SUMMARY OF MAINE BOATING
LAWS/RULES
All of the following laws and
regulations have either been passed by
the Maine legislature or adopted by the
Commissioner of Inland Fisheries &
Wildlife. The following rules/laws are
intended to be used only as a guide for
boating, and in some cases, the laws and
rules have been summarized. For more
detailed information on any of the
laws/rules contact the Department office
In Augusta.
Definitions
Bow (Fore) - "Bow" means the forward
half of the watercraft.
Airmobile - "Airmobile" means any
vehicle propelled by mechanical power
that is designed to travel upon a
cushion of air on or within 2 feet of
the water or land surface of the earth.
Federal waters - "Federal waters"
means all the waters not internal and
subject to the jurisdiction of the
United States.
Internal Waters - "Internal waters"
means waters under the exclusive
jurisdiction of the State of Maine.
Motorboat - "Motorboat means any
watercraft, including airfoils, equipped
with propulsion machinery of any type,
whether or not the machinery is the
principal source of propulsion, is
permanently or temporarily attached or
is available for propulsion on the
watercraft.
Operate - "Operate", in all its moods
and tenses' when it refers to watercraft
of any type or description, means to use
that watercraft in any manner on the
waters specified, whether or not the
watercraft is under way. The operator"
means the person who is in control or in
charge of a watercraft while it is in
use.
Personal watercraft - "Personal
watercraft" means any motorized
watercraft that is less than 13 feet in
hull length as manufactured, is capable
of exceeding a speed of 20 miles per
hour and has the capacity to carry not
more than the operator and one other
person while in operation. The term
includes, but is not limited to, a jet
ski, wet bike, surf jet, miniature
speedboat and hovercraft. Personal
watercraft also includes motorized
watercraft whose operation is controlled
by a water skier.
Point - "Point" means eleven and
one-quarter degrees of arc.
Stern (Aft) - "Stern" means the rear
half of the watercraft, vessel or boat
as contrasted to the bow which is the
forward half of the boat.
Watercraft - "Watercraft" means any
type of vessel, boat or craft used or
capable of being used as a means of
transportation on water other than a
seaplane.
Waters of this State - "Waters of
this State" means all internal waters
and all federal waters within the
jurisdiction of this State.
Water safety zone - "Water safety
zone" means the area of water within 200
feet of any shoreline, whether the
shoreline of the mainland or of an
island.
WATERCRAFT SPEED REGULATIONS
No person may operate a watercraft at
a speed greater than headway speed while
within the water safety zone or within a
marina or an approved anchorage in
coastal or inland waters except while
actively fishing. For the purposes of
this section, "headway speed" means the
minimum speed necessary to maintain
steerage and control of the watercraft
while the watercraft is moving.
The operator of any watercraft must
operate at a reasonable and prudent
speed for existing conditions and
regulate the speed of a watercraft so as
to avoid danger, injury or unnecessary
inconvenience in any manner to other
watercraft and their occupants, whether
anchored or under way. The operator must
consider the effect of the wash or wave
created by their watercraft to
waterfront piers, floats or other
property or shorelines.
BOATING & ALCOHOL
Any person who operates or attempts
to operate any watercraft while under
the influence of intoxicating liquor or
drugs or a combination of liquor and
drugs; or while having 0.08% or more by
weight of alcohol in that person's blood
is guilty of a criminal violation.
The operator of any watercraft must
complete a blood-alcohol test when
requested to do so by a law enforcement
officer who has probable cause to
believe that the person operated or
attempted to operate a watercraft while
under the influence of intoxicating
liquor; or when the person was the
operator of a watercraft involved in a
watercraft accident which results in the
death of any person.
RECKLESS OPERATION OF A WATERCRAFT
It is illegal to operate any
watercraft, water ski, surfboard or
similar device in such away as to
recklessly create a substantial risk of
serious bodily injury to another person.
UNLAWFULLY PERMITTING OPERATION
It is unlawful for the owner of a
watercraft to negligently permit another
person to operate the watercraft in
violation of law.
OPERATING TO ENDANGER
A person is guilty of operating a
watercraft to endanger if he operates
any watercraft, water ski, surfboard or
similar device so as to endanger any
person or property.
SWIMMING AREA
A motorboat cannot be operated in an
area marked or buoyed for swimming.
BOATING ACCIDENTS
As the operator of a watercraft you
are required by law to file a formal,
written report of any collision,
accident or other casualty or damage to
any watercraft or other property of more
than $300, by the quickest means of
communication, to the nearest available
law enforcement officer:
Within 24 hours of the occurrence if
a person dies, disappears, loses
consciousness, receives medical
treatment, or is disabled for more than
24 hours,
Within 5 days of the occurrence if
the accident involved property damage
only.
Boating accidents include:
