Drinkin On Board

I can't believe you drunk drivers are still debating your rights while under the influence.

As far as I know drinking is only allowed when you have a very bad and ugly date, but then, keep them away from the boat and the car. You may see your picture in the newspaper if you get cought so by implication it should be an underground job...

 

About 15 years ago in Miami, a man who had been drinking inpalled his wife that was sitting on bow of cigarette boat into the Venetian Causeway Bridge. Whether it is enjoyable or not, Boating is not and activity to do while under the influence even a little.

 

was the boat damaged?

 

Boat lost its nose. As he approached bridge he slowed down and bow shot up throw wife into low bridge. He got several years in jail for manslaughter, DUI, etc.. It actually happen at slow speed just slow reactions and bad thinking.

 

If you haven't passed the test while sober, it would unwise to attempt to operate a boat in that state

 

ok so lemme get this straight

I can't drink in us waters unless I'm either moored or at the dock

 

you can drink, you just can't get caught

 

wrong

there are rules somewhere and I need to know what they are
depending on the decency of the orrificer is allot like the sheep asking the wolf for safety tips

what are the bloody rules for Alaskan waters

can I enjoy a few while on at anchor ?
sounds like I can at the dock or on a mooring but what about if I'm hiding in the bay up behind Bull island outside of Ketchikan

 

Most of the laws are state laws, so you have to look at the individual statutes of the states. Yes, the USCG can also bust you for drinking and boating, but the majority of busts are done by "water cops."

In my past, when I was in college and had my first sailboat, we used to get really drunk and sail around just outside the harbor entrance. That was back then.

Now, I don't drink a drop if I'm on watch and neither does anyone else who will have a watch coming up on my vessels.

It's not because of the law, but because it's important to get things right.

Let me share a little story about my college boating days:

We were out on my friend's father's 40' sailboat instead of mine one day. We had a big group of people. The friend (son of boat owner) had a drink or two, but more importantly, had had a little smoke (yes, that kind). We were heading out through a fog bank and he'd been doing this since he was 5 years old out of the same port, so he was the most experience among us. Nobody second guessed him (although I should have being 2nd most experienced). He read the chart, relayed the heading to the helmsman and off we went into the fog toward our offshore island destination.

I was on sounding/watch on the bow to sound the fog horn when necessary and keep an eye and ears out for engines or other boats. The fog was so thick, you could see about a boat length ahead. We were under power, not sail.

Anyway, was on the bow and I suddenly heard the sound of waves crashing. I hesitated for a moment, because fog tends to fool you in lots of ways, but no... this was real. Just as I realized it was real, I saw the rocks and breaking waves.

"LAAAAAND!!!!!!", I yelled back to the helmsman.

The friend (son of owner) ran up, grabbed the helm and did an immediate 180. Well, he tried to anyway. We struck submerged rocks well before the breakers/rocks as the boat was turning.

We felt our way back out and headed the proper reciprocal course back toward the mooring.

Once we were in deep water again and on the right course, we tried figuring out what went wrong.

Here's what happened: My friend (owner's son) was stoned. Instead of reading the heading off the paper chart, he read the DEPTH!! The numbers were close to each other, but since he wasn't fully with it, he made a mistake that could have cost people their lives.

You don't want to chance things like that.

 

we seem to be miscommunicating
this is the guy who absolutely does not drink and drive
so here's what Im curious about

what are the state laws of Alaska concerning alcohol and boating

 

http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/boating/

 

ya I tried that one earlier and a search of the term alcohol leads to a large amount of information concerning vending licensing and special events permits, has nothing that I could find on rules of the road

I'm surprised no one knows the answer to this one

Mark ?

 

nice link though
I've been reading through it all night and I think it best to start the journey with the Alaska state boating safety course they offer

I guess the prize is some kind of Boater education card and a small fee

I've yet to find anything about captains license requirements for taking out not more than 6 passengers at a time on a boat less than 40'

 

I believe they debate their rights the most while they are under the influence.

 

the prize is a hunting trip with palin to kill and skin a moose