We Get Asked…

Frequently Asked Questions

This list of frequently asked questions is a work in progress. We hope the questions and answers are helpful to you. Please contact us is you have questions that are not answered here. By all means READ THE RULES if you are not sure a behavior is legal or illegal. Everything you do on the water should be done using great care and common sense and always with your life jacket on.

Boating Safety

1. I have registered my boat but I need to put the registration letters and numbers on the hull. Where and how do I do that?

Answer: There are a number of places to find this information. Here is an official Maryland source. The major points are that the numbers must start with MD, be readable from left to right, be at least three inches tall, be contrasting in color to the hull color, and be far enough apart so that the letters may read from a distance. Boaters are frequently stopped for lettering that is not of block style, less than three inches, or that is not contrasting enough.

2.  I wasn’t going that fast. Why did you ask me to slow down?

Answer: Because you were creating a large wake in a no-wake or watch-your-wake zone. You are responsible for your wake and that means responsible for any damage you cause with your wake. The speed limit is important but if you are leaving a wake traveling at the limit you are going too fast. The State of Maryland has placed small white No-Wake buoys  in sensitive areas. Boaters must be particularly conscious of their wakes in these places.

When you leave a damaging wake you are going too fast.

3. Do my children have to wear their life jackets?

Answer: The law in Maryland reads, “Effective June 1, 2001, all children under the age of 7 must wear a United States Coast Guard approved Personal Flotation Device (Life Jacket – Type I, II, III or V) while underway on a recreational vessel under 21 feet in length on Maryland waters. Recreational vessel includes motorboats, sailboats, canoes, kayaks, rowboats and any other device capable of being used for transportation on the water, when the vessel is being used for other than commercial purposes. The life jacket must be the proper size for the child and must be in good and serviceable condition. This requirement does not apply when a vessel is moored or anchored, or when a child is below deck or in an enclosed cabin.

Effective April 1, 2006 an addition to the above law has been made regarding personal flotation devices (PFDs) for children. Under the new law, if a child is less than 4 years of age or weighs under 50 pounds, the child must wear a PFD with specific additional safety features including: a strap that is secured between the child’s legs to fasten together at the front and back of the PFD; an inflatable headrest or high collar to keep the child’s head above the water; and a web handle to ensure the ready accessibility of the child from the water.

Why wouldn’t you want your children not to wear a life jacket regardless of age? When your kids ask why point out the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary. We always have our life jackets on while underway. We want to be safe too.

4. What is bow riding and is it illegal in Maryland?

Answer: Bow riding in Maryland is riding on the bow of a boat or sitting on a seat back and not in the seat of a bow rider style boat. Bow-riding is considered RECKLESS boating behavior.  One large wake could knock a bow rider off the boat washing under the craft. The victim may be maimed or killed by the vessel’s propeller or even drown. Bow-riding carries stiff penalties. It is a zero-tolerance behavior.

5. Can law enforcement really order me back to port if I am in violation of a safety regulation?

Answer: Yes! Maryland law, “When a Natural Resources Police Officer or the Coast Guard observe a boat being operated in an unsafe condition and determines that an especially hazardous condition exists, he or she may direct the operator to take immediate steps to correct the condition, including returning to port.”

Termination for unsafe use may be imposed for, but is not limited to:

• Insufficient number of USCG-approved Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs)
• Lack of adequate fire extinguishers
• Overloading beyond the manufacturer’s recommended safe loading capacity
• Improper display of navigation lights
• Insufficient ventilation requirements for tank and engine spaces
• Leakage of fuel
• Fuel found in bilges
• Improper backfire flame control

PWC Regulations

1. Can you sum up the PWC regulations for me?

Answer: Maryland state law: A person must be at least 16 years of age to operate a personal watercraft (PWC) and carry a certificate of boater safety education if born on or after July 1, 1972. PWCs may not be operated between sunset and sunrise. All persons aboard a PWC must wear a USCG-approved Type I, II or III PFD. All PWCs must be equipped with a self-circling device or a lanyard cutoff switch. The cutoff
switch lanyard must be attached to the operator or the operator’s clothing or PFD. Self-circling devices and cut-off switches must function properly and may not be tampered with.

A PWC may not be used to tow a person on water skis, aquaplanes or other similar devices
unless:

• The PWC has the capacity to carry 3 persons – the operator, a rear facing observer and
the skier; and
• The PWC is specifically designed by the manufacturer for skiing.

On Maryland waters, a PWC may not be operated at a speed in excess of 6 knots within 100 feet of any bridge abutment, shore, wharf, pier, or persons in the water.

On Maryland waters along the Atlantic Ocean, a PWC may not be operated within 300 feet of
surf fishermen or persons in the water.

A PWC may not be operated faster than 6 knots within 100 feet of another vessel. There is an
exception for crossing or overtaking situations as described in the Federal Rules of the Road.

It is illegal to operate above idle speed in water less than 18 inches in depth.

All PWCs registered in Maryland must display a regulations sticker explaining the PWC regulations in clear view of the operator. Negligent operation of a PWC is prohibited. It is unlawful to operate a PWC in the following negligent or reckless ways:

• Jumping or attempting to jump the wake of another vessel within 100 feet of that
vessel.
• Riding backwards and/or standing on the seat of the craft while riding.
• Weaving through and recklessly operating in areas of congestion.
• Speeding in restricted areas, including marinas, no-wake zones, and environmentally
sensitive areas, or operating in a manner that endangers life, limb, or property of any
person, including the operator (i.e., splashing another PWC or swimmers, buzzing piers
and other boaters, etc.).
• Disturbing waterfowl and wildlife.

Fines of up to $500 may be imposed for violating these regulations.

The Auxiliary

1. How do I join?

Answer: Click on the Join link above on the main menu for that information.

America’s Waterway Watch – Security

1. I was asked to move away from the Thomas Johnson Bridge. Why?

Answer: You were probably too close to the bridge or your behavior near the bridge may have attracted attention. People are not suspicious – behavior is suspicious. The Auxiliary is an active Waterway Watch participant. We look for suspicious as well as unsafe behaviors as part of America’s Waterway Watch while on safety patrol.

When you are too close to the bridge or fending off the bridge pilings by hand you are TOO CLOSE to the bridge. The behavior jeopardizes your safety and the safety of others. A collision may damage your vessel AND the bridge!

When you disregard our suggestion to move away from the bridge or away from a navigable area used by others we contact law enforcement so they can deal with you. We hope that every boater will take the same view as these American’s did in the Coast Guard’s Waterway Watch video. Visit America’s Waterway Watch Homepage for more information. When we observe suspicious activity we also reserve the option to contact law enforcement first.

2. Do I really have to remain well away of the LNG dock facility near Cove Point?

Answer: Yes you do. There are private white conical aids to navigation marking the limits of the LNG security zone. You must remain outside of this zone. Vessels entering into this zone may be stopped and boarded by the Coast Guard, the Calvert County Sheriff, or Department of Natural Resources Police. Trespass into this zone is treated very seriously so please remain outside of the area marked by the buoys and well away from any LNG ships.  Dominion security makes periodic broadcasts regarding the security zone first with a general alert broadcast on channel 16 and then a more detailed broadcast on channel 22A.

Vessel Exams

1. Will the Auxiliary give me a ticket if the vessel does not pass an exam?

Answer: No. We give you the helpful advice you need to pass the vessel examination the next time and we will be happy to come back and do it again when you are ready. The Auxiliary has no law enforcement authority. We can remind boaters of the various laws and regulations and request that those laws and regulations be observed.

2. Once I have the examination decal will I still be boarded?

Answer: The Coast Guard or Department of Natural Resources can stop you at any time to check for required safety equipment. The Auxiliary decal is not a guarantee that you will avoid a boarding but law enforcement does look for the current decal.  The presence of the decal does suggest that you are a safety conscious boater.

Vessel Operation

1. Is there an age requirement for operating a PWC in Maryland?

Answer: Yes! Maryland law states, “A person must be 16 years of age or older to operate a PWC legally in Maryland waters. Vessel operators born on or after July 1, 1972 must have a certificate of boating safety education.”