Essential Boating Safety: Fueling, Navigation Rules & Regulations

Essential Boating Safety Checklist

Before Fueling Your Boat:

• Dock boat securely.
• Passengers disembark.
• Check fuel lines and vents.
• Shut off engine.
• Shut off all fuel valves.
• Close windows and doors.
• After fueling, turn on ventilation system for 4 minutes.

Navigation Rules and Guidelines

Right of Way:

• Starboard: Refers to the right side of the boat.
• Power vs. Power: Both vessels keep to the right.
• Power vs. Sail: Power-driven vessel gives way to the sailing vessel.
• Crossing Situations (Power vs. Power): The vessel on the operator's left gives way.
• Overtaking: The vessel overtaking another is the give-way vessel.

Understanding Navigation Lights

• Nighttime: Red light indicates the left side of the vessel.
• Masthead Light: White light on all power-driven vessels.
• Only White Lights Visible: You are overtaking; you are the stand-on vessel.
• Green and White Lights Visible: You are the stand-on vessel.
• Red and White Lights Visible: You must give way.
• Only Red or Green Visible: Indicates a sailboat.

Lateral Markers and Buoys

Lateral markers indicate the edges of safe water areas:

• RED: Red light, even numbers, right side of channel from open waters heading upstream (RED Right Returning).
• GREEN: Green lights, odd numbers, left side.
• Red and Green: Preferred channel. Green on top means the preferred channel is on the right. Red on top means the preferred channel is on the left.
• Red Buoys: Even numbers.
• Green Buoys: Odd numbers.

Regulatory and Informational Markers

• Circle: Speed limit or no wake zone.
• Crossed Diamonds: Exclusion zone, off-limits.
• Diamonds: Indicates dangers such as rocks, shoals, or dams.
• White with Black Vertical Stripes: Obstruction to navigation; do not pass between.

Special Purpose Buoys

• Spar Buoys (Black): On one side of a well-defined channel; go between and companion all red.
• All Red: Other side of a well-defined channel.
• White with Red Top: If heading east or west, go south of this buoy. If heading north or south, go west of this buoy.
• White with Black Top: If heading east or west, go north. If heading north or south, go east of this buoy.

Vessel Registration

Exceptions to vessel registration requirements:

• Sailboats under 12 feet.
• Small non-motorized vessels like canoes.
• Vessels registered in other states using NH waters for 30 or fewer days.
• Sailboats at least 12 ft long but less than 20 ft need to display validation decals only, not numbers.

Hull Identification Number (HIN): A 12-digit number assigned by the manufacturer to vessels built after 1972.

Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs)

Types I, II, III, V. All vessels 16 ft and longer must have a Type IV throwable PFD. Type I PFDs are designed to flip a person face up.

Navigation Lights Requirements

• Less than 65 ft: White, red, and green lights shown from a distance of 2 miles away.
• Less than 39.4 ft: At least 1 mile away.

Sound Signals

• Less than 16 ft: Hand, mouth, or power whistle.
• 16 ft to 26 ft: Same as above, but audible for half a mile.
• 26 ft to 40 ft: Bell and a hand whistle, audible for one mile.

Standard Sound Signals

• Changing Direction: 1 short blast to pass on the left, 2 short blasts to pass on the right, 3 short blasts when backing up.
• Restricted Visibility: 1 prolonged blast at intervals of no more than 2 minutes. Sailboats: 1 prolonged blast with 2 short blasts.
• Warning: 1 long blast when approaching a bend.
• Uncertainty: 5 or more short, fast blasts indicate you don't understand or disagree.

Headway Speed

Slowest speed to maintain steering (approximately 6 mph). It is illegal to operate a boat greater than headway speed within 150 ft of the shoreline or other vessels. Headway speed is also required under bridges.

Homeland Security

Do not approach within 100 yards of naval vessels and slow to a minimum speed within 500 yards.