Changes in the Wording of the Laws

[LIforrelaxin]

So there have been a few threads with little bits of information in them about how some of the boating regulations are changing, especially in their wording. So I thought I would start this thread to give people a place to talk about some of the wording and content changes to the boating laws as we find them out.

For instance there is a thread about how the definition of now wake speed was rewritten which included some very good information from LT Dunlevy...

In another thread there was information the the limit at which you need to report a accident to the MP has gone from 500$ is now at 2000$ dollars

And I myself just found out the other day that the entire section pertaining to the 150' rule has been re-written:

VI. (a) To provide full visibility and control and to prevent their wake from being thrown into or causing excessive rocking to other boats, barges, water skiers, aquaplanes or other boats, rafts or floats, all vessels shall maintain headway speed when within 150 feet from:
(1) Rafts, floats, swimmers.
(2) Permitted swimming areas.
(3) Shore.
(4) Docks.
(5) Mooring fields.
(6) Other vessels.
(b) These requirements shall not apply when:
(1) Starting skiers from shore, docks or floats, as long as neither the boat nor the skier is endangering the life or safety of any person.
(2) A vessel is in the federal deepwater shipping channel of the Piscataqua River between navigation buoys R2, Wood Island at the mouth of the river and R12, opposite the Sprague Terminal.

Please note it is now apparently legal to start skiers from shore and docks.... This used to be illegal......

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

Please note it is now apparently legal to start skiers from shore and docks.... This used to be illegal......

It's always been legal to start skiers from the dock or shore.

[LIforrelaxin]

I disagree the wording I highlighted in my original post didn't exist until recently, exactly how recently I am not sure. There where provision to start skiers from swim rafts but never from docks or the shore. The 150' rule Always prevailed. Now weather that was always the intention or not I don't know. But previously the rule was written so that it was indeed illegal to start from a dock or a beach.... as you where not 150' from shore and there was no exception....

There is now however an exception written into the law.

I have found that many of the laws in this area are getting revised... and possible so that that there true intentions are understood rewritten more clearly...

[Skip]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

It's always been legal to start skiers from the dock or shore.

You are correct SIKSUKR. I only researched back to the mid 90's, but the language in question existed as early as 1995.

Additionally the changes that Lt. Dunleavy referred to regarding "no wake" or "headway speed" definition took place back in 1995.

Finally, the accident reporting requirement upping the limit from $500 to $2000 took place back in 2004.

[LIforrelaxin]

Originally Posted by Skip

You are correct SIKSUKR. I only researched back to the mid 90's, but the language in question existed as early as 1995.

Additionally the changes that Lt. Dunleavy referred to regarding "no wake" or "headway speed" definition took place back in 1995.

Finally, the accident reporting requirement upping the limit from $500 to $2000 took place back in 2004.

Thanks for the research Skip... It doesn't surprise me that at some point and time there was some major revisions in the documents. To fix wording etc. And make sure that the intentions of the law where brought out. It sounds like that happened around 1995... Not as recently as I thought for sure...

The reason I was insistent upon the skier start issue was my family was burned on that one.... my father owned property on a Kingston lake and the first thing he got nailed for was starting a skier from the beach 150' rule violation... now of course that was back in the 60's times change and so do rules... now ever since then my family has just stuck with deep water starts.

Never the less looking at how laws change and get revised is an important thing.

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by LIforrelaxin

The reason I was insistent upon the skier start issue was my family was burned on that one.... my father owned property on a Kingston lake and the first thing he got nailed for was starting a skier from the beach 150' rule violation... now of course that was back in the 60's times change and so do rules... now ever since then my family has just stuck with deep water starts.
.

We have been beach/dock starting skiing for almost 50 years.Never heard of not being able to.I might be mistaken but I thought the 150 ft rule has only been in place since the 90's.