Effective 28 Aug 2010

306.010. Definitions. — As used in this chapter the following terms mean:

(1) "Motorboat", any vessel propelled by machinery, whether or not such machinery is a principal source of propulsion;

(2) "Operate", to navigate or otherwise use a motorboat or a vessel;

(3) "Operator", the person who operates or has charge of the navigation or use of a vessel;

(4) "Owner", a person other than a lienholder, having the property in or title to a motorboat. The term includes a person entitled to the use or possession of a motorboat subject to an interest of another person, reserved or created by agreement and securing payment or performance of an obligation, but the term excludes a lessee under a lease not intended as security;

(5) "Parasailing", the towing of any person equipped with a parachute or kite equipment by any watercraft operating on the waters of this state;

(6) "Personal watercraft", a class of vessel, which is less than sixteen feet in length, propelled by machinery which is designed to be operated by a person sitting, standing or kneeling on the vessel, rather than being operated by a person sitting or standing inside the vessel;

(7) "Skiing", any activity that involves a person or persons being towed by a vessel, including but not limited to waterskiing, wake boarding, wake surfing, knee boarding, and tubing;

(8) "Vessel", every motorboat and every description of motorized watercraft, and any watercraft more than twelve feet in length which is powered by sail alone or by a combination of sail and machinery, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water, but not any watercraft having as the only means of propulsion a paddle or oars;

(9) "Water patrol division of the state highway patrol" or "water patrol division", the division responsible for enforcing the provisions of this chapter on the waters of this state. The revisor of statutes is instructed to replace the terms "Missouri state water patrol" or "state water patrol" wherever those terms exist in this chapter with the term "water patrol division";

(10) "Watercraft", any boat or craft, including a vessel, used or capable of being used as a means of transport on waters;

(11) "Waters of this state", any waters within the territorial limits of this state and lakes constructed or maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers except bodies of water owned by a person, corporation, association, partnership, municipality or other political subdivision, public water supply impoundments, and except drainage ditches constructed by a drainage district, but the term does include any body of water which has been leased to or owned by the state department of conservation.

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(L. 1959 S.B. 142 § 1, A.L. 1969 S.B. 194, A.L. 1972 H.B. 1374, A.L. 1975 S.B. 264, A.L. 1979 S.B. 123, A.L. 1989 S.B. 135, A.L. 1995 H.B. 217, A.L. 2008 H.B. 1715, A.L. 2010 H.B. 1868)