§ 921.01-1. Vessel and operations on waterways.

(A)

In all waterways of the city except Griggs, O'Shaughnessy and Hoover Reservoirs and the downtown Scioto River Pool or as otherwise authorized by this chapter, no person shall operate any vessel of:

(1)

Less than eight (8) feet or more than twenty-two (22) feet in length or;

(2)

Less than thirty-six (36) inches in beam or;

(3)

Less than fifty (50) pounds in weight;

(4)

More than ten (10) horsepower.

(B)

Canoes, kayaks, rowing shells, pedal boats and inflatable watercraft bearing a Hull Identification Number (HIN) recognized by the United States Coast Guard as vessels and watercraft are permitted and specifically exempted from the length, beam and weight requirements.

(C)

No watercraft shall operate beyond the safety cable at those dams where safety cables have been installed. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, in those areas where there are no safety cables, no vessel shall operate within one hundred (100) feet of the upriver or downriver side of any dam. This section shall not prohibit the launching or loading of a vessel in designated areas as provided for in Section 921.01-15.

(D)

Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, no person shall operate any motorized vessel on any waterways of the city at a speed exceeding idle speed within a distance of one hundred (100) feet of the shorelines.

(E)

No person shall swim or wade in any waterways of the city, except as a means of rescue, nor allow a minor, who is in custodial care, to swim or wade. This section shall not prohibit wading for the purpose of fishing.

(F)

Personal watercraft, which are classified by the Coast Guard as small Class A-1 or A-2 vessels and which use, as their primary source of mechanical power, an inboard or outboard motor powering a jet pump, and which are designed to be operated by a person in a sitting, standing, or kneeling position rather than that of the conventional manner of either sitting or standing inside the vessel, are prohibited on all city controlled waterways.

(G)

No person shall operate any motorized vessel on waterways of the city at a speed exceeding ten (10) miles per hour between sunset and sunrise.

(H)

Between the dates of November 30 of each year to April 1 of the following year, all vessels must be removed from all stakes, boat docks, sailboat moorings and waterways. Any vessel found unattended in any waterways of the city or park controlled by the City of Columbus between the dates as specified in this paragraph will be considered abandoned by the owner and will be impounded by a law enforcement officer and will be subject to provisions as set forth elsewhere in this chapter.

(I)

Sailboarding for the purpose of this chapter shall be limited to those sailboats without a rigidly affixed mast and which meet all the other requirements of this chapter.

(J)

No person shall engage or attempt to engage in any sailboard activity without wearing an adequate and effective Coast Guard approved type one, two or three personal floatation device in good and serviceable condition and of appropriate size, or a jacket or harness specifically manufactured for sailboarding, and which provides for positive buoyancy in the water.

(K)

This section shall not be construed or interpreted so as to prevent or prohibit boating on waterways of the city between the dates of November 30 of each year and April 1 of the following year, except in restricted areas, provided that the vessel is not stored on city property and is immediately removed from the waterway after use.

(Ord. 805-05 § 1 (part); Ord. No. 1961-2013, § 1, 9-16-2013)