Safety information
successful completion of the course, the user
can download a certificate of completion im-
mediately or, for a small charge, request one
by mail. To take this free course, go to boa-
tus.org.
For Canada
All operators of pleasure craft must illustrate
competency by means of a Pleasure Craft
Operators Card with the exception of Person-
al Water Craft used for rental purposes which
require a rental checklist be completed. Plea-
sure Craft Operators Cards can be obtained
following the completion of a competency
course, with an on-line option. Details can be
found on Transport Canada's website.
www.tc.gc.ca
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Passenger training
Make sure at least one other passenger is
trained to operate the boat in the event of an
emergency.
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Boating safety publications
Be informed about boating safety. Additional
publications and information can be obtained
from many boating organizations.
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Laws and regulations
Know the marine laws and regulations where
you will be boating- and obey them. Several
sets of rules prevail according to geographic
location, but all are basically the same as the
International Rules of the Road. The rules
presented in the following section are con-
densed- and have been provided for your
convenience only.
Contact the U.S. Coast Guard, the National
Association of State Boating Law Administra-
tors, or your local Power Squadron for a com-
plete set of rules governing the waters in
which you will be using your boat.
4
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Boating organizations
The following organizations provide boating
safety training and information about boating
safety and laws.
In the U.S.A.
United States Coast Guard
Consumer Affairs Staff (G-BC)
Office of Boating, Public, and Consumer Af-
fairs
U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters
Washington, D.C. 20593-0001
http://www.uscgboating.org/
United States Power Squadrons
1-888-FOR-USPS (1-888-367-8777)
http://www.usps.org/
Boat Owners Association of The United
States
1-800-336-BOAT (1-800-336-2628)
http://www.boatus.com/
National Association of State Boating Law
Administrators (NASBLA)
1500 Leestown Road, Suite 330
Lexington, KY 40511 859-225-9497
http://www.nasbla.org/
National Marine Manufacturers Associa-
tion (NMMA)
200 East Randolph Drive
Suite 5100
Chicago, IL 60601
http://www.nmma.org/
Marine Retailers Association of America
155 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago,
IL 60304
http://www.mraa.com/