proposed small vessel regulations 76 pages available in english and french the existing small vessel regulations are the primary regulatory mechanism by which transport canada tc manages the safety equipment and construction requirements for small vessels in canada. the regulations also provide the regulatory framework for the pleasure craft licensing system and contain certain operational requirements for small vessel safety. tc regulates the construction and operational procedures on small vessels in order to reduce the likelihood of accidents and incidents and regulates the carriage of safety equipment and pleasure craft licensing to make incidents more survivable when they do occur. operator competency and proficiency are also essential in preventing accidents and incidents but these issues are managed through other regulations made under the canada shipping act 2001 csa 2001 . with the coming into force of the csa 2001 in july 2007 it became necessary to review and reform the regulations to make them consistent with the new legislation and to modernize the regulations to address changes in the industry to better reflect the reality of the canadian fleet of small vessels and to harmonize where possible with international standards. the proposed regulations to be made under the new csa 2001 are intended to completely replace the existing regulations made under the former csa. the proposed regulations would apply to pleasure craft and human-powered vessels of all sizes and small non-pleasure vessels of 15 gross tonnage or less that do not carry more than 12 passengers. the proposed regulations provide a number of alternatives including references to united states and european standards for the construction and stability of small vessels that were not previously permitted. the proposed regulations also specify processes for certification of small vessel construction that are consistent with the united states and europe. consequently it will be easier to build and certify small vessels for both domestic and foreign sales. the proposed regulations have been updated in order to better reflect the nature of the small vessel fleet in canada. ensure consistency with international standards respecting lifesaving equipment vessel construction and compliance notices otherwise known as capacity or conformity labels . incorporate new requirements to enhance safety especially operational requirements on small vessels that are not pleasure craft. provide alternatives for the construction and stability of small vessels