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BOATING SAFETY & YOU  
Laws to Live By  
On Honeoye Lake

Required Equipment For Vessels
 All mechanically propelled vessels must have:  

•  1 PFD Type 1, 11, or 111 for every person on board.  One throwable Type 1V PFD if over 16”.  

•  A whistle or horn capable of producing a 2 second blast which can be heard for 1/2 mile.  

•  A portable B-1 fire extinguisher except on motor boats less than 26’ of open construction.  

•  Carburetor backfire flame arresters must be installed on all mechanically propelled vessels.  

•  Class A boats (less than 16’ and Class 1 boats (16-26’) shall carry a bright white light aft to show all around the horizon and a combined lantern on fore part of vessel showing green on starboard (right) and red on port (left) sides.

•  On Honeoye Lake between sunset and sunrise,  all vessels, whether anchored or adrift, shall display a white light visible all around the horizon for a distance of at least 1 mile.

•  An anchor and sufficient line.

  Pilot Rules

• No person under the age of 18 years  shall operate a mechanically propelled vessel unless the operator is accompanied by a person who is 18 years or older, or the operator is 10  to 18 and has  a safety certificate. 

• When vessels are approaching each other “head to head” it is your duty to keep to your right just like cars. 

• When vessels approach on an angle, yield to the vessel on the right.

• When vessels  are passing another vessel from the rear they must yield the right of way to the vessel being passed. 

• Powered vessels must yield the right-of-way to non-powered vessels.

• Boating while intoxicated, reckless operation of water craft, or discharge of waste into the lake are prohibited.

Noise Level

No pleasure vessel may be operated in such a manner to exceed 90dB(A) when subjected to  a stationary sound test, or exceed 75dB(A) in a moving test.

Speed Limits

No vessel on Honeoye Lake shall be operated at a speed of more than 10 miles per hour from one-half hour after sunset to one-half  hour before sunrise.

  “5 M.P.H. Rule”

ALL VESSELS  or PWCs SHALL NOT EXCEED 5 mph when being operated within 200 feet of the shore line, a dock, pier, rafts, floats, moored or anchored vessels, including fishermen, EXCEPT TO PULL UP OR DROP OFF A WATER SKIER.

Water Skiing/Towing

Any vessel towing a person on water ski(s) or  similar device, I.e. tube, raft, or floating device must have someone 10 years or older, other  then the operator observing the person being towed. 

Water Skiing is prohibited between SUNSET and SUNRISE.

Personal Water Craft  
Laws  

NYS boating laws continue to change and reflect the public’s reactions to personal watercraft. Previously legislation has been passed to require that by 2004, anyone operating a personal watercraft must have completed and passed the boating safety class. The phase in for PWC education is:

Last year an amendment was passed to Section 46 of the Navigation Law. The new law specifically allows a county, city, or village to prohibit personal watercraft and specialty-prop craft on waterways. There are some reasons for the passage of this law. PWC only comprise some 8% of our registered boating population, but last year again were involved in 24% of all accidents. PWC operators can be a nuisance to people on shore. One way to help with that is to play in different areas of the lake, rather than staying in one spot. PWC operators also need to know that is against the law to jump a boat wake close to the other boat, and to drive while under the influence of alcohol. By operating your PWC in a responsible manner, you can help keep Honeoye Lake open for PWCs. 

Each  person riding shall be wearing a Type 1, 11, 111, or V – PFD

No operation from sunset to sunrise

No operation within 500’ of designated swim areas

No reckless or unreasonable operation

No weaving in congested traffic

No jumping another vessel’s wake unreasonably close to the vessel

No “playing chicken” or swerving head-on at the last possible moment

If equipped the lanyard-type cutoff switch shall be always used

Visual distress signals and a sound signaling device shall be aboard