Montana Code 23-2-526. Overloading — overpowering — noise limitations
23-2-526. Overloading — overpowering — noise limitations. (1) No vessel shall be loaded with passengers or cargo beyond its safe carrying capacity, taking into consideration weather and other normal operating conditions.
Terms Used In Montana Code 23-2-526
- Motorboat: means a vessel, including a personal watercraft or pontoon, propelled by any machinery, motor, or engine of any description, whether or not the machinery, motor, or engine is the principal source of propulsion. See Montana Code 23-2-502
- Personal watercraft: means a vessel that uses an outboard motor or an inboard engine powering a water jet pump as its primary source of propulsion and that is designed to be operated by a person sitting, standing, or kneeling on the vessel rather than by the conventional method of sitting or standing in the vessel. See Montana Code 23-2-502
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See Montana Code 1-1-201
- Vessel: means every description of watercraft, unless otherwise defined by the department, other than a seaplane on the water, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water. See Montana Code 23-2-502
(2)No vessel shall be equipped with any motor or other propulsion machinery beyond its safe power capacity, taking into consideration the type and construction of such watercraft and other existing operating conditions.
(3)Except as provided in 23-2-523(9), for the purposes of 45-8-101 and 45-8-111, the operation of a motorboat or personal watercraft that emits noise in excess of 86 dbA when measured at a distance of 50 feet or emits exhaust noise in excess of 90 dbA measured 1 meter from the muffler at idle speed in accordance with the stationary sound level measurement procedure for pleasure motorboats (SAE J2005) is presumed to be a public nuisance and constitute disorderly conduct, except when otherwise lawfully operated under a motorboat racing permit issued by a political subdivision of the state.