Vessel owner responsibilities

Owning a boat comes with a lot of responsibility. Owners are responsible for:

• using their vessels safely
• keeping them in good working order
• properly disposing of them when needed

If you own a boat or are considering getting one, check out Transport Canada's guide on how to be a responsible boat owner.

Under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act it is illegal to:

• abandon your vessel
• deliberately cause your vessel to:
  • sink
  • strand
  • ground
  • become a wreck, by failing to maintain it
• leave your vessel:
  • in the same area for more than 60 consecutive days within a radius of 3 nautical miles without the authorization of the location's owner
  • adrift for more than 48 hours without taking measures to secure it
• take possession of a wreck before reporting it to Transport Canada, unless it's in danger and you need to secure or otherwise protect it
• enter into Canada with a wreck found outside of Canadian waters, without first reporting it to Transport Canada

Responsible parties under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act must:

• alert the CCG if involved in a maritime casualty that resulted in a wreck and mark the wreck
• comply with any directions and/or inspection powers of the CCG or Transport Canada

Owners of vessels that pollute must:

• report marine pollution immediately
• implement their pollution emergency plan
• use their own resources to clean-up the spill or hire a designated response organization (certified by Transport Canada) to do so on their behalf
• pay for the clean-up and damages