Evening star., 1942-04-10
700 Owners Already
Have Applied for
Permits 10 Run
Credentials Obtained
Here Also Open Boy
To Pleasure Craft
By MALCOLM LAMBoRNE, Jr.

By MALCOLM LAMBORNE, Jr.
Contrary to persistent rumors
that Government restrictions on
pleasure craft using the Potomac
this summer almost will put q stop
to boating here, q survey made by
The Star this week gives assurances
local boatmen will find their cruis-
ing little changed from peacetime.
AS some TOO boat owners here are
aware (roughly that many up to
yesterday had applied to the Coast
Guard, all persons operating pleas
ure craft on the Potomac for the
duration Of the war are required
to obtain an identification card
from the captain Of the port, who
has established an ONCE for this
purpose at Capital Yacht Club, 1920
Maine avenue S.W.
You would not dare drive an auto
mobile without a drivers license
these many years and now it's the
same for driving" your boat. In
addition-and you can apply at the
same time you prepare for your
Identification card-all craft other
than rowboats and canoes must
carry a movement license.
Armed with these two q yachts
man may cruise at any time, night
or day, anywhere on the Potomac
and Chesapeake Bay. There's only
one exception and it's an obvious
one: You must stay ut least 100
yards of any military reservation
or depot bordering the water.
Anxious to Cooperate.
1t. Preston B. Mavor, U. S. G. g.,
Washington's captain OF the port,
has given yachtsmen assurances the
Government Is anxious to cooperate
with civilian boatmen, providing
they, In turn, bide with existing
regulations.
It is not necessary, 1t. Mavor
points out, for a skipper, so long as
he has q movement license, to
"check out" and CHECK In" with
his office every time a cruise Is taken
down the river. If you plan to
cruise both the Potomac and the
Bay such intention should be made
clear in your application for move
ment license, and after that you
are on your own good behavior.
If YOU are one Of the many WASH
tnetonians who base at one Of the
popular Bay centers, such as west
River, Severn River and Gibson
Island, the captain of the port
stresses the necessity Of getting an
identification card. It may be pro-
cured here or at Baltimore where
another port captain is assigned.
That card, incidentally, Is good any
where in the East. No movement
license is required for operating out
of the Bay ports, but If you plan
to cruise from the Bay to Wash
tngton one should be procured here,
according to 1t. Mavor.
A Lot Of Identification.
When applying at the Capital
for papers (the ofdce is open from
am. to S pm. Mondays through
Saturdays bring along your social
security card, If you have one, and
q birth or baptismal certificate
showing that you're an American
citizen. II naturalized, naturallza-
tion papers are essential.
Also required in applying for an
identification card will be an In
dorsement from your employer or
the commodore of your club. The
nngerprinting Cno charge) and
photographing (very small charge)
are done at the Capital.
Assuming you own a canoe and
plan to use it on the Potomac
below Little Falls, then you are
required to get an Identification
card, but not a movement license.
In addition, the boat will be issued
a serial number which is placed on
both bows, 4 inches high. Sailboat
owners will not have to get these
numbers as their movement license
is the equivalent.
Maybe this all appears too much
bother for some shippers, but ap-
parently the TOO enthusiasts who
have gone through the mill already
think differently. Coast Guard Of
dcials estimate another thousand
boatmen have yet to apply.
They will have just 10 days IN
which to do 50. Regulations 60 into
effect on the Potomac April 20.
Don't wait until the last minute as
those lubbers ashore do when dead
line time arrives for auto tags. No,
yachtsmen are different.