I was going to bring this up with individuals involved in the incidents but since we have had more than a few in the last week and a half I thought I would send this out as a reminder to the whole boating community on the email list.

We have had a few boating accidents in the marina lately.  These were reported to me . . . but not by the parties involved.  Some of these collisions, although just purely an accident, left damage to someone else’s property.  The marina is always a busy place with many eyes watching.

So here is a reminder of Park rule R651-223-1 which requires notifying a Park Ranger or Park Manager after a boating accident.  The reporting needs to be immediate unless not able to do so for safety reasons.  The notification shall include:

A). the date, time, and location of the occurrence;

B). The assigned number of the vessel(s)

C). The name and address of the owner and operator.

Further, Utah Code 73-18-13.1 states the following:

(2)(a) The operator of a vessel who has reason to believe that the operator may have been involved in an accident resulting in only damage to another vessel or other property shall remain at the scene of the accident until the operator has fulfilled the requirements of Section 73-18-13.

(b) If the operator has reason to believe that the operator may have been involved in an accident resulting in damage to another vessel or other property only after leaving the scene of the accident,  the operator shall immediately comply as nearly as possible with the requirements of Section 73-18-13

(3) A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.

In the previous incidents this month we have notified the owners of boats that were hit.  In the most recent incident we are still notifying the owners.

And please do not forget your navigation lights.  They are required to be on at sunset.  It is not an excuse to be out at sunset if your navigation lights do not work.  Below is a link to the Utah Boating Laws and Rules that discuss navigation lights and also registering and properly displaying your boat registration.

Because we have had problems with navigation lights and the recent collisions Park Rangers will be stepping up patrols on the lake and in the marina.

If you have any questions about these issues please feel free to contact me.  If you are worried your boat is one that may have been hit, please don’t worry if you haven’t heard from me in the next 24 hours.

Thanks
Dave