There are new boating laws in place, and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection wants to get the word out as more people hit the water Memorial Day Weekend.
One change in the law is that people operating a paddle craft are required to wear life jackets between October 1 and May 31. You do not need to wear one between June 1 and September 30, however you are still required to have one on hand per-person in case of emergencies. They must also be in optimal working condition to be admissible under law.
In addition, Emily's Law requires boaters to have all of the necessary training completed in order to tow others behind their boats. Operators must have their Connecticut boating license, a safe water skiing endorsement and be at least 16 years old. The legislation is named after Emily Fedorko, who was killed at age 16 in a tragic tubing accident in Greenwich in 2014.
The safe water skiing endorsement is a new requirement stating that anyone who operates a boat must have a certificate to pull a water skier or wake boarder.
