Chapter 4: The Legal Requirements of
Boating
Negligent and Reckless Operation of a
Vessel
North Carolina law prohibits negligent or reckless operation of a vessel or the reckless manipulation of water skis, a surfboard, or similar device.
Reckless operation or manipulation is defined as the failure to exercise the care necessary to prevent the endangerment of life, limb, or property of any other person. Examples of illegal reckless operation that apply to all boaters are:
- Weaving your vessel through congested waterway traffic
- Jumping the wake– Waves that a vessel leaves behind as it moves through the water of another vessel unnecessarily close to the other vessel or when visibility around the other vessel is restricted
- Approaching another vessel intentionally and swerving at the last possible moment in order to avoid collision
- Operating
contrary to the navigation
rules given in Chapter 3
- Boating in restricted areas without regard for other boaters or persons, posted speeds and wake restrictions, diver-down
flags, etc.
- Towing a person on water skis, a surfboard, or similar device behind your vessel in such a way that it causes the towed person to collide with another person or object
- Allowing passengers to ride on the bow– Front of a vessel, gunwale– Upper edge of vessel's side (generally pronounced gunnel), transom– Vertical surface at the back of the hull,
seat backs, seats on raised decks, or any other place where there may be a chance of falling overboard– Over the side or out of the vessel
Additional laws governing operation of personal watercraft, including illegal reckless PWC operation, are given in the section Requirements
Specific to PWCs.
Speed Regulations
Failure to regulate speed is defined as operating a vessel at speeds that may cause danger, injury, damage, or unnecessary inconvenience. In North Carolina, speed regulations can vary depending on local conditions. Be aware of and obey all regulatory markers, including those marked as “no
wake”– The slowest speed at which it is still possible to maintain steering and which does not produce a wake or “idle
speed”– The slowest speed at which it is still possible to maintain steering and which does not produce a wake. These other
speed laws also apply to you.
- Operators must slow to idle speed when entering, leaving, or passing within 50 yards of a state-owned or state-controlled boating or fishing access area.
- Vessel operators are responsible for any damage caused by their wake.
- You must operate at “no wake speed” or “idle speed” when you are within 100 feet of an enforcement vessel displaying a flashing blue light. If the enforcement vessel is in a narrow channel, you must reduce your speed to “no wake speed” or “idle speed” within only 50 feet of the vessel.
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