As boating season gets underway, the Virginia Beach Police Department released the following reminders on safety and rules for the water.
The Police said recreational boaters and jet skiers are urged to check the mechanical and electrical working conditions of their machines.
All Virginia boaters are required:
- To have completed a boater safety education course, regardless of age.
- To have at least one correctly-seized life preserver for each person on board, and one throwable personal flotation device.
- To have operable fire extinguishing equipment on power vessels, and visual distress signals on all vessels on the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean, with the exception of vessels less than 16 feet.
- To have signals if the boat is 16 feet or larger and is out on the water from sunset to sunrise.
- To have operational navigation lights from sunset to sunrise.
- To have audible signaling devices on boats 39 feet and larger.
Boaters and jet ski operators are prohibited from:
- Operating within 100 feet of sand beaches of the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean from 10 a.m. to sunset between May 1 and Oct. 15. This excludes launching or landing in permitted areas and within 25 yards of a boat displaying a dive flag.
- Anchoring or tethering in a marked channel.
- Obstructing or impeding the passage of a boat within a marked channel.
- Tethering to any channel marker, buoy or bridge.
The Police Department also reminded boaters to be aware of the area’s numerous “no wake” zones, which are marked by signs and/or buoys. These zones require the slowest speed necessary for safe navigation to maintain steerage and headway, according to the safety reminders. A speed greater than necessary is a violation.
Laws for operating a vessel while under the influence of alcohol or drugs are similar to those for operating a motor vehicle on the highways, the police said.
“Do not operate any watercraft after consuming alcohol and or drugs,” the warning said. “Designate a driver- Even On The Water!”
