Section 13-231-11 - Absence of vessel for more than fourteen days; effect on permits(a) A regular mooring permit and related use permits issued to a vessel shall automatically expire if the vessel is absent from its assigned berth or mooring for more than fourteen days, unless the holder of the permit or permits submits an application prior to departure on a form furnished by the department enumerating the permits the holder wishes to reserve during the holder's absence. If this is done, the application may be approved, by the department, subject to subsection (b) and the regular permittee reserves for the estimated period of absence noted in the permittee's application which shall not exceed one year, the privilege of returning the vessel to its assigned berth or mooring and also retains, for the estimated period of absence noted in the holder's application which shall not exceed one year, any other related use permit designated in the holder's application; provided that the regular permittee continues, during the absence from the assigned berth or mooring, to pay the fees and charges payable to the department in the amounts prescribed in section 13-234-6. The application shall contain Information as to the duration of the absence of the regular permittee's vessel from the berth or mooring. If the assigned vessel does not return within thirty days after the time of return indicated in the approved application for the retention of the regular mooring permit and related use permits, or within one year, whichever is less, all use permits shall automatically expire unless the regular permittee applies to the department prior to the expiration date indicated on the approved application for an extension and the extension is approved by the department. No application to extend the period of retention of a permit to use the assigned berth or mooring and any other related use permits upon return shall be approved by the department if the absence of the permittee's vessel from the assigned berth or mooring would exceed one year unless the regular permittee presents conclusive evidence to the department that due to requirements of the United States Coast Guard, a boating accident, casualty, hull or equipment failure, weather, sea or related environmental conditions involving the permittee's vessel or similar unforeseen occurrences, the granting of additional time is reasonable and essential to prevent undue hardship. No extension in any case shall authorize the permittee to retain a permit to use the assigned berth or mooring or any other related use permits upon return if the period of absence of the permittee's vessel from its assigned berth or mooring would exceed fifteen months.(b) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed as a waiver of the right of the department to: (1) Deny the application to retain the berth or mooring;(2) Deny the reissuance of or to revoke any use permit for failure to comply with any section of these rules; or(3) Reassign a vessel to another berth or mooring in order to provide for more efficient use of facilities in the reasonable discretion of the department or when a berth or mooring is unusable, eliminated, or in need of repairs.(c) A temporary mooring permit and related use permits issued for a vessel shall automatically expire if the vessel is absent from its assigned berth or mooring for more than fourteen days.(d) The department recognizes that a vessel operator may depart on a voyage with the intent of returning to the small boat harbor or assigned mooring within fourteen days or less but may be unable to return as planned due to wind, sea, or related environmental conditions, delays in completing repairs or refurbishing, or other unforeseen occurrences. Therefore, under these circumstances, the holder of the regular mooring permit may initially apply to the department by letter, telephone, or any other means of communication and be permitted to retain the mooring permit and any other related use permits upon return of the vessel to the assigned berth or mooring, provided that the initial application is received not later than the fourteenth day following departure from the assigned berth or mooring and confirmed in writing by the permittee within ten days of the date of initial application. [Eff 2/24/94; am and comp SEP 25 2014] (Auth: HRS §§ 200-2, 200-3, 200-4, 200-9, 200-10) (Imp: HRS §§ 200-2, 200-3, 200-4, 200-9, 20010)