A person who willfully and maliciously cuts, breaks, injures, sinks, or sets adrift a vessel of less than ten gross tons that is the property of another is guilty of a misdemeanor.
NavigationOffenses
Section § 300
This law makes it a misdemeanor for someone to intentionally and maliciously damage, sink, or set loose a small boat, specifically one under ten gross tons, that belongs to someone else.
vessel damage small boat malicious damage
Section § 301
If someone deliberately and with harmful intent damages or destroys a large boat (specifically one that is ten gross tons or more) that belongs to someone else, they commit a misdemeanor offense.
A person who willfully and maliciously cuts, breaks, or injures a vessel of ten gross tons and upwards that is the property of another is guilty of a misdemeanor.
boat damage vessel ten gross tons
Section § 302
If someone intentionally and with harmful intent sinks or lets loose a large vessel (weighing ten gross tons or more) that belongs to someone else, they are committing a serious crime known as a felony.
A person who willfully and maliciously sinks or sets adrift a vessel of ten gross tons and upwards that is the property of another is guilty of a felony.
maliciously sinking vessel setting adrift vessel ten gross tons
Section § 303
If someone deliberately and with bad intent burns, damages, or destroys any part of a pile or raft of wood or lumber, or if they intentionally set it adrift, and it belongs to someone else, they can be charged with a misdemeanor.
A person who willfully and maliciously burns, injures, or destroys any part of, or the whole of, a pile or raft of wood, plank, boards, or other lumber, or cuts loose or sets adrift the raft or part of the raft, that is the property of another, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
willful burning malicious destruction lumber damage
Section § 304
This law makes it a felony for someone in charge of a boat to deliberately damage or destroy the vessel or its cargo with the intention of harming or cheating someone.
A person in command or charge of a vessel, who, within this state, willfully wrecks, sinks, or otherwise injures or destroys it or any of its cargo, or willfully permits the same to be wrecked, sunk, or otherwise injured or destroyed, with intent to prejudice or defraud a person, is guilty of a felony.
vessel commander intent to defraud willful sinking
Section § 305
If someone commits a crime mentioned in Section 304 but doesn't fall under the category described in that section, they are still committing a felony.
A person, other than one described in Section 304 who is guilty of any act specified in that section is guilty of a felony.
Section 304 reference felony crime exclusion from Section 304
Section § 306
If someone creates or signs false or misleading shipping documents, such as a manifest or invoice, intending to cheat someone else, they are committing a felony.
A person who prepares, makes, or subscribes a false or fraudulent manifest, invoice, bill of lading, ship’s register, or protest, with intent to defraud another, is guilty of a felony.
false invoices fraudulent shipping documents felony for fraud
Section § 307
This law states that if someone uses their boat to tie onto or attach to a buoy or beacon (unless it's a designated mooring buoy), they can be fined up to $100 as an infraction. Additionally, if someone intentionally removes, damages, or destroys a buoy or beacon that has been officially placed in California's navigable waters, it's considered a misdemeanor.
(a)CA Harbors And Navigation Code § 307(a) A person who moors a vessel to, or hangs on with a vessel to, a buoy or beacon, except a designated mooring buoy, is guilty of an infraction, punishable by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars ($100).
(b)CA Harbors And Navigation Code § 307(b) A person who willfully removes, damages, or destroys a buoy or beacon,
placed by competent authority in any navigable waters of this state, is guilty of a misdemeanor.
vessel mooring buoy attachment beacon damage
Section § 308
This law states that it is illegal to attach a boat to a buoy or beacon, except those specifically marked for mooring, which are placed by the U.S. Coast Guard in state waters. It is also illegal to damage or destroy any buoys or beacons placed by the Coast Guard, whether they are in the water or on land. Violating these rules is considered a misdemeanor.
A person who moors a vessel of any kind, to a buoy or beacon, except a designated mooring buoy, placed in the waters of the state by authority of the United States Coast Guard, or who in any manner hangs on to the same, with a vessel, or who willfully removes, damages, or destroys any such buoy or beacon, or any part of the buoy or beacon, or who cuts down, removes, damages, or destroys a beacon erected on land in this state by that authority, is, for every offense, guilty of a misdemeanor.
mooring vessels buoy attachment beacon damage
Section § 309
If someone is found guilty of a misdemeanor as described in this chapter, they can be fined up to $1,000 and/or jailed for up to six months in county jail.
A person found guilty of a misdemeanor violation as
provided in this chapter shall be subject to a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) or imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed six months, or both that fine and imprisonment.
misdemeanor penalty fine up to $1 000
Section § 310
If someone is found guilty of a felony under this specific chapter, they can be fined up to $5,000. They might also face imprisonment for 16 months, two years, or three years, or they could receive both the fine and the jail time.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a person found guilty of a felony violation as provided in this chapter shall be subject to a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) or imprisonment pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170 of the Penal Code for 16 months, two or three years, or both that fine and imprisonment.
felony violation fine up to $5 000
