Required Equipment:
Life-Preservers
Life Preservers: (Personal Flotation Devices)
small boats, less than 16 feet in length, need
United States Coast Guard approved PFD on board for
each passenger.
Larger boats over 16 feet in length, must have a
Type I, Type II, or Type III manufactured" wearable"
PFD for each person on board. The vessel must be
equipped with a Type IV PFD "throwable" which are of
the "ring" or "seat cushion" varieties.
By law PFD's must be "readily accessible" and must
be "immediately available" (They are of little value
if you cannot get to them!). Fire Extinguishers If a vessel of any length is constructed as to
trap gasoline vapors, it must be equipped with a
U.S.C.G. approved fire extinguisher. Boats less than
26 feet need only one B1 fire extinguisher. Registration Numbers Any boat that has an electric or gas motor,
or any other type of propulsion machinery, must be
registered. Sailboats and Paddleboats 12 feet or
over in length must also be registered. Lights and Horns Lights are required on motorboats between sunset &
sunrise and during periods of low visibility.
Anchored motorboats need only display a white aft
light. Anchored rowboats need only a white lantern
to prevent a collision.
Horns are required on vessels 16 feet or longer
and for all motorboats to use for the rules of the
road. They are nice to sound to avoid collisions!
Operations: Skiing
Towing anyone on skis or sleds, or any
similar contrivance, is fun and requires a team
effort. An observer must be on board the tow vessel.
The observer is mis-named, for the observer is not
really to observe, but to render aid in an
emergency. In fact, the law requires the "observer"
to be able to render aid in an emergency. In
addition to the competent observer, the vessel must
be equipped with a wide angle mirror to offer 170
degrees of view. It must be properly attached so the
operator is able to see the person being towed at
all times without looking back. A motor vessel can
be operated without an observer ONLY if the
driver is a certified and licensed ski instructor
and has their credentials with them. By law, do
NOT allow yourself to be towed unless the mirror
and observer are legal. Capacity Plates Are located in the vessel for your
safety. Remember, each passenger weighs 150 pounds
according to law. Do not exceed this number or pound
value. Failure to do so might be viewed as "careless
operation " Slow No Wake Speed
Is a speed of a vessel which makes a wake or
wash that is minimal. Go no faster than this when
within 100 feet of any dock, raft, anchored vessel
or any bathing beaches. High Speed Boating
Is a speed where the boat reaches a "plaining"
condition. Make sure you are in open water to avoid
collision. For fast boats, all inland lakes have a
NOISE ORDINANCE and a 55 MPH speed limit.
Violation of this law is reckless operation of a
watercraft.
