Title 15 — Title 15: Navigation and Aeronautics

Sec. 15-1. Harbor masters. (a) The Governor shall appoint a harbor master, and may appoint a deputy harbor master, for each of the harbors of New Haven, Norwich, Bridgeport, Stamford, Norwalk, Stonington, New London and Branford. The Governor may appoint a suitable number of harb…

Sec. 15-10. Penalty for neglect of duty. When any harbor master neglects, upon application of any person engaged in the navigation of the harbor under his charge, to remove or cause to be removed any vessel riding at anchor therein and obstructing its channel, he shall pay to suc…

Sec. 15-11. Channels from wharves. Section 15-11 is repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 4755; P.A. 75-218, S. 1, 2.)

Sec. 15-11a. (Formerly Sec. 15-31). Removal and taking of derelict vessels. (a) A duly authorized harbor master shall determine whether a vessel is a derelict vessel. Upon such determination, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection, such harbor master or a duly au…

Sec. 15-12. Obstructions upon lands bordering navigable waters. The selectmen of any town bordering upon navigable waters shall cause to be removed all obstructions and structures from the shores, beaches or other land in such town, adjacent to such waters, to which shores, beach…

Sec. 15-13. Pilots; qualifications; extension of route; license fee; bond; suspension or revocation of license; inactive status; limited licenses; written procedures. (a) The Connecticut Port Authority shall license as many residents of this state and any other state as said auth…

Secs. 15-13a and 15-13b. Validity of previously issued pilot's license; transfer of records. Licenses issued prior to January 1, 1972. Sections 15-13a and 15-13b are repealed, effective October 1, 2002. (1969, P.A. 815, S. 3; 1971, P.A. 797, S. 6; P.A. 76-435, S. 36, 82; S.A. 02-…

Sec. 15-13c. Connecticut Pilot Commission. Members. Appointments. Duties. (a) There is created within the Connecticut Port Authority, for administrative purposes only, the Connecticut Pilot Commission to assist and advise the authority on matters relating to the licensure of pilo…

Sec. 15-14. Rates of pilotage. The Connecticut Port Authority shall establish the rates of pilotage for all vessels which use a licensed pilot in the ports and waters of this state including the Connecticut waters of Long Island Sound. (1949 Rev., S. 4758; 1969, P.A. 815, S. 2; 1…

Sec. 15-15. Vessels requiring pilots. (a) Each foreign and American vessel under register, entering or departing from any port in this state and each vessel transiting the Connecticut waters of Long Island Sound shall take a pilot who is licensed under the provisions of section 1…

Sec. 15-15a. Regulations of the Department of Transportation to become written procedures of the Connecticut Port Authority. All existing regulations of the Department of Transportation respecting the conduct and duties of licensed pilots and the piloting, docking and undocking o…

Sec. 15-15b. Reports by pilot. Once every three months, each licensed pilot shall render to the Connecticut Port Authority an accurate account of all vessels piloted by such pilot. Any pilot who makes a false return shall be subject to suspension or revocation of his or her licen…

Sec. 15-15c. Exemption from pilot requirement. The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to (1) vessels navigating under a certificate of enrollment under the control of a federally licensed pilot, (2) American vessels engaged in fishing, (3) vessels otherwise exempt by the …

Sec. 15-15d. Pilotage concurrent with New York. Rotation system for assignment of pilots. (a) Pilotage on Long Island Sound shall be concurrent with the state of New York. (b) The Connecticut Port Authority may execute an agreement with the pilot commission of any other state for…

Sec. 15-15e. Owners or operators of certain pilot boats to obtain certificate of insurance. Written procedures. Penalty. (a) An owner or operator of a vessel used to transport a pilot licensed under the provisions of section 15-13 for the purpose of embarking or disembarking anot…

Sec. 15-16. Speed of vessels. Section 15-16 is repealed, effective July 8, 2011. (1949 Rev., S. 4760; 1957, P.A. 286, S. 1; 432; 1961, P.A. 517, S. 16; P.A. 11-90, S. 3.)

Sec. 15-16a. Slow-no-wake zone on the Mystic River. (a) No person shall operate a vessel in excess of slow-no-wake on the Mystic River within the following two areas: (1) Between the entrance to the Mystic Harbor and Red Navigation Marker No. 22, excluding Beebe Cove, where the e…

Sec. 15-16b. Slow-no-wake zone on the Pawcatuck River. (a) No person shall operate a vessel in excess of slow-no-wake on the Pawcatuck River between the area known as “Pawcatuck Rock” at Red Navigation Marker No. 16 and the area known as “Graves Neck” at Red Navigation Marker No.…

Sec. 15-17. Baggage on boats to be checked. Section 15-17 is repealed, effective October 1, 2002. (1949 Rev., S. 4761; S.A. 02-12, S. 1.)

Secs. 15-18 to 15-24. Throwing refuse into harbor. Obstructions in New Haven Harbor restricted. Appeal from commissioner. Dumping in harbors. Jurisdiction of offenses. Dumping in Norwalk Harbor. Sections 15-18 to 15-24, inclusive, are repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 4762–4768; 1959, P.A…

Sec. 15-2. Compensation of harbor masters. Harbor masters shall receive a salary to be determined by the Commissioner of Administrative Services, subject to the provisions of section 4-40 and shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. …

Sec. 15-25. Removing, damaging or interfering with buoys, beacons, channel markers or navigational aids. Penalty. Any person who removes, damages or destroys any buoy, beacon, channel marker or floating guide placed in the waters of this state by the proper exercise of the author…

Sec. 15-26. Local agent of foreign vessel. Section 15-26 is repealed, effective October 1, 1999. (1957, P.A. 621, S. 1; P.A. 77-322; P.A. 99-181, S. 39.)

Sec. 15-26a. Five Mile River Commission. Harbor superintendent. (a) There shall be a Five Mile River Commission consisting of two electors from each of the towns of Norwalk and Darien. Each such member shall be appointed by the Governor from a list of nominees to be submitted by …

Sec. 15-3. Powers of deputies. Deputy harbor masters shall have all the powers and perform all the duties of harbor masters in the respective harbors for which they are appointed, subject to the control and direction of the harbor masters. (1949 Rev., S. 4750.)

Sec. 15-3a. “Derelict vessel”, “harbor”, “navigable waters”, “navigable waterways”, defined. For the purposes of this chapter: (1) “Derelict vessel” means any vessel, scow, lighter or similar floating structure or part thereof, whether or not moored, anchored or made fast to shor…

Sec. 15-4. Jurisdiction in Branford harbors. The jurisdiction of the harbor masters for the harbors of Branford shall include the harbor of Branford and Branford River as far up said river as Hobart's Bridge, so called, the harbor of Stony Creek and the waters between and adjoini…

Secs. 15-5 and 15-6. New Haven Harbor: Jurisdiction in; removal of vessels from channel, penalty. Sections 15-5 and 15-6 are repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 4753, 4754; P.A. 73-307.)

Sec. 15-7. Jurisdiction, powers and duties of Bridgeport harbor master. Approval of harbor works. Appeal. Penalty. (a) The harbor master shall have the general care and supervision of Bridgeport Harbor and its tidewaters and its rivers and of all the flats and lands flowed thereb…

Sec. 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 car…

Sec. 15-8a. “Harbor”, “navigable waters” and “navigable waterways”, defined. For the purposes of section 15-8: (a) “Harbor” means a place on navigable waters where water-borne commercial or recreational traffic enters for the purpose of anchorage or docking or the unloading or re…

Sec. 15-9. Vessels may be removed. Procedures. Notice. Regulations. Penalty. (a) When the master or owner of any vessel lying within the navigable waters of this state, or the person having the same in charge, wilfully neglects or refuses to obey the order of any harbor master pe…

Secs. 15-27 to 15-30a. Commissioners. Office. Powers and duties. Sale of land by commissioner. Disposition of proceeds. Docking facilities in Stonington. Sections 15-27 to 15-30a, inclusive, are repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 4775–4778; 1953, S. 2407d; 1959, P.A. 44; 570, S. 1; 1963, P…

Sec. 15-31. Transferred to Chapter 263, Sec. 15-11a.

Sec. 15-31a. Connecticut Port Authority. Board of directors. Executive director. Audits. Annual reports. (a) There is hereby established and created a body politic and corporate, constituting a public instrumentality and political subdivision of the state of Connecticut establish…

Sec. 15-31b. Purposes. Duties and powers. (a) The purposes of the Connecticut Port Authority shall be to coordinate the development of Connecticut's ports and harbors, with a focus on private and public investments, pursue federal and state funds for dredging and other infrastruc…

Sec. 15-31c. Bonds and notes. Special capital reserve fund. (a) The Connecticut Port Authority may authorize the issuance of bonds in one or more series and in principal amounts necessary to carry out the purposes of sections 15-31a to 15-31i, inclusive. Such bonds shall be payab…

Sec. 15-31d. Refunding bonds. Bond anticipation notes. (a) Any bonds issued by the authority under sections 15-31c to 15-31f, inclusive, and at any time outstanding may at any time be refunded by the authority by the issuance of its refunding bonds in such amounts as the authorit…

Sec. 15-31e. Notes and bonds to be tax exempt. (a) It is hereby determined that the purposes of sections 15-31a to 15-31i, inclusive, are public purposes and that the authority will be performing an essential governmental function in the exercise of the powers conferred upon it h…

Sec. 15-31f. State pledge re bonds or notes. The state of Connecticut does hereby pledge to and agree with the holders of any bonds and notes issued under this section and sections 15-31c to 15-31e, inclusive, and with those parties who may enter into contracts with the authority…

Sec. 15-31g. Tax exemption. Grants in lieu of taxes. The exercise of the powers granted by sections 15-31a to 15-31i, inclusive, shall be in all respects for the benefit of the people of the state, for the increase of their commerce, welfare and prosperity, and as the improvement…

Sec. 15-31h. Memorandum of understanding with the Department of Economic and Community Development. The Department of Economic and Community Development and the Connecticut Port Authority established pursuant to section 15-31a may enter into a memorandum of understanding pursuant…

Sec. 15-31i. Memorandum of understanding with the Department of Transportation and the Treasurer. (a) The Connecticut Port Authority and the Commissioner of Transportation shall enter into one or more memoranda of understanding that will facilitate the authority's governance of t…

Sec. 15-31j. Projects undertaken regarding ports not located in New Haven, New London or Bridgeport. Bond Authorization. (a) The State Bond Commission shall authorize the issuance of bonds of the state, in accordance with the provisions of section 3-20, in principal amounts not e…

Sec. 15-31k. Quarterly reports. On or before October 1, 2021, and quarterly thereafter, the executive director of the Connecticut Port Authority shall submit a report regarding the status of pending and current contracts, small harbor projects and the construction project at the …

Sec. 15-31l. Reserved for future use.

Sec. 15-31m. Projects overseen by a construction manager. Bidding. Accounting and auditing. (a) As used in this section, (1) “authority” means the Connecticut Port Authority established under section 15-31a; (2) “project” means the construction, renovation or alteration of buildi…

Sec. 15-31n. Purchases and contracts for supplies, materials, equipment and contractual services. Competitive bidding or competitive negotiation requirements. Procedures. Exemptions. (a) As used in this section: (1) “Authority” means the Connecticut Port Authority established und…

Sec. 15-31o. Prohibition on payment of success fees. (a) As used in this section, “success fee” means a commission that is (1) paid by the Connecticut Port Authority to a person or business entity for such person's or business entity's role in facilitating the finalization of a t…

Sec. 15-32. Entry upon land for coast survey. Damages. Persons employed under an act of the Congress of the United States, passed February 10, 1807, and the supplements thereto, may enter upon any land within this state, for any purpose which may be necessary to effect the object…