No Rafting?

[Sachems Cove Dude]

What exactly does "No Rafting" mean?
For example, on the bizer map, its on E4. If rafting means dropping anchor and "chilling out", does that mean you can drop anchor (or anchors) anywhere you want?

Thanks.......
The Confused guy in Sachems Cove

[Boater]

Hey Dude, Since you seem to be new to this forum you may have missed the "Search the Archive" feature. Questions like this are usually easily found within the 50,000 archived messages.

For example, Skip provided the No Rafting regulation in this archived message:




http://www.winnipesaukeeforum.com/archive1.cgi?read=56578

[Sachems Cove Dude]

sorry im not that new I just got a new name..... I just forgot to search lol..good idea

Thanks,
The Dumbstruck guy in Sachems Cove

[Belmont Resident]

Rafting is defined as 2 or more boats tied up.
In a no rafting zone you can have 2 boats tied up providing you have 50' all around you free of other boats. A single boat must have 25' all around it. This is according to the rules.
I've never seen the MP measures distance instead they use their own discretion. I've found if you making an effort then your usually not bothered.
It's to bad they have to have them. From what I've seen boaters still flock to these prime spots.
Posting it no rafting just spreads the boats out more instead of keeping them confined.

[Skip]

Belmont Resident,

You stated "...In a no rafting zone you can have 2 boats tied up providing you have 50' all around you free of other boats. A single boat must have 25' all around it...."

That may seem confusing to some, and an often misinterpreted portion of RSA 270:44 III (a&b).

In a restricted area single boats can anchor as long as they remain a minimum of 25' from each other. If two boats are tied together in a restricted area, any single boats must anchor at least 50' from the rafted boats (the 25' rule not applying in this case).

Skip

[Rattlesnake Gal]

Sometimes searching the archives is like searching for a needle in a haystack. Thousands of unrelated messages can pop up. If the user is still on a slow dial up connection it can be incredibly tedious to search. New information can be gained on certain subjects too. (Not so much on this rafting question.) For example: the questions asked recently about digital cameras would have different answers than that of a year or two ago. The posters could also have other points of view that could be important. My first post asked where we could buy a refrigerator that would deliver to an island. If I had searched island deliveries, I would not have gotten the wonderful input that my refrigerator may just have gotten too cold to operate properly. (We will find out for sure in the spring. We also had slow dial up then too. Excruciating.) There might also have been a new business for delivering to islands. Searching is not always the best answer. Besides, chatting with people on the forum can be a social thing. We all have the love of the lake in common and want to stay connected and make new friends while we are away.
This is just one view regarding searching. I hope this post does not come across wrong. Often things written can be misinterpreted. I am not criticizing anyone here. Just pointing out a different angle. I hope this post is taken in the nature it was intended, helpful and friendly. I mean no disrespect to you or anyone contributing to the forum.
Sincerely,
Rattlesnake Gal

[Aquadeziac]

As I was told by a MP, 2 boats tied up together is not a raft, even in a no-rafting zone. The wording in the Law is "more than two" and "three or more" i.e. 3,4,5,6....

[Skip]

Actually, this is yet another term that can be easily misconstued. As the RSA I attached below indicates, a raft is formed by TWO or more boats, not THREE. The regulations that pertain to restricted areas specifically reference rafts of THREE or more boats. The actual verbiage is posted below....

TITLE XXII
NAVIGATION; HARBORS; COAST SURVEY
CHAPTER 270
SUPERVISION OF NAVIGATION; REGISTRATION OF BOATS AND MOTORS; COMMON CARRIERS BY WATER
Rafting of Boats
Section 270:42

270:42 Definitions. – In this subdivision:

I. "Dinghy' means a boat primarily used as a means of travel to and from, and used only in conjunction with, the owner's principal boat.

II. "Lifeboat' means a boat principally used for rescue purposes and associated with a larger vessel.

III. "Occupied' means that the owner or person in charge of the boat is either on board the boat or in the water within 100 feet of the boat.

IV. "Raft' means any group of 2 or more boats which are stationary upon the waters of a lake or pond and which are congregated together, whether anchored, secured to one another, or adrift, provided that at least one of the boats in the group is occupied, and provided further that lifeboats and dinghies shall not be counted in determining whether a raft exists.

V. "Rafting' means forming or being a member of a raft.

VI. "Single boat' means a boat which is not a member of a raft.
Source. 1983, 314:2, eff. June 18, 1983.

[Lake Fan]

So rafting is defined as "two or more boats" tied together except in a "No Rafting" zone, then it's "three or more boats"? So...two boats can be tied together in a "No Rafting" zone? That does it. I'm going to go read the rules for myself. See you all in Braun Bay!

[Mee'n'Mac]

What we call an NRZ would be better called a RRZ, Rafting Regulated Zone. Or maybe an LRZ, Limited Rafting Zone ...

[The Raftafarian]

Yes it is confusing. You CAN raft in a NO RAFTING ZONE. You just can't make a BIG raft. Skip has provided the RSAs and the government makes it confusing. Two or more boats together are a raft, No Rafting Zones on Winnie prohibit rafts of THREE or more, but only in those specified zones.

Here are some easy explanations with their links from the forum archives (you can check out the threads with them too if you want):

http://www.winnipesaukeeforum.com/archive1.cgi?noframes;read=23615
When is a Raft Not a Raft and Misc..

Posted By: Skipper of the Sea Que (CQ)
Date: Friday, April 27, 2001 at 11:57 p.m.

In Response To: rafting (lake boater)

There was a great thread on this a year or so ago - can't seem to find it in "search" however...

Rafting is TWO or more boats tied together, even if both have their own anchors out and set.

The shallow, sandbar No Rafting Areas are misleadingly labeled. On Lake Winni they are really Restricted Rafting areas. Big difference IMHO between NO rafting and RESTRICTED rafting. In the Braun Bay No Rafting Area, for instance, Rafts of MORE than TWO boats are prohibited. But rafts of only two boats are allowed (in this no rafting area). There are other stipulations in No Rafting areas, such as distance between boats at anchor and: Shore, other boats at anchor and rafts.

There were new signs posted at Braun Bay last season (75' feet from shore) with the anchoring and rafting regulations for that area, at least: 75' from shore; 25' between boats at anchor; 50' between rafts (2 boats together) and any other boat/boats at anchor. Not all boaters observed or were interested in observing those regulations. It can be real hard to comply on a crowded busy summer weekend. Marine Patrol sporadically issued tickets or asked people to move. These specific anchoring requirements may or may not be the same in other specified "no rafting" areas (but most boaters assume they are). Contact Marine Patrol to be sure... Elsewhere, like at public docks, No rafting means exactly that - don't tie up to any other boat.

As a sidebar: I have had several questions over the years for MP and found that not all officers provided the same answer to the same question. I had the privilege of sitting down with the MP Chief who did have the definitive (in my opinion) answers. The "No Rafting" topic was one of our discussions. There is reference to the RSA defining "rafting" in another message elsewhere in this thread.

Happy and safe boating - Maybe see you at Braun Bay (just anchor at least 25 feet from us - or 50' if you are making a raft ).

AL, Skipper of the Sea Que (CQ)

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http://www.winnipesaukeeforum.com/archive1.cgi?noframes;read=46506
Commodore said:Simply, Rafting is TWO or more boats together.
NO RAFTING ZONES are really a mis-label. What they MEAN is Rafting Restricted . The restriction (by statute) is NO MORE than TWO boats rafting together in a no rafting zone.

Treerider said:Wait first you say rafting is two boats together, then you say NO MORE than two boats together, so which is it Commy??

OK, let me try other words. A boat RAFT is two or more boats together. The NO RAFT zones limit RAFT size to NO MORE than TWO boats in a raft. YES, they allow RAFTING in a NO RAFTING ZONE. That's confusing. The restriction is that in No Raft Zones (unless otherwise regulated) you can NOT have a RAFT consisting of THREE or more boats in the raft.

Again, in general, you can make a two boat RAFT in a No Rafting Zone. You can NOT have a Raft with three boats (or more) together in the raft in the NO RAFTING ZONEs. There are other regulations regarding rafts in the No Rafting Zones - like maintaining at least 50 feet between your raft and other boats at anchor (or other rafts).

Sorry if my wording is confusing - I try to keep it simple.

Hope this helps make it clear(er)
The Commodore

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The real problem comes on crowded weekends at, like Braun Bay. More boats come and rafts build and somehow there is no longer 50' between rafts or 25' between single boats at anchor and some rafts are 6 and 7 boats big. Those violators make it tough on all of us.

Raft away mon - The Raftafarian.