation
indicated. Where no regulation is indicated, the number refers to the relevant
section of the Small Vessel Regulations.
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
131
Description
Length in metres
Passenger
Workboat
Yes/No/NA
≤ 6
> 6 ≤ 9
> 9 ≤ 12
> 12
SAFETY EQUIPMENT
Is all safety equipment in good working order? • • • • 5 5
Is all safety equipment maintained and replaced in
accordance with the manufacturer's instructions or
recommendations?
• • • • 5 5
Is all safety equipment readily accessible and available
for immediate use?
• • • • 5 5
FIRST AID KIT
Is there a first aid kit on board, packed in a waterproof
case that contains all the items required by the
Regulations (SVR section 8)?
• • • • 407 504
LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES
Personal Life-Saving Appliances
Is there a lifejacket of an appropriate size on board for
each person that is on the vessel?
• • • • 409 506
Is there a re-boarding device available for the vessel
if the re-boarding height from the water is greater than
0.5m (20 inches)?
• • • • 409 506
Is there a buoyant heaving line (throw bag) of not less
than 15m in length on board?
• 409 506
Is there a buoyant heaving line (throw bag) of not less
than 15m in length OR a lifebuoy attached to a buoyant
line of not less than 15m in length on board?
• 409 506
Is there a buoyant heaving line (throw bag) of not
less than 15m in length AND a lifebuoy attached to a
buoyant line of not less than 15m in length on board?
• 409 506
Is there on board a buoyant heaving line (throw bag)
of not less than 15m in length AND a lifebuoy that
is equipped with a self-igniting light or attached to a
buoyant line of not less than 15m in length?
• 409 506
Visual Signals
Is there a watertight flashlight on board? • • • • 410 507
Are there three rocket parachute flares (Type A), multi-
star flares (Type B) or hand flares (Type C) on board?
• 410 507
Are there six rocket parachute flares (Type A), multi-star
flares (Type B) or hand flares (Type C) on board?
• 410 507
Are there twelve visual signals on board - rocket
parachute flares (Type A), multi-star flares (TypeB),
hand flares (Type C) or smoke signals (Type D), with no
more than 6 smoke signals (Type D)?
• • 410 507
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
132
Description
Length in metres
Passenger
Workboat
Yes/No/NA
≤ 6
> 6 ≤ 9
> 9 ≤ 12
> 12
Life Rafts
On a Passenger Carrying Vessel of more than
8.5metres is there on board one or more liferafts with a
total capacity sufficient to carry all persons on board?
• • • 411 —
On a Workboat of more than 12 metres is there
on board one or more liferafts with a total capacity
sufficient to carry all persons on board?
• — 508
On a Workboat of more than 12 metres if the water
temperature is more than 15°C is there on board one or
more buoyant apparatus with a total capacity sufficient
to carry all persons on board if a liferaft is not carried?
• — 508
On a Tug of more than 8.5 metres is there on board
one or more liferafts with a total capacity sufficient to
carry all persons on board?
• • • — 509
Has the liferaft been serviced at the intervals set out in
section 2 of ScheduleIV to the Life Saving Equipment
Regulations at a service station that is accredited by the
manufacturer of the liferaft?
• • • 21 21
Is the liferaft marked with the date and place
of last service?
• • • 21 21
Is the liferaft or buoyant apparatus (except for a liferaft
packed in a valise-type container) stored in a manner
that allows it to automatically float free if the
vessel sinks?
• • • 21 21
Vessel Safety Equipment
Is there on board a manual propelling device OR an
anchor and not less than 15m of cable, rope or chain?
• • 412 510
Is there on board a bailer OR a manual bilge pump? • • 412 510
Is there on board an anchor and not less than 30m of
cable, rope or chain?
• 412 510
Is there on board an anchor and not less than 50m of
cable, rope or chain?
• 412 510
Is there a manual bilge pump on board? • • 412 510
Navigation Equipment
Is there a sound-signalling device on board OR is there
installed on board a sound-signalling appliance that
meets the requirements of the Collision Regulations?
(CR R.33)?
• • • 413 511
Is there installed on board a sound-signalling
appliance that meets the requirements of the Collision
Regulations? (CR R.33)?
• 413 511
For vessels engaged in towing operations (pushing
or pulling a floating object) is there installed on board a
sound-signalling appliance that meets the requirements
of the Collision Regulations? (CR R.33)?
• • • • — 511
Is there on board a magnetic compass that meets the
requirements of the Navigation Safety Regulations?
(NSR S.40)
• • • • 413 511
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
133
Description
Length in metres
Passenger
Workboat
Yes/No/NA
≤ 6
> 6 ≤ 9
> 9 ≤ 12
> 12
If the vessel is operated after sunset and before sunrise
are there navigations lights installed on board that
meet the requirements of the Collision Regulations?
• • 413 511
Is there installed on board navigation lights that meet
the requirements of the Collision Regulations?
• • 413 511
Is the vessel fitted with a radar reflector in accordance
with the Collision Regulations? (CR R.40)
• • • • CR CR
Communication Equipment
Is your vessel equipped with two-way communication
equipment?
• • • • — —
Is a non-portable VHF radiotelephone installed, if the
vessel:
• • • • SSRR SSRR
• is more than 8 metres long and of closed
construction; or
• carries passengers more than 5 nautical miles
from shore or on a voyage that is even partly in a
Canadian Coast Guard VHF coverage area; or
• is a towboat?
If your vessel operates outside a VHF coverage area,
do you have a reliable means of communication with a
responsible person on shore?
• • • • SSRR SSRR
If the vessel is of closed construction and more than 8
metres long or carrying more than six passengers, is
it equipped with a VHF-DSC radio when making Near
Coastal or Unlimited Voyages?
• • • • SSRR SSRR
When operating in the Great Lakes Basin and carrying
more than six passengers, is the vessel equipped
with two VHF radiotelephones, one of which may be
portable?
• • • • SSRR SSRR
Firefighting Equipment – General
Is there one fire axe on board? • • 414 512
Is there one fire bucket on board? • 414 512
Are there two fire buckets on board? • 414 512
Is there a 1A:5B:C (or larger) portable fire extinguisher
on board?
• 414 512
If the vessel is equipped with a fuel-burning cooking,
heating or refrigerating appliance, is there on board an
additional 1A:5B:C (or larger) portable fire extinguisher?
• 414 512
Is there on board a 2A:10B:C (or larger) portable fire
extinguisher?
• • 414 512
If the vessel is equipped with a fuel-burning cooking,
heating or refrigerating appliance, is there an additional
2A:10B:C (or larger) portable fire extinguisher
on board?
• • 414 512
Is there a 2A:20B:C (or larger) portable fire extinguisher
on board?
• 414 512
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
134
Description
Length in metres
Passenger
Workboat
Yes/No/NA
≤ 6
> 6 ≤ 9
> 9 ≤ 12
> 12
Is there on board an additional 2A:20B:C (or larger)
portable fire extinguisher at the entrance to each
accommodation space?
• 414 512
If the vessel is equipped with a fuel-burning cooking,
heating or refrigerating appliance, is there on
board an additional 2A:20B:C (or larger) portable
fire extinguisher?
• 414 512
Are all portable extinguishers mounted with a clamp or
bracket that provides a quick and positive release?
• • • • 414 512
Are all portable extinguishers that are intended for
use in an accommodation space, or stored in an
accommodation space, not of a gas extinguishing agent
type?
• • • • 414 512
Are all portable fire extinguishers and fixed fire
extinguishing system fully charged?
• • • • 5 5
Are all portable fire extinguishers not more than 23kg
(51lbs) in weight?
• • • • 16 16
Is there a power-driven or manual fire pump that
meets the requirements of the Construction Standards
for Small Vessels (TP1332) located outside the
engine space?
• 414 512
Is there on board a fire hose and nozzle from which a jet
of water can be directed into any part of the vessel?
• 414 512
Firefighting Equipment – Engine Space
Is there on board a 10B:C (or larger) portable fire
extinguisher at the entrance of the engine space?
• • 414 512
Is there on board a 20B:C (or larger) portable fire
extinguisher at the entrance of the engine space?
• 414 512
If the vessel has an enclosed engine space, is there
a provision for the proper discharge of portable fire
extinguisher(s) directly into the engine space without
the need to open the primary access to that space and
is this provision clearly marked?
• 415 513
Is there a portable fire extinguisher of the appropriate
size that is intended to be discharged directly into
an enclosed engine space in addition to all the other
extinguishers required by the Regulations?
• 416 514
If the vessel has an enclosed engine space, is it fitted
with a marine certified fixed fire suppression system
having a sufficient quantity of fire extinguishing agent?
• • • 741 741
Fire Detection and Alarm
Is the engine space fitted with a heat detector powered
by the vessel electrical system and that is hard wired to
indicators and audible alarm which are located at the
operating position?
• 418 516
Does each accommodation, service and cooking space,
other than low risk spaces such as washrooms and void
spaces, have a marine certified fire detector with a
built in audible alarm?
• 418 516
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
135
Description
Length in metres
Passenger
Workboat
Yes/No/NA
≤ 6
> 6 ≤ 9
> 9 ≤ 12
> 12
EQUIPMENT STOWAGE
Is all fire and safety equipment protected from damage
and securely stowed?
• • • • 419 519
If some or all fire and safety equipment is stowed in a
locker/container, is the outside of the locker/container
clearly marked to indicate its contents?
• • • • 419 519
CONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS
Does the vessel meet all the applicable construction
requirements of the Small Vessel Regulations, Part7,
including the requirements of the Construction
Standards?
• • • • 701 701
If the vessel is a Personal Watercraft is it constructed
in accordance with the standard ISO13590 Small Craft
— Personal Watercraft — Construction and System
Installation Requirements and display a builder’s plate
that meets the requirements of that standard?
• • • • 705 705
Note: A Personal Watercraft that meets the standard
ISO 13590 does not have to meet the other construction
requirements of the Small Vessel Regulations.
SAFETY NOTICES
Are the required safety notices placed in a visible
location near any hazard?
• • • • 704 704
Do safety notices meet the requirements of American
Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) StandardT-5, Safety
Signs and Labels?
• • • • 704 704
If the vessel is a personal watercraft, does it display
a safety notice that indicates the precautions
that must be taken to minimize the risk of fire and
explosion, including the information set out in the
Construction Standards?
• • • • 705 705
PARTICULAR DESIGN — VESSEL
If the vessel is of a particular design, such as a
dynamically supported craft, a submarine, a wing-in-
ground-effect vessel, or a hydroplane, is it constructed
according to recommended practices and standards
that provide a level of safety at least equivalent to that
provided by the construction requirements and that
are applicable to the construction, manufacture or
rebuilding of a vessel of that design?
• • • • 709 709
If a vessel of a particular design is constructed using
alternative recommended practices and standards
indicate which practices or standards were used.
____________________________________________
• • • • 709 709
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
136
Description
Length in metres
Passenger
Workboat
Yes/No/NA
≤ 6
> 6 ≤ 9
> 9 ≤ 12
> 12
MAJOR MODIFICATIONS
Has the vessel undergone any major modification since
originally built?
• • • • 710 710
Are these modifications in accordance with the Small
Vessel Regulations and the Construction Standards for
Small Vessels, TP 1332?
• • • • 710 710
Was the buoyancy, flotation and/or stability reassessed
after the modifications, if any?
• • • • 710 710
PLANS
Note: Plans are not always mandatory but may be requested by Transport Canada to verify compliance.
Is a plan available showing the general arrangement of
the vessel?
• • • • 711 711
Is a plan available showing a diagram of the
propulsion system?
• • • • 711 711
Is a plan available showing the general arrangement
and identification of the machinery including a
description of the bilge pumping systems, fuel systems
and firefighting systems?
• • • • 711 711
Is a plan available showing a one-line electrical diagram? • • • • 711 711
PROTECTION FROM FALLS
If the vessel is not more than 6m in length, is it
equipped with guardrails or handholds to protect
persons from falls or from falling overboard in
accordance with section 41.5 and 41.6 of the American
Boat and Yacht Council Standard H41, Reboarding
Means, Ladders, Handholds, Rails,and Lifelines?
• 712 712
If the vessel is over 6m in length, is there means to
protect persons from falls or from falling overboard in
accordance with the Construction Standards for Small
Vessels, TP1332?
• • • 712 712
STRUCTURAL STRENGTH AND SEAWORTHINESS
Is the vessel constructed, manufactured or rebuilt
in accordance with the recommended practices and
standards for the type of vessel? or
• • • • 713 713
Is the vessel’s design of the same type that was
operated for at least five years without a marine
occurrence related to a deficiency in its construction
or maintenance in the vessel’s intended area of
operation? or
• • • • 713 713
Is the vessel’s design supported by calculations or
test documents proving that the design achieves the
required structural strength? or
• • • • 713 713
In the case of an open vessel, are the structural
strength and watertight integrity of the vessel achieved
by following traditional construction methods that have
proven to be effective and reliable over time?
• • • • 713 713
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
137
Description
Length in metres
Passenger
Workboat
Yes/No/NA
≤ 6
> 6 ≤ 9
> 9 ≤ 12
> 12
Are the materials and equipment used in the
construction, manufacture or rebuilding of the vessel
suitable to the operating and environmental conditions
that the vessel may encounter?
• • • • 713 713
Is the condition of the hull and equipment maintained
in a manner to ensure that the structural strength
and watertight integrity of the vessel continue to be
adequate for its intended use?
• • • • 713 713
If the vessel is intended for operation in waters where
the presence of ice requires the vessel to make
extraordinary manoeuvres in order to avoid the ice, is
the hull strengthened in order to avoid hull damage?
• • • • 713 713
WATERTIGHT INTEGRITY
Does the design of a vessel’s superstructure, hull and
fittings provide, in accordance with the Construction
Standards, for the maintenance of watertight integrity
and the prevention of downflooding?
• • • • 714 714
Are means available to positively shut off all
underwater penetrations?
• • • • 714 714
Are the shut offs of underwater penetrations fire
resistant where located in a fire risk area (e.g. engine
space, tank space, etc.)?
• • • • 714 714
Is the strength of the through-hull penetration
equivalent to the strength of the unpierced hull?
• • • • 714 714
Are closing appliances, such as exterior doors,
hatches, windows and portlights, of marine
construction and fitted with means of securing them
adequately in all operating conditions while underway
and constructed using good boat building practices?
• • • • 714 714
On a vessel of more than 6 metres built, imported
or changed to commercial use after April 1, 2005, do
closing appliances such as exterior doors, hatches,
windows and portlights comply with the standard
ISO 12216?
• • • 714 714
HULL DESIGN
Is the stability of the vessel adequate to safely carry
out its intended operations, including any operation
such as lifting, towing, trawling when applicable?
• • • • 716 716
For a vessel of not more than 6 metres is the
flotation, buoyancy and stability in accordance with
the requirements of the Construction Standards?
• 717 717
For a vessel of more than 6 metres can you provide
documentation to show that the stability has been
assessed as per the requirements set out or listed in
the Construction Standards?
• • • 717 717
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
138
Description
Length in metres
Passenger
Workboat
Yes/No/NA
≤ 6
> 6 ≤ 9
> 9 ≤ 12
> 12
For a vessel of more than 6 metres, indicate which
requirements or standards were used to assess the
vessel stability:
____________________________________________
• • • 717 717
If the stability has been assessed according to ISO
standard 12217-1 indicate which Design Category (A, B,
C or D) has been assigned:
• • • 717 717
VENTILATION
If the vessel has an enclosed space that contains
a source of gasoline vapour, is there a natural
ventilation system designed to remove any
accumulation of these combustible vapours?
• • • • 718 718
If the vessel has an enclosed space that contains a
gasoline engine is there a powered ventilation system
designed to remove any accumulation of combustible
vapours?
• • • • 719 719
Is any space that contains a combustion engine
ventilated to ensure a sufficient supply of air for
combustion and cooling?
• • • • 720 720
FUEL SYSTEM
If there is a fuel-burning (e.g. propane) appliance or
system on board, do the appliance or system and its
installation conform to recommended practices and
standards (e.g. ABYC or ISO standards)?
Note: Carriage of gaseous fuel, naphtha, liqueed
petroleum gas (other than as indicated) and liqueed
natural gas is prohibited on passenger-carrying vessels.
• • • • 721 721
If the vessel has an inboard engine that uses gasoline
as a fuel and is not equipped with multi-point fuel
injection, is the design of the carburetor or the
throttle-body fuel injector in accordance with the
Construction Standards and is the carburetor is fitted
with a flame arrestor?
• • • • 722 722
Are the fuel tank and fuel systems installed,
maintained and tested in accordance with the
Construction Standards?
• • • • 724 724
Are all fittings, joints or connections on a fuel
system accessible?
• • • • 724 724
Are all components of the fuel system liquid-tight and
vapour-tight to the hull interior in accordance with the
Construction Standards?
• • • • 724 724
Are fuel tanks, fuel filters or fuel lines not installed
over a source of ignition?
• • • • 724 724
Are fixed fuel tanks manufactured and tested in
accordance with the Construction Standards, or
with the recommended practices and standards that
provide a level of safety at least equivalent to that
provided by the Construction Standards, and installed
in accordance with the Construction Standards?
• • • • 725 725
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
139
Description
Length in metres
Passenger
Workboat
Yes/No/NA
≤ 6
> 6 ≤ 9
> 9 ≤ 12
> 12
Are there one or more permanently attached safety
notices indicating the precautions that must be
taken to minimize the risk of fire, explosion and any
other hazard?
• • • • 726 726
Are all flexible hoses in the fuel system marked in
accordance with the Construction Standards?
• • • • 727 727
Do the re-fuelling points indicate the type of fuel to
be used?
• • • • 727 727
Are valves in the fuel system marked to indicate the
function and the meaning of each valve position?
• • • • 727 727
Are fuel tanks permanently marked to indicate the
information set out in the Construction Standards?
• • • • 727 727
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Standards
Does the electrical system if not more than 50
volts meet the requirements of the Construction
Standards OR
• • • • 728 728
Does the electrical system if not more than 50 volts
meet the requirements of the American Boat and
Yacht Council Standards E-10, Storage Batteries, and
E-11, AC and DC Electrical Systems on Boat?
• • • • 728 728
Does the electrical system if more than 50volts
meet the requirements of the American Boat and
Yacht Council Standard E-11, AC and DC Electrical
Systems on Boats? OR
• • • • 728 728
Does the electrical system if more than 50 volts
meet the requirements of the recommended practices
and standards that are appropriate for the system
voltage and that provide a level of safety at least
equivalent to that provided by Standard E-11?
• • • • 728 728
Is every component of the electrical system
accessible and marked with the information and
specifications set out in the Construction Standards?
• • • • 728 728
Batteries and Means of Charging
Is the battery(s) installed and secured in accordance
with the Construction Standards?
• • • • 729 729
Is the battery(s) accessible? • • • • 729 729
Does the engine starting battery have an automatic
means of recharging ?
• • • • 729 729
Does the battery's means of charging prevent
overcharging?
• • • • 729 729
Are battery disconnect switches readily accessible,
appropriate for the maximum current of the system,
and correctly installed as per the Construction
Standards or ABYC E-11 as appropriate?
• • • • 729 729
Is the location(s) of the battery(s) dry, well ventilated
and above bilge water level?
• • • • 730 730
Ignition Protection
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
140
Description
Length in metres
Passenger
Workboat
Yes/No/NA
≤ 6
> 6 ≤ 9
> 9 ≤ 12
> 12
On a vessel with gasoline or gaseous (LPG, CNG) fuel
systems, are electrical components ignition-protected
in accordance with Society of Automotive Engineers
Recommended Practice SAE J1171, External Ignition
Protection of Marine Electrical Devices or Underwriters
Laboratories, Standard UL1500, Ignition-Protection
Test for Marine Products?
• • • • 731 731
On a vessel with gasoline or gaseous (LPG, CNG)
fuel systems, are all electrical components that are
not ignition protected isolated, in accordance with the
specifications set out in the Construction Standards,
from fuel sources such as engines and cooking
appliances, valves, connections or other fittings on vent
lines, fill lines or distribution lines, and fuel tanks?
• • • • 731 731
Emergency Lighting
On a vessel of more than 6 metres, is emergency
lighting installed in accordance with the Construction
Standards to allow passengers and crew to exit from
any area of the vessel?
• • • 732 732
MACHINERY SYSTEMS
Exhaust Systems
Are provisions made to prevent the leakage of exhaust
gases and do these provisions meet the requirements
of the Construction Standards?
• • • • 733 733
Auxiliary Machinery
Do all auxiliary machinery systems meet the
requirements of the Construction Standards?
• • • 735 735
Where persons may come into contact with moving
parts of machinery systems, are guards installed to
protect persons from injury?
• • • 735 735
Are instruments and controls permanently fitted at
every operating position on the vessel as set out in the
Construction Standards?
• • • 735 735
Are watertight compartments and bilges fitted with a
means of pumping or bailing when the vessel is in the
normal operating condition?
• • • 736 736
Are bilge spaces that are not easily visible from
the operating position fitted with an automatic high
bilge-water alarm and a bilge pumping system or a
permanently installed automatic bilge pump that is
connected to an indicator showing when the pump is
running and to an overriding manual switch, both of
which are located at the operating position?
• • 736 736
Are bilge spaces that are not easily visible from the
operating position fitted with an automatic high bilge-
water alarm located at the operating position and a bilge
pumping system?
• 736 736
Do the automatic bilge pump(s) or the bilge pumping
system have a minimum capacity of 0.91 litres/second?
• • • 736 736
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
141
Description
Length in metres
Passenger
Workboat
Yes/No/NA
≤ 6
> 6 ≤ 9
> 9 ≤ 12
> 12
Is the vessel fitted with a safe and reliable main steering
gear that is operable from the operating position under
normal operating conditions?
• • • 737 737
If required, is the vessel fitted with a means of
emergency steering?
• • • 737 737
Are all combustion engines for propulsion or auxiliary
purposes designed for marine use?
• • • 738 738
Are all materials and dimensions of shafting and
propellers in accordance with the manufacturer’s
specifications or with recommended practices and
standards?
• • • 739 739
FIRE SAFETY
Is the vessel fitted with a fire alarm panel in accordance
with the Construction Standards?
• • • 740 740
Is a dual action rate-of-rise and fixed temperature
detector fitted in each engine space?
• • • 740 740
Is a fire detector fitted in each accommodation and
service space the vessel? (except in low-risk spaces
such as washrooms and void spaces)
• • • 740 740
If the vessel has an enclosed engine space, is it fitted
with a marine certified fixed fire suppression system
having a sufficient quantity of fire extinguishing agent?
• • • 741 741
Does the vessel have a minimum of two means of
escape from each accommodation space, service and
engine space?
• • • 742 742
COMPLIANCE NOTICES
Does the vessel, if not more than 6 metres, have
a Compliance Notice stating that it is built to the
requirements of the Construction Standards?
• 801 801
Does the vessel, if more than 6 metres, have
a Compliance Notice stating that it is built to the
requirements of the Construction Standards for
pleasure craft? OR
• • • 801 801
Does the vessel, if more than 6 metres, have
a Compliance Notice stating that it is built to the
requirements of the Construction Standards for vessel
other than pleasure craft?
• • • 801 801
Is this Compliance Notice displayed in a conspicuous
location plainly visible from the normal operating
position of the vessel?
• • • • 801 801
HULL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
Is the vessel marked with a Hull Identification Number
(HIN) 12 characters located most often on the upper
starboard of the transom?
• • • • 901 901
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
142
Description
Length in metres
Passenger
Workboat
Yes/No/NA
≤ 6
> 6 ≤ 9
> 9 ≤ 12
> 12
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AND OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
MUFFLER
Is the vessel equipped with a muffler designed to
prevent excessive or unusual noise that is in good
working order and properly connected at all times?
• • • • 1000 1000
If the muffler is equipped with a muffler cutout / by-pass,
is the muffler cutout / by-pass visibly disconnected in
a manner that ensures it cannot be easily reconnected
while the vessel is in operation?
• • • • 1000 1000
VESSEL MANNING AND CREW QUALIFICATIONS
Can you provide the required certificates of
competency for all crew members?
• • • • MPR 203 MPR 203
Does each person assigned a function on the vessel
receive the on-board familiarization and safety training
set out in standard TP4957 Marine Emergency Duties
Training Program, before they start to perform any
duty on board the vessel?
• • • • MPR 205 MPR 205
Has every member of the complement who is required
to be on board in order for the vessel to meet the
safe manning requirements of the Marine Personnel
Regulations (MPR) obtained, before acquiring a total
of 6 months of sea service, at least one of the training
certificates in marine emergency duties required by
the Regulations?
• • • • MPR 205 MPR 205
Have the crew been familiarized with shipboard
equipment that are specific to the vessel, the
operational instructions that are specific to the vessel,
and their assigned duties?
• • • • MPR 206 MPR 206
Is a record of training containing the information set
out in the MPR available for inspection?
• • • • MPR 206 MPR 206
Is there enough crew to operate the vessel safely and
handle an on board emergency?
• • • • MPR 207 MPR 207
POLLUTION PREVENTION
Unless you are in a specific designated area, are you
aware that no ship or person shall discharge or permit
the discharge of sewage? (Sewage)
• • • •
RPPSDC
s.128
RPPSDC
s.128
Are you aware that no ship or person shall discharge
or permit the discharge of garbage?
• • • •
RPPSDC
s.139
RPPSDC
s.139
Unless you are in a specific designated area, are you
aware that no ship or person shall discharge or permit
the discharge of a noxious liquid? (Chemicals)
• • • •
RPPSDC
s.82
RPPSDC
s.82
Are you aware that no ship or person shall discharge
or permit the discharge of an oil or oily mixture?
• • • •
RPPSDC
s.40
RPPSDC
s.40
Small Commercial Vessel Safety Guide
143
Declaration
I certify that the information on this report is an accurate record of the compliance check carried
out and that to the best of my knowledge, the vessel meets the requirements of the
Canada Shipping Act, 2001 and its associated regulations.
Name:
____________________
Owner/Authorized Representative
(Must sign)
___________________
Person who carried out the
compliance check (if other than the
Owner/ Authorized Representative)
Signature:
______________________________ _____________________________
Date:
______________________________ _____________________________
Regulation Abbreviations
CR – Collision Regulations
CSA – Canada Shipping Act, 2001
MPR – Marine Personnel Regulations
NSR – Navigation Safety Regulations
RPPSDC – Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and for
DangerousChemicals
SSRR – Ship Station (Radio) Regulations 1999
SVR – Small Vessel Regulations
TC-1002643
*TC1002643*