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Unit 4: TX Legal Requirements of Boating (Topic 9 (If less than 65.6 feet…

- - - - Only exceptions are:
        
        sailboat under 14 ft
        
        non motorized vessels such as canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and rubber rafts
        
        vessels registered in other states and using Texas waters for 90 consecutive days or less
    - - must be on board and ready for inspection
      - obtained after paperwork goes through
    - - must be painted, applies as a decal or otherwise affixed to both sides of the bow
      - number must read from left to right on both sides
      - must be in at least three inch high BLOCK letters
      - color must contrast with background
      - letter must be separated from numbers with spaces or hyphens
      - no other numbers may be displayed on either side of the bow
      - decals must be affixed on both sides of the bow, threee inches behind(toward the stern) and in line with the number
      - PWCs are also required to display registration number and validation decal
    - - You must obtain a title for all outboard motors, just as you would for a vessel. Battery-operated trolling motors are an exception.
        A Certificate of Number is valid for two years. You will receive a renewal notice about three months prior to the expiration date. The expiration date is on the certificate and the decals.
        If you have changed your address within those two years, you must call or write Texas Parks and Wildlife Department within 15 days of your change of address in order to get your renewal notice.
      - If you abandon or destroy your vessel, you must report it to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department within 15 days and surrender your Certificate of Number and your title if applicable.
        If you lose or destroy your Certificate of Number, you must complete a “duplicate form” and submit a processing fee to get a replacement.
        To apply for a Certificate of Number and decals for a homemade vessel, you must submit the following, in addition to completed application forms and title fees:
        An affidavit regarding the origin of the vessel and receipts for the materials used in its construction
        Proof of an inspection and certification by a Texas game warden
      - Larger recreational vessels owned by U.S. citizens may (at the option of the owner) be documented by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). Call the USCG at 1-800-799-8362 for more information. Documented vessels also must be registered with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Call Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at 1-800-262-8755 for more information.
    - - Distinguish one vessel from another—the same way that serial numbers distinguish one car from another.
        Are engraved in the fiberglass or on a metal plate permanently attached to the transom.
      - You should write down your HIN and put it in a place separate from your vessel in case warranty problems arise or your vessel is stolen.
    - - The procedure for buying or selling, or otherwise acquiring, a vessel or motor is outlined here. The steps are essentially the same whether the “seller” is a marine dealer or an individual or whether the “buyer” is purchasing a new or pre-owned vessel.
        
        The seller completes the appropriate application form(s).
        
        PWD 143, the blue-striped form, is used to buy or sell a new or used vessel.
        
        PWD 144, the green-striped form, is used to buy or sell an outboard motor.
      - The buyer reviews and signs the form(s), and the seller assigns the title(s) to the buyer (if titles have been issued).
      - This procedure must be completed no later than 20 days from the date of purchase in order to avoid a penalty. The following items are submitted to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
        
        Completed and signed blue and green application forms.
        
        Assigned titles, bill of sale, or proof of registration (supporting documents, Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin (MSO), titles, etc.).
        
        All required state fees and sales tax (listed on back of the forms). Note: Fees are based on the size of your vessel, so be sure you know the length before selling or buying a vessel.
      - TPWD will send the buyer a new title and Certificate of Number in the buyer’s name.
      - Forms 143 and 144 can be obtained:
        On the Internet at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/boat/forms/
        From marine dealers
        From any Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) office.
- - - - Boating in restricted areas that have been clearly marked by buoys or in some other manner.
      - Allowing passengers to ride on the bow, gunwale, transom, seat backs, seats on raised decks, or any other place where there may be a chance of falling overboard.
      - Operating at speeds that are not reasonable and prudent based on boating traffic, weather conditions, visibility, or other potential hazards. If no limits are posted, you should operate a vessel so that it does not endanger others and so that it can be stopped safely.
      - Causing damage to a person or property with a vessel’s wake in posted “No Wake” areas. In these areas, you should operate a vessel slowly so that it does not throw a wake. In addition, you should reduce your speed when passing:
        
        Near a swimming area
        
        close to shoreline
        
        another vessel where people are fishing,water-skiing, diving or anchored
      - Encircling people engaged in water activities. Unless you are retrieving a downed water-skier or person engaged in a similar activity, do not operate a boat or PWC in a circular course around:
        
        any person swimming
        
        any other boat or PWC when the operator or any passenger is fishing, water-skiing, or participating in a similar activity
- - - - First conviction carries a fine of up to $2,000 and/or jail time of up to 180 days.
        Second conviction carries a fine of up to $4,000 and/or jail time of up to one year.
        Third conviction carries a fine of up to $10,000 and/or jail time of 2-10 years.
- - - - Operate any vessel in such a way that it will interfere unnecessarily with the safe navigation of other vessels on the waterway.
        Anchor a vessel in the traveled portion of a river or channel in a way that will prevent or interfere with any other vessel passing through the same area.
        Moor or attach a vessel to a buoy (other than a mooring buoy), beacon, light, or any other navigational aid placed on public waters by proper authorities.
        Move, displace, tamper with, damage, or destroy any navigational aid.
        Obstruct a pier, wharf, boat ramp, or access to any facility.
  - - - Do not approach within 100 yards and slow to minimum speed within 500 yards of any U.S. Naval vessel. If you need to pass within 100 yards of a U.S. Naval vessel for safe passage, you must contact the U.S. Naval vessel or the U.S. Coast Guard escort vessel on VHF-FM channel 16.
        Observe and avoid all security zones. Avoid commercial port operation areas, especially those that involve military, cruise-line, or petroleum facilities.
        Observe and avoid other restricted areas near dams, power plants, etc.
        Do not stop or anchor beneath bridges or in the channel.
- - - - These vests are geared for rough or remote waters where rescue may take awhile. They provide the most buoyancy, are excellent for flotation, and will turn most unconscious persons face up in the water.
      - square shaped with a hole for head.
      - offshore
    - - These vests are good for calm waters when quick assistance or rescue is likely. Type II vests will turn some unconscious wearers face up in the water, but the turning is not as pronounced as with a Type I.
      - square but flappy head top. head hole and black ribbon
      - near shore
    - - These vests or full-sleeved jackets are good for calm waters when quick assistance or rescue is likely. They are not recommended for rough waters since they will not turn most unconscious persons face up. Type III PFDs are used for water sports such as water-skiing. Some Type III PFDs are designed to inflate when you enter the water.
      - flotation aid
    - - These cushions and ring buoys are designed to be thrown to someone in trouble. Since a Type IV PFD is not designed to be worn, it is neither for rough waters nor for persons who are unable to hold onto it.
      - throwable devices (not-wearable)
    - - Special Use Devices
      - These vests, deck suits, hybrid PFDs, and others are designed for specific activities such as windsurfing, kayaking, or water-skiing. Some Type V PFDs are designed to inflate when you enter the water. To be acceptable, Type V PFDs must be worn and used in accordance with their label.
- - - - Type B fires are of flammable liquids like gasoline or oil.
      - Type C fires are electrical fires.
      - Type A fires are of combustible solids like wood.
    - - Inboard engine
      - vessel length of 26 feet or longer
      - closed compartments where portable fuel tanks may be stored
      - Double-bottoms which are not sealed to the hull or which are not completely filled with flotation material
      - Permanently installed fuel tanks
      - Closed storage compartments in which flammable or combustible materials may be stored
      - enclosed living spaces
- - - - All gasoline-powered vessels, constructed in a way that would entrap fumes, must have at least two ventilation ducts fitted with cowls to remove the fumes. At least one exhaust duct must extend from the open atmosphere to the lower bilge. At least one intake duct must extend from a point at least midway to the bilge or below the level of the carburetor air intake.
        
        If your vessel is equipped with a power ventilation system, turn it on for at least four minutes in either of these situations:
        After fueling
        Before starting the engine
        
        If your vessel is not equipped with a power ventilation system (for example, a personal watercraft), open the engine compartment and sniff for gasoline fumes before starting the engine.
      - Vessels built after July 31, 1980, that contain power exhaust blowers in gasoline engine compartments must have the warning sticker placed near the instrument panel.
- - - - Remove aquatic plants from your boat, motor, and trailer. Check all underwater fittings and equipment.
        Dispose of vegetation properly. Empty your bait bucket on land.
        Drain your equipment, including the motor, bilges, live wells, bait buckets, and cooler.
        Rinse your vessel, propeller, trailer, and equipment, using a high-pressure washer if available. Dry everything for at least five days, if possible.
        Failure to comply with the law results in a first-offense Class C misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500. Repeat offenses are Class B misdemeanors, punishable with a fine of up to $2,000 and/or jail time up to 180 days.
  - - - Lift. Stop your vessel. Tilt your motor out of the water.
        Drift. Use the wind to drift to and through dense submerged vegetation.
        Pole. Pole or walk your vessel out of the shallow area or seagrass bed.
        Troll. Use a trolling motor to navigate the shallow waters.
      - In Redfish Bay State Scientific Area, consisting of 30,000 acres of dense submerged vegetation located on the mid-central coast, it is against the law to uproot seagrasses with a propeller.