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Great Loop
Departure Checklist
115-point pre-departure checklist for Canadian Loopers — covering documentation, safety, Canadian waterway permits, vessel prep, and the exact steps to arrive at your first US lock without a single surprise.
📋Documentation & Compliance
- Pleasure Craft Licence (PCL) renewed and displayed — both sides of bow, 7.5 cm minimum height
- PCL numbers are block characters, high-contrast against hull colour
- Proof of insurance aboard (minimum $1M liability recommended for Great Loop)
- Crew passports current (required for US–Canada crossings)
- NEXUS or ESTA in order for all crew (US border re-entry)
- Canadian vessel registration document aboard (if registered, not just licensed)
- MMSI number registered and programmed into DSC-equipped VHF
- Copies of all documents stored off-vessel (cloud or ashore)
🛟Safety & Emergency Equipment
- Transport Canada–approved lifejackets for every person aboard (sizes correct)
- Throwable type IV PFD within arm's reach of helm
- EPIRB registered with your vessel in Transport Canada's database
- PLBs for all crew as personal backup to EPIRB
- Flares — current, not expired (check Transport Canada date requirements)
- Fire extinguishers — serviced within 12 months, correct rating for galley + engine room
- Manual bilge pump accessible and tested
- First aid kit restocked, medications for full trip duration
- Whistle and sound device (foghorn) aboard
⚙️ Vessel Mechanical
- Chart plotter updated with latest charts (Garmin, Navionics, C-MAP)
- Physical charts for Canadian waters: Trent-Severn, Georgian Bay, Rideau Canal
- Great Loop route uploaded as waypoints or route in chart plotter
- VHF radio — tested, DSC functional, Channel 16 monitored at all times
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Free — includes Canadian waterway permits, mechanical prep, and provisioning lists.