Ohio House Passes "Boater Freedom Act"

[Home Cookin']

Re: Ohio House Passes "Boater Freedom Act"

dingbat's experience is like mine here--lots of military and port assets to protect. The Navy base/shipyard guard boats just keep you from getting too close; no contact. USCG occassionally does safety checks. Local marine police (state plus each of 7 adjoining cities) do more inspections. On big holiday weekends they do a lot, looking for drunks. Game wardens look for fish and game violations. It's a hassle but so far, for me, not over doing it.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Ohio House Passes "Boater Freedom Act"

I am wondering if inland waters are a lot more heavily patrolled than coastal waters. . . Or maybe it is related to the typical number of boats in an area. In my area we have the harbor master patrol boats, the USCG, and then there is a patrol for the Cape Cod canal. I don't see them too much, except in the more populated areas.

I can see why some states are having legislative action to regulate the patrols, based on some of the threads that are on the Internet about numerous inspections, etc.

I do think the courtesy inspections are a good idea, because a boater will be able to see if there are any issues before the fact.

 

[hungupthespikes]

Re: Ohio House Passes "Boater Freedom Act"

:director: :clap2: :cheer2:



Ohio House Sends "Boater Freedom Act" To Governor | Majority Caucus | The Ohio House of Representatives


http://watercraft.ohiodnr.gov/watercraft-home/post/governor-john-kasich-signs-boater-freedom-act

Signed, sealed and delivered
huts

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Ohio House Passes "Boater Freedom Act"

Why there is heavy "enforcement" in inland waters with no security or real safety issues:

Any cop would rather be out on the water in the day time than riding around the city streets or county roads, especially at night. So they shake loose some state/fed grant money and get a boat--or two--or more. Some use confiscated boats from criminal enterprises. All the cops sign up for the duty.

Then they have to justify their existence. Leave aside the suspicion that the ticket revenues matter: if they don't write tickets, they cannot report that they have done anything that can be measured, except rescues or disabled boat assistance. But a ticket "proves" that crimes are being committed and they are being stopped by the boat cops. If they reported, "no tickets written this summer" then the county manager would get rid of the boat as a waste of money. If all they did was tow people, the county would hire a tow service or rely on private service. Tickets are the only way to justify a sweet shift for summer work for the cops.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Ohio House Passes "Boater Freedom Act"

Hey, we got our first 'patrol' boat that I have seen in a while . . . Came into the harbor a couple of weeks ago. Big Tiara 4300 monster boat. Came in and took up 1/2 of the dock. I happened to be taking up most of the other half of the dock as I was replacing a water pump.

As they came in I could see a big sign on their boat USCG Aux. Patrol. Never seen them before, so I thought oh boy, here we go, gonna be inspection time. . . . But no . . . They were just docking up to have lunch.

We chatted with them a bit . . . After about 20 minutes, they left.

in terms of stopping boaters for inspections and stuff like that, I think they should issue a sticker once they complete their inspection that shows you are good for the year. No need to repeatedly be stopping people just to inspect in hopes that they might find something.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Ohio House Passes "Boater Freedom Act"

Ohio more or less dose as it pleases, for years they have pulled people over just because so this is nothing new for them.

 

[NYBo]

Re: Ohio House Passes "Boater Freedom Act"

Hey, we got our first 'patrol' boat that I have seen in a while . . . Came into the harbor a couple of weeks ago. Big Tiara 4300 monster boat. Came in and took up 1/2 of the dock. I happened to be taking up most of the other half of the dock as I was replacing a water pump.

As they came in I could see a big sign on their boat USCG Aux. Patrol. Never seen them before, so I thought oh boy, here we go, gonna be inspection time. . . . But no . . . They were just docking up to have lunch.

We chatted with them a bit . . . After about 20 minutes, they left.

in terms of stopping boaters for inspections and stuff like that, I think they should issue a sticker once they complete their inspection that shows you are good for the year. No need to repeatedly be stopping people just to inspect in hopes that they might find something.

Before anyone gets their undies in a twist about the government using a big honkin' Tiara for patrols, that was a privately-owned vessel volunteered for Auxiliary use. Those would be Auxiliarists aboard with no enforcement of boarding powers.

Only duly certified vessel examiners of the US Power Squadron or US Coast Guard Auxiliary can conduct a complimentary vessel safety check and issue the sticker. Regular CG and law enforcement cannot do this.

 

[Campylobacter]

Re: Ohio House Passes "Boater Freedom Act"

The coast guard on the other hand is the big dog on the block. They're responsbility is to enforce federal law. They do not hassle boaters unless they suspect you have commited a federal offense, typically a fisheries violation or your in a restricted area.

In NC, the coast guard do "safety checks" apparently at random. They basically stopped every boater going through the cape lookout inlet last weekend (me included). They gave me and "incident report" with no violations, but it took about 20 mins.

I'm pretty sure it was random, they 'picked' me right after finishing with a fishing boat, and when they were done stopped a boat coming in.

I did have a fairly high bikini density aboard, however.

 

[frantically relaxing]

Re: Ohio House Passes "Boater Freedom Act"

I went looking for statistics on how safe boating is compared to driving a car--

According to one website ( Recreational Boating Accidents alcohol related (per capita) statistics - States compared - StateMaster ) Alaska has the most per-capita alcohol related boating accidents with 13.5 accidents per million people, and down at the bottom, Connecticut has only .28 accidents per million people- Country average comes out to 2.8 alky accidents per million people...

Then I look up alky related auto accidents, the best (read: easiest to decipher) website sez that in 2000 there were approximately (as I averaged it) 2.1 million alcohol related accidents, out of about 282 million people in the US at the time... My math is a little rusty but if I take 2.8 boat accidents per million people, mulitiply that by 282, it comes to a whopping 790 boat accidents per year (now) versus 2,100,000 auto accidents per year (13 years ago)...

Now I realize there's a lot more cars than boats, but I'm pretty sure it's not 2,658% more!

Seems the cops are stopping the wrong vehicles??

 

[Dee Jsaan]

Re: Ohio House Passes "Boater Freedom Act"

I live on the south end of the state and I believe there are 10 or more enforcement groups on the Ohio River. Sundays seem to be the big
day for boating and many boaters travel upriver from the ramp at their town and float back home.

If you pull up on the beach to picnic, swim, sun bathe, etc you may still be approached by any of these groups asking to see your papers/registration etc. Many people display the USCGA's CMI decal so that when they see that, they just pass on by. As for the rest
I think they are just wanting to fill their duty log to turn in and justify the fuel they used.

But I display those stickers on my boat and even a BOAT US sticker and I swear it confuses a lot of local enforcement people who are
looking for some one throwing up a little more wake in a "no wake" zone. And they are right there to bust them for $$$. It's just like they are tax collectors for those using the river.

 

[Bluepike]

Re: Ohio House Passes "Boater Freedom Act"

Maybe I am the odd duck but I have never been stopped on lake Erie and have been boating there for years. Am I living on borrowed time?

 

[hungupthespikes]

Re: Ohio House Passes "Boater Freedom Act"

Maybe I am the odd duck but I have never been stopped on lake Erie and have been boating there for years. Am I living on borrowed time?

Yes...
Try going to this on your boat this weekend without getting stopped.

The Burning River Foundation: About / Mission

 

[Dr. Evil]

Re: Ohio House Passes "Boater Freedom Act"

I live 5 miles from my boat launch and 2 miles from Norris Lake in East Tenn. Its the next big lake after Cumberland headed South on I 75. We get A LOT of people from Ohio down here on weekends and holidays, A LOT. I'm trying to figure out how to word this properly because I have met quite a few really nice people on the lake from Ohio but generally speaking if I see an Ohio registration on the boat I steer clear of them. Its like they hit our lake and lose their dang minds. 45mph within 200' of a swimming area, no wake zones don't apply to them, nor do navigation rules. Obviously there are some really great people in every state and I'm by no means stating that all are bad. I think we get a high percentage of people that have more money than sense and want to get away from what sounds like an oppressive LE presence in their respective home state. We have our share of idiots here as well, they just talk like us.

 

[Dee Jsaan]

Re: Ohio House Passes "Boater Freedom Act"

I first saw Cove Lake when I was a young teen. I went there with my Grand folks who had heard about it at work. I thought it was an absolutely beautiful place. We were just there to visit and drive around and look at it and did a bit of fishing from the banks.

I haven't been back there since other to drive by it on route to Atlanta, Ga.

All I can tell you is it looks like a mid south bargain where those from Ohio could visit with their RV's and boats during the cooler months in Ohio. If you look at Google Maps you will see that there are larger lakes all near each other and that's the first larger waters
headed south from Ohio.

I'm just guessing but with I-75 South out of Columbus, Ohio...and I-77 out of Charleston, WV to Wytheville, VA I-81 to Knoxville, Tn, that the roads lead right there. Many of these people have good paying jobs and if they can wrangle a couple personal days on either end of a four day weekend, then they could make it there and back with no problems. They may drive the RV in shifts taking turns sleeping. Many of the Atlantic coast resorts like Myrtle Beach have marketing departments that advertise in WV, Ohio, and KY to draw people into those areas. Tennessee may be doing something like that too.

Sorry to hear you are getting people like that. I doubt that they would get by with that stuff very long back here. Then when they get away from being held to behave responsibly, they act up till they wake up and learn to use their freedom responsibly again.
Like little kids getting out of school. And you are right to feel as you do about it.

 

[Fleetwin]

Re: Ohio House Passes "Boater Freedom Act"

I've never been stopped for a violation and haven't been inspected in too long to remember. But, I tend to look like I know what I'm doing and I do.

With that said, I am often appalled at the LEO's lack of respect for their equipment, meaning the boats. I see them doing things with the boats and engines that is just plain lack of respect and caring.

I have recorded some things and sent them to the Sheriffs office. I did get a nice response and some things have improved.

 

[putinbay]

Hopefully that will stop some of the agencies from stopping people at Put-in-Bay At one time there were ODNR officers, Put-in-Bay Polices, Coast Guard & the Ottawa Country Sheriffs Department all patrolling the entrance to the harbor and stopping for "courtesy inspections"