[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the
Town of Thompson 5-7-1996 by L.L.
No. 4-1996 (Ch. 103 of the 2003 Code). Amendments
noted where applicable.]
As used in this chapter, the following terms
have the definitions hereinafter given them:
Any motorized craft, sat or stood upon, such as Jet Skis®, WaveRunners® and Sea-Doos®, with the capability
to transport one or more individuals across water at a high rate of
speed.
Any body of water, including but not limited to lakes, ponds,
streams, rivers or brooks, which shall be wholly located within the
boundaries of or adjoin the Town of Thompson.
Anything with a rider (water skis, surfboards, knee boards,
wake boards, discs, tubes or hydrofoils) being towed behind a powered
vessel by means of a tow rope or towline, except another vessel.
A.
Waterskiing.
(1)
All operators of power vessels towing ski or aquaplane
riders must:
(2)
No waterskiing or aquaplaning shall be permitted after
sunset or before sunrise or during times of restricted visibility.
(3)
All skiers shall wear a United States Coast Guard
approved Type I, II, III or V Hybrid Personal Flotation Device.
B.
Personal watercraft.
(1)
All operators of personal watercraft shall:
(a)
Not operate said apparatus in such a manner
so as to become airborne or completely leave the water while crossing
the wake of another vessel (wake-jumping).
(b)
Not operate at a speed which is unreasonable
or unsafe nor in a manner which is unreasonable or unsafe (at all
times reasonable and prudent) nor in a manner which is unreasonable
or hazardous to public safety with due regard to visibility, traffic
density, state of wind, water and current, proximity of other craft,
operators and water users and proximity of navigational hazards.
(c)
Not tow any water-skier, raft or other nonmotorized
vehicle, unless the personal watercraft accommodates an observer/spotter
to be on board and one is present.
(d)
Except when leaving or arriving at a docking
area or pier, keep at least 100 feet from any marina, bridge, structure,
dock, raft, float or other vessels; however, personal watercraft may
travel together in a safe and reasonable fashion.
(e)
Keep at least 300 feet from swimmers or public
and private beaches.
(f)
On leaving or arriving at a marina, private
dock or shoreline, within 100 feet thereof, operate the personal watercraft
at a speed no greater than five miles per hour, without creating a
wake, in a line which is perpendicular to the destination when arriving
and from the point of departure when leaving.
(2)
No personal watercraft operation shall be allowed
after sunset or before sunrise or during times of restricted visibility.
(3)
All operators of personal watercraft shall wear a
United States Coast Guard approved Type I, II, III or V Hybrid Personal
Flotation Device.
(4)
Each personal watercraft must be operated in the manner
for which it was designed.
C.
Operation of any watercraft. No person shall operate
or permit another to operate:
(1)
Any watercraft while under the influence of an intoxicating
liquor, a narcotic, hallucinogenic or habit-producing drug or with
a blood alcohol concentration exceeding state motor vehicle law standards.
(2)
Any watercraft at a speed so that it cannot take proper
and effective action to avoid collision and be stopped within a distance
appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions.
(3)
Any watercraft transporting or containing on board
any narcotic, hallucinogenic or illegal drug.
No person shall operate any boat or personal
watercraft propelled by an engine burning any fuel used in an internal-combustion
engine upon waters within or bounding the Town of Thompson without
having the exhaust of said engine or motor muffled by a muffler system
designed by its manufacturer or its equivalent.
No person shall launch, beach or moor any boat
within or bounding the Town of Thompson, except at such place or places
as may have been designated for those purposes.
A.
All personal watercraft owned by personal watercraft
rental businesses shall be marked by the owner thereof with an easily
visible number or color, as directed by the Town of Thompson, which
marking shall identify the owner of the rental business which owns
such personal watercraft.
B.
No personal watercraft shall be rented to a person
who is less than 16 years of age unless such would-be renter is accompanied
by a parent or legal guardian. The owner of such rental business shall
obtain identification from the would-be renter in the form of a driver's
license or other alternate form of identification containing the name
and address of the would-be renter. The license or alternate form
of identification shall be held as a deposit by the owner of the rental
business until the return of the personal watercraft to the owner.
Each owner of such rental business shall maintain a daily log of all
rentals made by the rental business.
C.
Personal watercraft shall not be rented between the
hours of 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m.
D.
The owner of each rental business shall instruct his
renters in the safe, prudent and legal operation of the personal watercraft
and the manner in which it is to be operated in accordance with manufacturer's
instructions and design. Failure to so instruct each renter of said
requirements shall subject the owner of a rental business failing
to instruct such renter to a violation of this chapter.
E.
Each rental business owner shall have a patrol boat
available at all times.
F.
The owner of each rental business shall obtain the
signed consent of the parent or legal guardian of any operator of
the age of 16 or 17 which assumes responsibility for the conduct of
such operator in the use of the personal watercraft.
In the interests of the public health, the prevention
of disease, the elimination of pollution and the exclusion of contamination
of the water and in order to protect and safeguard the sanitation
of bathing as well as the general health of the citizens, residents
and visitors of the Town of Thompson, no person shall dump or discard
garbage, food, waste, offal or any other waste, refuse or sewage materials
into any of said waters.[1]
The Town Board of the Town of Thompson reserves
the right to adopt rules and regulations governing the operation of
waterways within the Town as may be deemed necessary from time to
time.[1]
