Personal
watercraft operators are reminded that New
Jersey personal watercraft laws have recently
changed. The law now states that a person
is not permitted to operate a personal watercraft
above minimum headway speed within 100 feet
of buoys or signs that mark the boundaries
of a swimming area, the shoreline, any person
in the water, or residential dwelling units.
Additionally,
personal watercraft are not permitted to
be operated in such a manner so as to make
the vessel completely leave the water or
otherwise become airborne within 100 feet
of another vessel.
Preexisting
laws that remain unaffected by the recent
changes require that personal watercraft
be operated only between sunrise and sunset
and during times of good visibility. Personal
watercraft are not permitted to be operated
within the confines of the Point Pleasant
Canal in Ocean County, or the Cape May Canal
in Cape May County.
Personal
watercraft operators must be at least 16
years of age, and must have a boating safety
certificate in their possession.
Shrewsbury
River Slow Speed/No Wake Area
On January 13, 2010, the New Jersey Boat
Regulation Commission authorized making
the entire width of the Shrewsbury River,
between the Highlands Bridge and buoy 28
(near Gunning Island), a slow speed/no wake
area. This action came at the regularly
scheduled Boat Regulation Commission meeting,
held at the Cecil Norton Recreation Center,
Sea Bright, New Jersey. The action was taken
at the request of local governing bodies
and local citizens.
The
temporary measure states “The area
of the Shrewsbury River from the Highlands
Bridge at Highlands to Buoy No. 28 at Rumson
is designated as a slow speed no wake zone
for all power vessels, except law enforcement
and emergency vessels.” The measure
is temporary. At the end of the boating
season, the Commission must determine if
the rule should be made permanent, if it
should be changed in some manner, or if
it should be rescinded. Prior to the recent
rule change, much of the affected area was
already considered to be a slow speed/no
wake area, either due to the proximity of
area marinas, docks and bridges, or due
to the prior designation of much of the
area as a “temporary” slow speed/no
wake area.
New
Jersey regulations require the operator
of every power vessel to reduce speed to
“slow speed/no wake” when passing
within 200 feet of a marina, pier, dock,
wharf or abutment; when passing work boats
engaged in work related activity; when passing
through bridge openings of 400 feet or less;
when traveling through lagoons, canals and
confined areas less than 200 feet in width;
when passing vessels not under command;
when passing emergency vessels displaying
emergency lights; or when passing vessels
engaged in certain recognized activities
and displaying rotating or sequential flashing
red and yellow lights.
In
addition to the restrictions stated above,
an area may be designated as a “temporary
slow speed/no wake area” based on
factors such as congestion, visibility,
and safety. These areas may be marked with
a slow speed/no wake buoy or sign. All vessels
moving through a slow speed/no wake area
must reduce their speed to “no wake
speed” when operating within the designated
area, or when operating within 200 feet
of a slow speed/no wake buoy or sign.
In
New Jersey, “slow speed/no wake”
is defined as the speed at which a vessel
moves through the water and is able to maintain
minimum headway in relation to the vessel
or structure being passed and producing
the minimum wake possible.
New
Jersey Boat Regulation Commission Schedule
All New Jersey Boat Regulation Commission
meetings are open to the public. The 2010
Boat Regulation Commission meeting schedule
appears below (only the remaining 2010 meetings
are shown). All meetings begin at
10:00AM.
- May
12
Spray Beach Yacht Club
Beach Haven, New Jersey
- July
14
Toms River Yacht Club
Toms River, New Jersey
- September
08
Martin Bloom Community Pavilion
Margate, New Jersey
- November
10
Raritan Yacht Club
Perth Amboy, New Jersey
For
more information on boating safety topics,
please visit the New Jersey State Police
web site at www.njsp.org/maritime.
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