Are CANNONS LEGAL on a boat in california?

Question

i have a 33 ft flush deck islander and i want to know if it would be legal to put a little cannon on it. are they legal to put on a boat in CA and do you have to have some sort of license? does anyone know?

if you could give me a link to the specific laws that would be great too.

Answer 1

Lets see....

a question from Punk Rooster from California wanting to know if its okay to fire a cannon in California waters.

whats so unusual about that?

and you wonder why people think theres nothing but nuts and flakes here.?

Answer 2

Don't only rely on CA regulations but Federal as well. A good place to start would be DHS. We're just downriver from Washington, DC and something tells me the Coast Guard, DC Harbor Patrol, MD DNR, and about 5 local police departments that have boats on the water might have questions to ask.

Answer 3

Muzzle-loading blackpower "signalling" cannons are legal. Rifled barrel breechloading are not unless you have the federal class III destructive devices license.

Edit:

a signal cannon is like a starters pistol at a track event it is not capable of loading or firing a projectile and is mainly for making a loud noise.

Answer 4

I take my Canon camera on the boat all the time. Never without it as a matter of fact.

Answer 5

Sounds like fun to me.  I've always wanted to purchase a civil war cannon and put in on my dock and fire warning shots at people who wouldn't observe the "no-wake" zone.  We even came up with an idea to run a tube underwater out into the middle of the Delta waterway and hook it to a compressed air cylinder.  We could then fire a cannon with powder only and open a valve which would make the water exploded upwards as if a cannon ball was fired at them.   But as the Coastguard friend of mine mentioned; "if anyone got into an accident due to my firing of a cannon, I would become liable for all damages to all parties."  And in Calif. lawyers would get rich off people like you and me.  It might look cool on your boat, but the temptation might be too great for you to not fire it.  Be careful and I'm curious as to what you find out.  

Nothing like anwering your question with my insanity.

Good luck and happy boating.