Why did 150 ft rule come into being?

[lawn psycho]

So does anyone have the history of the 150 rule and how it got on the books? Was it the result of an accident or collision? Was is based on complaints of wakes unto shore?

I'm interested in hearing from those around when it was enacted as to why it was proposed?

Lastly, how was the 150 ft distance decided as the appropriate number?

[jrc]

lots of states have minimum spacing requirements, I've heard of 50' and 200'.

Our law has been in place since at least the early 80's when Dad taught be to drive his boat.

[lawn psycho]

Many states have required distances from shore. I think it's more uncommon to require two passing boats to slow to a crawl within 150 ft. Most other lakes I've been on have no such a law.

I'm just curious why NH adopted it given the "Live Free of Die" mantra. Something had to be the catalyst for the law being put on the books and I was wondering the details.

Who wrote and sponsored the bill? Were there debates or did it pass with no fan-fare, etc?

I'm not looking to debate the 150 rule, just curious about how it was adopted and if boaters were divided about it.

[Jonas Pilot]

Maybe they were politer back then and thought with a lake that is 44,586 acres big that there was no reason to crowd each other.

[NoBozo]

I'll bet Skip or Rusty knows. NB

[XCR-700]

Having spent many of my almost 50 years of boating on rivers and navigating inlets where you can almost jump in a passing boat, I too am interested to hear the history of this particular rule.

And like you, just interested in the facts, as I have no desire to know how much better it has been with the rule (or not) or start any new (and surly futile) debate about the matter.

So anyone can offer up the unadulterated version of how this came to be I'll tip my hat to them.

[Rattlesnake Guy]

I think it's because tow lines are 75 feet long. 150 feet keeps the two from colliding. In theory anyway.

[NHBUOY]

...makes sense & works for me...

[Knomad]

In my opinion there are a couple of factors that helped determine the 150 ft rule.

Reaction time:
A boat traveling at 20 MPH will cover 1760 ft in one minute, leaving only 5.1 sec to avoid an object or person 150 ft away. A boat traveling 6 MPH has 17 sec to avoid an object or person 150 ft away.

Damage due to wake:
You are responsible for any damage caused by your wake. However, since different boats produce different size wakes at different speeds, I don't know how anyone could say that 150' or any other distance is the point where the wake would not cause damage.

[lawn psycho]

OK we need some old timers to chime in. Who, what, and why was involved with the 150 ft rule coming into place?

[thebix]

I seem to recall that in the 80's the rule was 75 feet, not 150. That was back when I first build my camp on Rattlesnake. I was out of the state in the starting in the 90's and don't know when it was upped to 150'.

[Flyfisha]

I worked for Marine Patrol (We were called Boat Inspectors back then) in the late 70's. It was 150' at that time. Interestingly enough the way we explained it back then was two lengths of a water ski rope!!

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Flyfisha

I worked for Marine Patrol (We were called Boat Inspectors back then) in the late 70's. It was 150' at that time. Interestingly enough the way we explained it back then was two lengths of a water ski rope!!

That actually makes good sense!

Thanks!

Dan

[tis]

Originally Posted by XCR-700

Having spent many of my almost 50 years of boating on rivers and navigating inlets where you can almost jump in a passing boat, I too am interested to hear the history of this particular rule.

And like you, just interested in the facts, as I have no desire to know how much better it has been with the rule (or not) or start any new (and surly futile) debate about the matter.

So anyone can offer up the unadulterated version of how this came to be I'll tip my hat to them.

Me too! I can't remember a thing about it being started. All I can remember is someone being stopped for something which we had never even heard of, the 150' rule. It seems to me that was in the mid 80s. Then it seemed they were stopping people left and right for that violation. It seems they get on a kick for a while and that is the "in" thing to be stopped for. The next year or two it might be something else. Just like the loud boats. They never stopped anyone for that and then all of a sudden that was THE thing to be stopped for. I don't know why that is. Maybe someone who was a former MP officer can tell us if you have meetings and they tell you to watch for a certain thing-or what…..

[NHBUOY]

...good, truthful, observation Tis...

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Flyfisha

I worked for Marine Patrol (We were called Boat Inspectors back then) in the late 70's. It was 150' at that time. Interestingly enough the way we explained it back then was two lengths of a water ski rope!!

That is a sensible regulation.

With its hull, canvas, and spray, ski-boats approaching one another can hide a skier's view of the other skier.

[Cobalt 25]

I distinctly remember the result of the rule. For years I would either stand or sit on the dock to start slalom skiing. Once the rule came into play that was the end of that. Deep water starts on one ski was no big deal, but it was a lot cooler from the dock. I'm guessing it was late 70s or early 80s.

Interestingly enough, I tried the same start from the swim platform of another boat (in MA) with terrible results last fall. It wasn't as easy as it used to be! Stubbornly making many failed attempts resulted in months of back pain. Back to deep water starts for me!

When I boat in MA I subconsciously observe the 150' rule. It has become ingrained, and it makes sense.

Peter

[Skip]

Originally Posted by Cobalt 25

...I distinctly remember the result of the rule. For years I would either stand or sit on the dock to start slalom skiing. Once the rule came into play that was the end of that. Deep water starts on one ski was no big deal, but it was a lot cooler from the dock. I'm guessing it was late 70s or early 80s...

As long as you use due care, the 150' rule does not prevent you from skiing from a dock, pier or the shore:


270-D:2 General Rules for Vessels Operating on Water. –

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.

[tis]

Originally Posted by Skip

As long as you use due care, the 150' rule does not prevent you from skiing from a dock, pier or the shore:


270-D:2 General Rules for Vessels Operating on Water. –

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.

Cobalt is right though, I think. For years most of us didn't do a beach or dock start because of that. The first time I heard it was still legal was when one of the first boating classes was held at WCYC and the instructor said it was ok.

[XCR-700]

Originally Posted by Cobalt 25

I distinctly remember the result of the rule. For years I would either stand or sit on the dock to start slalom skiing. Once the rule came into play that was the end of that. Deep water starts on one ski was no big deal, but it was a lot cooler from the dock. I'm guessing it was late 70s or early 80s.

Interestingly enough, I tried the same start from the swim platform of another boat (in MA) with terrible results last fall. It wasn't as easy as it used to be! Stubbornly making many failed attempts resulted in months of back pain. Back to deep water starts for me!

When I boat in MA I subconsciously observe the 150' rule. It has become ingrained, and it makes sense.

Peter

Not if you are boating on the Merrimack River or through the inlet,,,

There are days when you could give the other guy a high-five in passing,,,



Note the trio of powerboats next to the sailboat and the jetty,,, I'll bet all 5 items are less than 150' apart and the powerboats are clearly running at cruising speed.

Not debating the pros and cons, just showing that 150' rule is clearly not practiced in many places.

[Skip]

Originally Posted by XCR-700

Not if you are boating on the Merrimack River or through the inlet,,,

There are days when you could give the other guy a high-five in passing,,,



Note the trio of powerboats next to the sailboat and the jetty,,, I'll bet all 5 items are less than 150' apart and the powerboats are clearly running at cruising speed.

Not debating the pros and cons, just showing that 150' rule is clearly not practiced in many places.

I grew up boating along the seacoast here in NH, and the 150' law does not pertain here from Newington out into the Atlantic. On the weekends it can get a bit hairy but it is what it is, and everyone down here handles it as well as possible. But on a busy Saturday afternoon, especially in the area of PNSY, it ain't for the faint of heart!

the exemption:

(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.

[Jonas Pilot]

Hey Skip, Could you explain that a little more?

[Skip]

Originally Posted by Jonas Pilot

Hey Skip, Could you explain that a little more?

Sure....

On the Piscataqua River from an area near the General Sullivan Bridges out to the mouth of the river at Portsmouth Harbor there is no 150' rule between vessels as long as you are in the deepwater channel.

[jrc]

I did 5 minutes of Bing searching and found that LP is right, a few states have "distance from shore" speed limts, I could not find a "distance from other boats" rule.

That said, I think the rule is much more good than bad. The good is obvious, the bad is only in a few spots. Places like the six pack that would probably be just as safe if two boats could pass on plane.

One thing that is kind of funny is leaving the Weirs channel. If you're leaving the channel moving at headway speed and another boat is 100 feet behind you moving at the same speed, you can never speed up. The MP could write tickets all day following people out of the channel

[Onshore]

I can't necessarily answer why but perhaps this will help someone else track the answer down. Chapter 171 (HB 716) of NH laws of the 1990 session took many of the standards then established as Dept of Safety rules and codified them into new sections RSA 270-D:1 - 270-D:9. Among them was the 150 ft rule. New question is why did the Dept of Safety make the rule that would later become law.

[VtSteve]

I think the vast majority of boaters couldn't closely approximate 150' if there was a reward for doing so. but 50 yards isn't really that far, and I still think many that get worried, are actually further away than they think they are.

Our rule is 200', and not really that hard to do in open waters. The trickier times are when several boats leave a bay headed for an outlet. Generally speaking, the CG and police boats will stay in the lane along with the other boats, typically 50' to 100' or so. Speed is generally dictated by keeping up with the overall flow. Problems usually begin when boats returning don't adhere to the normal flow of boat traffic.

I think the intent of the 150' rule is a good one, and enforcement is usually based on common sense. The boats that roar off from a channel with other boats close are the ones that typically will draw the ire of law enforcement. Last year, a CG boat was to my port, an a 50' Carver between us leaving and inlet. We both took off quickly, and we were boat about 30' when we did so. Our wakes were not going to budge the Carver, but we'd not have much fun doing so with his wake. I waved, the CG dude waved back.

[lawn psycho]

Originally Posted by shore things

I can't necessarily answer why but perhaps this will help someone else track the answer down. Chapter 171 (HB 716) of NH laws of the 1990 session took many of the standards then established as Dept of Safety rules and codified them into new sections RSA 270-D:1 - 270-D:9. Among them was the 150 ft rule. New question is why did the Dept of Safety make the rule that would later become law.

I noticed that and I wondered if the true intent of the law was to have two moving vessels be required to slow to 6 MPH. If you above the section as provided by Skip you will see mention of ensuring safe distance to pass, etc, etc.

When the 150ft paragraph is reached, it appears to reference stationary objects. Having read that section many times I have wondered if it was truly intended for two moving boats who can alter course to be required to slow to 6 MPH. Usually a law is written more clearly but it requires interpretation to reach the 150 ft "safe passage" conclusion.

The fact that you have to concatenate sentences is what's the most troubling to me.

[Jonas Pilot]

Wow, that's the third time I heard that today.

[jrc]

Two moving boats can usually alter their courses slightly so they pass more than 150' apart. Unless of course you are in a narrow spot.

In theory this should work great. If your the only boat around you can stay on plane through the Graveyard, etc. But if there enough boats around that you cannot maintain a safe distance, then everyone needs to slow down. Nothing is perfect but this tries to addresses the problem.

The big problem is people don't know the rule, or pretend they don't.

[lawn psycho]

Originally Posted by jrc

Two moving boats can usually alter their courses slightly so they pass more than 150' apart. Unless of course you are in a narrow spot.

In theory this should work great. If your the only boat around you can stay on plane through the Graveyard, etc. But if there enough boats around that you cannot maintain a safe distance, then everyone needs to slow down. Nothing is perfect but this tries to addresses the problem.

The big problem is people don't know the rule, or pretend they don't.

The only problem I have had with boat wakes is in the Wiers area. It had nothing to do with speed but I had a wave almost swamp me from two cruisers in plow mode. Headway speed may have been the culprit.

I've just learned to steer wide of the fracas if I want to go over to that area.

What some captains need to learn is you don't HAVE to always drive in a straight line and a slight deviation to either port or starboard can give both boats a wide clearance. Some captains just seem unwilling to alter their course even slightly to thin the herd.

I have no problem with the 150 ft rule but I still would like to know how it got on the books. Did it pass with some adminstrative rule or did it get debated in Concord? From what I am reading it seems as if it got on the books with no fan-fare.

[SIKSUKR]

That's the third time I heard that today also.