For the purposes of this title, the words and phrases set out in this section shall have the following meanings:
A. "Vessel"
means every watercraft used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on the water, other than seaplanes.
B. "Personal watercraft"
means a vessel of less than 16 feet which uses a motor powering a jet-pump as its primary source of motive power and which is designed to be operated by a person sitting, standing or kneeling on, or being towed behind the vessel, rather than in the conventional manner of sitting or standing inside the vessel.
C. "Sheriff"
means the sheriff of Whatcom County or any duly appointed deputy sheriff of Whatcom County, or designee.
D. "Skin-diving"
means any free swimming by a person who uses an artificial or mechanical means to replace his/her air, including self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, snorkel tube equipment, and free diving gear, but does not include swimmers using supervised public beaches designated as swimming areas.
E. "Diver's flag"
means a red flag five units of measurement on the hoist by six units of measurement on the fly with a white stripe of one unit crossing the red diagonally with the flag having stiffness. This flag shall only pertain to skin- and scuba-diving, and shall supplement any nationally recognized diver's flag or marking.
F. "Skier's down flag"
means a bright red or brilliant orange flag not less than 12 inches square, mounted on a pole not less than two feet in length.
G. "Idling" or "no-wake speed"
means a very slow speed not to exceed five miles per hour, whereby the wake or wash created by the vessel would be minimal.
H. "Person," "he," and "his"
or other words specifying a particular gender include any natural person and, where relevant, a corporation, partnership, joint stock association, or an unincorporated association.
I. "Restricted area"
means an area that is closed to all traffic therein when properly marked and designated for certain purposes such as swimming, skin-diving, ferry landings, aquatic and other special events. The method of markings and designation shall be in accordance with national, state and local standards and shall have been made by the sheriff or other agency having jurisdiction.
J. "Pier"
means any pier, wharf, dock, float or other structure to promote the convenient loading or unloading, or other discharge of vessels, or the repair thereof.
K. "Limb-propelled floatation device"
means any floatation device that lacks steering or propulsion. Watercraft designed for use with oars or a paddle are not included in this definition.
(Ord. 90-83 (part); Ord. 2005-089 Exh. A)