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