Question for Lake Erie Boaters? OH.
 

I have been hearing that authorities have really been cracking down on thru hull exhaulst this season. Has anyone else heard of this? Also what exactly is the law for marine exhaust noise in Ohio. I have heard so many different interpretations and none of them are the same.

I just got in the water last weekend (and back out again unfortunately) but they were really bad in the Sandusky Bay and Kelly's Island area last year. The Sandusky police have their boats parked at the Municipal Ramps in Sandusky (best around) and if they are there, they will check you. As I understand it, you have to have some kind of muffler (but there is no specification as to what constitutes a muffler, so I consider my flappers to be a muffler) and they are doing the idle DB test which has to be under 90 db. The wind has to be under 10 mph for them to do the test. They law also states that cutouts (silent choice) are illegal but the officers I have talked to say as long as you pass the 90 db test with the exhaust open, your OK. If anybody has better information, lets hear it. I have heard all kinds of stories about horrendous fines but dont know of any personally.

So you are saying that they only test you @ idle?

So far, thats it.

Ive been to Vermilliom to Fairport harbor.. no hassles here!!! I did hear that alot of "extra security around the islands" ............right BIGDADDY???

Noise Restricitions on Lake Erie
 

Thanks for the Heads Up on This.

We are going out for the first time this afternoon. I have Corsa installed mufflers so I don't expect any problems.

If you go to the Corsa web page they used to list the noise limits for the various states. That might be what you are looking for.

Best to everyone.

Rice Hauler.

I had seen noise signs at Vermillion before these laws went into effect. It's pretty scary when you read the laws on the muffler subject. If the division of watercraft wanted to be real pricks they could cost a lot of boaters large amounts of money. Read the section about altered or bypassed mufflers. You can't even legally sell a boat that has a "bypass" system or no muffler on it.
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/watercraft/laws/muffler.htm

Here are what comparable decible levels are:
0 Threshold of normal hearing
20 Whispering Voice
40 Refrigerator Humming
60 Normal Conversation
80 City Traffic Noise
90 Lawn Mower, Motorcycle
100 Wood Shop
110 Chainsaw
120 Boom Cars, Snowmobile
140 Rock Concerts, Firecrackers

Cordell