Rules

BOATING RULES

 

The Board of Directors, directly or through the General Manager or an appointed designee, may revoke a member's access to LMVA Property for a period of time, minimum of 24 hours, if the Board determines the member's actions are causing, or may cause immediate harm /danger to a person, private property and/or LMVA Property.

Boat activity on LMVA is restricted to the hours that the North Beach facility is open. Check with the LMVA Office for current hours of operation. All boats must allow enough time to be out of the facility grounds by the designated closing time. Members may rent boats daily from 8 AM, with all rentals due in by the top of the hour before sunset.  Current Boat Rentals hours can be found on the website Home page or by asking rental staff.

At the end of the day, LMVA requires time to prepare the rental fleet for the next day's rentals. All boat rentals will stop exactly on the hour; one hour prior to the closing of the Boat Rental Office. NO EXCEPTIONS.

All boats must have a current registration with LMVA. Boating registration applications may be obtained at the LMVA Administration Office. All boats must pass inspection for safety and for LMVA Biological concerns by the LMVA Manager or a designee, prior to issuance of a Registration Permit (decal). To prevent mussels from entering the Lake, each vessel registered must pass inspection and be quarantined for 30 days before first use on Lake Mission Viejo. An LMVA employee will tag your boat, which must remain unbroken for the entire 30 days. If the vessel is used at another facility or the seal is broken before or after the 30 day period, the watercraft must pass a new inspection and a new quarantine period must be commenced. SUPs are not subject to the quarantine requirement.

Prescribed insurance forms must be received by the LMVA Administration prior to issuance of boat registration permits. The registration permit must be placed on the starboard outboard stern of each boat.

Each year on January 1, all boats must be re-registered. Re-registration begins in November of the preceding year.

Any boat continuing to display an expired registration sticker from a previous year by February 1st of each calendar year will be subject to impoundment without notice, and will also be subject to a fine.

Impounded boats will be removed from the lake and are subject to daily storage fees until registration is issued.

Please review Age Restrictions, Maximum Capacity and Boat Rental Rates

Children between 8 and 16 years of age need a parent consent form in order to rent a boat from the LMVA fleet. A completed form gives permission for your child to rent a boat in your absence. Each child is permitted to rent one boat at a time.

This form is kept on file in the Boat Rental Office and must be renewed annually. Children under 12 years old must wear a personal flotation device at all times while boating.

1. All boats are rented on a first come, first served basis and cannot be reserved in advance (except party boats - see next).
2. Use of the LMVA owned boats requires compliance with all boating regulations.
3. The member shall be held responsible for any damage to boats, vests, or boat equipment and/or personal injury to the member and their guests, and boating privileges may be revoked.
4. Failure to comply with any LMVA regulations or staff instructions shall entitle the staff to require the person to immediately leave the area.
5. All boats must maintain at least a 15 foot distance from all private docks and LMVA bulkhead.
6. Swimming is NOT permitted from the boats.

1. Party boats can be reserved up to 30 days in advance.
2. Reservations must be made in-person at the Boat Rental Office. A REQUEST FOR RESERVATION may be made on the LMVA website. Reservations made in person shall have priority. Fees must be paid at the time reservations are made.
3. Fishing and /or swimming is NOT permitted from party boats.
4. Passengers must remain inside railings on private or rental party boats. Hands and feet must remain inside the boat at all times.
5. Glass containers are not permitted.
6. 10 person limit per boat (children and infants included).
7. Party Boats must maintain at least a 15 foot distance from all private docks and LMVA bulkhead.

The deposit for any boat rental returned after due-in time will be forfeited. Deposits not picked up on day of rental are subject to forfeiture. Deposits may be forfeited for other infractions at discretion of LMVA Management.

All boats underway on LMV after sunset must have running lights as follows: Red and green bow lights and a white light on the stern, which is visible from all directions. All boats at anchor after sunset must display a white stern light and bow light.

All power boats must be electric power-driven except patrol and maintenance boats and others approved by LMVA Management. Inboard or inboard/outboard motors not allowed. Outboard gas motors must be kept tilted up out of the water when on LMV.

All boats shall contain positive flotation adequate to float the craft awash.

Each craft shall carry a Coast Guard approved personal flotation device ("PFD") (in good condition) for each person on board. Children under 12 years old must wear their PFD at all times while boating. Boat bailer and paddle are required if applicable.

Boat storage will be limited to only those boats meeting the criteria for boats allowed to be used on the lake. Boats stored at LMVA must be kept clean and in good repair at all times.

All boats, water craft, rafts and devices placed in the LMVA waters must comply with current policies and procedures for maintaining water quality.

Please check with the Management and Water Biology Department for current policy and procedures. Quagga Mussel infestations and other biological concerns must be addressed to maintain the water quality of LMV. No watercraft will be allowed on LMV until an inspection has occurred and the craft is determined to be in compliance with all LMVA regulations.See also LMVA Boat Inspection Program

All remote controlled hobby boats must be approved, have liability insurance and be registered for LMVA use.

Insurance requirements are detailed in the registration form and must be complied with prior to issuance of the registration permit.

No flotation devices other than LMVA registered boats are permitted beyond beach swimming area marking buoys.

Fishing float tubes are not allowed on LMVA facilites.

Rubber rafts must have at least two compartments, not including the floor and measure at least eight feet in length from bow to stern along the gunwale (gunnel). All boating rules apply.

Boats are not allowed in the swimming areas at any time and must be at least 15 feet away from designated swim areas. Swimming Areas are designated at North Beach, East Beach, private swimming area/beaches at the Mallorca, Finisterra, Tres Vistas and 35 feet from the bulkhead of all private homes on LMV.

A sailing vessel has the right-of-way over a motor craft, or kayaks and pedal boats in all situations except when the sailing vessel is overtaking a motor vessel, in which case the sailing vessel must keep clear.

Boats equipped with sink drains or flush toilets are barred from the water area unless said drains and toilets are sealed.

The LMV speed limit for all power craft is seven miles per hour.

Any boat deemed unsafe or a hazard will not be permitted on LMV. All boats brought onto LMV must be safe, water worthy and clean of any foreign aquatic plants and animals prior to launching. Please check with LMVA Management for "Lake Biology and Preservation Protection Plan" and procedures.

Wet sponging of boats (with water only) within the slip storage area or at private docks is the only acceptable cleaning method allowed in the lake. Boat repairs such as sanding, fiberglass repair, drilling or painting must be done off the LMVA premises.

Boats shall not exceed the manufacturer passenger load limitation and/or safe passenger load limitation.

Swimming from boats is PROHIBITED! Swimming is ONLY ALLOWED in designated swim areas.

Maximum length for single-hulled sailboats is 18.5 feet and 21 feet for a runabout or rowboat.

No multi-hulled sailboats are allowed access to LMV.

All persons using sailboards on LMV must wear a Coast Guard approved flotation device.

All SUPs, including those launched from the beaches and/or docks of the gated communities of Tres Vistas, Mallorca and Finisterra, and all other lakefront homes, must be registered at the LMVA Administration Office before use on the LMV. SUPs must pass inspection for safety and for LMVA biological concerns by the LMVA Manager or a designee, prior to issuance of a Registration Permit (decal). Prescribed insurance forms must be received by the LMVA Administration prior to issuance of registration permits, and all other requirements of the registration process described in the registration form must be met. The registration permit will be placed on the SUP by an LMVA manager or designee.

Each year on January 1, all SUPs must be re-registered. Re-registration begins in November of the preceding year. SUPs that are not registered and do not display a current registration sticker by February 1st of each calendar year will be subject to impoundment without notice, and will also be subject to a fine. Impounded SUPs will be removed from the lake and are subject to daily storage fees until registration is issued.

Due to biological concerns, if an SUP is used in any body of water other the LMV, the SUP must pass a new inspection before use thereafter on the lake.

VIOLATION OF THESE SUP RULES MAY RESULT IN DISCIPLINARY ACTION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, MONETARY PENALTIES AND SUSPENSION OF LAKE USE PRIVILEGES.

Boaters may dock only in the following areas - East Beach dock, Market on the Lake dock and the North Beach dock adjacent to the flag poles and rental dock.

Members who are non-residents of the lakeside communities of Tres Vistas, Finisterra, Mallorca and San Marino are strictly prohibited from unauthorized docking on the private docks in these areas.

Any Member / Non-resident with a private, or LMVA rental boat tying up to, docking in, or climbing onto one of the docks of these private communities will be subject to a fine, immediate expulsion and possible suspension of LMVA privileges. Orange County Sheriffs may be called, as this is trespassing. These docks are private property.

Trespassing on private property will not be tolerated.

Boats must remain at least 15 feet from any private dock or bulkhead area around LMV, and designated swimming areas and windsurfing areas at North and East beaches. This includes Mallorca, Tres Vistas, Finisterra swimming areas, and private boats tied to the docks. The "15 Foot Rule" includes boats and all fishing gear, (pole, hook, or line) which must be at least 15 feet away from all private property. Violators will be subject to a fine, immediate expulsion and possible suspension of LMVA privileges.

Tying up to the bulkhead or leaving your boat and fishing from the bulkhead is not permitted. Tying up to any swim line, or buoy is not permitted. Unauthorized tying up to any private dock is not permitted. Violators will be subject to a fine, immediate expulsion and possible suspension of LMVA privileges.

Red: No fishing zone

Green: Aeration. No anchoring zone within 100 feet

Yellow: Swimming area

Blue: Mooring only (no mooring on any other buoy)