What to check before you pay a private seller in Canada: identity, HIN, licence, trailer, sea trial and the as-is terms.
Ask for the make, model, year, colour, HIN and licence number in the first conversation. A seller who will not share them is a poor sign. Ask whether the name on the licence is the person you are meeting.
If you are borrowing to buy, or the boat is expensive, hire a marine surveyor. The BoatHandoff checklist is the two of you walking the boat. It does not replace a survey.
Match the HIN on the hull to the papers. Start the engine cold if you can. Look at the transom for soft spots, the bilge for water, and the safety gear for expired flares. If a trailer is included, check the tires and the ownership papers. The trailer is a separate provincial transfer.
Pay in a way you can prove later. Both of you sign the bill of sale and the as-is disclosure. Then transfer the Pleasure Craft Licence into your name within 30 days. Do not ask the seller to cancel it.
The free download covers the proof-of-ownership fields. The full kit adds the walk-through and both signatures.