Rules and Safety
Rules and Safety
Boating Rules
- All motorboats must be equipped with one U.S. Coast Guard approved lifejacket per person and one throwable-type cushion or ring buoy. Motorboats should be equipped with an anchor, fire extinguisher and lights.
- Operate boat at a “Slow – No Wake” speed when your boat, or towed boarder/skier/tuber are within 100 feet of docks, rafts, buoyed swimming areas, moored boats.
- To operate a motorboat powered by 6 horsepower or more, you must be at least 12 years old. Operators 12 to 16 years old must be accompanied by someone older than 16 or have in his possession a boating safety certificate from a State approved course. Oakland County sponsors this type of course. Call 858-4991 for information.
- All boats and personal watercraft (jet skis, wave runners, etc.) must travel in a counter-clockwise direction.
- All motorboats and sailboats over 12 feet in length must be registered with the State of Michigan and display and MC numbers. Operators are required to possess the Certificate of Registration on board during use.
- Motorboats should not exceed a noise/sound rating of 86 decibels and should not exceed 55 MPH.
- If your boat is used after sunset or before sunrise, it must be equipped with workable lights: one white light on the stern, higher than the bow and visible from all directions, and bow lights showing green on starboard (right) and red on port (left).
- Boats cannot come within 100 feet of a scuba diver’s flag (red with white diagonal stripe) at any speed unless tending the divers.
- Motorboats must always give sailboats, sailboards, canoes and rowboats the right-of-way.
- When two boats pass from opposite directions, each boat must pass on the port side of the other. When overtaking/passing another boat, pass on the port side of the other boat. The boat being passed has the right-of-way.
- Do not drive boats between rafts and the shoreline at any speed. Rafts should be placed within 100 feet of shore.
- Failure to adhere to the State of Michigan laws pertaining to the waterways may be punishable by fines and/or imprisonment.