§ 15-8 — Power to station vessels. Penalty for resisting.

Each harbor master may station all vessels riding at anchor in the harbor and navigable waterways under his care, and all vessels or obstructions so moored or anchored that, by the action of wind or tide, they may be carried into such harbor and navigable waterways while so moored or anchored, and he may remove, from time to time, such vessels within such harbor and navigable waterways, or such vessels or obstructions so moored or anchored, as are not employed in receiving or discharging their cargoes, to make room for the passage of other vessels up or down such harbor and navigable waterways. He shall be the sole judge of whether any vessel so at anchor is so in the harbor or navigable waterways as to obstruct or hinder the passage of any other vessel, or whether such vessel or obstruction is so moored or anchored that it may, by the action of the wind or tide, obstruct or hinder the passage of any other vessel within such harbor or navigable waterways; and may determine how far within such harbor, and in what instances, masters or others having charge of vessels at anchor within such harbor or navigable waterways shall remove the same; and, upon the application of the owner or lessee of any wharf, dock or pier in such harbor or navigable waterways, shall station any vessel lying at or adjacent to such wharf, dock or pier, or remove it therefrom to make room for the dockage or passage of any other vessel, when, in the judgment of such harbor master, the interest and convenience of commerce or navigation or public access require; and may exercise all the powers and duties with reference to such vessels which he might exercise with reference to vessels at anchor in such harbor and navigable waterways. Any person who obstructs, resists or wilfully refuses to obey the order of any harbor master or deputy harbor master in the execution of the duties of his office shall forfeit two hundred fifty dollars, to be recovered, with costs, in the name of such harbor master or deputy harbor master, in which action such vessel may be attached as in other actions; and all forfeitures, after deducting the necessary expenses of enforcing the same, to be determined by the court rendering judgment therefor, when collected, shall be paid to the General Fund.

Legislative History

(1945, S.A. 95; 1949 Rev., S. 4749; 1969, P.A. 760, S. 1; P.A. 77-71, S. 1, 3.) History: 1969 act substituted “navigable waters” for “channel” and required forfeitures to be paid into general fund rather than to the Yale-New Haven Hospital; P.A. 77-71 substituted “harbor and navigable waterways” for “navigable waters” or “harbor”, added reference to interest of public access and increased forfeit from $50 to $250.