Marine Patrol to Enforce Shoreline and Navigation Light Violations

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Phantom

This was addressed in another thread earlier this year that I started asking if I could basically be running at night with my under deck (blue) lighting switched on.

After a lot of debate (forum style) I simply directed the question to MP in am email.
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...ad.php?t=17536


The answer to your question is your NOT in violation while at anchor !

The flip side of that is that emphatically you cannot be "underway" with anything other than your require navigation lights on (this includes interior lighting).



.

I had my skirt lights on while at anchor and watching the fireworks display in Wolfeboro bay. Marine Patrol pulled up along side and very nicely informed me that I had to turn them off and they were in fact illegal to use in the state of NH. I specifically asked him if it was illegal even though I was at anchor and not underway. He informed that they are not to be turned on at anytime while in NH waters...

FWIW;

Dan

[Phantom]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

I had my skirt lights on while at anchor and watching the fireworks display in Wolfeboro bay. Marine Patrol pulled up along side and very nicely informed me that I had to turn them off and they were in fact illegal to use in the state of NH. I specifically asked him if it was illegal even though I was at anchor and not underway. He informed that they are not to be turned on at anytime while in NH waters...

FWIW;

Dan

That is a complete contradiction to what was mailed to me...... See below, this is the email I received (less my personal info- name address, etc)

The key phrase here is "while underway"



July 3, 2014

Dear Mr xxxx
I checked with one of our Sergeants before responding to your question. He stated that the law is very clear on this and they do not allow any lights on a boat while it is underway OTHER than the approved navigational lights.


Bruce A. Klinger - Communications Specialist II
New Hampshire State Police - Marine Patrol Bureau

Headquarters - 31 Dock Road Gilford, NH 03249
603-293-2037 Fax @ HQ: 293-0096

Communications – IPOC
110 Smokey Bear Blvd Concord, NH 03301
www.marinepatrol.nh.gov

[Tired of Waiting]

Here is a copy of CHAPTER Saf-C 400 WATERCRAFT SAFETY RULES,

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rule.../saf-c400.html

See red paragraph.



Saf-C 403.15 Lights on all Motorboats.



(a) All motorboats, including boats propelled by outboard motors, shall while under way, carry lights with distances of visibility on clear nights shown as follows:



(1) For class A and I motorboats:



a. A bright white light aft to show all around the horizon; and



b. A combined light on the fore part of the vessel and lower than the white light aft, showing green to starboard and red to port, so fixed as to throw the light from right ahead to 2 points abaft the beam of their respective sides; and



(2) For class II and III motorboats:



a. A bright white light in the fore part of the vessel as near the stem as practicable, so constructed as to show an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 20 points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light 10 points on each side of the vessel, namely, from straight ahead to 2 points abaft the beam on either side;



b. A bright white light aft to show all around the horizon, and higher than the white light forward;



c. On the starboard side, a green light so constructed as to show an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 10 points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light from straight ahead to 2 points abaft the beam on the starboard side;



d. On the port side, a red light so constructed as to show an unbroken light over an arc of the horizon of 10 points of the compass, so fixed as to throw the light from straight ahead to 2 points abaft the beam on the port side; and



e. The side lights shall be fitted with inboard screens of sufficient height and so set as to prevent these lights from being seen across the bow.



(b) Each motorboat shall carry only the combined light or separate side lights as appropriate to its class. Additionally, one white light at the stern so constructed that it shall show an unbroken light over an area of the horizon of 12 points of the compass so fixed as to show the light 6 points from right aft on each side of the vessel.



(c) When propelled by both sail and machinery a motorboat shall carry the lights required by this section for a motorboat propelled by machinery only.



(d) Every white light prescribed by this section shall be of such character as to be visible at a distance of at least 2 miles. Every colored light prescribed by this section shall be of such character as to be visible at a distance of at least one mile. The word "visible" in this paragraph, when applied to lights, means visible on a dark night with clear atmosphere.



(e) Any motorboat may carry and exhibit the lights required by the federal requirements for preventing collisions at sea, 1960, International Rules of the Road, federal act of September 24, 1963, 33 USC 1051-1053, 1061-1094, 77 Stat. 194-210, as amended, in lieu of the lights required by this section.



Hope this helps us all


ToW