Supplement to Americas Boating Course BOATING LAWS RULES AND REGULATIONS 1 Tennessee Regulations TWRA Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Region 1 West Tennessee Region 2 Middle Tennessee ID: 678179
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Section 8 - TENNESSEE
TENNESSEESupplement to America’s Boating CourseBOATING LAWS, RULESANDREGULATIONS
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Tennessee Regulations
TWRA – Tennessee Wildlife Resources AgencyRegion 1 – West TennesseeRegion 2 – Middle TennesseeRegion 3 – Cumberland PlateauRegion 4 – East Tennesseehttp://www.tn.gov/twra/topic/regulations-and-safety-concerns
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Tennessee Regulations
Federal Law sets Rules to avoid collisions and establishes minimum safety equipment requirements. State Laws set:Operator qualificationsLicense requirementsLife Jacket wearAdditional required equipmentSpeed and Time of day restrictions
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Life Jacket Requirements
One for each personCorrect size - fitServiceableReadily availableChildren must wear4
USCG Approved PFD Required
(
P
ersonal
F
lotation
D
evice = Life Jacket)
Must Be Legible!
Children Must Wear Life Jackets
:
While underway on a recreational vessel on any Tennessee waters, a child under 13 years old must wear a USCG–approved life jacket unless the child is below deck or in an enclosed cabin.Slide5
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.
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A USCG-approved life jacket must be worn by each person on board vessels being operated within specifically marked areas below dams. Slide6
Inflatable Life Jackets
Inflatable PFDsZERO buoyancy unless inflatedInflated manually or automaticallyRequires regular maintenanceNot to be used for:Weak or non-swimmers
Children under 16 or under 80
lbs
Water Impact Sports; under clothing
Tennessee law:
Inflatables may not be used for –
Persons on Personal Water Craft (PWC)
Persons towed behind a vessel
Persons 16 years of age or younger
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Sound Producers
Bell
The USCG no longer requires a vessel between 39.4 ft. (12 meters) and 65.6 ft. (20 meters) to carry a bell. States may have additional rules.
Tennessee law
–39.4 feet long or longer
Whistle
and
Bell
(still required by Tennessee regulations)
If less than 39.4 feet some means to make an efficient sound signal
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Navigation Light Patterns
“Tug Towing”
Tug with tow less than 650 ft. long
DANGER
Towline may not be visible – day or night
Learn about Towboats on Western Rivers. They are different and are
not covered in this course.
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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 using Tennessee waters for 60 days or less.
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Boat Registration
All vessels:Registered with Tennessee must have: Registration numbers on the vessel and Required paperwork onboard
U.S. Coast Guard
Documented Vessels
must
be registered in 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
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USCG Standards
Capacity label by manufacturerRequired under 20 feetCombined persons, motor & gear – enforced as federal requirement
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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 stationsBeware of no discharge zones for treated waste
The discharge and no discharge reservoirs are listed on the TWRA website
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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. 13Slide14
International Regulation
14Applies to all inland water – no garbage, sewage or oil products! Slide15
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.
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Note: There is no Tennessee requirement to renew boater education certificates.
They do not expire.Slide16
Who May Operate -- Tennessee
Operate a motorized vessel 8.5 horsepower or less and sailboatsTennessee residents are not required to possess the Boating Safety Education Certificate. Operate a motorized Vessel over 8.5 horsepower
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 Safety Education Certificate issued by TWRA.
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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 launchedMay board a vessel in the course of an inspectionYou must bring your vessel to a stop after being signaled to do so
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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 vessel.
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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
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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 substance
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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.21Slide22
PWC’s in
TennesseeEach 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 must be 16 years of age or older to rent a PWC.
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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 board
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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
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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 to report a boating accident is a criminal offense and may result in prosecution by the TWRA.
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Charts & Maps
Both show scaled representations of earthMaps cover terrestrial areasCharts cover water areasCharts showUnderwater featuresFeatures for boaters
Charts of local waters are required for safety
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