Boating Safety
Links of Interest:
NYS Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation – Boating
2018 NYS Boater’s Guide
Safe Boating Classes
(Classroom and Online)
Town of Fort Ann Local Law:
- Watercraft have a speed limit of 35 miles per hour.
- Direction traveled on the lake is counterclockwise.
*NYS Law for Power Boat Education Requirements*
- Operators born on or after May 1996 must have an approved boating safety certificate and be at least 10 years of age.
- Operators who are younger than 18 years of age who do not have the certificate must be accompanied by a person who is at least 18 years of age that has the certificate or a person not required by law to hold a certificate.
- If born before May 1996, this person is exempted from having to have the certificate in a power boat.
*NYS Law for Personal Watercraft Education Requirements*
- The operator must be a minimum of 14 years of age and have an approved boater safety certificate , or be accompanied on board by someone 18 years of age or older who is a certificate holder.
Other NYS Boating Laws:
- All power boats including electric motors and personal watercraft are to be registered with NYS Dept. of Motor Vehicles (also needed for insurance coverage).
- All watercraft must have a horn or a whistle and required navigation lights.
- Life jackets must be on board for each occupant of any watercraft regardless of age, and children under 12 are required to wear the jacket. A jacket also must be worn by people being towed and all people on a personal watercraft.
- A watercraft towing a skier, tube, or any devise must have a spotter at least 10 years of age on board in addition to the driver.
- Law prohibits speeds in excess of 5 mph within 100 feet of the shore, a float, a dock, or an anchored boat. This includes when a watercraft is engaged in a towing activity.
- Any activity requiring use of power boats at high speed are limited to the hours between sunrise and sunset.
- Watercraft should not be operated in a reckless or negligent manner or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Non-motorized boats have the right of way at all times, but all boaters should always be aware of other watercraft and avoid any unsafe conditions.
- Any boat engaged in fishing has the right of way.
- Scuba divers will have a diver flag indicating their presence. Under no circumstance is a vessel to approach within 100 feet of this flag.
- All watercraft must use the required lights between sunset and sunrise.
- Dumping of any waste, litter, fuel into any lake is unlawful.
Other Best Practices:
- Boats and trailers used in other lakes should be thoroughly cleaned before launching into another lake to avoid transference of harmful plants and marine life. Clean, Drain, Dry
- Never release plants, fish (ie. bait pail), or animals into the lake unless they came from the lake.
- Fishermen should inspect their fish line to prevent transference of any animals such as the spiny water flea.
- Persons swimming more than 100 feet from shore should be accompanied by a watercraft.
- Watercraft should be conscious of potential damage that can be caused by their wakes to shorelines and other boaters