Marine Patrol Stopped me

[bshaner]

I was fishing an NBAA last night on Goguac and got stopped by the Sheriff's Marine Patrol.  No complaints here.  The guys were very professional and friendly.  The stop took all of 5 minutes.  They didnt even bother to check our fishing licenses due to the fact that I was just as friendly and courteous to them and had everything in order.

One thing they did mention that I never new was that your throw cushion/device has to be on the deck at all times.  It cant be stowed.  At first I didnt think twice about it and threw it on the deck but got to thinking that hrmmm... this is going to be yet another thing I have to secure on the deck when I go to fire up the big motor. 

Am I the only person that didnt know this?  What do you guys do with your throw cushions?

B

[McCarter]

Shaner,

Im not saying that the cops are wrong about this, but dont believe everything they tell you.  A lot of times, we know more about the rules and regs than they do.

It seems silly that you would have to keep the throwable on the deck of the boat at all times.  But what do i know. 

I had a cop threaten to ticket me for having more then 3 rods on the boat.  According to him, it was against the law and I was at fault for basing law on assumption rather than fact.  i like to think that guy has since retired and is spending his days eating through a straw and getting regular diaper changes at Shady Meadows Home for Complete Morons.  It helps me sleep at night.

McCarter himself

[fishon1219]

Shaner,
I use a boat cusion with the required rope attached to it and keep it on the driver seat when I am out. This way I get a little extra cusion for my large back side and it also lets me sit a little bit higher to see over my wind shield.

I am just about as tall as I am round so the boat cusion helps.
Just a suggestion.

[Kzoduckman]

According to the DNR Handbook of Michigan Boating Laws and Responsibilities at  http://www.boat-ed.com/mi/handbook/pfds.htm
(on the Michigan DNR web site)

"In addition to the above requirements, one Type IV USCG—approved PFD must be on board vessels 16 feet or longer and readily accessible."

so what is "readily accessible"?  To me, opening up a latch cover and grabbing it is readily accessible.

I have been stopped several times on Goguac by the Sherif Marine patrol and they have always been very professional.

the Kalamazoo Duckman

[Cy]

I keep my throwable under the driver or passenger console all the time.  I that way it is out in the open and easy to get at when checked but it isn't in the way when fishing.  I hate tripping over stuff when I am jumping around trying to net a fish on tournament day.

Cy

[BASS FISHERMAN]

i once has the cops tell me that the thro cousion muss be out in the open butt the cops dont allways no the right way from the wrong way to do it  cops that tell this tail is BULL 
most of theze summer cops are just renta cops and dont no annathing bout it. 
if yous has it in yur boat you are covered 
same with yur life jackits  ifin thay are in yur baot you are covered 
i not tellin yous all to get in a fite with the cops !! yous do whut yous has to juss to makes thems happie 
the cops go out of site puts yur thro cushin bake in yur comepartments 

allso remembut this!!
RANGERS BOAT RULE 

[springlakebassman]

I was stopped last year in Grand Haven by the Coast Gaurd because I was giving off a little to much wake.  Upon checking my boat they informed me that I could have recieved a fine for two things.  1. the lifejackets were stowed away in a rod box and not out and "readily accessible". 2. my throwable was also stowed and not "readily accessible". These guys were very nice and just wanted to inform me of this. I know it is a pain but now I put the life jacket on any time I am running practice or tourney, and the throwable is placed by my feet under the drivers console. I did not know there is supposed to be a roped tied to it though?

[Revtro]

I also recommend just wearing the jacket, but they do not have to out on the deck to be legal.  The Sherrif informed me that they just have to accessible within 2 seconds. (not that this exists in any law necessarily)  In other words, as long as you can open a compartment and grab them quickly, you're legal according to the Sherrif I spoke with.  I think this is true because on charter boats, the jackets just need to be in a compartment that is marked "Life Jackets".  So if that's the law for them, it must be the law for us. (the compartment part, not the markings on it)  As someone said, just because some law enforcement official says it, it's not necessarily correct.  Anyone can be mistaken, law enforcement officials included.

A good example of this is when I was checked at a ramp a couple of years ago.  There were both Coast Guard Auxilliary and Sherrif officials doing the boat checks.  I was checked by the Coast Guard.  They told me they couldn't certify my boat because I didn't have flares.  I told him he was wrong and he said I was wrong and walked away.  So I flagged a Sherrif over and had him do the check.  I questioned him about the flares and the end result was that he certified me because I was indeed legal.  I went back to the Coast Guard guy and discussed it with him.  His response was quote "Well... that's not a 'ticketable' item". 

Long and short, the guy was just plain wrong.  Get a coast guard requirement manual and keep it with you.  If it's not written there, then don't worry about it.  Use common sense and be safe. 

[dartag]

curious why you didn't need flares??  size of the boat. i have 2 sets in my boat.   

ss

[Revtro]

Yeah, back then smaller boats didn't need flares as long as they had some other form of signaling device. 

I just remembered another funny instance.  Once I was checked by the Coast Guard on the water.  At the time it was just my wife and I on board.  So how many life jackets did I need??

Well I had 7 anyhow.  They were all in plain view too.  One guy asked me to pull them out to check if they were "coast guard approved".  He wanted to see the tag.  Now there are 2 funny components to this story.  First, he made me pull out all 7 even after he checked the first one's tag.  They were all identical, so gee, why do I need to pull out all 7? 

Second and even funnier was the tag check in the first place.  These were all the normal (and brand new) orange type PFD's.  The standard kind you get in a safety kit.  My question at the time was "Does anyone even make a standard orange PFD that isn't Coast Guard approved?"  Doubtful, unless maybe I bought them in the Philippines or Taiwan and brought them here to put onto my new boat. 

In fairness, it was April on St. Clair right after 9-11, so I suppose it was just an excuse to check me out thoroughly.  Or maybe they were just plain bored.  Anyway, I laughed it off because it was just plain silly.  In the end they were very nice and professional even though they were stuck on silly.  It was hard not to laugh out loud. 

[fiker]

My boat is smaller and laid out a little different than most of yours. 

My life jackest are on my fishing seats.  I turn them around backwards against the back of the seat and buckle them in place.  There are in plain view, but the funny thing is, it would take more than two seconds to unbuckle and use them. 

As for my throwable, it stands on end with rope attached, and is bungee corded to the side of my drivers counsel.  It's never in the way, and doesn't take up any of my very limited storage compartments.

But, here's another question for you.  My boat says it's 16' on the pink slip.  It actually measures 15'4".  Sixteen feet means I need a LJ for each passenger, pluse a throwable.  Less than 16' I need a LJ or throwable for each passenger.  I always carry 3 LJ's and one throwable, but, do I have to, or can I get away with 2 LJ's and one throwable for 3 people on board?

[fowlmouth]

I just read the regulations, and i don't see where it says anything about a rope needing to be on the throwable. I might have missed it, but I have never had a rope on mine and never been told I needed one.

[robtheboatman]

This out of the DNR boating laws handbook.

Boats 16'-26'

-Boat Reg.
-Registration decals displayed
-PFD's: type 1,2, or 3.  Childeren under 6 years of age must wear when riding on the open deck of any vessel.
-PFD: type 4  (throwable device) (It doesn't say anything about having a rope atached, but I have always been told you need 20' of rope atached.)
-Type B-1 fire extinguisher
-Flame arrestor (required on stern drives only)
-ventilation system (fuel)
-muffler
-horn, whistle, or bell
-daytime visual distress signal (distress flag)  *great lakes only
-night time visual distress signal (flare)  *great lakes only
-navigation lights

Hope this helps.  You can request a copy of the handbook at www.michigan.gov/dnr
Rob

[Bender]

When they stopped me today they were mostly concerned registration, then with PFDs, then the throw able one, and finally the fire extinguisher. 
Well, mostly with questions about any outstanding warrants, thankfully I have none.

[Orlando Jon]

Ouch! this is a tough one for me. I've had a bad year for getting stopped by the DNR, and police both here and in FL.  I'm a respectful, clean cut, and law abiding citizen but for some reason they've had my number this year.  I haven't gotten any tickets, just standard stops and inspections but it's starting to wear on me.  I know that they are just doing there jobs but I can't help but think that they are really increasing the number of "routine" inspections.  In a recent tournament i could see from where I was fishing the sheriffs department stopping one boat after another for, from my perspective, no particular reason.  Does anyone else feel like they are really increasing the stops?

[1javelin]

I was stopped once all of last year, and this year I have already been stopped 2 times.  Must be increasing the frequency.  Guess since gas went up in price they have to write a few morew tickets, and spend the gas to do it.

[Cy]

Maybe the cops and DNR are just paying more attention to bass fisherman these days.  I think fisherman in general tend to fly under the radar most of the time.  We aren't normally running around like idiots in our boats, we normally aren't getting drunk while fishing or running and we normally don't even have fish in the boat unless it's tournament day.  In most cases I would think we are low priority stops.  Perhaps the perception is changing.

Cy

[1javelin]

I agree with you totally Cy, which is why it makes no sense to me.  How many times do they stop and check the guys fishing from shore, the ones my partner and I told several times smallies were not i season, and had to be 14" when in season, only to watch them throw iti n the trunk and stare at us like we were stupid.  Since I don't carry the DNR number anymore for personal reasons, (don't ask cuz I'm not arguing with anyone again, thank you Revtro), I called the local police and got the whole we will take care of it story.  Bet nothing ever happened.  And that was with us watching!!  Imagine what happens when no one is around.  Never see them throw anything back!!  why not check them?