TWRA urges caution on personal watercraft
With the 2003 boating season getting underway, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is urging Personal Watercraft operators to exercise caution while boating.
Statistics from the TWRA show that each year an additional 11,000 boats are being operated on Tennessee waters and the fastest growing category of boats is the personal watercraft, commonly called jet skis.
The National Marine Manufacturers Association estimates that over 190,000 personal watercraft are now sold each year. Personal watercraft are considered by law to be boats, and as such, are covered by all laws pertaining to boats. They must be registered. Operators cannot cause a wake in “No Wake Zones”. A fully charged fire extinguisher must be on board since they have enclosed spaces in the hulls and non-portable gas tanks, and operators must be at least 12 years old.
Laws specific to personal watercraft are:
• Operators and passengers must wear a life jacket at all times.
• Personal watercraft may not be operated between sunset and sunrise.
• They must have a lanyard type engine cut-off attached to the operator unless the machine has a self-circling capability.
• Jumping the wake of another boat is prohibited within 100 feet of the boat.
• A person under the age of 16 may not rent a personal watercraft.
• A personal watercraft must be equipped with a mirror on each side, mounted on the hull, not the steering mechanism, which is at least 2.5 inches high and 4 inches wide, before anyone may be towed on skis, tubes, etc. Mirrors must be present even if there is an observer on board.
A new provision is that boat operators may “wave off” personal watercraft if they feel the operator is creating a hazard. The signal to the operator is an orange flag, at least 12 inches square, exhibited by the boat operator.
It is illegal for the owner or person in charge or control of a personal watercraft to authorize or knowingly permit the use of personal watercraft in violation of the law.
For more information about the laws governing boating, check out the Agency’s website at www.tnwildlife.org.
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BOATERS — CHECK YOUR PFD’S
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) would like to remind boaters to check their personal flotation devices (PFD) on their boats to make sure that they are in good condition before heading for the lake this summer.
Tennessee boating law requires all boats, regardless of size, to carry a wearable PFD for each person on board. The law does not require those over the age of twelve to wear the PFD, except in certain hazardous locations, but statistics show that more than 300 people die annually in accidents involving boats that are 12 to 16 feet in length. Nearly 90 percent of the victims will not be wearing a PFD.
Tennessee boating law requires children ages 12 and under to wear a PFD while a boat is underway. Boats on the water are considered underway except when they are anchored, tied to the bank, or moored at a dock. The law exempts children that are inside living quarters on cruisers or houseboats.
Under the provisions of the law, the operator of the boat has the responsibility to see that children wear their life preserver. It is the boat operator that will be cited for violation of law if children are observed without a life jacket.
PFD’s are inexpensive life insurance. The TWRA recommends that boat owners purchase several extra and store them on board.
Each year, wildlife officers, charged with patrolling the waters of Tennessee, issue citations to boat operators who do not have enough PFD’s on board. A frequently heard excuse is: “We just picked up a few extra friends from another boat,” or “We are taking a couple of people across the lake and we did not have any extra life jackets.” Tossing extra jackets in the boat before you head to the water eliminates that situation and the costly citation that follows.