All questions
566 practice questions in 11 topics. Open a question to see its answer and its source in the Safe Boating Guide.
Operator competency and the law
- Which law and its regulations govern pleasure craft and the conduct of all vessels in Canada?
- Which action is a crime under Canada's Criminal Code?
- A rule in this guide is different from the regulations. Which one must you follow?
- What do the boating regulations set for every boat operator?
- Who should take a boating safety course?
- You use your boat to go to school each day. How does the guide class this use?
- What is a non-pleasure craft?
- You start to use your pleasure craft to earn money. What must you do?
- A small boat has only an electric motor. Do you need proof of competency to operate it?
- Where is proof of operator competency not required?
- Which of these counts as proof of competency?
- How do you get a Pleasure Craft Operator Card?
- Your Pleasure Craft Operator Card is good for how long?
- You lose your Pleasure Craft Operator Card. Who can replace it?
- For how long is a signed rental boat safety checklist valid as proof of competency?
- Who must sign the rental boat safety checklist?
- You rent a boat from a friend. Can you use a rental boat safety checklist as proof of competency?
- A 10-year-old operates a boat with no direct supervision. Up to what power can the motor be?
- A 14-year-old operates a boat with no direct supervision. Up to what power can the motor be?
- A 15-year-old asks to operate a personal watercraft with an adult in the boat. What is the rule?
- What does direct supervision mean?
- A 10-year-old operates a boat with a parent on board as the supervisor. Does the child need proof of competency?
- Which document must you carry in a motorized boat with a 10 hp engine?
- What does the guide say about remote-controlled vessels?
- A boat has a known fault and is not seaworthy. What does the law say about using it?
- What does the law say about charts for the areas where you boat?
- After a courtesy check, who is responsible for making sure the boat meets all rules?
- Your boat's wake damages a dock. Who is responsible?
- Which law bans boating while impaired by alcohol, drugs or both?
- What can a first offence for impaired boating bring?
- Within what distance from shore must a boat with a motor use a muffler?
- Which boat does NOT need a muffler?
- In which document are local restrictions such as engine power limits listed?
- What is the ticket fine for operating a vessel in an unsafe way?
- What is the ticket fine for a person under 16 who operates a PWC?
- Who can be fined when an under-16 person operates your PWC?
- What happens if you break a boating law in Alberta, Saskatchewan or the Territories?
- A visitor stays less than 45 consecutive days on their own boat. Do they need proof of competency?
- A visitor must have what on board at all times?
Licensing and registration
- A Canadian pleasure craft can be licensed or registered. What is the rule?
- What total engine power means your boat needs a Pleasure Craft Licence?
- A tender with a 15 hp engine is carried on a larger boat. Does the tender need a licence?
- A wind-powered pleasure craft needs a licence when it is longer than what?
- What is true about a pleasure craft licence?
- How long is a pleasure craft licence valid, if you keep your information up to date?
- Where must the licence number be marked on your boat?
- How high must the characters of a licence number be?
- What colour must the licence number have?
- What is the time limit to report a change in your contact details or boat description?
- What is the fine for a boat without a valid licence, or for no licence on board?
- You apply online for a pleasure craft licence. For how long is the temporary licence valid?
- Which way of applying for a pleasure craft licence does the guide call the quickest and cheapest?
- What does it cost to update your licence information or to cancel your licence?
- You take your boat to another country. Which documents should be on board?
- Which of these is a benefit of registering your boat?
- Why is it a good idea to register a boat you will use outside Canada?
- You sell your boat. What should you remind the buyer to do?
- Which is the first stage of responsible boat ownership?
- What is the last stage of responsible boat ownership?
- What should you do with a boat you no longer want?
- Which boats must be registered, by the ownership stages graphic?
- What must you do with your boat information after licensing it?
Safety equipment
- You borrow a friend's pleasure craft for the weekend. How do the safety equipment rules apply to you?
- Which of these craft must follow the safety equipment rules for pleasure craft?
- Some people use a self-propelled inflatable tube in open water. How do enforcement officers treat it?
- Where must you keep the safety equipment on board your boat?
- What decides the minimum safety equipment that your pleasure craft must carry?
- You must find the length of your boat. How do you measure the hull length?
- How must you maintain and replace safety equipment on your boat?
- You carry more than the legal minimum on a long trip. What does the guide say about extra equipment?
- Which vessels must carry extra safety equipment beyond the pleasure craft tables?
- A canoe is over 6 m long. Which visual signals does the table list if the crew does not choose the electronic option?
- Everyone in your kayak wears a lifejacket of the right size. What sound or light item must you carry after dark?
- What does the table advise kiteboarders and sailboarders about self-inflating lifejackets and PFDs?
- What is the minimum length of the buoyant heaving line for a rowboat?
- Which fire fighting equipment does a canoe or rowboat need under the table?
- Which set of items meets the vessel safety equipment rule for a sailboard?
- A paddleboat is over 6 m long. Which choice meets its bilge equipment rule?
- What fire extinguisher must a personal watercraft (PWC) carry?
- Which visual signals meet the rule for a PWC?
- What must be true of a lifejacket or PFD used on a personal watercraft?
- Your 5 m motorboat has an outboard motor, a portable fuel tank and no cooking appliance. Does the table require a fire extinguisher?
- Your 5 m boat has an outboard motor. Which visual signals does the table require?
- On a 7 m boat, what can replace the 15 m buoyant heaving line?
- What visual signals must a 7 m power boat carry if it does not use an electronic signal?
- A 7 m boat uses an anchor to meet the vessel safety rule. What is the least amount of cable, rope or chain it needs?
- Which fire extinguisher does a 7 m boat with a motor need?
- Which fire extinguisher must a 7 m boat with a fuel-burning cooking stove carry?
- How many flares must a 10 m sailboat carry if it uses flares and not an electronic signal?
- What is the minimum anchor line for a 10 m boat?
- Which fire extinguisher must a 10 m boat with a motor carry?
- Which pair of items must a 10 m boat carry for personal lifesaving, in addition to lifejackets and a reboarding device?
- A 10 m boat needs a bilge item. Which choice does the table accept?
- What is the minimum anchor line for a 15 m boat?
- A 15 m sailboat needs fire fighting tools besides extinguishers. Which choice is correct?
- Where must a 15 m boat have a 10BC fire extinguisher?
- How many sound-signalling devices must a 22 m boat carry, and to what standard?
- What is the minimum length of the buoyant heaving line on a sail or power boat over 24 m?
- Which lifebuoys must a boat over 24 m carry?
- Which extra rescue item does a boat over 24 m need for people in the water?
- A boat over 24 m must have a fire pump. Where must it be located?
- How many axes and buckets must a boat over 24 m carry?
- For a boat over 24 m, what does the table say about the magnetic compass?
- Which bilge item does a 15 m boat need?
- When must your boat have a reboarding device?
- Under the older flare names, what is a Type A flare now called?
- In which place does a boat not need flares?
- Which item on board lets you cut the number of required flares by 50%?
- A 10 m boat needs 12 flares. It has a 406 MHz EPIRB. How many flares must it carry at least?
- Which choice is a two-way communication device in the guide?
- In which languages must the instructions and warnings on an electronic visual distress signal appear?
- An electronic visual distress signal does not meet standard 13200.0. Can you use it to meet the equipment rules?
- A boat cannot hold enough water to capsize. Does it need a bailer or manual bilge pump?
- Your boat is 7 m long. You use it only in daylight within sight of navigation marks. Do you need a magnetic compass?
- Which boats must carry a radar reflector, unless an exception applies?
- When is a radar reflector not required?
- A boat has no sleeping quarters. When can it skip flares because of a competition?
- About what share of people who drown while boating did not wear a lifejacket or PFD?
- Why is a lifejacket stored on board not enough protection?
- A rowing shell trains at the venue of an official regatta. Does it need to carry the equipment in the guide?
- Which item does the guide say is not approved safety equipment on any boat?
- A visitor from another country brings a lifejacket to use on a pleasure craft in Canada. When is this allowed?
- Which colours do lifejackets come in, and why?
- Which Canadian-approved lifejacket is the quickest to act?
- What is the main difference between a lifejacket and a PFD?
- You plan to travel at high speed. What should you look for in a PFD?
- Which tool should you attach to your PFD to help you signal for help?
- Who must not use an inflatable PFD?
- Which activity is not allowed with an inflatable PFD?
- You are in an open boat. When must you wear an inflatable PFD for it to count as approved?
- Your boat has a cabin and is not open. When must you wear an inflatable PFD?
- An inflatable PFD fails to inflate by gas. What can you use?
- For which person does a lifejacket or PFD not need to be of appropriate size?
- Where is a lifejacket or PFD with the new Canada and United States label approved for use?
- How often should you check your PFD for good condition?
- You find a rip in a PFD. What must you do?
- How should you get rid of a lifejacket that is no longer in good working order?
- The label inside a lifejacket or PFD shows which of these facts?
- You try a PFD on your child. How much space between the shoulders and the device means it is too big?
- Which safety feature of a child's PFD keeps it from slipping over the head?
- What does the guide say about lifejackets and PFDs for babies under 9 kg (20 lbs)?
- How close should a child stay to an adult when the child wears a lifejacket or PFD on the water?
- You test a lifejacket. Someone lifts it straight up at the shoulders and the zipper touches your nose. What does this show?
- What should you do in a pool or shallow water with a new lifejacket under supervision?
- Which action protects your lifejacket or PFD?
- Which of these is a wrong way to use a lifejacket or PFD?
- What is the minimum diameter of an approved lifebuoy?
- A buoyant heaving line is approved if it is made in which way?
- Which item can serve as a reboarding device?
- Why must you never use the motor or its mounting brackets to help you reboard?
- How long is a Transport Canada approved flare good for, counted from its date of manufacture?
- What should you look for when you buy pyrotechnic distress flares?
- Where should you store your flares?
- How high does a rocket parachute flare climb?
- What does a rocket parachute flare make?
- How high does a multi-star flare climb?
- Your multi-star flare launches only one star at a time. What must you do?
- Which flare is best used to help air searchers find you?
- How do you hold a hand flare when you light it?
- What should you do while a hand flare is burning?
- A smoke signal makes what colour of smoke?
- When can you use a smoke signal?
- How long does a buoyant smoke signal make smoke?
- You fire an aerial flare. How should you aim it?
- When should you use flares?
- How often should you check the batteries in your watertight flashlight?
- An electronic visual distress signal can replace flares if you carry it with what other item?
- Which item counts as a manual propelling device?
- What can happen if your anchor and cable do not fit your boat?
- How much anchor line or chain should you let out in calm conditions?
- How much anchor line or chain should you let out in moderate to rough seas?
- How much anchor line or chain should you let out in extreme conditions?
- How should you put an anchor in the water?
- From which part of the boat should you drop the anchor?
- Which anchor is used only for semi-permanent moorings?
- Which anchor holds best in sand and soft mud?
- Which anchor folds and stows neatly and is a good choice for dinghies?
- What is the smallest amount of water a bailer must hold?
- What is the smallest opening a bailer may have?
- Which material is allowed for a bailer?
- A manual bilge pump must have a hose long enough to do what?
- What size of rigid plastic bottle can you turn into a bailer?
- A boat under 12 m has no fitted sound-signalling appliance. What must it carry?
- Which item is an allowed sound-signalling device?
- What sound equipment must a boat of 12 m or longer have?
- A boat is over 20 m long. What must it have as well as a fitted whistle?
- Why do you carry a radar reflector?
- What size of radar reflector should you buy?
- Where should you place a radar reflector?
- Which type of fire is a Class B fire?
- Which type of fire is a Class C fire?
- Which class covers a fire in wood, cloth, paper, rubber or plastic?
- Which rating should you look for when you buy a fire extinguisher?
- What does the number on a fire extinguisher tell you?
- Which mark shows an extinguisher is certified for use on your boat?
- Why must you replace halon fire equipment on your boat?
- How often should you shake-test your fire extinguisher?
- You shake your extinguisher upside down and feel no contents move. What should you do?
- You use a rope as your reboarding device. What is true about that rope?
- Your boat has an automatic fire extinguishing system. What is required?
- Your boat is tied to a seawall and the engine runs. Which risk does the guide give?
- Your load makes the bow ride high. What does the guide warn about?
- The boat is not moving, but a generator runs. What can build up?
- What should you tell your guests before the trip about carbon monoxide?
- Which activity near the stern is dangerous while engines run?
- Which boats have an increased risk of explosion?
- Why should you use certified marine parts, not automotive parts, on a gasoline engine?
- Which of these must be ignition protected on a gasoline engine?
Navigation lights
- When must you show navigation lights?
- What colour is the sidelight on the starboard side?
- How wide is the arc of each sidelight?
- How wide is the arc of a sternlight?
- How wide is the arc of a masthead light?
- Which light shows over an arc of 360 degrees?
- A vessel is under 20 m long. How may its sidelights be fitted?
- A sailboat has a motor. What must it show in the day?
- What colour is the sternlight?
- On a small power boat, where is the all-round white light?
- Which set of lights is allowed for a power boat under 12 m?
- A sailboat shows two all-round lights in a vertical line. Which colours go where?
- A human-powered boat has no fitted lights. What may it use at night?
- A boat under 50 m is at anchor at night. Which light does it show?
- What does a boat at anchor under 50 m show during the day?
- A power-driven vessel tows another vessel astern. The tow is 200 m or less. How many masthead lights in a vertical line must the towing vessel show?
- Which light does a power-driven vessel show when it tows from the stern, in addition to a sternlight?
- What must a tow longer than 200 m also display?
- An object being towed cannot show the required lights. What must it have?
- At night you see a tug with a tow. Which fact does the guide give about the tow's lights?
Before you go
- Which regulations set the construction rules for small vessels with motors, including pleasure craft?
- How must a pleasure craft over 24 m long be built?
- Who attaches a compliance notice to a vessel?
- Which boat must have a compliance notice at the helm?
- Where must the compliance notice be on your pleasure craft?
- A compliance notice on a boat up to 6 m long also shows which information?
- A boat has a limit of 4 people and a limit of 300 kg. When is the boat at capacity?
- Which boats show the safe motor size on the compliance notice?
- You buy a boat in Canada. Which compliance notice must it have?
- You can be fined for which action about a compliance notice?
- When do the safe limits on a compliance notice apply?
- Your boat was built in 2005. It has no notice and the maker is out of business. What is true?
- After which date must pleasure craft made or imported into Canada have a hull serial number?
- Where must the hull serial number be marked on the boat?
- How many digits does the current hull serial number have?
- What is the minimum size of each character in a hull serial number?
- Why does a boat need a hull serial number?
- A boat made in 2015 has no motor. Does it need a hull serial number?
- A manufacturer adds the letters CA before the hull serial number. What does the guide say about this?
- How can you check that a boat you want to buy was not reported stolen?
- You buy a new boat in Canada. It should have a hull serial number and a compliance notice. What else should come with it?
- What is a good way to check that a used boat meets the construction rules?
- You bought a boat without a compliance notice. The maker cannot give you one. What must you be able to show?
- After the boat is built, someone makes changes to it. How can this affect its compliance notice?
- Which construction rules must an imported boat have met?
- You plan to import a boat. Which agency should you contact before you buy it?
- How does the guide class a boat trailer?
- You plan to sell boats that you build. What must you apply for?
- You build a boat only for your own use. What is true?
- You will be on the water for more than a few hours. Which item should you bring?
- What should your tool kit let you fix?
- What should you do to a first aid kit from time to time?
- Which problem often causes boaters to call for help?
- Before you leave the dock, what should you tell your guests?
- How many people on board should know how to operate the boat?
- You are on the water and the sky turns dark and cloudy. Conditions change fast. What should you do?
- Which information does a marine forecast give?
- Who gives the best information on local factors that make the weather differ from the forecast?
- A marine forecast shows winds of 40 knots. Which warning applies?
- A forecast says the wind will be 25 knots. Which warning applies?
- Which wind speed range matches a Storm Warning?
- Which source gives continuous weather forecasts on a marine radio?
- What is a sail plan also called?
- You will boat for only an hour or two. Should you file a sail plan?
- With whom should you file your sail plan?
- Why must you tell people when you arrive safely?
- Which item is a marine publication you may need to carry?
- Which agency publishes Canadian nautical charts?
- When may you skip charts and publications?
- Which items should you look for on a nautical chart before you go?
- Who can tell you about hazards in waters that charts do not cover?
- Why should even canoes and kayaks stay away from swimming areas?
- Before you fuel your boat, what must you do with the engines?
- What should you do with passengers while you fuel?
- You fuel a boat that has a portable fuel tank. What should you do?
- How should you place the fuel nozzle when you fill the tank?
- For how long should you run the compartment blower right before you start a gasoline engine?
- You spill some fuel and wipe it up. How should you dispose of the cloth?
- Propane and butane vapours are heavier than air. Where do they flow in your boat?
- Who should install, maintain or repair a propane system on your boat?
- Which boats must have ignition-protected electrical devices?
- What do you do if you are not sure your converted car engine has ignition-protected parts?
- What effect does too much weight have on a boat?
- Where do you find the recommended maximum safe load for your boat?
- What does the compliance notice limit assume?
- Your boat is over 6 m long. What does its compliance notice say about load limits?
- What is a good way to load your boat?
- What happens if a courtesy check finds a problem on your boat?
- You use the one-third fuel rule. How much of your fuel do you plan to use for the trip out?
- What proof of competency must you always have on board?
- By the pre-departure checklist, which lifejackets or PFDs must you carry?
- What do you check on a lifejacket before a trip?
- Which item must be in place before you leave the dock?
- Which spare items does the checklist tell you to carry for through hull fittings?
- What must you check about the gear and people on your boat?
- Besides the required equipment, what else does the checklist tell you to carry?
- What must you check about your communication equipment?
- What must you know about local waters before you go?
- Which part of the sail plan card must you update every trip?
- What does MMSI stand for on the sail plan card?
- What do you write on the sail plan for each liferaft?
- Which storage fault can cause cracks on the inner hull?
- What does a crack in the gel coat suggest?
- What can poor sealing of through hull fittings cause?
- What is a battery fault on an old boat?
- Which is a fuel system problem on an old boat?
- What can high moisture do inside an old hull?
- Which item is part of mechanical systems on the old boat check?
- A past repair to a used boat was poor quality, inside the hull. Under which heading does the guide place it?
On the water
- What is the only safe speed in fog, mist, rain, smoke or darkness?
- Which action is dangerous because operators often misjudge speed and distance?
- You tow a vessel in distress. What should you do about lights?
- Which flag must a dive boat display?
- How far should you keep your boat from a diver flag?
- You dive from your boat. How far should you stay from your flag?
- Why are low-head dams so dangerous?
- How should you act around electric power lines when you launch or tow a sail boat?
- What is the maximum speed when you enter a lock?
- What should you do with your engine during a lockage?
- What does the blue line on a lock's mooring wharf show?
- In a historic canal, waterskiing is not allowed within what distance of a lock structure?
- Which vessel may NOT pass through St. Lawrence Seaway locks?
- What happens to a PWC when you release the throttle?
- Which type of PFD is NOT allowed on a PWC?
- What is the minimum water depth for riding a PWC so it does not suck in plants and sediment?
- Who must watch each person you tow behind your boat?
- You tow two people. How many empty seats must your boat have for them?
- When may you NOT tow someone?
- What is the smallest number of people a PWC used for towing must be designed to carry?
- What is a safer way to wear a SUP leash on moving water?
- Does a SUP leash replace a lifejacket or PFD?
- What should you do if you see a hazard ahead in the waterway while paddling?
- What is the speed limit within 30 m of shore in provinces that have adopted the shoreline limit?
- Which waters are exempt from the province-wide shoreline speed limit?
- An orange sign shows a black propeller with a slash across it. What does it mean?
- A sign shows a gas pump and a propeller with a slash. What does it ban?
- A circle sign shows 10 over the words MAX km/h. What does it show?
- A sign has the word REGATTA with a slash across it. What does it mean?
- A sign shows the word SKI with a slash. What is banned north of the sign?
- On a restriction sign, part of a symbol has a green border. What does this tell you?
- A restriction sign is shaped like an arrow. How does the restriction apply?
- A sign is an orange diamond with crossing lines inside. What does it mean?
- A circle sign shows 10 over the words MAX kW. What is limited?
- A sign shows a person wake surfing with a slash. What does it ban?
- How does carbon monoxide harm the body?
- Where can carbon monoxide be found?
- The engines are running. Where must nobody sit or hang on the boat?
- When may you go under a swim platform that has exhaust outlets?
- You smell exhaust fumes on your boat. What does this mean?
- When should you run the exhaust blowers to help with CO?
- Why do people with CO poisoning often not get medical help?
- You hear a change in the sound of your exhaust. What might it mean?
Rules of the road
- What does 5 short, rapid blasts from a large vessel mean?
- Why should you stay out of the way of large vessels?
- You operate a 15 m vessel. A vessel can only navigate safely inside a narrow channel. What must you do?
- Which vessels must a power-driven vessel underway stay clear of?
- Why is it dangerous to cross a tug's tow line?
- A seaplane is landing on the water. What should you do?
- One vessel wants to overtake another vessel. Which vessel must keep clear?
- Another vessel comes at you from your starboard (right) side. What do you do?
- A power-driven vessel comes at you from your port (left) side. What do you do?
- A vessel comes at you from behind, inside your stern sector. What do you do?
- Two vessels meet head-on. How does each one alter course?
- How many blasts does each vessel sound as it turns to starboard in a head-on meeting?
- In a crossing situation, vessel A must keep clear of vessel B. What must A avoid?
- A power-driven vessel meets a sailing vessel. Which one keeps clear?
- The rule to keep out of the way of a vessel in your starboard sector may not always apply. When?
- Four boats meet at a crossing. D is on the right of B. Which boat keeps clear of D?
- Four boats meet. A is ahead of C. Which boat must give way to both A and C?
- In the four-boat diagram, which boat keeps clear of both A and B?
- You overtake a slower boat. On which sides may you pass it?
Buoys and markers
- You go upstream. On which side do you keep a green can buoy?
- You go upstream. On which side do you keep a red conical buoy?
- A buoy has red and green bands. What kind of buoy is it?
- You move upstream and see a bifurcation buoy. Which side may you pass it on?
- On a bifurcation buoy, what does the colour of the top band show?
- What does a fairway buoy mark?
- Which side should you keep a fairway buoy on, when you go in either direction?
- What does an isolated danger buoy mark?
- Where do you find the size and depth of an isolated danger?
- You go upstream. Where do you keep a port hand daybeacon?
- A junction daybeacon shows the preferred channel to the right. You want that channel. Where do you keep the daybeacon?
- You head upstream. You pass a green pillar buoy. Which side of your boat is it on?
- You go upstream. You see a red pillar buoy and a green pillar buoy. Which pair of sides is right?
- A daybeacon is a white square with a green border and a black square in the centre. What is it?
- A daybeacon is a white diamond with a red border and a green square in the centre. What does it show?
- What does a junction daybeacon mark?
- You go upstream. A starboard hand daybeacon is on the channel edge. Where do you keep it?
- A junction daybeacon shows the preferred channel is to the left. You take the channel to your left. How do you keep the daybeacon?
- A buoy is split down the middle, white on one half and red on the other. What does it mark?
- A daybeacon is a white triangle with a red border and a red triangle in the centre. What is it?
- A white diamond daybeacon with a red border has a red triangle in the centre. What does it show?
- Which two colours do cardinal buoys use?
- What do the points of the two topmark cones on a cardinal buoy tell you?
- On a cardinal buoy, what do the topmark cones show?
- What colour is the light on a cardinal buoy, if it has one?
- What colour is the light on a special buoy, if it has one?
- Do the shapes of special buoys have a special meaning?
- Which special buoys may show a yellow X topmark?
- Which buoy marks dangers such as firing ranges and underwater pipelines?
- What does an anchorage buoy mark?
- You see a mooring buoy. What should you expect?
- Which orange shape on a special buoy marks a hazard such as shoals or rocks?
- A special buoy shows speed limits inside an orange circle. What type is it?
- What does a keep out buoy mark?
- Will a diving buoy normally appear on your chart?
- A cardinal buoy has a black top half and a yellow lower half. Which cardinal buoy is it?
- A cardinal buoy has a yellow top half and a black lower half. Which cardinal buoy is it?
- A cardinal buoy is black with one wide yellow band. Which cardinal buoy is it?
- A cardinal buoy is yellow with one wide black band. Which cardinal buoy is it?
- A cardinal buoy has two black cones, one above the other, both pointing up. Which one is it?
- A cardinal buoy has two black cones that both point down. Which one is it?
- The cones on a cardinal buoy both point up. On which side of the buoy is the safe water?
- A cardinal buoy has both cones pointing down. Where do you find safe water?
- A buoy is solid yellow. What type is it?
- You see a white buoy with the top third painted red. What is it?
- A white buoy has a red flag with a white diagonal stripe on top. What does it show?
- Which orange shape holds the text on an information buoy?
- What does a swimming buoy mark?
- Which special buoy collects weather and other science data?
- A cautionary buoy may mark which area?
- Special buoys may carry letters. Which marking do they never carry?
- What colour is a swim buoy?
- A white buoy shows an orange diamond with a plus sign inside, between two orange bands. What type is it?
- A cardinal buoy has two cones. The top cone points up and the bottom cone points down. Which cardinal buoy is it?
Communication and distress
- Where must you register a Canadian-coded 406 MHz personal locator beacon?
- Why must you keep your beacon registration up to date?
- Can a beacon coded for Canada be registered in another country?
- Your sail plan holder worries because you are late. Whom should that person contact?
- A large vessel sounds 2 short blasts. What does it mean?
- A large vessel sounds 3 short blasts. What does it mean?
- Must a pleasure craft carry GMDSS-compatible radio equipment?
- Why should you connect a marine radio to a GPS receiver?
- Which VHF channel should you keep your radio tuned to?
- What certificate must every VHF marine radio operator hold?
- You buy a new VHF radio. Which feature gives automatic digital distress alerts?
- Which VHF channel is the general channel for recreational boaters?
- What do VHF channels 21B, 23B, 25B, 28B and 83B carry?
- You contact another vessel on channel 16. What should you do next?
- Which kind of communication is allowed on VHF channel 70?
- What does a Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) identify?
- What does a Maritime Identity (MI) number identify?
- Which agency do you contact to get an MMSI or an MI?
- Why is a cell phone a poor choice for a distress call on the water?
- What may you reach by dialing *16 on a cell phone?
- Which type of EPIRB beacon works on the water?
- What happens when an EPIRB sends its signal?
- Must a pleasure craft carry an EPIRB?
- You see a distress signal. When must you help?
- After you see a distress signal, whom should you also contact, if possible?
- What can happen if you send a false distress signal?
- Why should you listen to the VTS radio frequency near a VTS area?
- MCTS uses marine radio to broadcast which information all the time?
- Why should you keep charts on board if you have a marine GPS?
- How accurate can a GPS receiver be, anywhere on the planet?
- Which GPS should you use on the water?
- When should you use the term MAYDAY?
- Your engine fails. You are safe but drifting toward a shipping lane. Which call fits best?
- Which radio term is used for general information, such as a warning about a navigation hazard?
- Which event calls for a MAYDAY call?
- How do you say your boat name and call letters at the start of a Mayday call?
- You send a Mayday call and nobody answers. What should you do?
- Your VHF radio has DSC. What is one way to send a digital distress call?
- Which detail belongs in your distress call?
- How can you prepare to give a clear distress call under stress?
- You send a DSC distress call by mistake. What must you state when you cancel it?
- The boat in distress is talking directly with search and rescue. What should you do?
- Which VHF channel do you use for a voice distress call?
- Which MF frequency do you use for a distress call?
- After you say Mayday three times, what do you give first?
- In a Mayday call, which two things do you give after your vessel name and call sign?
- Which flare type is a smoke signal?
- How can you use a distress cloth to attract attention?
- How do you give the arm signal for distress?
- How often do you fire a signal gun to signal distress?
- How do you give a distress sound signal with a fog-signalling device?
- Which flag signal on the guide's distress card is shown by one flag over another?
- Which flag signal also counts as distress, besides N over C?
- Which flare type is the hand-held flare?
- You have no flare. Which of these may you use as a distress signal at night?
Emergencies and cold water
- At what water temperature should you choose a PFD with thermal protection?
- What is the risk of using an inflatable PFD when the temperature is near freezing?
- Which health problems should you learn to recognize before you go boating?
- What is true about carbon monoxide (CO)?
- Which symptoms may show CO poisoning and may seem like seasickness or flu?
- Which of these can create carbon monoxide?
- Where is CO likely to build up on a boat?
- Which place is a high risk for swimmers to breathe CO?
- What should you do with a marine CO detector's batteries?
- You see a person in trouble near a low-head dam. What should you do?
- An emergency starts on your boat. Which action should happen early?
- Your boat is taking on water. What can you do to remove it?
- Someone falls overboard. What should you throw to the person?
- Someone falls overboard. Why do you assign one person to watch them?
- On which side of the boat should you bring a person back in?
- While you manoeuvre to recover a person in the water, what must you keep away from them?
- Which recovery method is the fastest way to return to a person in the water?
- When is the Williamson turn the better choice?
- In an Anderson turn, how far do you turn from your original course?
- How does falling overboard rank among causes of recreational boating deaths in Canada?
- In a Williamson turn, you put the rudder hard over. How far do you deviate from the original course before you switch the rudder to the other side?
- In a Williamson turn, when do you move the rudder to midship?
- About what share of Canadian boaters who drowned were in water colder than 20 degrees C?
- What happens in the first minute in cold water (cold shock)?
- Who can suffer from cold shock?
- What happens in the next 10 minutes or so in cold water?
- At what body temperature does hypothermia occur?
- Which is a sign of hypothermia?
- How long can it take to go unconscious from hypothermia, even in ice water?
- What does the H.E.L.P. position do?
- What is the huddle position for a group in cold water?
- You are in cold water. When should you swim?
- What should you wear in spring, fall or winter boating, under your lifejacket?
- Which suit is for extreme conditions when you abandon a vessel?
- You fight a small fire with a portable extinguisher. Where do you aim?
- The flames are out. Why should you keep sweeping the extinguisher for a few seconds?
- A fire starts while your boat is moving. How should you position the boat?
Environment and security
- What should you do first to get rid of expired marine flares?
- Why must you not throw expired flares in the garbage?
- You fire expired flares when there is no emergency. What is the legal result?
- Why must you not sink expired flares in the water?
- Which action around a marine mammal is against the law?
- What is the maximum fine under the Fisheries Act for getting too close to marine mammals?
- Which three steps must you do to your boat, trailer and equipment before moving to another body of water?
- Which is an example of an aquatic invasive species in Canada?
- What is illegal under the Aquatic Invasive Species Regulations?
- Why can a boat that was not cleaned and dried spread Zebra Mussels?
- Which part of a trailer can hold invasive species?
- Which item used for fishing can carry invasive species?
- Besides the hull, where else on a boat can invasive species hide?
- Where should you clean a boat that may carry invasive species?
- Your boat or trailer carries invasive species. What should you avoid using?
- In many provinces, what must you do with the drain plug when you move a boat to another body of water?
- How dry must a boat, trailer and equipment be before use in a new waterbody?
- What must a boat with a toilet have under the Vessel Pollution and Dangerous Chemicals Regulations?
- Where must you empty a holding tank?
- When may treated sewage be discharged in inland waters?
- In Ontario waters, how must a boat with a toilet handle sewage?
- What is a portable toilet counted as, and where is it illegal?
- What do bilge cleaners, even biodegradable ones, do to oil?
- Why are absorbent bilge cloths useful?
- When should you use an automatic bilge pump?
- What is a green boating tip when you fuel?
- What should you do with your garbage, including cigarette butts?
- How can you reduce shoreline erosion?
- You see someone polluting the water. What should you do?
- You find a suspicious package on your boat. What should you do?
- You leave your boat alone for a while. What should you do with the ignition key?
- Which is a sign of suspicious activity?
- You see something you think is suspicious. What should you do?
- You see whales, dolphins or porpoises. How far must you stay away?
- A whale is resting, or has a calf with it. How far must you stay away?
- You are in B.C. or the Pacific Ocean and see killer whales. What distance do you keep?
- You are in coastal waters between Campbell River and Ucluelet and see killer whales. How far away must you stay?
- You see beluga whales in the St. Lawrence Estuary. How far away must you stay?
- About how many football fields lined up make 200 m?
- About how many football fields lined up make 400 m?
- About how long is 100 m, in football fields?
Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026