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Course Outline

Most pleasure craft must carry visual signals.

  • These are the requirements from the Small Vessel Regulations.
    • Pleasure craft 6 metres (19.7 feet) or less in length and equipped with a motor must have:
      • 3 type A, B*, or C flares or…
      • A watertight flashlight.
    • Sailboats and powerboats over 6 metres and up to 9 metres (19.7 feet to 29.5 feet) in length must have:
      • 6 type A, B*, or C flares and…
      • A watertight flashlight.
    • Sailboats and powerboats over 9 metres and up to 12 metres (29.5 feet to 39.4 feet) in length must have:
      • 12 type A, B*, C, or D flares (no more than 6 type D) and…
      • A watertight flashlight.
    • Sailboats and powerboats over 12 metres and up to 24 metres (39.4 feet to 78.7 feet) in length must have:
      • 12 type A, B*, C, or D flares (no more than 6 type D) and…
      • A watertight flashlight.
  • You are exempt from the flare requirements if your pleasure craft:
    • Is a sailboard or a kiteboard or…
    • Cannot operate more than 1 nautical mile (1.852 km) from shore when boating on a river, canal, or lake or…
    • Has no sleeping accommodations and is involved in an official competition or in final preparation for an official competition.

* Some type B multi-star flares send up only one star at a time. If this is the kind of type B flares you have, you must carry twice as many of these flares on board to meet the requirements.

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