Pleasure Craft Operators Certificate (PCOC)

1. Pleasure Craft Operators Certificate (PCOC)

2. Ch. 1 - Preface • This course is NOT a boat-handling course • This course provides knowledge operators need to comply with legal requirements and standards of operating a pleasure craft • You must read your manual to be successful on the examination

3. Preface • Recommended everyone on a boat should wear a PFD • Putting one on in the water is difficult • Regulations requires that everyone who operates a pleasure craft carry proof of competency – generally a PCOC

4. Requirements for Safe Operation • As the operator your are responsible for • The safety of the craft • The safety of everyone on board • Any damage that your craft causes • Your are prohibited from • Operating the craft in a careless manner or without due care • Operating the craft under any sort of impairment

5. Requirements for Safe Operation • Some of the laws include • Criminal Code of Canada • Contraventions Act and Regulations • Radio Communications Act and Regulations • Canada Shipping Act 2001 • Small Vessel Regulations • Collision Regulations

6. Requirements for Safe Operation • Some of the laws include • Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations • Competency of Operators of Pleasure Craft Regulations • Charts and Nautical Publications Regulations • Navigation Safety Regulations • Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and from Dangerous Chemicals

7. Causes of incidents and fatalities • The most common causes are: • Not wearing a lifejacket or PFD • Person overboard • Capsizing and collision • Alcohol and drug related boat operation • Section 1007 of the Small Vessel Regulations “No person shall operate a vessel in a careless manner, without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other persons.”

8. Ch. 2 - Use of Lifejackets & PFD’s

9. Lifejackets & PFD’s • Vessel operators must ensure there is a lifejacket or a PFD of the correct size for each person on board (one size does NOT fit all) • All passengers • Should be encouraged to wear their PFD • Should know how to use their PFD • Under 16 years old MUST wear inherently floating lifejackets or PFDs

10. Lifejackets & PFD’s • All lifejackets and PFDs used on Canadian pleasure craft must have the approval label sewn into the device • US Coast Guard approved devices are not approved in Canada • Devices may be approved by • Transport Canada (or Department of Transport) • Department of Fisheries and Oceans • Canadian Coast Guard

12. Standard Small Vessel Lifejackets • Designed to float unconscious victim face-up • Designed to keep victim afloat (high buoyancy) • Cumbersome to wear • Newer models available • May be red, yellow, or orange • Must carry label with Canadian approval number

13. Personal Floatation Devices(PFDs) • More comfortable than standard lifejacket • May not turn person face-up • Will keep person afloat • May be in other approved colors • Must carry label with Canadian approval number

15. Personal Floatation Devices • Two types of inflatable PFDs • Manually triggered pouch type • Comes folded in a pouch and worn on a belt • Must be placed over the head then inflated • Worn and inflates in place • Either manually inflated, or • Water activated trigger

16. Person Overboard

17. Person Overboard • If you end up in the water you have about 10 minutes of useful movement in Canada’s cold water • If you have a PFD on your chances of survival are greatly increased • Donning a PFD after entering the water is extremely difficult

18. Lifejackets & PFDs • Every device should have a whistle attached • They must be inspected regularly and tested annually • They should be cleaned as necessary using only mild detergents and air dried • They should not be used a seat cushions and if not worn stowed in an immediately accessible location

19. Inflatable PFDs • Small Vessel Regulations restrict use: • Must be worn by an adult (at least 16 years of age and weighing 36.3 kg or more), in the case of an open boat or on deck/cockpit in any other type of boat, or readily available to any other adult occupant while below deck. • Are not approved for white water paddling or personal watercraft use.

20. Inflatable PFDs • Small Vessel Regulations restrict use: • Must be fitted with an un-punctured, and fully functional inflation cartridge, or be worn fully inflated. • Must be fitted with compatible inflation mechanism parts (refer to owner’s manual). The fitting of any other part could result in the device failing to inflate or inflating improperly.

21. Ch. 3 - Signalling Distress

22. Distress Signals

23. Distress Signals

24. Flares

25. Flares • Minimum number of flares determined by vessel size • All flares must be Transport Canada approved • Flares indicate the date of manufacture and expires 4 years after that date • CCGA-P recommends the use of SOLAS flares • Does not include Type B (twin star)

26. Ch. 4 - Licencing & Registration • Hull Identification Number (HIN) • All new crafts built or imported to Canada must come marked with a HIN • It provides a uniform method of identifying: • Any specific vessel • The construction standards that apply to that specific vessel • Vessels subject to manufacturer’s defect recall • A lost or stolen vessel

27. Hull Identification Number • The HIN must be clearly visible when the vessel is in the water • Typically on the upper starboard quarter on the outside of the transom • The HIN must also be marked in a secondary location on the hull • Beneath a fitting or an item of hardware; or • In an area that is on the interior of the vessel and unexposed

28. Compliance Notice • A Compliance Notice is defined as either: • Capacity Label • pleasure craft not exceeding 6 m • Conformity Label • pleasure craft greater than 6 m • Single Vessel Label • home built boat • a boat manufactured or imported by a company no longer able to supply a label

29. Compliance Notice

30. Capacity Label • For pleasure craft less than 6 m the Capacity Label will include the following: • Name of manufacturer • Manufacturer's identification code, MIC • Model type or number, or both • Label number • Statement of compliance • Maximum recommended ratings for load, number of occupants and power.

31. Capacity Label • On every outboard powered-driven vessel of Capacity Label, the following ratings are specified: • Recommended maximum load capacity for that vessel; • Recommended number of adult persons to be carried on the vessel; • Recommended maximum safe limit of engine power.

32. Capacity Label • On every power-driven vessel other than outboard driven, the following ratings on the Capacity Label are specified: • Recommended maximum load for the boat; • Recommended number of adult persons to be carried on the boat

33. Conformity Label

34. Non-Pleasure Craft < 6 metres

35. Single Vessel Label • Every home-built boat and boat manufactured or imported by a company no longer able to supply a label, fitted with or capable to be fitted with engine(s) shall have affixed to it a Single Vessel Label

36. Single Vessel Label • Vessels greater than 6 metres show: • Manufactured or Home Built • Model Type • Label number • Statement of requirement for compliance Vessels less than 6 metres also show capacity rating similar the Capacity Label

37. Licensing and Registration • All pleasure craft powered by an engine of 10 HP (7.5 kW) or more and operated in Canada must be licensed, unless they have a vessel registration • Registration is optional for all pleasure craft • Benefit: provides proof of title and ownership • Every vessel other than pleasure craft must be registered

38. Licensing

39. Licensing • The license is valid for 10 years • The license must be carried on board • It must be updated to reflect changes in: • owner name • owner address • particulars of the pleasure craft • ownership

40. Registration • Optional for pleasure craft • Mandatory for other than pleasure craft • Provides proof of title and ownership • A Certificate of Registry is good for 3 years • Fees vary

41. Registration • Vessels greater than 15 gross tons will have to be measured by an approved measurer • The Name and the Port of Registry must be clearly marked on the outside of the vessel • Minimum height of 10.4 cm • In a contrasting colour to the background

42. Registration • The registration number and net tonnage are to be permanently etched, either on the main beam or, in the case of a fiberglass boat, on the forward bulkhead, inside and in a readily visible location, in such a manner that any alteration would be readily apparent

43. Ch. 5 – Equipment Required • Transport Canada set requirements • Based on the length of your vessel • Possession of the equipment is not sufficient You must know where it is and how to use it • Maintain regular and frequent checks of your safety equipment

44. Pre-Departure Check • Check to ensure that your equipment is: • In place • Readily accessible and ready for immediate use • Properly maintained and in good working order • Although some equipment is not mandatory, ensure your optional equipment is governed by the same procedure (e.g. first aid kit, tool kit, spare parts, fenders, lines, etc.)

45. Required Equipment • We will not review the requirements for each size vessel here • We will review the tables so you know where to go for the information • DO NOT rely on your memory when ensuring your vessel has all the required equipment on board • We will comments on specific equipment later

49. Required Equipment • Magnetic Compass • Shows the direction of Magnetic North • To correct reading to True North the variation needs to be added or subtracted based on information on the Compass Rose

50. Magnetic Variation • Angular difference between the Geographic North and the Magnetic North is known as the VARIATION • will be different for • different areas • variation will be either • East or West