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Commission reviews several harbor-safety measures: prop-guard ordinance, life-jacket loaner station and kayak sticker law
Summary
The harbor master described a proposed ordinance to require propeller guards on youth training vessels, a new life-jacket loaner station installed by volunteers and BoatUS, and a new state sticker requirement for kayaks and paddleboards to help locate owners.
The harbor master told commissioners on May 19 that he assisted an RTM member in drafting a proposed ordinance that would require propeller guards on youth and training vessels in Fairfield and that the member is seeking broader state action. "He's trying to get the state delegation to require everywhere in Connecticut every youth sailing or training program to have prop guards on their vessels," the harbor master said, describing the measure as a low-cost safety step.
Separately, the harbor master said an Eagle Scout project on May 9, supported by BoatUS donations, placed a life-jacket loaner station at Yee Yacht Yard to provide spare adult and child life jackets for borrowers to use and return. The station is intended to boost safety and visibility for small boaters.
The harbor master also highlighted a new state change requiring owners to put a sticker with contact information on kayaks, paddleboards and canoes to make it easier to reunite found craft with owners and reduce unnecessary search-and-rescue dispatches; he said he is handing out waterproof stickers and offered to label craft for owners.
Commission members noted regulatory and enforcement questions (including whether DEEP review will be required for a local ordinance affecting vessel operations) and said they would check with the town attorney. No ordinance was adopted; the commission agreed to circulate the draft ordinance to town staff and legal counsel for review.
