The Hovering Acts were a series of anti-smuggling laws imposed during the Georgian era in the Kingdom of Great Britain, against smugglers and smuggling ships avoiding import taxes."Hovering Acts". Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law. Oxford University Press. 2008. The government of the Kingdom of Great Britain put a restriction on boat design; as usage of custom-built, highly fast boats was common to transport illegal goods.
Key Legislation The first act was passed in 1718 under the reign of King George I. Originally, Britain had stretched their outside border at maximum 3 miles. This meant that any ships that stayed outside of 3 miles, were not allowed to be searched by the government, which is why they stretched it to 12 miles to make it harder for smuggling.Williams, Neville (1959). Contraband Cargoes: Seven Centuries of Smuggling. Archon Books.
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