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Boat Operator Accredited Training (B.O.A.T.)

The Lifesaving Society's Boat Operator Accredited Training™ (BOAT) program is accredited by Transport Canada. The BOAT course teaches you all the safe boating knowledge you need to earn the Pleasure Craft Operator Card. BOAT content focuses on:

1. Obligations and responsibilities of a boat operator including those imposed by law and regulations including the "rules of the road".
2. How to respond in a boating emergency including person overboard, breakdowns, capsizing, swamping, sinking and grounding.
3. Knowledge of the operation of pleasure craft including required safety equipment, loading limits, buoys, beacons and signs, weather, fueling procedures.

The BOAT course is recommended for those with little or no boating experience or training. The course consists of 8 hr. of classroom education. No water is required. Pleasure Craft Operator certification cards are issued to those who pass the written examination. You can take the BOAT course from local Colleges of the North Atlantic and private instructors.  The Lifesaving Society does not offer an online course or testing option.

Courses for your Pleasure Craft Operator Card are offered through Colleges of the North Atlantic across Newfoundland and Labrador.  Please contact your local CNA to find out course scheduling and costs.

If you completed your BOAT course with the Lifesaving Society, the Society's branch office will have your record on file.  If you completed your PCO course with another organization, you will need to contact that organization to find out how to replace your lost card.

For Lifesaving Society card holders who wish to request a replacement card, please contact our branch office at 709.576.1953 or email us at lifeguard@nl.rogers.com.   There is a $10.00 fee for a replacement card which may be paid by phone along with your request details. 

You may also pay through PayPal below, providing your name, date of birth and telephone number in the details to seller.  You do not need a registered PayPal account to pay, using any credit card.

The Competency of Operators of Pleasure Craft Regulations require all operators of pleasure craft fitted with any type of motor and used for recreational purposes to carry proof of competency on board.* 

Proof of competency indicates the boater has a basic level of boating safety knowledge required for safe recreational boating. In the past, anyone of any age could operate a recreational boat without any minimum boating safety knowledge, experience or training. These requirements were introduced in 1999 in response to boating deaths and injuries, with the goal of improving safety on Canadian waterways through education and training.  

Proof of competency can be any of the following:        

• A Pleasure Craft Operator Card -  this is the most common proof, obtained after passing an accredited boating safety test
• Proof of having passed a boating safety course in Canada before April 1, 1999
• A specified marine certificate from the List of Certificates of Competency, Training Certificates and other Equivalencies accepted as Proof of Competency when Operating a Pleasure Craft
• A completed rental-boat safety checklist – good only for the rental period
• For Foreign Visitors, an operator card or equivalent which meets the requirements of their own state or country.
  

Home study and exam-only option
If you're an experienced boater, you can study on your own and take the test when you're ready. Our BOAT Study Guide will bring you up to speed - it contains all the "must knows" Transport Canada requires to pass the test for your Pleasure Craft Operator card. Order the BOAT Study Guide or purchase directly using the PayPal link below.

$18.00 - taxes and shipping included