Small Vessel Regulations

The Prohibition Against Careless Operation in the Small Vessel Regulations states that a pleasure craft may not be operated in a careless manner without due care and attention, or without reasonable consideration for other persons.

• Examples of careless operation are:
• Operating a pleasure craft at high speeds in circles or crisscross patterns for long periods of time in the same area
• Jumping the waves or wake of another boat too close to the other boat or in a way that causes too much engine noise
• Weaving through heavy traffic at more than slow speed
• Swerving at the last possible moment to avoid a collision (playing “chicken”)
• Operating a pleasure craft at a speed that is higher than needed to maintain steering when near swimmers or non-motorized watercraft

• To avoid causing damage to a person or property with your pleasure craft’s wake, you should reduce your speed when passing:
• Near a swimming or diving area
• Close to docks or the shoreline
• Wildlife
• Paddlecraft or other small boats