Fishing is when a small boat sits still a long way out, with everyone’s eyes on the lines. Transport Canada’s advice for anglers starts with “Always wear a Canadian-approved lifejacket or PFD”, because the water is cold and falls overboard happen fast. Leave a sail plan that tells someone to call 911 if you’re late, and give them a live link. VesselSOS does that last part, with a one-tap call to the Coast Guard rescue centre for your waters (911 inland) if the day turns.
Every boat must carry a Canadian-approved PFD or lifejacket of the right size for each person on board (SOR/2010-91, s. 204). Carrying isn’t the problem. Transport Canada: “A large number of sport hunters and anglers die each year simply because they either neglected to wear their flotation devices or wore them improperly. More alarming still is that the majority of these had the lifesaving devices on board their craft.” Its Safe Boating Guide adds: about 90% of people who drown while boating weren’t wearing one.
The Safe Boating Guide: “About 94% of Canadian boaters who drown were in water less than 20C.” Its 1-10-1 Principle: 1 minute of cold shock, 10 minutes of cold incapacitation, 1 hour to hypothermia. For anglers it adds: avoid overloading the boat, and “Learn about weather patterns, hypothermia and cold shock. One small mistake can put you in the water.”
Proof of competency is required to operate any motorized pleasure craft, “including electric trolling motors”, even when the motor isn’t in use. The Pleasure Craft Operator Card is valid for life. Youth under 12 without direct supervision may only operate up to 10 hp, and 12 to 15 up to 40 hp; these restrictions don’t apply in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories (Transport Canada).
The Safe Boating Guide’s fishing advice: make and file a sail plan and “Make sure they know to call 911 if you don’t return on time.” Give them a live link too, so they can see you. At your return time VesselSOS asks you, on your phone, whether you’re OK; its automatic texts to your contacts don’t reach Canadian (+1) numbers yet, so nobody else is alerted. More in sail plans and a live link.
A PFD does the surviving; the app does the finding. VesselSOS is an aid, not a rescue service: in immediate danger make a Mayday on VHF channel 16 if you carry a radio, or call the Coast Guard rescue centre for your waters (911 on inland lakes and rivers).
Yes, from app version 1.8. On the coasts, the St. Lawrence, the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay and the Arctic, “Yes, a life is in danger” calls the Coast Guard search and rescue centre for those waters (a Joint Rescue Coordination Centre or Maritime Rescue Sub-Centre). On inland lakes and rivers it dials 911. The call needs cell coverage; your position doesn’t.
Nobody in danger, so it’s a tow, not a rescue. Where they say they operate, the app shows C-Tow (southern BC, southern Ontario, Conception Bay) and TowBoatUS (BC) with their 24-hour dispatch lines; elsewhere, call a marina or a boat nearby. More in [broken down: who to call](maydayOrTow).
Pick motor boat for an aluminum fishing boat, runabout or bass boat (the other types are sailing boat, SUP/kayak and jet ski). Its name, length and colour go into the call script, and its name into the texts you send.