Ohio Safe Boating Course

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Index

CHAPTER 1: The Boat

1.1 BOAT TERMINOLOGY

Specific terms are used to describe the various parts of a boat. Each end and side of the boat, its length and width, and its accessories have specific terms. Every boater should be familiar with the following terms before operating a boat.

1.2 BOAT LENGTHS

Boats are identified in classes by length. Federal and state laws require certain equipment aboard boats, depending on the class or length of the boat.

A boat's length is measured along its centerline from the outside of the bow to the outside of the stern. This measurement does not include any attachments, such as swim platforms or wakeboard towers or outboard engines.

Class A: Less than 16 ft.

Class 1: Between 16 and 26 ft.

Class 2: Between 26 and 40 ft.

Class 3: Between 40 and 65 ft.

1.3 BOAT HULL DESIGNS AND USES

Boat bottoms or "hulls" come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Each hull type is designed to either displace or plane through the water. Sailboats and large cruise ships use displacement hulls because the combination of their size (weight) and power they will not allow them to plane. On the other hand, smaller powerboats are typically built with planing hulls that are designed to rise up and ride on top of the water at higher speeds than displacement hull boats.

1.3.1 HULL TYPES

FLAT BOTTOM

Flat bottom boats are great for fishing. They are generally designed for slow speeds and calm water.

ROUND BOTTOM

Round bottom boats, such as canoes, move smoothly through the water with little effort. Boaters must be cautious when loading, entering and exiting a round bottom boat. Due to the hull design, these boats roll very easily.

DEEP-V HULL

The Deep-V hull is the most common hull type for powerboats. These boats move through rough water at higher speeds and give a smoother ride than flat bottom or round bottom boats. They also require larger engines than flat bottom or round bottom boats.

MULTI-HULL

Multi-hull boats are the most stable of the hull types. These boats require plenty of room to steer and turn. Catamarans and pontoon boats use the multi-hull design.

1.3.2 ENGINE TYPES

OUTBOARD

Outboard engines are mounted on the transom of the boat. The steering of outboards can be controlled by a hand tiller or a steering wheel, which moves the entire engine when steering is adjusted.

In the past outboards were typically two-stroke engines, but manufacturers have since switched to four-stroke engines. Two-stroke engines require oil to be mixed with gasoline to lubricate the engine and four-stroke engines require the oil and gasoline to be separate. Four-stroke engines, in addition to running quieter and smoother, are more environmentally friendly as the exhaust they emit is virtually smokeless compared to two-strokes.

Inboard

Inboard engines are typically four-stroke automotive engines that are modified for use on the water. An inboard engine is mounted inside the hull of the boat and powers the driveshaft, through the boat bottom, which is connected to a propeller. Steering is controlled by a rudder, positioned either directly behind or to the side of the propeller.

Stern Drives

Sterndrives are sometimes called inboard/outboards (I/O) because they have features found on both inboard and outboard engines. Similar to inboards, sterndrives use four-stroke automotive engines that are modified for use on the water. Sterndrive engines are mounted inside the boat through the transom, and power the drive train, which is connected to the propeller. Similar to outboards, the sterndrive moves when the steering wheel is adjusted.

1.4 BOAT CAPACITIES

Be aware of the small-vessel regulations pertaining to engine power and load capacity. Federal law mandates that boats of less than 20 feet in length must have a capacity plate in the steering or helm area. As a boat owner or operator, you should know the recommended gross load capacity that can be safely carried in the hull concerned:

It includes the total weight of persons, equipment, stores, fuel, engine assembly and steering controls.
It is indicated with the "equivalent number of adult persons."
It is indicated on a capacity plate, which, when fitted, is permanently attached to the pleasure craft.

THE CAPACITY PLATE ALSO INDICATES THE "RECOMMENDED SAFE LIMITS OF ENGINE POWER" FOR THE HULL CONCERNED. IT MAY NEVER BE EXCEEDED. THIS CALCULATION IS BASED ON THE RECOMMENDED GROSS LOAD CAPACITY FOR OUTBOARD POWERED BOATS ONLY.

1.4.1 OVERLOADING OR OVER-POWERING

An overloaded boat or over-powered boat can be extremely dangerous. An over-powered boat may cause the stern to sit lower in the water, making the vessel susceptible to being swamped by its own wake or that of a passing boat. Similarly, too much weight in the stern or the bow will make the vessel prone to swamping. Additionally, it is important to spread the load evenly throughout the vessel. Too much weight on either side will make the vessel less stable and more apt to capsize. Take extreme caution in loading your vessel properly.

BEWARE OF BAD WEATHER! TAKE MUCH LIGHTER LOADS IN POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS TO ENSURE BOAT STABILITY.

1.4.2 SAFE LOADING GUIDELINES (FOR SMALL BOATS)

To determine the maximum horsepower capacity for small, flat-bottomed boats, multiply the boat length (ft.) by the transom width (ft.) and compare the resulting value to the following chart:

EXAMPLE
BOAT LENGTH = 12 FT.
BOAT WIDTH = 4FT.
12 FT. X 4 FT. = 48
MAX HP OF 15

LENGTH X WIDTH =	MAX HP
35 FT OR LESS	3
36 - 39 FT	5.5
40 - 42 FT	7.5
43 - 45 FT	10
46 - 52 FT	15

1.4.3 PERSON CAPACITY

Manufacturers take a number of variables into account when determining the maximum person capacity for a boat (which is displayed on the capacity plate). The maximum person capacity is a guideline. Keep in mind that most manufacturers assume an average weight per person of 150 lb. If you have passengers over 150 lb., you should adjust the maximum person capacity accordingly.

1.5 HULL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (HIN)

All pleasure craft manufactured since 1972 are permanently marked with a Hull Identification Number (HIN), which is the 12-character serial number of your vessel. To identify your vessel, HINs are marked at the stern on the starboard (right) side, or as close to that area as possible. You must NOT deface or alter the HIN.

THE HIN INDICATES THE BOAT'S

Manufacturer
Serial number
Month and year of production

Owners of homemade boats, watercraft without a HIN, and watercraft lacking a 12-character HIN, must contact a Watercraft office. An appointment with a watercraft officer may be necessary to inspect the boat and assign a HIN.

Caution must be exercised when buying a boat due to the number of stolen boats. One way to avoid problems is to match the HIN listed on the title to the one attached to the boat. Before purchasing the boat, inspect the HIN to be sure it has not been altered in any way.

1.6 BOAT REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

1.6.1 BOAT REGISTRATION AND NUMBERING

All powered boats must be registered. Some other boats must be registered as well.

FEDERALLY DOCUMENTED VESSELS

Large recreational boats can be federally registered with the U.S. Coast Guard.

RECIPROCITY REGULATIONS

PROOF OF DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

Documentation is a federal registration system administered by the United States Coast Guard. Boats must be at least 5 net tons to be eligible, which is roughly 30 feet or more in length.

No person shall operate a documented vessel unless the certificate of documentation is valid and available for inspection. The vessel must display the official number, the vessel name and home port.

Documented vessels must be registered in Ohio and display two Ohio tags, but they are not assigned an Ohio number.

1.6.2 OHIO REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS

OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, DIVISION OF WATERCRAFT
The Ohio DNR is responsible for regulating the state boating laws in Ohio.

1.6.2.1 VESSEL REGISTRATION

Numbering of watercraft and registering a watercraft are two separate functions. No person shall operate any watercraft without a valid registration. Evidence of registration is shown by displaying a rectangular tag (hand-powered exemption from numbering option) and carrying the valid registration certificate on board the vessel.

All boats principally operated on Ohio waters must be registered and issued an Ohio Registration Form by the Ohio Division of Watercraft. The following vessels do not require registration:

Vessels which are not required to be numbered, excluding documented vessels.
Vessels which are properly registered in another state and operating the waters of Ohio for less than 60 days consecutively.
Commercial vessels.

New owners of a used boat must transfer the registration before operating the vessel. To transfer the registration, simply ask the previous owner to complete the 'transfer' section and bring that 'transfer' section along with the previous registration form (even if the registration has not yet expired) to any vessel registration agent. If a boat requiring a title is transferred to a new owner, the vessel may be operated for up to 45 days before being titled in the new owner's name provided the new owner carries either of the following onboard:

A temporary watercraft registration from an authorized registration agent;
A bill of sale from a watercraft dealer containing the required information.

*Registration Certificates and tags are valid for up to 3 years and expire on March 1st of the year indicated.

1.6.2.1.1 ALTERNATIVE REGISTRATION OPTION FOR HAND-POWERED VESSELS

The owner of a hand-powered canoe, rowboat or inflatable watercraft may choose to do either of the following:

Have it numbered, pay a lesser registration fee, and obtain square tags; or;
Not have it numbered, pay a higher registration fee, and obtain a rectangular tag.

The owner of a hand-powered canoe, rowboat (including racing shells and rowing sculls) or inflatable watercraft that is exempted from numbering shall securely affix the assigned rectangular tag to the vessel in one of the following manners:

In the upper right corner of the transom;
On a deck on the rear half of the vessel;
On the outside below the port side gunnel; or
On the inside of the vessel on the upper portion
On the starboard side gunnel so that it is visible from the port side of the vessel.

Note: Do not use this alternate registration method if there is a possibility of ever using a motor or sail with this vessel. This registration can be issued and renewed through Columbus Watercraft Headquarters or selected field offices.

Watercraft exempt from registration are:

those exempt from numbering EXCEPT documented vessels;
those issued a commercial documentation and used exclusively for commercial purposes;
vessels meeting another state's registration system requirements which are used in Ohio for less than 60 days.

1.6.2.1.2 PROOF OF DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED

Documentation is a federal registration system administered by the United States Coast Guard. Boats must be at least 5 net tons to be eligible, which is roughly 30 feet or more in length.

No person shall operate a documented vessel unless the certificate of documentation is valid and available for inspection. The vessel must display the official number, the vessel name and home port.

Documented vessels must be registered in Ohio and display two Ohio tags, but they are not assigned an Ohio number.

1.6.2.2 CERTIFICATE OF TITLE

Please note that the boat owner must obtain their boat title before they can obtain their certificate of number. To obtain a boat title the owner of the vessel must contact the Ohio DNR, Division of Watercraft. The following vessels require titling in the state of Ohio:

All vessels which are more than 14 feet in length
All vessels which are less than 14 feet in length which are permanently fitted with a motor of 10 hp or more.

Note: Outboard motors which are 10 hp or more are also required to be titled.

Some watercraft listed above and on the previous page may not have needed a title when it was originally purchased. Prior to selling the watercraft, however, the owner must apply to a title office and obtain a title. These include:

Vessels or outboards purchased on or before October 9, 1963;
Vessels less than 14 feet in length with a permanently affixed mechanical means of propulsion of 10 horsepower or greater and purchased on or before January 1, 2000.

Certain vessels such as the following are not required to obtain a Certificate of Title:

U.S. Coast Guard documented vessels.
Vessels owned by federal, state or municipal governments
Canoes and kayaks
Motors which are less than 10 hp
Vessels from another country
Vessels less than 14 feet in length without a permanently affixed mechanical means of propulsion;
Vessels less than 14 feet in length with a permanently affixed mechanical means of propulsion of less than 10 horsepower;
A ship's life boat

1.6.2.3 NUMBERING A VESSEL

Every vessel operated on Ohio water shall be numbered by this state or in compliance with their own state numbering system and shall properly display the assigned number.

The following vessels are exempt from the Ohio numbering requirement:

U.S. Coast Guard documented vessels.
Vessels which are properly numbered in another state and operating the waters of Ohio for less than 60 days consecutively.
Vessel from out of country who are temporarily using Ohio water;
Vessels owned by federal, state or municipal governments
A ship's lifeboat
Vessels granted exemption by the chief of the Division of Watercraft;
Vessels under a waiver issued for a race or special event;
Canoes, rowboats, and inflatable watercraft that are registered and that an owner chooses not to have numbered.

1.6.2.4 REGISTRATION FEES

	HAND POWERED w/$3 WRITING FEE	TOTAL w/$3 WRITING FEE
TRADITIONAL REGISTRATION (two decals provided; you supply OH numbers)	$12.00	$15.00
ALTERNATIVE REGISTRATION (One decal provided; no OH numbers required; available only through Central Office in Columbus)	$17.00	$20.00
NOTE: If you attach a motor (permanently or not) to a vessel registered as "hand-powered," you must change the Type of Propulsion on your registration. See Add-a-Motor Proration Fees below. The proration is only valid for traditional registrations that are adding a motor, and the change must be made at a watercraft registration agent's office.

POWERED BY SAIL OR MOTOR		TOTAL w/$3 WRITING FEE
Canoes with Motor, other boats less than 16' long	$30.00	$33.00
Boats 16' long but less than 26' long	$45.00	$48.00
Boats 26' long but less than 40' long	$60.00	$63.00
Boats 40' long but less than 65' long	$75.00	$78.00
Boats 65' long and longer	$90.00	$93.00

TRANSFER FEE for Unexpired Registration		TOTAL w/$3 WRITING FEE
All boats	$2.00	$5.00

Ohio Watercraft Title Fees* A title is required for all powered boats 14' and greater in length, outboard motors of 10 or more horsepower, and Personal Watercraft. Titles are handled by county Clerks of Court. Contact the Clerk of Court in your area for more information on obtaining title information.
Watercraft Title	$5.00 plus any applicable sales tax

Add-A-Motor Proration Fees. Fee is prorated based on time remaining on current registration.
BOAT LENGTH	YEARS REMAINING ON CURRENT REGISTRATION
BOAT LENGTH	3 YEARS	2 YEARS	1 YEAR
Under 16' and all canoes	$21.00	$15.00	$9.00
16' to less than 26'	$36.00	$25.00	$14.00
26' to less than 40'	$51.00	$35.00	$19.00
40' to less than 65'	$66.00	$45.00	$24.00
65' and over	$81.00	$55.00	$29.00

The fees paid to register a boat are deposited in the Waterways Safety Fund, which is used to operate Ohio's boating program. All registration fees include a $3.00 writing fee which goes to the agent where you buy your registration. Ohio's boat registrations are renewed triennially, which means decals are valid for three years. Registration certificates and tags expire on March 1 of the year indicated and are to be removed when they become invalid (expired).

1.6.2.5 VESSEL IDENTIFICATION & DISPLAY OF TAGS AND NUMBER

Successful registration results in a Certificate of Number, physical boat numbers and a decal. The number assigned is in three parts beginning with "OH" followed by four numbers and two letters.

The number shall:

be placed on each side of the forward half of the watercraft;
read from left to right;
be in block characters of good proportion;
be a minimum of three inches in height;
contrast with the background or boat color;
be separated by a hyphen or equivalent space between the prefix and suffix;
be maintained to be clearly visible and legible.

No other numerals or letters may be displayed on the bow.

For example: OH 1234 BX or OH-1234-BX. This is a federal and state requirement.

Two registration tags are issued with each traditional boat registration. On numbered boats the owner shall securely affix the tags on each side of the bow six inches toward the stern from the number.

The tags must be clearly visible in normal conditions and affixed prior to operation of the watercraft. Documented boats must display one tag on the port side and one on the starboard side.

1.7 BOAT THEFT

Boat theft is a problem in all states, and no one is immune. There are, however, certain precautions to be taken by boaters to reduce the chance of boat theft. For example, you should always remove your keys, as well as your registration papers, and any equipment from the boat when you leave it unattended. If you have an outboard motor, lock it, as well as fuel tanks to the craft, and make sure to engrave all equipment with your name or an identification that identifies you. Lock the boat to your trailer or to any dock it is moored to.

Pay particular attention to the HIN if you are purchasing a used boat, and ensure that the original owner signs the registration to you in person.

If you are a victim of boat theft, you are required to immediately report to your local law enforcement agency, the Division of Watercraft or to the U.S. Coast Guard if on Federal waters.