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Author Topic:   Sick of Rules

PteB88 posted 06-15-2014 11:02 PM ET (US)
I get sick of the rules around [Lake Michigan, Michigan coast]. I told DNR and NFS guys that a few weeks ago at a seminar in Saugatuck about planning going on for Great Lakes Water Trail system--your tax money at work. One of my comments included the fact that Pure Michigan advertisements are attracting people from as far away as [Los Angeles]. Action sports tourists from places like [the Pacific Northwest] and Rocky Mountains are extremely experiences and "authorities" and government guys need to present as friendly and to be resources to enhance our visitors' experience, not write a bunch of tickets. Like the time when we first moved over here in 2008 and we went out in our 13 with Std Poodle Comet and pulled up to the beach at Hoffmaster SP: I got out to check my motor trim, dog in the boat, and as I described the experience, "I pulled up to the beach and some little guy in a brown suit jumped out from behind a sand dune came almost running down to my boat waving his ticket book." And the sucker wrote me a ticket--which I fought an won in Ottawa County court. I told them they all need to remember our visitors come here to have fun and not to assume every tourist, boater or whatever is a potential violator.
I'm done.
EJO posted 06-16-2014 05:44 PM ET (US)
NAILED IT ON THE HEAD PeteB88. Make sure your boat [has received a] vessel safety check [so] as not give [police agencies on the water] a reason to stop you
jimh posted 06-16-2014 06:38 PM ET (US)
A U.S.A Congressman told an Admiral of the Coast Guard a similar story during a recent congressional hearing: too many "vessel safety inspection" stops of recreational boats going on. The USCG Admiral seemed to ignore him.
Cf.: http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/022438.html
kmev posted 06-17-2014 10:07 AM ET (US)
My experience over nearly 20 years on all of the Great Lakes and Florida had been far different. I can recall being stopped once in Florida by a FWC officer, who stated we needed to have our dive flag with us in the water if we were swimming away from the boat. Didn't get a ticket, either.
deepwater posted 06-18-2014 07:51 PM ET (US)
We all know rules keep us safe from the stupid ppl,,Its just sad they think we are all stupid
GRAND NUSSIE posted 06-18-2014 08:23 PM ET (US)
Having spent thousands of hours over the last 50 years anchored off Hoffmaster State Park, I am curious as to what the ticket was written for. Dog on beach??
One day a very worried lady stopped me near the floating dock section of Grand Haven Municipal Marina and asked if she would be ticketed for having her young grandson on board their docked cruiser. Hey, we need to EDUCATE folks, not THREATEN them!
Dick
wally910 posted 06-19-2014 02:09 PM ET (US)
You should come to the east coast of Florida and try to go offshore fishing. The marine patrol/coast guard will board your vessel 30 miles offshore for a "safety inspection" in their 31 foot center console with triple 300s on the back... Of course, that's just a way to ask to see your fish and make sure you aren't keeping any red snapper. The South Atlantic Fishery Council has had a moratorium on keeping snapper on Florida's east coast for the past five years, and has now opened it for something like 2-3 weekends this summer. This is in spite of of the fact that the snapper numbers in Florida are as high as they have been in thirty years by any reasonable assessment. It's a complete joke. If there really was a problem with the snapper fishery, the way to fix it would be to change the regs on shrimpers, not tell a recreational fisherman that they can't keep a snapper or two.
Dave Sutton posted 06-19-2014 03:32 PM ET (US)
Must....Not...Rise... to bait.... no reason to... write annual.... coast guard rant.... OH NO!! Impossible bait to resist... it's coming... ack! It's time for my annual RANT about the USCG... <sigh>..

OK, let me keep it simple this year:

START ROUTINE:
>subject: annual rant<
INPUT:
>trigger post acknowlaged<
ACTION:
>start rant script<
>NOW insert Daves annual rant about USCG abuse of power here, including 4th amendment concerns<
>wait for one year. Repeat as required.
>end<

That was easy.

Dave
Binkster posted 06-19-2014 04:29 PM ET (US)
Folks don't mind, in fact they welcome the Coast Guard getting involved when their boat is on fire or sinking or you're on a Cruise ship and a member of your family just had a heart attack.
Don't sweat the small stuff.
Oh, another thing, if you break down, don't call them, their job is too important to be bothered my menial work. But they will tow you in if they find your boat is full of illicit drugs.
Also if you're about to be boarded, put plenty of fenders out. Many Coasties are about 3 months removed from the farm in Kansas and don't realize a boat is different to drive than a John Deere. After they slam into your boat they will ask you if you have any weapons aboard. Answer truthfully, but don't say yea, it's right over here and go for it or you might be cut down by the same Kansas farm boy.
To let them know you are an old salt, use alot of boating terms like ahoy, If they ask you a direct question, such as your name, don't just say it, spell it using the phonetic alphabet, you remember, alpha bravo charlie, delta--------------Zulu.
Here is another thing that's important. If you were in the Coast Guard, years ago, make sure you mention that to them. Also tell them you wore real uniforms like US Navy blues and whites and dungarees with chambray shirts and looked like real sailors, and wore sneakers on boarding parties, not combat boots, but they're not a problem for the modern Coastie, Kansas farm boys can't swim anyway.
Good luck out there.

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Author	Topic: Sick of Rules
PteB88	posted 06-15-2014 11:02 PM ET (US) I get sick of the rules around [Lake Michigan, Michigan coast]. I told DNR and NFS guys that a few weeks ago at a seminar in Saugatuck about planning going on for Great Lakes Water Trail system--your tax money at work. One of my comments included the fact that Pure Michigan advertisements are attracting people from as far away as [Los Angeles]. Action sports tourists from places like [the Pacific Northwest] and Rocky Mountains are extremely experiences and "authorities" and government guys need to present as friendly and to be resources to enhance our visitors' experience, not write a bunch of tickets. Like the time when we first moved over here in 2008 and we went out in our 13 with Std Poodle Comet and pulled up to the beach at Hoffmaster SP: I got out to check my motor trim, dog in the boat, and as I described the experience, "I pulled up to the beach and some little guy in a brown suit jumped out from behind a sand dune came almost running down to my boat waving his ticket book." And the sucker wrote me a ticket--which I fought an won in Ottawa County court. I told them they all need to remember our visitors come here to have fun and not to assume every tourist, boater or whatever is a potential violator. I'm done.
EJO	posted 06-16-2014 05:44 PM ET (US) NAILED IT ON THE HEAD PeteB88. Make sure your boat [has received a] vessel safety check [so] as not give [police agencies on the water] a reason to stop you
jimh	posted 06-16-2014 06:38 PM ET (US) A U.S.A Congressman told an Admiral of the Coast Guard a similar story during a recent congressional hearing: too many "vessel safety inspection" stops of recreational boats going on. The USCG Admiral seemed to ignore him. Cf.: http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/022438.html
kmev	posted 06-17-2014 10:07 AM ET (US) My experience over nearly 20 years on all of the Great Lakes and Florida had been far different. I can recall being stopped once in Florida by a FWC officer, who stated we needed to have our dive flag with us in the water if we were swimming away from the boat. Didn't get a ticket, either.
deepwater	posted 06-18-2014 07:51 PM ET (US) We all know rules keep us safe from the stupid ppl,,Its just sad they think we are all stupid
GRAND NUSSIE	posted 06-18-2014 08:23 PM ET (US) Having spent thousands of hours over the last 50 years anchored off Hoffmaster State Park, I am curious as to what the ticket was written for. Dog on beach?? One day a very worried lady stopped me near the floating dock section of Grand Haven Municipal Marina and asked if she would be ticketed for having her young grandson on board their docked cruiser. Hey, we need to EDUCATE folks, not THREATEN them! Dick
wally910	posted 06-19-2014 02:09 PM ET (US) You should come to the east coast of Florida and try to go offshore fishing. The marine patrol/coast guard will board your vessel 30 miles offshore for a "safety inspection" in their 31 foot center console with triple 300s on the back... Of course, that's just a way to ask to see your fish and make sure you aren't keeping any red snapper. The South Atlantic Fishery Council has had a moratorium on keeping snapper on Florida's east coast for the past five years, and has now opened it for something like 2-3 weekends this summer. This is in spite of of the fact that the snapper numbers in Florida are as high as they have been in thirty years by any reasonable assessment. It's a complete joke. If there really was a problem with the snapper fishery, the way to fix it would be to change the regs on shrimpers, not tell a recreational fisherman that they can't keep a snapper or two.
Dave Sutton	posted 06-19-2014 03:32 PM ET (US) Must....Not...Rise... to bait.... no reason to... write annual.... coast guard rant.... OH NO!! Impossible bait to resist... it's coming... ack! It's time for my annual RANT about the USCG... <sigh>.. OK, let me keep it simple this year: START ROUTINE: >subject: annual rant< INPUT: >trigger post acknowlaged< ACTION: >start rant script< >NOW insert Daves annual rant about USCG abuse of power here, including 4th amendment concerns< >wait for one year. Repeat as required. >end< That was easy. Dave
Binkster	posted 06-19-2014 04:29 PM ET (US) Folks don't mind, in fact they welcome the Coast Guard getting involved when their boat is on fire or sinking or you're on a Cruise ship and a member of your family just had a heart attack. Don't sweat the small stuff. Oh, another thing, if you break down, don't call them, their job is too important to be bothered my menial work. But they will tow you in if they find your boat is full of illicit drugs. Also if you're about to be boarded, put plenty of fenders out. Many Coasties are about 3 months removed from the farm in Kansas and don't realize a boat is different to drive than a John Deere. After they slam into your boat they will ask you if you have any weapons aboard. Answer truthfully, but don't say yea, it's right over here and go for it or you might be cut down by the same Kansas farm boy. To let them know you are an old salt, use alot of boating terms like ahoy, If they ask you a direct question, such as your name, don't just say it, spell it using the phonetic alphabet, you remember, alpha bravo charlie, delta--------------Zulu. Here is another thing that's important. If you were in the Coast Guard, years ago, make sure you mention that to them. Also tell them you wore real uniforms like US Navy blues and whites and dungarees with chambray shirts and looked like real sailors, and wore sneakers on boarding parties, not combat boots, but they're not a problem for the modern Coastie, Kansas farm boys can't swim anyway. Good luck out there.