Boaters in Florida have to be on their tows because of the all the rules and regulations they have to comply with.

County sheriff’s deputies, city police, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officers, the brave men and women of the US Coast Guard and many other law officers are patrolling Florida’s coasts and waterways everyday. They will cite and sometimes arrest boaters found to be in violation of state regulations.

Most of these regulations are straight forward and simple to understand. Most boaters know not to boat drunk or operate their boat in reckless manner. Unfortunately there are a few regulations that boaters might be aware of.

For example children who are under six years old must wear lifejackets when they are riding on a moving boat that’s under 26 feet in length. This rule can be confusing because the kids don’t have to wear lifejackets on such a boat when its moored or anchored.

Manatees are a seal like animal that lives in Florida’s coastal waters. Manatees are an endangered species that’s protected by state and federal law. Anything a boater does that disrupts the manatees’ habitat or puts the manatee in danger is a violation of federal law. Disturbing a manatee can be punishable by a $50,000 fine or a year in federal prison. This means that boaters should be on the lookout for posted manatee protection zones and stay out of them.

Boaters who hit a manatee should report the accident to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. If they are outside the Manatee protection zone and not violating the law such boaters won’t face prosecution.

The state and federal governments also make a strong effort to protect sea grasses because manatees and other endangered creatures eat sea grass. This means that boaters should never run through beds of sea grass. Sea grass beds are marked as grs on marine charts. Boaters should try to stay out of sea grass beds because running through them in some areas is a violation of state law.

Another law that boaters must be aware is the requirement to put a muffler on boat engines. All boat engines in Florida must have mufflers to limit noise unless they are used on racing boats involved in an official race. It’s also illegal to have a siren or flashing light similar to those used on police vessels on a private boat in Florida.

There are several other regulations that cover boating in Florida. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has posted a list of them online at: http://myfwc.com/rulesandregs/Rules_Boat.htm