(a) A personal watercraft shall at all times be operated on the waters of Tennessee in a reasonable and prudent manner. Maneuvers that endanger life, limb, or property, or create a public nuisance shall constitute reckless operation of a vessel as provided in § 69-9-216(a) and shall be punished upon conviction as provided in § 69-9-219. These acts shall include, but not be limited to:

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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 69-9-504

  • Boat: means any vessel:
    (A) Manufactured or used primarily for noncommercial use. See Tennessee Code 69-9-204
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Operator: means the person who operates or has charge of the navigation or use of a motorboat or vessel. See Tennessee Code 69-9-204
  • Person: means an individual, partnership, firm, corporation, association, or other entity. See Tennessee Code 69-9-204
  • personal watercraft: means a mechanically propelled vessel that is designed to be operated by a person sitting, standing or kneeling on the vessel rather than being operated in a conventional manner by a person sitting, standing, or kneeling inside the vessel. See Tennessee Code 69-9-501
  • Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Vessel: means every description of watercraft, other than a seaplane on the water, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water. See Tennessee Code 69-9-204
(1) Weaving through congested vessel traffic at high speed;
(2) Following within the wake, and closely behind, a vessel towing a person or persons on water skis or other water sport devices;
(3) Cutting between a boat and the person or persons being towed by that boat;
(4) Crossing in close proximity to the stern of another vessel or when visibility around the other vessel is obstructed;
(5) Steering a vessel toward any object or person in the water and turning sharply at close range so as to spray the object or person; and
(6) Jumping the wake of another vessel within one hundred feet (100′) of that vessel.
(b) If the operator of a vessel feels that the operation of a personal watercraft is creating a hazard to that vessel or a person being towed by that vessel, they shall exhibit an orange flag and wave it in such a manner to signal the operator of the personal watercraft to steer away, or to take such action that will end the hazard. The flag shall be no less than twelve inches (12″) by twelve inches (12″) in size.
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