Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends America’s Boating Course 3 rd Edition 1 State & Local Regulations Chapter 2 - Section 8 Connecticut Including Waterskiing Safety Supplement >>

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends Connecticut Certificates CPWO- Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation with a (Safe Waterskiing Endorsement) 1.Issued to all current students in Conn. approved classes 2. May operate boats and jet skis 3. May operate a vessel while towing a skier at age 16 and over SBC- Safe Boating Certificates- (Issued in the past for operation of boats only) 2

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends >> 3 Conn. CPWO / SBC Required? Person who lives in Connecticut, or Person who owns property in Connecticut or Person who owns a vessel registered in Connecticut Does not expire Out of state operators of Personal Watercraft must have a Conn. CPWO or equivalent from a reciprocal state.

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends 4 Out of State Operators Must have a Certificate of Personal Watercraft Operation from Connecticut or equivalent from a reciprocal state to operate a PWC. Can operate a vessel without certificate providing they satisfy age requirement Must be age 12 and up to operate a power vessel alone and Age 16 and up to operate a PWC alone

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends Operator Age Restrictions Age 12 and older – Operate power boats alone Age 11 and under- Only operate power boats 10 h.p. less alone Age 16 and older- Operate a PWC alone Age 16 and older- Operate a vessel towing a skier or tuber Age 15 and under without a Certificate, may operate a boat with supervision age 18 or older w/certificate for 2 years Age 15 and under, and holds a CPWO, may operate PWC with supervision age 18 or older holding a CPWO. 5

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends 6 Safe Waterskiing Endorsement THIS WATERSKIING INFORMATION PERTAINS TO ANYONE WHO IS BEING TOWED BEHIND A POWERED VESSEL, INCLUDING INFLATABLE DEVICES THAT DO NOT HAVE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. THE OPERATOR MUST BE LEGALLY AUTHORIZED Operator must be age 16 or older Must possess valid SBC or CPWO Possess Connecticut Safe Waterskiing Endorsement Successful completion of a Connecticut approved safe boating course includes the Waterskiing Endorsement Operator responsibilities

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends 7 Waterskiing / Towing People Persons being towed must wear an USCG approved PFD (not an inflatable) Water skiing is at least a three-person sport: Legally qualified operator Skier, using hand signals with observer Observer, at least 12 years of age to monitor person being towed (mirrors do not replace observer) >>

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends 8 Waterskiing / Towing People Waterskiing is prohibited from ½ hour after sunset to sunrise (sunset to sunrise on PWC) Prohibited whenever visibility is restricted to less than 100 yards with a boat Towed devices such as tubes must be fitted with hand-holds >>

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends 9 Waterskiing / Towing People Tow with towline 100 feet or shorter Permitted between sunrise and ½ hour after sunset only, and visibility over 100 yards (Boat) Permitted between sunrise and sunset (PWC) >>

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends >> 10 Vessel Registration All motorboats and non-motorized sailboats 19.5 ft. and longer are required to be registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles Commercially documented vessels are exempt CT validation sticker is placed 2” to the right of numbers

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends Correct Display of Numbers 3’’ High Contrasting colors 2” Space between letters & numbers, ½” between letters >> 11 EXPIRES April 30, CONN. D.M.V. CORRECT Display OF NUMBERS validation decals port side starboard side CT1234AB

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends >> 12 Personal Flotation Devices Must wear USCG approved for active sports, correct size and serviceable PFD when: On a PWC (inflatable PFD not allowed) All manually propelled vessels from October 1 st to May 31 st Anyone being towed or wake boarding; an inflatable PFD is not allowed Children under the age of 13; an inflatable PFD is not allowed

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends Boat Trailers Law limits the width to 8 feet 6 inches. Wider loads require oversize vehicle permit. Gross weight over 3,000 pounds – brakes are required. Mufflers Motor boats must be equipped with an effective muffler >> 13 Connecticut State Requirements

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends >> 14 Sound Producing Requirements Federal Law requires all vessels to carry a noise producing device. 16 feet and longer - whistle or horn-type sound producing device capable of producing a blast of 2 seconds or more less than 40 feet – provide means of making efficient sound signal 40 feet and longer - signal must be audible for at least ½ mile, plus provided with bell producing clear bell-like tone

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends >> 15 Speed Regulations Motorboats shall observe ‘Slow no-wake’ when within 100 feet of: Shore, raft, pier, or dock, and Anchored or moored boat Exception – vessels taking off or landing skiers All boats must proceed at a safe speed for the conditions in which they are operating Check the Boaters Guide for specific restrictions

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends 16 Diving and Underwater Operations No person shall operate a vessel or allow a person on skis to pass within 100 feet of a diver flag. If the flag is on a tube of float, it may accommodate up to 4 divers. If the flag is being flown from a boat, it is limited to the legal capacity of the boat. Divers and underwater swimmers must display the “Diver Down” flag

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends Boating Under the Influence (BUI) >> 17 Operating Under the Influence Having a blood alcohol content of.08% or more.02% if under the age of 21

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends Accident Reporting If involved in a boating accident: Must remain on scene and assist Must provide contact information Notify local law enforcement immediately and file report with CT DEEP within 48 hours if Death of any person from whatever cause Disappearance of any person onboard The injury of any person sufficient to require medical attention >> 18

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends Accident Reporting File report within 5 days if total property damage exceeds $ The CT Boating Accident Report form is imbedded in the Boating Guide and available on-line in a PDF at: Boating_forms/accidentreport.pdf >> 19

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends 20 Following Too Close Every vessel overtaking another vessel shall keep out of the way of the overtaken vessel. Any person operating a vessel shall not follow another vessel more closely than is reasonable and prudent and shall have regard for prevailing circumstances and conditions so as not to create a risk of collision.

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends Minimum age to operate alone - 16 CPWO required All aboard must wear PFD (not inflatable) No operation between sunset and sunrise No wake jumping if completely leaving water within 100 ft. of vessel creating wake >> 21 Personal Watercraft (PWC)

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends No person can ride in front of operator Any passenger must be able to plant feet on floor deck Towing water skiers from PWC is permitted from sunrise to sunset A PWC fitted with an engine cut-off switch must have the switch lanyard attached to the operator >> 22 Personal Watercraft (PWC)

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends No operation faster than ‘slow no-wake’ within 200 feet of dock, pier, float or anchored or moored vessel Exception – taking off or landing skier – may be within 100 feet of same >> 23 Personal Watercraft (PWC)

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends Requirements for using PWC for towing skiers and tubers include: Capacity to transport at least 3 persons Hand-holds at or near the rear of the seat for the rearward facing observer An observer at least 12 years of age, facing the towed persons at all times >> 24 Personal Watercraft (PWC)

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends Required to carry PFD and whistle >> 25 SUPs and Wind Surfing Must follow boating laws Must wear life jacket between Oct 1 st and May 31 st

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends 26 Special Rule Upon approaching a law enforcement vessel displaying flashing blue lights or a fire rescue vessel using flashing red or yellow lights, a person operating a vessel shall immediately slow to steerage speed only.

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends 27 Waterskiing Safety Supplement Emily’s Law Effective 1 October 2015, recreational boaters who intend watersports involving towing persons such as skiers and tubers must have successfully completed the education presented in boating safety courses approved by Connecticut. That education is imbedded in this course and was focused upon in this section. The DEEP has authored a supplement which is attached for presentation to each student, review, and discussion by the Instructor.

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends Connecticut –No Discharge It is illegal to discharge waste, oil, trash or sewage in Connecticut waters All vessels with a toilet must have a Marine Sanitation Device attached to the toilet The “Y” valve must always be secured Trash should always be thrown in proper containers 28

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends 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 or use 1 quart / gal of vinegar). 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 29

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends Aquatic Nuisances 30 IT IS ILLEGAL TO TRANSPORT on a boat or trailer any vegetation and the following aquatic invasive species (as determined by the Commissioner pursuant to PA ):PA ): Zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) Quaqqa mussel (Dreissena bugensis) Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) New Zealand mud snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum) Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea) Rusty crayfish (Orconectes rusticus)

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends 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. Aquatic Nuisances 31Come for the boating education … Stay for the friends

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends >> 32 Connecticut Department Environment & Energy, Boating Division Old Lyme, CT On the web: Contact Information

Come for the Boating Education…Stay for the Friends End Chapter 2 33 END