Four winns SL series, Owner'S Manual

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Owner’s Manual Page 21 Operation - Section A
Figure A2: HIN
In most states, the boat owner is legally responsible for
damages or injuries he or she causes, even if someone
else is operating the boat at the time of the accident.
Common sense dictates that you carry adequate per-
sonal liability and property damage insurance on your
boat, just as you would on an automobile. You should
also protect your investment by insuring your boat
against physical damage or theft.
A - 13 ACCIDENT REPORTING
The operator of the boat is responsible for filing a re
-
port with the appropriate authorities. In general, reports
are necessary for accidents involving loss of life, injury,
or damage over $500. In the case of accidents with
reportable injuries or death, a formal report is required
within 48 hours. If only property damage is involved, a
report must be made within ten days. The 1971 Boat
-
ing Safety Act may impose a $1,000 civil fine for people
who fail to submit a boating accident report.
Ask your insurance agent for more information.
If you see a distress signal, you must assume it is a
real emergency and render assistance immediately.
The master or person in charge of a boat is obligated
by law to provide assistance to any individual in danger
at sea. However, you should not put your boat or crew
in a dangerous situation which exceeds your capabili-
ties or those of your boat. The 1971 Boating Safety Act
grants protection to a Good Samaritan boater offering
good faith assistance, and absolves a boater from any
civil liability arising from assistance given.
A - 14 DISCHARGE OF OIL
The Federal Water Pollution Control Act prohibits
the discharge of oil waste into or upon the navigable
waters of the United States or the waters of the
contiguous zone if such discharge causes a film or
sheen upon or a discoloration of the surface of the
water or causes a sludge or emulsion beneath the
surface of the water. Violators are subject to a
penalty of $5,000.
A - 15 DISPOSAL OF PLASTICS
& OTHER GARBAGE
Plastic refuse dumped in the water can kill fish
and marine wildlife and can foul boat propellers and
cooling water intakes. Other forms of waterborne
garbage can litter our beaches and make people
sick. US Coast Guard and most state regulations
prohibit the dumping of plastic refuse or other
garbage mixed with plastic into the water anywhere,
and restrict the dumping of other forms of garbage
within specified distances from shore.
A - 16 MARPOL TREATY
Boats 26 feet or longer must display a sign stating
the disposal regulations of the Federal Water Pol-
lution Control Act. The US Coast Guard has issued
these regulations to implement Annex V of the Inter
-
national Convention for the Prevention of Pollution
from Ships, 1973, commonly known as Annex V of
the MARPOL (Marine Pollution) Treaty 73/78. They
apply to all US boats wherever they operate (except
waters under the exclusive jurisdiction of a State)
and foreign boats operating in US waters out to and
including the Exclusive Economic Zone (200 miles).
It is important to know these regulations and adhere
to them.
The regulations require US recreational boaters,
if your boat is 26 feet or more in length, to affix one
or more USCG Trash Dumping Restrictions placards
to your boat. The placard warns against the dis-
charge of plastic and other forms of garbage within
the navigable waters of the United States and specify
discharge restrictions beyond the territorial sea.
(The territorial sea generally ends three nautical
miles from the seashore.) In addition, the placard
must contain the warning that a person who violates
these requirements is liable to civil ($25,000) and
criminal (imprisonment) penalties. The placard also