idiot friends

what boating laws should I be aware of? Beer? Too many people? Etc.... Basically what can my idiot friends get me in trouble for?

sitting on the gunwale while underway. Cost me $110.00

Kids under 12 not having life jackets on. Yes, too many people will do it - you've got a sticker somewhere in your boat that gives its max capacity. If you're towing, your spotter has to be under the legal BAC limit (obviously as does the driver). Each person has to have a USCG approved life jacket - you don't have to wear them, just have them handy. If your state has a boater's education card like they do here in Oregon, you have to have that to drive or they'll ticket you for that as well.

I'm sure I'll think of more, but that's just off the top of my head.

NC requires a throw cushion also.

"sitting on the gunwale while underway. Cost me $110.00"

lol, yay they frown at that.. its really easy to spot

Throw cushion anyone? - Michigan does as well, and don't forget a fire extinguisher

People in your boat can cost you a lot of money... Need to watch where they sit, make sure the flag person is always paying attention. Everytime i've been in a boat while stopped, it is because of the passengers. In my boat I'm mean, cuz i aint getting a ticket for them being stupid. Remember the driver (not boat owner) gets the tickets (most of them)
have enough life jackets for everyone in the boat. throw cushion, fire extinguisher

We got a ticket 2 years ago for putting the boat in gear (idle) while someone was putting a board on, on the platform. We board on the delta so in windy conditions you have about 1 minute to get the board on, the song you want playing, grab the handle, and jump in before the boat hits the rocks. The ticket was originally $390 but my dad wrote to the judge and he droped it to 100 something. its a stupid rule unless you are reversing because if you are moving foward and someone falls off all they have to do is wait for you to come around again. i think its aimed more at outboards and I/O rather than ski boats but the cops dont make that distinction. We still do it but now we look around first.

Kevin;if your friends are idiots,get a new crew.

Throw cusion in Indiana too. Also a functioning verbal alarm (horn suffices). I think some states also make you have a visual signal, ie flare. Probably obvious, but if you are a new boater, make sure you have your numbers on both sides of the boat.

as long as were listing required equipment..... working blower, flame arrestor on the engine if applicable, registration, oar. Your life vests ALSO must fit the occupants. So if you have all adult sizes and no children/youth sizes then you could get a ticket...but they should have them on 24/7 anyways. Your best bet is too look up your state's boating laws to make sure you know what's up.....

kevin:

There are all sorts of things that you could get a ticket for. You should get a copy of your state's boating regulations and read through them. In many cases the laws are open to interpretation, but of course your ability to argue your point is not nearly as strong as the officer writing you a ticket.

Life jackets are a great example. There obviously has to be the right number. And they have to be the right size. They have to be in good shape, so if yours have been stuffed into the bilge for the last 5 years and the straps have rotted away they won't count. It is a requirement that the Coast Guard lable be legible, so if that ski jacket you have been wearing for the last two years has had the lable worn off it no longer counts.

Some law enforcement agencies insist that the lifejacket and/or throwable device has to be immediatly accessible. In this situation the jackets that are stuffed so far under the bow that you have to disassemble half the boat to get to them don't count.

Of course, these are things that YOU have control of, not an issue about your friends.

Your friends are most likely going to draw attention to you. The guy standing on the engine cover acting like a drunken fool (especially if he is a drunken fool) is likely to get you stopped.

If you have three people in your boat and everyone is sitting in seats you probably won't be noticed. If you have 12 people in your boat and you are all acting rowdy you will get noticed. And you better have 12 lifejacekts, immediatly available and all in good shape.

What your friends can do that will REALLY get into BIG TROUBLE is bringing drugs along.

Like I said above, the laws of your state may vary. In addition to state laws there may be county or lake specific laws. For example, in California there is no "open container" law for boating, so people drinking a beer on the boat is not a problem. You can't be drunk, but you can drink.

On the other hand, on many lakes you don't want to be caught with a dog.....

anyone know the open container law in Texas?

yup....drink 'em if you got 'em

a boat is different from a car in TX, you can have them. BUT, it's obviously an invitation to be stopped.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife department has a webpage that has a lot of good information about boating. State boating laws and requirements are listed there. One can even review an on-line boater education course there. It only cost someting if one takes the certification test. Here is what the site says about alcohol. Regarding boats it is illegal for any person to "Operate a boat while intoxicated (loss of mental or physical faculties, or blood alcohol content of .08 or higher). First conviction punishable by a fine not to exceed $2,000, confinement in jail not to exceed 180 days or both; second conviction punishable by a fine not to exceed $4,000, confinement not to exceed one year or both; third conviction punishable by a fine not to exceed $10,000, imprisonment for not more than 10 years or less than 2 years. **Failure to submit a specimen to determine blood alcohol content may result in suspension of your driver's license. Anyone interested in reviewing the site may do so at www.tpwd.state.tx.us/boat/. Other states may have similar webpages that list boating laws for those states. I found the information about Texas boating laws by searching "Texas Parks and Wildlife".

so it sounds like, in TX, that its cool for everyone to have a beer or whatever. But the driver needs to be sober, or at least under the legal limit.

Kind of sounds like as long as you don't give them a good reason to pull you over, they will probably leave you alone.

I'm guessing my boat full of people, loud as hell having a jam session in the middle of the water may be a good reason though. Better have at least one person who is sober enough to be the driver if you get hit by the cops.

Texas is pretty cool when it comes to boating. It is pretty simple.....don't be an idiot and you'll be fine. If a cop asks you how much you have had to drink and you say a couple he WILL check you. If you say two he will normally be cool and tell you to be careful as long as you don't look drunk. Party smart in Texas and it is all good.

Take it from somebody who's gone through this before (both in a car and boat)....NEVER under any circumstances admit that you've had even ONE drink....if you admit that then they have probable cause to test you. If you tell them you haven't had any then it's their perrogative (sp?) to prove it.

There is no open container law in TX on the waterways but as stated above you can't be over 0.08BAC and you'd be suprised how easy it is to reach that level quickly. Take care when out and about to stay sober so you don't get in trouble!

The first year we had the boat the wife and i were stopped about 50% of the time we were on the lake. This was a Sommerville and Rayburn. Never been stopped on Travis or Austin (knock on wood) Each time they wanted to see the jackets, throw cussions, and registration. Had them cover except for one time on rayburn. I forgot where I had stuffed one of my vests after a good cleaning of the boat. I ended up being one vest short b/c my pop was with us. I ended up getting a ticket for about $130. I paid it with no problem since it was stupid for me to be on the lake not knowing where all my jackets were.

I might add that all the stops have been game wardens on US Corp. lakes. They might partol the better, and I did nothig to attract attention. They were just out stopping everybody.

Good luck and stay safe.

Kevin and all, be very careful about telling him what's legal or not. Each state is different.

Kevin, piick up the Boating Rules and Regs from your state's Div of Wildlife of Dept of Nat Resources.

Hey Zack did I hear that they had found a large alligator on lake Lewisville a week or two ago?

I know here in California the Auxiliary Coast Guard will do an inspection on you boat for free and give you a sticker to put on you boat stating that it was checked out and passed inspection. You can also ask those guys what are the most popular reasons they are giving people tickets for. I have been pulled over for someone sitting on the gunwale and the sheriff was kind enough to let me go with a stern warning. I believe it was just an excuse to see how drunk people in the boat where as we where near a well known drinking area in the delta.

I am so glad we don't have to have an observer or flag in Texas. We were on Lake Lewisville and it was so funny to see these people with a flag.

James

James Swindell:

I sure hope you are joking!

If you are not joking, please get a copy of the "Handbook of Texas Boating Laws and Responsibilities" and read it. You can get an online copy at

http://www.boat-ed.com/tx/handbook/index.htm

Rod

Okay, since this has kind of developed into a discussion of required gear I'll bring this up. In Oregon you can have your boat inspected each year by the local patrolling agency (here it's the county sheriff). We did ours just last week - real easy, they just make sure that you have all of your required gear & that the horn, blower, etc are all in good working condition. The upshot is that they give you (yet another) sticker to put on your boat that basically says "Leave me alone I'm totally legal", so unless you're really blowing it you won't get stopped.

I will say that I see a lot of profiling going on. They seem to target young people mostly, particularly the ones in nice wakeboarding boats.

Rod, wtf are you talking about ? We do not have to use flags in TX. Hell we dont even have to have a 3rd as long as you have a mirror.

A flag is not required by law in Texas but I carry AND use when when I have a boarder down so the other idiots on the lake will pay attention. We all know that there are alot of people that think once they get their boat on the water they are the only ones there. I use a flag to protect my buddies in the water. It may not be cool or look cool but I have yet to have a close encounter with any other boaters when my boarder goes down.

Papers and registration. I got snagged by deputy dog for a $100+ for not having my registration papers on board even though sticker, etc. was complete. We now share a boat storage unit with the local water police; they are 2 stalls down, so I always know when they are out on the water.

I do believe there are some lakes in Texas that do require a flag. I know it is not a state requirement, but there maybe some local requirements that would apply.

hey robert i think your right. i dont have a flag in my boat. went to lake conroe w some buddys and they were using a flag and i was like what the hell are you doing? they said you had to. but unsure.

Yup, I think Conroe is one of the lake that require a flag, Houston might also be one of the lakes too. I think the others are around Dallas.

BTW, I have never seen any clear directions on the proper use of the flag. Is it to be held up only when you have a skier down, or the whole time you are skiing?

Make fun of the flag all you want but I think it is a necessary safety device. Here in the Delta the waterways are a little tight and there can be quite a few boats. The last thing you want to do is hit a downed skier/boarder. With the glare on the water people can be hard to see. When the bright orange flag goes up you know to start looking for someone in the water.

So, the flag only goes up when a skier is down?

And I don't think anybody is making fun of the flag. Heck I got one when I got the boat (not from the dealer), and they are not required where I ski.

You should have the flag up anytime the rope is in the water or if anyone is swimming by the boat. You also don't want someone to run over your rope if your changing out boarders (I pull the rope in each time anyways to just be safe.

In Oregon and California it is illegal to have the flag up when people are swimming. I've been talked to about it in both states. They wont give you a ticket but they will chew you out about it.

Some of our skiing place are tight too. I just don't wakeboard when I see an idiot there. We used to know everybody that was in some of our favortie spots and felt comfortable in the tight area with them. The popularity of wakeboarding has put so many people on the water that I think getting a flag may be the best thing.

I looked at the TX boating and saw that an observor is needed. This rule has changed if this is true. It used to not be required. We do it all the time and have never been stopped.

I just reread the TX boating law. It has observor or mirror. I knew I was right.

James

Maybe I'll move to Texas. I have a nice mirror, but got a ticket for no observer at 8 a.m. on October 8. Our third was called to the hospital on an emergency (at least we planned for 3). The rabbit cop ranger gave me a $125 ticket and a 'free boat inspection'. Guess how many people were on the water to run us over that morning? Zero, Zilch, Nada. Some rangers enforce the laws without consideration of their purpose. Being the only boat on the water that day ...

Utah state law says you have to have an observer over age 8 in the boat.

Texas laws will change with all of the idiots getting on the lake now. People used to be introduced to boating/skiing/wakeboarding by going with friends that learned from friends. Now you see people buying boats that have never driven or maybe even been on a boat.

I ran the slalom course this weekend at Lewisville: Just go to cut-through channel into Pier 121 and try to avoid all the idiots who turn into you as you try to avoid them. It's amazing how long some people will go without looking forward at where they're going.

i got a ticket for only have ppl age 15-17 in my boat iam 15 so i was driving and my dad owns the boat they said like one person over 21? or 18 i 4 got

Alex:

What state are you in?

In California, if you are operating a boat with more than 15 horsepower you have to be 16 or older, or 12-15 years old and have someone 18 or older with you.

Note that this law includes (and was actually targeted towards) PWCs.

What states do not require a thrid?

I know Texas does not right now.

South Carolina does not, nor does it require the use of a fallen skier flag.

I believe a third is not required in Kentucky or Tennessee. I go to Dalehollow and swear someone told me that, but we always have 3 or more anyway. Also in Indiana you do have to have a 3rd, but no flag. I've never seen anyone use a flag. In fact if it wasn't for coming on here and I seen someone use a flag, I would probably have been like, what the he!! is that supposed to mean?

Speaking of boating laws...any states out there that do not have an idol only from dusk to dawn law? I am positive Ky and TN do not but I know that Indiana does.

(Message edited by deiselgrover on May 25, 2004)

Rod:

I think Indiana's 10 MPH sundown to sunup, not idle. I did get a $104.00 fine last year for speeding 6 minutes before sunrise.

James,
Where in California can you get the Auxiliary Coast Guard to do an inspection for you? Also, does anyone know a site that has the boating handbook for California posted?

http://www.dbw.ca.gov/ABCindex.htm

Two I have run afoul of in MO(same for KS I think:

1. No watersports before sunrise or after sunset. Sunset is defined as any time after any portion of the visible sun touches the horizon. Note the fact that you are still in full daylight is no excuse. Tubing counts.

2. No water sports within 110 ft of another boat. So when the that old guy fishing along the shore where the banks are only about 200 ft apart will get you.

Also the flag thing maynot be state law but local lots of places. For example it is lawon all Corps of Engineers built lakes.

Rod is right; a third is not needed in Tennessee if you have a convex mirror that provides 170 degrees of visibility. Otherwise, the third must be 12 or older.

Also, Tennesse does not have a specific after-dark speed limit. There would be a rebellion if they tried it 'cause all those fine mariners in the Vol Navy have to get home fast after the game.

However, "excessive speed" during periods of "restricted visibility" constitutes reckless operation, and the fine is up to $2500. Also, no watersports after sunset or before sunrise. Fortunately, we live near the edge of the time zone, so in June we can board until about 9:00 p.m.

In Utah the third only has to be 8 years old.

Tx., for sure requires a third. As far as I know.. Conroe as "reportedly" the second most deadly lake in Texas has a crap load of laws on it. Not only Texas laws but cruising speed after dusk and so on. 7 law enforcment entities on 1 lake and I will know those laws, Texas or single lake. This after $1700 worth of crappy tickets that were deserved but just incidentals that I didn't know. BTW I have had a good friend get pulled from Conroe for suspected DD and it was just as hard as a Drunk Driving charge to deal with. Those guys don't mess around out there with all the Uber drunks who come out on the weekends who haven't a clue how to boat.

Texas does NOT require a third. Texas requires a MIRROR or a third. There is a difference. Now if a local jurisdiction has additional requirements that may be the case, but there is no state requirement for a third if your mirror meets the requirements.

The reasons you just listed abouve are the reasons I don't go to conroe. I spend my time on somerville, and it is a much more laid back atmosphere. The other reason I don't go to conroe, is have you evre tried to find some smooth water there? It is nearly impossible.

I have my worst problems with kids who are like 10, espescially girls, riding Sea Doos amd following too close or cutting in front of us.

mark , every one hates jetskiers, they probably hate themselves. dressing like that pink wetsuit, purple aquasocks, turquoise googles. and it aint just the kids. those adults that constantly do donuts in the wake zone need to be killed!
robert,riding in conroe is like riding in the gulf. it totally sucks