abc3 section 8 state of pennsylvania boating knowledge, laws, rules and regulations
TRANSCRIPT
ABC3 Section 8
State of Pennsylvania
Boating knowledge, laws, rules and
regulations
United States Coast GuardFederal laws
Equipment requirements
Safety recommendations
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Additional equipment requirements Educational requirements Registration
Legal Responsibility
Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission’s Waterways Conservation Officers and the USCG can stop and board your vessel. They have arrest authority.
Yield right of way, stop vessel and stay in position until police have passed
Enforcement
Continuing Education
Great boating opportunities
85,000 miles of rivers and streams
76 Natural lakes / 5,266 acres of water
200,000 acres of man-made lakes
63 miles of Lake Erie shoreline / 735 square miles in PA
Delaware River provides 56 miles if tidal waters / Atlantic Ocean access
Recreational boaters continue their boating education
Knowledgeable boaters are safer boaters
Visit Pennsylvania www.fishandboat.com to stay current with laws and regulations
Waters Of Principle Use
Registered in the state in which primarily used (waterborne)
Reciprocity privileges:
Have valid registration in other state
Up to 60 days
Documented boats:
Must also be registered in the state of principle use
Display valid registration decal
Use of Commission launches requires either a boat registration or PA launch permit
Registration and Titling
Registration:
• required on all motorboats and boats propelled by electric motors
• state issued alpha-numeric registration numbers
• renewed on a two-year cycle by issuing a decal
• expire on March 31
• address changes reported within 15 days
Registration and Titling
• Numbers and letters must be painted, decaled or otherwise affixed to forward half of each side of vessel
• Number must read from left to right
• Number must be at least 3” high, bold, BLOCK letters
• Certificate on-board when in operating
Registration and Titling
• Letters and number’s color must contrast with its background
• Letters must be separated from numbers by spaces or hyphens
• No other numbers may be displayed on either side of bow
• Decals must be affixed on each side of the vessel within 6 inches and on the same level as the numbers
Registration and Titling
Titling:
• Establishes ownership
• Issued when boat is sold or when ownership is conveyed
• Required on 1997 and newer PWC
U.S.C.G. Documented Vessels
U.S. Citizens only may have a large vessel documented (at least 5 net tons) through the USCG
Documentation number must be not less than 3 inches high, permanent, and clearly readable on an, integral structural part of the boat
Have the name and hailing port of the boat together in one place on the hull, at least 4 inches high and clearly readable – usually on the stern
Must be additionally registered in PA – need to display only the valid registration decal
Hull Identification Numbers (HIN)
An alpha-numeric 12 character number
Engraved into transom fiberglass
IDs manufacturer, and serial # and date
Required Equipment
• LIFE JACKETS ARE REQUIRED – no exceptions
Each person in a boat must have a wearable, USCG-approved, correctly sized and fitted and serviceable life jacket. WEAR IT!
Children under 13 must wear when underway on any boat 20 feet
or less in length and all canoes and kayaks
On Pittsburgh District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lakes (only), everyone in boats less than 16 feet in length and in all canoes and kayaks must wear.
Required Equipment
From 1 November to 30 April boaters MUST wear a life jacket on boats less than 16 feet in length or any canoe or kayak
MUST be worn by anyone towed / skiing / PWC / sailboarders
Appropriate for the water sport includes impact rated for towed persons / PWC
One immediately available throwable floatation aid in boats over 15 feet long
Throwable floatation aids are not required on canoes and kayaks regardless of length Slide 13 of 61
Required Equipment
Same as federally required equipment, except:
Sound devices - boats 40 – 65 feet in length must carry a whistle AND bell
Visual Distress Signaling Devices required only on Lake Erie
illegal to use docking lights while underway – use last 100 feet approaching dock, buoy or pier
Fire extinguishers must be installed so that they are immediately available, within arms reach of the operator or passenger, away from the fuel source
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment (not required by law)
Paddles or oars Bailer
Anchors with sufficient rode Fenders
Mooring lines First Aid Kit
Extra clothing Charts and compass
Food and water Sunscreen and sunglasses
Marine radio or cell phone Spare fuses and bulbs
Tool kit / flashlight / gas can Visual Distress Signals
Float Plan
Marine Environment
International Marine Pollution Regulations
Waste and Trash
Use pump-out stations
No waste products over the side
Brief all aboard about not dumping anything
Use trash bags and take waste to shore
Waste and Trash
Plastics, oil, fuel and sewage damage the marine environment
Make it your boating practice to bring all waste back to the shore for treatment
Oil / Fuel Spills
Spills: Thimble of fuel or more should be reported to: US Coast Guard and Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection
Marine Pollution and Oil Spill precaution placard arerequired on boats 26 feet and longer by law as reminders
Fines up to $10000
• Trailer boaters should remove visible mud, plants, fish or animals from boats and trailers prior to transport to another body of water.• Scrape any mussels from boat or outdrive, and flush hull, bilges & water holding compartments with hot water (at least 120º F).• Do not release plants or fish, including bait, into a body of water unless it came out of that same body of water.
To prevent the spread of non-native fish and mollusks in our waterways, boaters should follow these simple rules:
Aquatic Nuisances
• Pump fresh water through engines before leaving the area
• Empty water out of kayaks, canoes, rafts, etc.
• Let boat, PWC's, trailer and equipment dry for at least 5 days.
• STOP spread of Rusty Crayfish, Round Goby and Quagga Musses
Aquatic Nuisances
Mufflers
Excessive noise can prevent vessel operator from hearing signals and voices
• All vessels manufactured after January 1, 1990 must be equipped with muffler system in good working order and
in constant operation to suppress engine noise
• You may not remove or modify a muffler or muffling system if it results in an increased noise level
Who May Operate A Vessel
Boating Safety Education Certificates are required:•To operate a personal watercraft•For persons born on or after January 1, 1982, to operate boats powered by motors greater than 25 horsepower.
Who May Operate A Vessel
Certificate obtained by successfully completing boating safety course or passing equivalency exam approved by PA
Persons required to have certificate must have it on board and available for inspection by an enforcement officer whenever operating a vessel on Pennsylvania waters
Who May Operate A Vessel
All PWC (personal watercraft) operators, regardless of age, must have a Boating Safety Education Certificate.
Persons 11 years of age or younger may NOT operate.
Persons 12 through 15 years of age may NOT operate with any passengers on board 15 years of age or younger, or rent a PWC.
Boat Rentals
Renter must read and understand PFBC’s boating rules and regulations
PWC rental: renter must be over 16 and have a Boating Safety Education Certificate
Safe Boat Operation
IT IS ILLEGAL TO
Operating in restricted areas
Wake jumping, hull leaves water
Failure to regulate speed
Operating while under
the influence of drugs
or alcohol
Alcohol and Drugs
Use causes impaired balance, blurred vision, poor coordination, and impaired judgment
BUI is Federal and State offense. BUI: adults 0.08 and minors 0.02 blood alcohol percent
You may be stopped and tested for BUI
Security Zones
Stay at least 100 yards from military, cruise-line & shippingOperate at slow, no wake speeds when w/in 500 yardsCheck with local authorities and refer to charts for dataStay away from dams and power plants
Homeland Security
• Observe and avoid all security zones and other restricted areas. Avoid commercial port operation areas
• Do not stop or anchor beneath bridges or in the channel
• Be observant and report any suspicious activities to USCG or local authorities
• Always secure and lock your boat when not on board
Avoid diving and snorkeling in areas already occupied by boaters and in narrow channels
Boaters keep at least 100 feet away from diver down flag
Diving/Snorkeling Flags
Water Sports
Special attention is required to prevent propeller strikes
Persons engaging in towed water sports, SCUBA divers and snorkelers, and even persons over-board are susceptible
All aboard must be briefed on these procedures, their role, and display of a “person in water” orange flag to warn other boaters
When persons are near the boat the engine must be shut off, and transmission engaged to prevent accidental start and to stop propeller free-wheeling
Approach persons in the water from down wind, slowly, and from the helmsman side for clear visibility.
Requirements Specific To PWC
Boater Safety Education Card
12 years old (16 to rent)
Impact rated PFD
Attach engine cut-off
lanyard to operator
No night operations
Have sound producing device
Have fully charged type B fire extinguisher
Operational Requirements
Idle speed only within 100’ of shoreline, persons in water, docks, launch ramps, anchored / moored boats, and no-wake zones
Idle speed only within 100’ of another vessel unless in narrow channel
Stay at least 100 feet from a person being towed
Operational Requirements
Do not cause a boat to become airborne or to leave the water completely while crossing another boat’s wake when within 100 feet of the boat creating wake
Boats must be operated at a rate of speed that does not endanger the life or property of any person
A lookout must be maintained at all times to avoid collision
Do not weave through congested traffic
Do not operate a boat 20 feet or less above no-wake speed while a person is standing on or in the boat
Operational Requirements
Do not operate a pontoon boat while a person is riding outside the passenger-carrying area
Do not operate a motor boat above idle speed with a person riding outside the passenger area or while the person is riding on the bow decking, gunwales, transom or motor covers
Do not operate a motorboat at any speed with a person sitting , riding or hanging on a swim platform or swim ladder attached to a motorboat
Water skiing is illegal between sunset and sunrise
Towing of persons in or on the wake of a boat is illegal
Operational Requirements
Impact rated PFD required for all being towed
Must have competent observer
PWC must be rated
for 3 persons;
observer, operator
and skier
Accident Reporting
Stop and provide assistance; exchange information
Death or disappearance – notify PFBC immediately
Written accident report filed within 48 hours, if death, missing or medical treatment beyond first aid
If vessel is lost, or damage is over $2,000, report must be filed within 10 days
Downloadable accident report form at: www.fishandboat.com
Accident Reporting