When a MP officer stops you on the water, they will ask for your drivers license in addition to your registration and boating certificate. Because your boating certificate does not have your picture on it, they are just verifying that the certificate belongs to you.
Unsafe passage, not maintaining a proper speed or distance while operating a vessel, is the most common violation boaters are stopped for on inland waters in NH.
It is not an easy task to determine when operating within 150' of other vessels, docks, swim areas, etc. and need to maintain headway speed.
150' is half the length of a football field
150' is twice the length of a standard tow rope.
If you can read the bow numbers clearly on the other vessel, you are within 150' of that vessel.
It is also difficult to determine if you are doing headway speed. Most speedometers on boats do not accurately read slower speeds.
On I/O and outboard powered vessels and under normal conditions headway speed can be accomplished with the gearshift one notch out of neutral and no additional throttle applied.
Your vessel should maintain itself in the displacement mode (no bow lift).
You should not see any wake behind your vessel.
It is impossible to pass another vessel going in the same direction if you are both doing headway speed.
For many, headway speed is agonizingly slow and have a tendency to give it a “little” more throttle. Though you may still be doing 6 MPH, the bow rises up causing a bigger wake. This is a flag to the MP officer that you are exceeding headway speed.
Remember if you are towing someone behind your vessel, the person being towed is considered part of your vessel and must follow the same rules.
The key phrase in the definition of headway speed is “the slowest speed at which it is still possible to maintain steering”. You may have to adjust the throttle to compensate for current, wind, or the wake of other boats. Try to avoid crossing the wake of another vessel unless you are at least 150' from that vessel.
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