• Know Canada's boating laws before you set sail.Big Boat, Little Boat image by Aubrey Thompson from Fotolia.com
  
  If you are hoping to sail your boat into Canada's waters, there are a few important laws you need to know. Canada's boating laws are governed by the country's Department of Justice, the Office of Boating Safety and the Border Services Agency. Consult these websites and representatives of these agencies for specific questions on navigating the country's waters with your boat.
  
  

Pleasure Craft Licensing

• All "pleasure craft" with an engine 10-horsepower or greater must be licensed in Canada, unless it already has been registered. If your pleasure craft is more than 15 gross tons, it does not need to be registered. Pleasure Craft Licensing is available via Service Canada offices. You also must obtain a Pleasure Craft Operator Card, which proves your "competency on board at all times," according to the Office of Boating Safety website. To get the card, you must prove that you have taken a boating safety class in Canada before April 1, 1999 or completed a safety checklist for a rental boat. The card terminates upon the boat operator's death.
  
  

Boat Light Regulations

• Canada requires non-pleasure craft boats to have boat lights to help with navigation and visibility and to prevent collisions. The official regulation states that every light must have a "proof of compliance" that the lights do not cause a hazard to other boaters or boats. For example, the lights may not comply if they lead to visibility impairment or are damaged easily.
  
  

Communications Regulations

• The boat master is required to communicate with Canada's waterway officials. Before he enters a "Vessel Traffic Service Zone," he must turn on his radio and set it to the proper channel to receive communication from service zone officials.
  
  

Foreign Boaters Regulations

• Foreign pleasure craft boaters must adhere to customs and border crossing regulations. The boat master or owner must report all goods and passenger's to Canada Border Services Agency by calling the country's telephone reporting center, known as the TRC, at 1-888-CANPASS at least "30 minutes before but no more than 4 hours prior to the boat's estimated time of arrival at a designated marine reporting site in Canada," according to the border agency's website.