Section 8 – TENNESSEE TENNESSEE Supplement to America’s Boating Course

Section 8 - TENNESSEE TENNESSEE Supplement to America’s Boating Course BOATING LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 1

Tennessee Regulations TWRA – Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Region Region Region Region 1 2 3 4 – – – – West Tennessee Middle Tennessee Cumberland Plateau East Tennessee http://www.tn.gov/twra/topic/regulations-and-safetyconcerns Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 2

Tennessee Regulations Federal Law sets Rules to avoid collisions and establishes minimum safety equipment requirements. State Laws set: Operator qualifications License requirements Life Jacket wear Additional required equipment Speed and Time of day restrictions Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 3

Life Jacket Requirements USCG Approved PFD Required (Personal Flotation Device Life Jacket) Must B e Legib le One for each person Correct size - fit Serviceable Readily available Children Must Wear Life Jackets: While underway on a recreational vessel on any Tennessee waters, a Children must wear child under 13 years old must wear a USCG–approved life jacket unless ! the child is below deck or in an enclosed cabin. Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 4

Life Jackets Tennessee law requires a life jacket for each person on board. Also one throwable flotation aid on vessels 16 feet or longer except canoes or kayaks. Life jackets must be USCG approved, worn or readily available, correct size, serviceable, and appropriate for the boating activity. A USCG-approved life jacket must be worn by each person on board vessels being operated within specifically marked areas below dams. Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 5

Inflatable Life Jackets Inflatable PFDs ZERO buoyancy unless inflated Inflated manually or automatically Requires regular maintenance Not to be for: may not be used for – Tennessee law:used Inflatables Weak or non-swimmers Persons on Personal Water Craft (PWC) Children under 16 or under 80 lbs Persons towed behind a vessel Water Impact Sports; under clothing Persons age or younger Come for16 theyears boatingofeducation Stay for the friends 6

Sound Producers Bell Tennessee law –39.4 feet long or longer The USCG no longer requires a vessel between 39.4 ft. (12 meters) and 65.6 ft. (20 meters) to carry Whistle and Bell (still required by Tennessee regulations) a bell. States may have additional rules. If less than 39.4 feet means to make anforefficient Come some for the boating education Stay the friendssound signal 7

Navigation Light Patterns “Tug Towing” DANGER Towline may not be visible – day or night Learn about Towboats on Western Rivers. They are different and are Tug with tow less than 650 ft. long not covered in this course. Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 8

Registering Your Vessel Registration Certificate must be on board Validation decals properly displayed Exceptions to Tennessee registration are: Vessels propelled only by paddles or oars Vessels registered in other states and Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 9

Boat Registration All vessels: Registered with Tennessee must have: Registration numbers on the vessel and U.S. CoastRequired Guard Documented Vessels must be registered in paperwork onboard Tennessee and carry the required paperwork on board. They are not required to display the registration number. Tennessee registration can be for one, two, or three years at the owner’s discretion Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 10

USCG Standards Capacity label by manufacturer Required under 20 feet Combined persons, motor & gear – enforced as federal requirement Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 11

Pollutant Disposal Laws Sewage: illegal to discharge raw sewage; black water in inland waters. If equipped with installed head (marine sanitation device) discharge ONLY into approved pump-out stations Beware of no discharge zones for treated waste The discharge and no discharge reservoirs are listed on the TWRA website Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 12

Pollutant Disposal Laws Trash: prescribed by International Marine Pollution Regulations. None in Tennessee waters. Oil Products: Prevention of spilling or otherwise discharge of oil and gasoline products is required. Oil waste must be taken ashore to proper disposal sites. Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 13

International Regulation Applies to all inland water – no garbage, sewage or oil products! Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 14

Who May Operate -- Tennessee Persons who are required to have successfully completed the examination administered by TWRA are those born after January 1, 1989. They must carry their TWRA Boater Safety Education Certificate on board and They must make it available upon request by an enforcement officer. Note: There is no Tennessee requirement to renew boater education certificates. They do not expire. Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 15

Who May Operate -- Tennessee Operate a motorized vessel 8.5 horsepower or less and sailboats Tennessee residents are not required to possess the Boating Safety Education Certificate. Operate a motorized horsepower Vessel over 8.5 Those less than 12 must be accompanied by an adult at least 18 years old and if the adult was born after 1/1/89, then he/she must have a Boating Safety Education Certificate education (same for persons 12 or older) Those 12 or older operating alone must have a Boating Come for the boating education issued Stay for by the friends Safety Education Certificate TWRA. 16

Tennessee Law Enforcement TWRA enforces Tennessee’s boating laws. (A U.S. Coast Guard presence may be seen on navigable waterways) May stop and inspect a vessel operated, moored or being launched May board a vessel in the course of an inspection You must bring your vessel to a stop after being signaled to do so Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 17

Tennessee Speed & Distance Laws It is illegal in Tennessee to -Operate at an excessive rate of speed in crowded or dangerous areas or during periods of restricted visibility. Operate within 300 feet of a commercial vessel dock at greater than “idle speed” Operate at greater than “slow, no wake speed” in any areas marked as “No Wake”. Jump the wake of another vessel within 100 feet of that Come for the boating education Stay for the friends vessel. 18

Additional Equipment Beyond Federally required equipment – Mooring lines Anchor and rode Fathometer GPS First Aid Kit Manual back-up bailer Spare fuses / light bulbs Whistle and light on each life jacket Marine VHF radio Charts and magnetic compass Fenders Alternate propulsion (oar / paddle) Search and flash lights Binoculars Spare, fully charged battery Jumper cables Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 19

Alcohol & Drugs Tennessee law prohibits anyone from boating --Under the influence of alcohol or other drug or a combination of such substances or With a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or more or With any amount of a controlled Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 20

Implied Consent By operating a vessel on Tennessee waters, you have given “implied consent” to alcohol testing (“sobriety” testing). Refusal to be tested is a separate offense and may result in loss of operating privileges for up to six months. Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 21

PWC’s in Tennessee Each person must wear a USCG Approved PFD. Inflatable PFDs are not approved for use on PWCs. PWCs may not be operated between sunset and sunrise. A lanyard-type ignition safety switch must be attached to the wrist or life jacket of the operator whenever the PWC is running and in use. You Come must 16 years of age orthe older for be the boating education Stay for friendsto rent a 22

Towing Skiers In Tennessee Must have observer at least 12 years old in addition to operator, or the required number of wide-angle rearview mirrors. Persons being towed must wear PFD (not inflatable) Boats and PWCs may tow skiers between sunrise and sunset. Vessel must have capacity to bring skier on Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 23

Boating Accidents and Casualties Anyone involved in a boating accident must stop the vessel immediately at the scene of the accident and Assist anyone injured or in danger from the accident, unless doing so would seriously endanger own vessel or passengers . Every vessel operator involved in a reportable accident must notify TWRA immediately Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 24

Tennessee Accident Reporting Must file a written accident report : Within 48 hours if a person dies or disappears or if someone is injured requiring medical treatment beyond first aid Within 10 days if damage exceeds 2,000. Failure t o report a boatin acciden g t is a cri m offense and may inal r prosecu tion by t esult in he TWR A. Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 25

Charts & Maps Both show scaled representations of earth Maps cover terrestrial areas Charts cover water areas Charts show Underwater features Features for boaters Charts of local waters are required for safety Come for the boating education Stay for the friends 26