Thanks for looking that up, ki4buc.

It still does seem very murky, though. For example, if I boat into the flooded neighborhood and use a marine handheld to communicate with another small boat several blocks away, I'm neither in distress nor trying to make my position known (to be rescued, that is).

Then the whole definition of "land" and "on shore" is also murky. If I'm in my boat in the middle of whatever-street, is that "on the water" but if I step into a house (perhaps directly onto the second floor!), is that "on shore"? Dunno.

Anyway, just a legal curiosity. I'd be happy just to have the boat in that situation. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />