A person who operates a vessel on the waters of this Township,
without due caution and circumspection, in a manner that endangers,
or is likely to endanger, a person or property shall be guilty of
careless operation. Careless operation shall include, but need not
be limited to, the loading of a vessel beyond the maximum capacity
stated on the United States Coast Guard capacity label or the capacity
label of the manufacturer affixed to the vessel.
A person who disregards the rights of safety of others and operates
a vessel on the waters of this Township in a manner which unnecessarily
interferes with the free and proper use of any waters, or which unnecessarily
creates a risk of damage or injury to other craft therein, or to person
or property, shall be guilty of reckless operation of a vessel.
The speed of power vessels shall at all times be regulated so
as to avoid danger or injury to all manner of crafts whether floating,
moored anchored or underway, or to piers, wharfs, bulkheads, draw
spans or other waterfront construction either directly or by the effect
of the wash or wave raised by such power vessels through its speed
or otherwise.
A. No person shall operate a power vessel or allow a power vessel to
be operated in a manner where the speed and/or wake of the power vessel
may cause danger or injury to life or limb or damage to property.
B. All power vessels shall reduce their speed to slow speed/no wake
when passing:
(1) Any marina, pier, dock, wharf or abutment at a distance of 200 feet;
(2) Work barges or work floats while actually engaged in construction;
(4) Through lagoons, canals and confined areas of less than 200 feet
in width;
(5) Vessels not under command; or
(6) Emergency vessels displaying sequential flashing or rotating blue
lights.
C. "Slow speed/no wake" as used in this section means the speed at which
a power 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.
D. All power vessels, when moving through an area not specified in Subsection
B above that has been designated as a "slow speed/no wake" area by the State Police or Township of Barnegat, either by buoys or by signs stating "Slow Speed" and/or "No Wake" shall reduce their speed to slow speed/no wake.
E. A slow speed/no wake area is any area defined in Subsection
B above and any area within 200 feet of a State Police authorized or Township of Barnegat slow speed/no wake sign or buoy.
F. No person shall place, anchor, or construct any buoy that states or implies that an area is a slow speed/no wake area pursuant to Subsections
A through
E above. The State Police may remove or have removed any such unauthorized buoy.
No person shall anchor or cause to be anchored, tie or cause
to be tied any power vessel, rowboat, sailboat, canoe, or any other
vessel to or within a radius of 50 feet of any light, beacon, buoy,
or any other aid to navigation, except in an emergency. This section
shall not apply to vessels operated by the state or federal government
for the maintenance, replacement or survey of navigation aids.
Any violation of this article or of any regulation promulgated
thereunder shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed $150.