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Show Number of Legal Changes Noted for Sportsmen Using Utah Waters NEW REQUIREMENTS Recreationists at the 100 or so boating waters in Utah should make note of several changes recently passed by the Legislature Legis-lature and the Utah Board of Parks and Recreation," says Tedd Tuttle, Boating Chief for . the Division of Parks & Recreation. Rec-reation. SAILBOATS After May 10, 1971, all sailboats sail-boats must be registered and numbered in the same manner as motorboats. The sailboat owner should obtain a property tax clearance from a county assessor and submit it, along with acompleted application card and the registration fee of $5.00, to the Division office at 1596 West North Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84116. REGISTRATION REClPROCIT" A defect in the law which seeminly allowed a few devious Utah boaters to register their boats in other states, even though they were used in Utah, has been corrected. The one 90-day consecutive registration reciprocity period per year now applies only to non-resident boat owners who bring their craft into Utah. Should out-of-state boats be in Utah in ec-cess ec-cess of the 90-day consecutive period but less than nine months a Utah registration must be obtained; ob-tained; but the home state number num-ber and registration will con- tinue to be valid also. Those craft which are in Utah more than nine months per year must be registered and numbered in Utah. COLLISION ACCIDENTS In order to help reduce the high number of collision accidents ac-cidents on our waterways, two changes have been made to place more responsibility on the operator op-erator to maintain a safe course with proper lookout. He must not exceed a slow, wakeless speed when his vision in the direction of travel is blocked by forward passengers or anything any-thing else; and he may no longer long-er use a side mirror as a substitute sub-stitute for the required observer ob-server when towing a skier. AIRBOATS All persons aboard airboats must be protected from the propeller by adequate safeguards. safe-guards. PUBLIC BOATING FACILITIES Unless permission has been oltained from the local officer in charge, vehicles must not be parked on public boat ramps or in such a manner as to block access to the launching area; and vessels may not occupy space at any public loading dock in excess of a 15-minute period. SWIMMING Through the years there have been more fatalities in boating waters from swimming than from the much more predominant predom-inant boating activity. This is because these waters have such a variety of hazards compared to the controlled conditions in swimming pools. Therefore, a move to create 'safety zones" on many waters will be undertaken under-taken to separate boaters from swimmers and bring some control con-trol over the conditions. Swimming Swim-ming will not be permitted outside out-side such zones, where established, estab-lished, or in posted no swimming swim-ming areas, boat launching areas, docking or mooring areas, inside harbors, or near spillways or outlets. SCUBA DIVING Scuba diving is another rapidly growingform of recreation recrea-tion in Utah and has several instant and often fatal hazards, 'particularly for the untrained or inexperienced. Responsible diving interests have been instrumental in-strumental in the development of several new requirements which should enhance the safety and enjoyment of this sport. Every diver must hold a valid certificate issued by a scuba diving school accepted by the Division of Parks & Recreation such as, NASDS, NAUI, YMCA and the military services. Each diving party shall display a standard diver's flag and shall dive and surface in close proximity prox-imity to it. No one shall place a diver's flag unless diving activity is in progress in the area designated. No one shall place a diver's flagor engage in diving activity in conjested boating or fishing areas or where such activity would be unduly restricted, and each diver shall wear a serviceable, cartridge inflatable, scuba diver's div-er's safety vest. |