b'B O AT I N G R E G U L AT I O N SRestricted Operating OverloadingDistances and Speed Areas Never overload your boat with passengers or cargo beyond its No person shall operate a vessel or cause a waterskier to passsafe carrying capacity. Capacity labels are required on all vessels within one hundred feet of a flag, buoy or other device, marking theless than 20 feet manufactured after 1972, and are affixed by the location of an underwater swimmer or diver. manufacturer.Connecticutlawforbidsaltering,defacingor No person shall operate a motorboat, excluding aremoving the plate.personal watercraft, at a speed in excess of Slow-No-Wake within 100 feet of shore, or a dock, pier, float orRiding on Decks or Gunwalesanchored or moored vessel, unless taking off or landingWhile underway in a vessel under power, do not ride a waterskier. on the bow, gunwale, transom, or in any position which is No person shall operate a personal watercraft at aobviously dangerous. Riding on or hanging over the bow can speed in excess of Slow-No-Wake within 200 feet ofinterfere with stability and may restrict the operators visibility. shore, or a dock, pier, float or anchored or moored vessel,No operator of a vessel under power shall allow any person unless taking off or landing a waterskier. to be on a decked-over bow of such vessel while underway When within 100 feet of buoys marking a restrictedunless the bow of the vessel is equipped with a handrail that swimming area or boat access area, vessels shall beencompasses the bow, and all persons on the bow are inward operated at Slow-No-Wake. of such handrail. On vessels under power with open bows not Speed Regulations decked-over, no operator shall allow any person to sit or stand Whennolimitsareposted,operatetheboatsoitwillnoton the gunwale at the bow of the vessel while underway. These endanger others. The boat must be able to stop safely within theprovisions shall not apply to persons in or on the bow of vessels clear distance ahead. When passing near marinas, fishing areas,engaged in anchoring, mooring, or docking activities, and when the swimming areas, a vessel at anchor, or similar places, reduce speed.vessel is proceeding at a dead slow speed.Operators are responsible for damage caused by their wakes.In Connecticut, speed is limited by law for certain conditionsDiving and Underwater Operationsand areas. Comply with posted regulatory signs and the regulationsInConnecticut,anyoneinvolvedinunderwaterswimmingor printed within this chapter. diving is required to display a clearly visible red flag with a white Everyvesselmust,undercrowdedconditionsorinreduceddiagonalstripe.Theflagmustbetwo-sided,notlessthan13 visibility, slow down and operate with careful regard for existinginches high and 15 inches long. The white diagonal stripe must circumstances and conditions. Actions such asbe reflectorized if the flag is to be used at night. It is extremely speeding in confined or restricted areas or skiingdangerous and a violation of the law for a diver to surface or swim at prohibited times or in restricted areas can alsomore than 50 feet from this flag. No more than four divers may be construed as reckless or negligent operation. use the same diver flag unless it is displayed from a boat, in which Reckless Operation case the number of divers must be limited to the legal capacity of the boat.Reckless operation is the failure to exerciseThe blue/white ALPHA flag is also used to show underwater thedegreeofcarenecessarytopreventoperations from a vessel in federal waters. It may be used in addition endangering another person or their property. to the states diver down flag. Boaters must not come within 100 feet Hazardous Conditions of the dive flag.Enforcement officers can terminate a voyageIt is illegal to snorkel or SCUBA dive from a state boat launch. and require the operator of the vessel to return toWaterskiing and Parasailingthe nearest mooring if they discover a hazardousIn Connecticut, the definition of water skiing includes the towing conditiononboard.Theoperatormustthenof any person behind a vessel under power whether or not they are correct this condition before proceeding on his or her way. attached by a rope or any other means.This definition includes all towedwatersportsincludingwaterskiing,tubing,wakeboarding, Mooring to Buoys wakesurfing, etc.The only buoys you are permitted to moor to are mooring buoys.Effective October 1, 2015, in order to operate a vessel that is Mooring to a navigation buoy or other aid to navigation or regulatoryengaged in tubing or water skiing you must; (1) be at least 16 years marker is illegal. old; (2) hold a valid U.S. Coast Guard-issued vessel operator license 242022 Connecticut BOATERS GUIDE'