Anchoring in narrow channels
Hello everyone i finally found the rule for this as a few people have been doing this at walnut this fall. I am not sure who would enforce it but i would assume that it would have to be the coast guard and not the pfbc. Thanks go out to sherry at Walnut for doing her best at keeping them out of there and keeping everyone safe. Here is the rule as posted in this months great lakes basin report. The coast guard reminds operators of small vessels that anchoring in a narrow navigation channel is dangerous and may impede the movement of large vessels, which is covered by federal navigation rules.
Rule 9 of the Navigation Rules states, "every vessel shall, if the circumstances of the case admit, avoid anchoring in a narrow channel." Coast Guard boarding teams may ask any small vessels anchored in navigation channels to weigh anchor and move.
While there is no hard and fast rule for what constitutes a narrow channel, one must look at the physical dimensions of the area and the character of use to which the water is put. While a channel may not appear narrow to the operator of a smaller vessel, it could likely seem so to the operator of a large vessel, especially if there were several smaller boats anchored in the area. Larger vessels may enter a navigation channel with the expectation that small vessels will not impede movement. If a large vessel must stop, environmental factors can push these less maneuverable vessels out of the navigable channel and run them aground.
Rule 9 also states "a vessel of less than 20 meters in length or a sailing vessel shall not impede the passage of a vessel that can safely navigate only within a narrow channel or fairway." To determine whether a small vessel represents an impediment to navigation, the Coast Guard might consider the prevailing visibility, the distance to the nearest bend or obstruction and type of fishing gear deployed by the fishing vessel before asking the operator to relocate. I hopes this clears up the contraversy