Chart Question for Maine Sailors

[Captain Bill]

I've been planning a trip to maine this summer and came across an interesting item on the maine charts. There is a line labeled Territorial Sea, see Note X that runs from point to point from Ocean Point on Linekin Neck to Naskeag Point at the bottom of Eggemoggin Reach. This is not the normal curved territorial sea line one is used to seeing 3 miles or 12 miles off shore. Note X provides no useful information. Does anyone who frequents Maine know what the significance of this line is?

[CharlesFCook]

From: Tag:boundary=maritime - OpenStreetMap Wiki

Internal borders

If a country has defined the maritime borders of sub-national entities, this way should be included in boundary relations for these entities.
In the United States of America, NOAA nautical charts specify in Note X:
"Within the 12-nautical mile territorial sea, established by Presidential Proclamation, some federal laws apply. The Three Nautical Mile Line, previously identified as the outer limit of the territorial sea, is retained as it continues to depict the jurisdictional limit of the other laws. The 9-nautical mile Natural Resource Boundary off the Gulf coast of Florida, Texas, and Puerto Rico, and the Three Nautical Mile Line elsewhere remain in most cases the inner limit of Federal fisheries jurisdiction and the outer limit of the jurisdiction of the states. The 24-nautical mile Contiguous Zone and the 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone were established by Presidential Proclamation. Unless fixed by treaty or the U.S. Supreme Court, these maritime limits are subject to modification."

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by CharlesFCook

From: Tag:boundary=maritime - OpenStreetMap Wiki

Internal borders

If a country has defined the maritime borders of sub-national entities, this way should be included in boundary relations for these entities.
In the United States of America, NOAA nautical charts specify in Note X:
"Within the 12-nautical mile territorial sea, established by Presidential Proclamation, some federal laws apply. The Three Nautical Mile Line, previously identified as the outer limit of the territorial sea, is retained as it continues to depict the jurisdictional limit of the other laws. The 9-nautical mile Natural Resource Boundary off the Gulf coast of Florida, Texas, and Puerto Rico, and the Three Nautical Mile Line elsewhere remain in most cases the inner limit of Federal fisheries jurisdiction and the outer limit of the jurisdiction of the states. The 24-nautical mile Contiguous Zone and the 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone were established by Presidential Proclamation. Unless fixed by treaty or the U.S. Supreme Court, these maritime limits are subject to modification."

You've simply repeated Note X, which I still say contains no useful information. This line does not exist along the rest of the coast of Maine. Granted it's a boundry, but a boundry between what and what? Apparently some laws/regulations apply on one side of this boundry and the other. What are they? It does not make sense that this boundry define state versus federal waters as one would expect that to apply to the whole coast of Maine. There must be something special about the waters inland of this line, but there's no information on what that is. I'm trying to find out what the significance of this line is. Do I need to be aware of special local laws/regulations inside of this line? If so where do I find them.

[Captain Bill]

I just noticed there is a similar line running across teh mouth of Saco and Casco bays.

[CDunc]

It has been my understanding it was for the Lobster fishermen to denote Maines Lobster grounds

[AnsleyS]

Cap'n Bill,

I believe that you are looking at the territorial sea base line.

"Normally, the baseline from which the territorial sea is measured is the low-water line along the coast as marked on large-scale charts officially recognized by the coastal state. This is either the low-water mark closest to the shore, or alternatively it may be an unlimited distance from permanently exposed land, provided that some portion of elevations exposed at low tide but covered at high tide (like mud flats) is within 12 nautical miles (22 km; 14 mi) of permanently exposed land. Straight baselines can alternatively be defined connecting fringing islands along a coast, across the mouths of rivers, or with certain restrictions across the mouths of bays."

[AnsleyS]

Cap'n Bill,

As a post script, this line does not affect us at all. Notice that it is only shown on large charts and not on the detail charts.

Don't worry about it.