Summer isn’t just around the corner – summer is just about here. That means it’s time to take out your pleasure craft and get on the water. A pleasure craft is exactly that: a craft that you can have a truly great time on the water. However, to enjoy it as much as possible, you want to be totally in the clear, legally. Below, we’ll go over what kinds of pleasure craft licenses you need to get and how we can help.
Pleasure Craft Licences
Being on a boat is fun. If you love being on a boat or just being on the water in general, then essentially any craft could be a pleasure craft. As a legal term in Canada, it has a very specific definition. A pleasure craft is a vessel that’s used for recreation, pleasure or daily living. It’s not a craft that’s used for any kind of commercial activity. Even if you greatly enjoy using your craft to make money, a commercial vessel is not a pleasure craft. That being said, not every pleasure craft has to get this licensing.
Grace Periods and Engines
In Canada, every pleasure craft must have a pleasure craft licence, except for one that has less than 10 horsepower in its motor. Those vessels are quite slow indeed, to put that in perspective. You don’t have to get a pleasure craft license the moment you purchase the vessel, either. You do have a “grace period,” which lasts for ninety days. However, you do have to keep some documentation with you when you use the vessel. But, you don’t have to purchase it from anyone. Just carry something that has your name, address, and the date you purchased the vessel.
Registered Pleasure Craft
You also don’t have to get a pleasure craft licence if you register your pleasure craft. This is an entirely different process. It comes with different fees, and the markings are different as well. For example, you have to have the official number and the tonnage the vessel was registered at on the interior. Additionally, you need to have the name of the port of registry as well as the vessel on the exterior, too. You will also have to register your pleasure craft if you are getting a marine mortgage on the vessel as well.
Licensed Pleasure Craft Vs. Registered
When comparing the two, it’s important to note that registration carries more benefits, but it also costs more. A pleasure craft licenses is $135.00 through our online portal. However, if you decide to get a pleasure craft licences instead of registering your vessel, you are choosing not to take advantage of certain benefits. For example, with registration, you’ll have the right to fly the Canadian flag. You also have to choose one or the other. You can’t have a vessel that’s both registered and licensed, you do have to choose. Registration lasts. For as long as you own the vessel, your vessel with be registered with the Canadian Register of Vessels.
No matter which of the two options you choose, you’ll be able to get them at our site. We make it easy to register your pleasure craft or to get a licence for it. By doing it online, you can save time and even money.
Moreover, we also have all the additional forms as well as that you might need. You can get a new pleasure craft licences at our site, but you can also duplicate your pleasure craft licences or even transfer it to someone else. We’ve all been through life changes, and when they occur, your vessel documentation needs to update as well. That’s why we make it simple to update your pleasure craft licence, too.
Our list of vessel documentation forms is far faster than just our pleasure craft licences. We have essentially all of the different forms that you might need for your vessel in Canada, even the lesser-used ones: bare-boat chartered vessels, historical research, provisional certificates and more. We know that Canadian vessel documentation can be opaque and difficult to understand at best. If you have any questions about how this documentation works, don’t hesitate to check out our site or give us a call at (800) 419-9569.