2024-38

AN ORDINANCE IN AMENDMENT OF TITLE TWELVE OF THE CODIFIED ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, REVISION OF 1994, AS AMENDED, ENTITLED, "CITY HARBOR."

BE IT ORDAINED by the City of Newport:

SECTION 1. Chapter 12.28 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Newport, Revision of 1994, as amended, entitled "City Harbor," is hereby further amended as follows:

12.28.077. Mooring tackle requirements.

Although the city sets the following minimum standards for mooring hardware and mooring inspections for all moorings in the waters of the city, owners of moorings shall be solely responsible for the safety and reliability of their moorings. Heavier anchors and more frequent inspections than the required minimum are strongly recommended in all cases. This is especially so where moorings are in exposed locations or are holding vessels of greater than average displacement. Bottom chains

Mooring tackle must be as described in the chart below.

A. Mooring Tackle Hardware.

1. The bottom chain size must be as listed in the following chart. The minimum requirements are listed for the remaining mooring tackle in the following charts:

Registered Boat Length Feet	Mushroom Anchor Pounds	Bottom Chain	Top Chain	Pennants
Under 16	75	$\frac{3}{8}$	$\frac{3}{8}$	$\frac{1}{2}$
16–19	150	$\frac{3}{8}$	$\frac{3}{8}$	$\frac{1}{2}$
20–22	200	$\frac{3}{8}$	$\frac{3}{8}$	$\frac{3}{8}$
23–25	250	$\frac{3}{8}$	$\frac{3}{8}$	$\frac{3}{4}$

2. Mooring pennants of appropriately sized high strength line may be used if approved by the harbormaster and documented by the harbor office.

3. Boat length over sixty-five (65) feet shall comply with the harbormaster's directions.

4. The maximum length of the pennant shall be two and one-half times the distance from the bow chock to the water, plus the distance from the bow chock to the mooring cleat or post.

5. All pennant lines running through a chock, or any other object where chafing may occur, shall have adequate chafe guards.

6. A second pennant made of line, cable, or chain of minimum size required by the above shall be fastened to moorings in cases of heavy weather. "Y" pennants shall be acceptable.

7. The total scope of the chain shall be two and one-half times the depth of the water at high tide. This scope shall be considered as a total of fifty (50) feet in the Newport Inner Harbor. The bottom and top chain shall each consist of approximately fifty (50) percent of the scope.

8. All shackles, swivels, and other hardware used in the mooring hookup shall be proportional in size to the chain used.

9 All shackles shall be properly seized.

10. Whenever possible, the pennant shall be spliced or shackled into the bitter end of the top chain below the buoy so the strain is not carried by the buoy.

11. Only mushroom anchors and pyramid-type anchors shall be acceptable on permanent moorings and the anchor shall be tagged with the city mooring number.

12. Mooring balls shall be white with a blue horizontal stripe (as per federal regulations) with numerals a minimum of three inches high identifying the city mooring number. Said numerals shall appear on no fewer than two locations on the mooring ball. No other markings shall be on the mooring ball.

13. Private mooring balls shall have black numerals with blue bottom paint.

14. Rental mooring balls shall have red bottom paint and/or red numerals.

15. Winter mooring spars shall be readily visible in a vertical position above the water at all times and shall be removed not later than June 1st of the next succeeding year. Winter mooring spars shall have the city mooring number visible at all times. Winter spars shall not be set until on or after the first day of October of each calendar year.

ADD:

16. Concrete Anchors must be made by a recognized and insured manufacturer, must be made from concrete at a strength of at least 3000 pounds per square inch, must have an internal metal reinforced structure integrated to the chain connection eye, must be low and wide to avoid chain tangling and increase connection to the seafloor, and must be stamped with weight and a manufacturer name.

17. All concrete block mooring anchors must be physically inspected by the Newport Harbormaster Department prior to installation.

B. Mooring Tackle Placement and Inspection Requirements.

1. Location of mooring tackle placement will be at the direction and approval of the harbormaster.

2. No mooring tackle shall be placed in the waters of the city without approval and inspection by the harbormaster.

3. Mooring tackle may not be moved from the assigned mooring location to another mooring location except under the approval and direction of the harbormaster. Any registered permit holder desiring to move any tackle shall make application to the harbormaster, who shall determine whether such application shall be approved or rejected. The moving of any tackle shall be at the expense of the permit holder.

4. The registered permit holder shall be required to maintain his/her mooring tackle in safe condition. Any chain, shackle, swivel or other tackle that has become warped or worn by one-third its normal diameter shall be replaced.

5. The harbormaster and his designated agents may inspect any mooring tackle at any time to determine compliance with this section.

6. All mooring tackle must be inspected every three years by an inspector qualified by the harbormaster.

C. Qualification of Inspectors.

1. The harbormaster shall have final qualification authority. Minimum requirements for qualification are:
a. Must hold an active certificate as a certified SCUBA diver.
b. Must furnish proof of liability insurance, to the satisfaction of the harbormaster, of not less than one million dollars ($1,000,000.00). Once appointed, a qualified mooring inspector must maintain said liability insurance and provide proof annually to the harbormaster.
c. Must be familiar with the minimum mooring and mooring tackle specifications of this chapter.

D. Removal of Tackle.

1. Any registered permit holder who owns his or her tackle and is forfeiting his/her mooring space may sell the tackle occupying such space to the next person assigned the same.

2. If such tackle is not sold it shall be removed by the permit holder. The removal of any tackle shall be at the expense of the permit holder.

3. Failure of the permit holder to remove such tackle shall constitute the abandonment thereof, and such tackle may be removed by the harbormaster at the expense of the permit holder.

SECTION 2. This ordinance shall take effect upon its passage and all ordinances or parts of ordinances inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed.

IN COUNCIL
READ AND PASSED
NOVEMBER 13, 2024

Laura C. Swistak, CMC

City Clerk