Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC) Boating Safety Test
Buoys and local restrictions: practice questions
Our Pleasure Craft Operator Card (Canada) bank has 30 questions on this topic. Here are 4 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.
Question 1
A white buoy with an orange square shows:
- Information such as a marina or campsite
- A speed limit
- No entry
- A danger
Show the answer
A. Information such as a marina or campsite — Safe Boating Guide: an information buoy displays information such as locality, marina or campsite inside the orange square.
Question 2
A white buoy with an orange diamond containing a cross marks:
- A fuel dock
- A safe anchorage
- A diving site
- An area your vessel may not enter
Show the answer
D. An area your vessel may not enter — Safe Boating Guide: a keep-out buoy marks areas your vessel may not enter.
Question 3
A fairway buoy marks safe water. The Safe Boating Guide says to keep it:
- On your starboard side when going upstream only
- At least 1 km away
- Directly under your bow
- On your port (left) side in either direction
Show the answer
D. On your port (left) side in either direction — Safe Boating Guide: while it may be passed on either side, the fairway buoy should be kept to the port (left) side when going in either direction.
Question 4
A red spar buoy marks:
- The port side of the channel when going upstream
- The starboard side of the channel going upstream
- Safe water all around
- A swimming area
Show the answer
B. The starboard side of the channel going upstream — Safe Boating Guide: starboard (red spar), keep on your starboard side going upstream.