Cal. HNC § 261
This is the official text of Cal. HNC § 261, part of California’s Harbors and Navigation Code — regulates ports, harbors, and boating.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
Official statutory text
Every steam vessel navigating any waters of this State and carrying passengers, shall be equipped with boats as follows:
(a) If of five hundred tons measurement, one first-class life-boat and one row-boat, twenty-five feet long by seven wide, each capable of carrying fifty persons; and at least one other good row-boat.
(b) If of two hundred and fifty and less than five hundred tons measurement, at least two ordinary row-boats.
(c) If of less than two hundred and fifty tons burden, at least one small row-boat.
The boats shall be so attached that they can be launched at any time for immediate use.
(a) If of five hundred tons measurement, one first-class life-boat and one row-boat, twenty-five feet long by seven wide, each capable of carrying fifty persons; and at least one other good row-boat.
(b) If of two hundred and fifty and less than five hundred tons measurement, at least two ordinary row-boats.
(c) If of less than two hundred and fifty tons burden, at least one small row-boat.
The boats shall be so attached that they can be launched at any time for immediate use.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in California?
Find a California lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.