There are many popular boating trips in Canada individuals and their families can take during the warmer summer months. There are also boating trips that are not to far into Canada that American’s can enjoy on a day outing without having to book a hotel or cabin and of course there are longer boating trips which require cabin or camping and tent stays along rivers and large streams to incorporate the water fun with the woods and nature.

Before one could set sail in their boat for popular destinations, they need to take a boating exam in order to receive their boating license, just as they would a road vehicle. There are many online boating study guides for boating exams and licensing preparation tests that an individual could find and use for free or low cost in order to ready themselves for these tests; however, there is no substitute for the real thing in which a person gets out into the boat and in the waterways and experiences first hand what it’s like to make mistakes and take action in the water with other boats.

A boat operator must study and commit to memory several water signs and then abide by them in order to make sure they can safely navigate the waterway without accident. The color of the frame of the sign is an international orange and the other colors include a green and red for special considerations and restrictions. For example a diamond shaped sign with lines through the middle means no boats and a circle sign with a small arrow protruding out one side means no power driven vessels in the direction of the of the arrow. A half circle and a squared bottom mean that there is “no” of something during a certain time or all of time. One example would be a no skiing south of the sign posted.

There are many different regulations and rules to prevent collisions at sea and then the Canadians have modified these to fit their waterways. These would apply to all the waters including the small rivers, lakes, streams and the high seas that surround the Canadian boarders. All boat captains and crew must adhere to the rules set forth for water in order to maintain safety to all persons on and in the waters.

There are different, yet somewhat similar, rules for pleasure, fishing, sailing and motorized vessels on all the waterways in order to keep all persons who use and enjoy the water safe. One of the major rules is that a captain and others on board keep a proper lookout for other vessels to avoid collisions and keep everyone on board safe from capsizing. Everyone on a boat, no matter the kind, needs to wear a life vests, even if they are terrific swimmers.

There are requirements that a boat captain or operator must take every precaution in order to avoid a collision, without endangering his or her own passengers, such as keeping clear, adjusting speed and exhibiting vigilance when operating the watercraft. They must also take into account several factors when determining a safe speed for their boat. These factors include the sea and the current, the visibility and wind conditions, the density of other vessels on the waters near where their boat is heading and the proximity towards navigational hazards.

A boater must know that they are responsible for their own water and wake. If a boater’s wake capsizes a canoe, the boater is responsible and they must beware of swimmers at all times. Boat drivers are similar to automobile drivers, no drinking and driving, and be alert to what is going on around them at all times.

When an individual purchases a boat, there are many different rules and regulations they must learn before they can obtain a license to operate their boat. Once they pass all the tests and know what they are doing with the boat and feel comfortable on the water, then they can take it out for various poplular boating trips in Canada.

Author Bio: Get certified to captain your pleasure craft for life. Get your boat license now! Register for a Canadian boating exam online and start enjoying life on the water.

Category: Travel
Keywords: recreation,leisure,sport,boat,pleasure craft,operator card,craft operator card,boating laws