Odnr
06-29-2003, 09:41 PM
#1
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Odnr
Odnr ( post 1 of 1)
I've been running offshore boats for over 12 years and I truly believe that those of us that do operate these high performance boats are some the most knowledgeable, safety minded, conscientious boaters out there. Are boats usually outfitted with far more safety equipment than any federal, state or local laws call for. Yet we seem to be singled out for harassment. This is my story, after a rotten Spring we finally get out on the boat, for a sunny afternoon. I get safety checked every year by the Coast Guard and go by the Coast Guard station on my way out of the river to Lake Erie. By the way this happened in Lorain Oh. I've never had a problem, always run on one motor to make sure of no wake, When I do run hard it's off shore clear of other boats. About three years ago the state passed a noise limit of 90 dcb. which is truly on passable. But the Ohio Department of Natural resources is in charge of enforcing the law, but they have no meters available. Well the ODNR pulls me over, boards my boat with his BLACK shoes and marks my engine cover up, puts me through a safety check, when he finds nothing, puts me through a sobriety check, everything ok, but inform me that my vessel is much louder then 90 dcb. Getting aggravated my wife tries to calm me down, but I ask him to go to the dock a perform his sound check, he informs me he has no means to perform test, but informs me if he did he would surely ticket me. When I questioned him as to how he can put a citizen though this and not have the equipment to perform test anyway, he says, just get that boat back to the dock and we'll be watching for you and it better have a muffler system next time. He also inform me to not try to put silent choice system on because that's illegal to. I will put the muffler system on, but as we know next time it will be something else. how about some comments, I just want to see if anyone else has a run in with these jerks. Thanks, more than anything I just needed to vent. John
I've been running offshore boats for over 12 years and I truly believe that those of us that do operate these high performance boats are some the most knowledgeable, safety minded, conscientious boaters out there. Are boats usually outfitted with far more safety equipment than any federal, state or local laws call for. Yet we seem to be singled out for harassment. This is my story, after a rotten Spring we finally get out on the boat, for a sunny afternoon. I get safety checked every year by the Coast Guard and go by the Coast Guard station on my way out of the river to Lake Erie. By the way this happened in Lorain Oh. I've never had a problem, always run on one motor to make sure of no wake, When I do run hard it's off shore clear of other boats. About three years ago the state passed a noise limit of 90 dcb. which is truly on passable. But the Ohio Department of Natural resources is in charge of enforcing the law, but they have no meters available. Well the ODNR pulls me over, boards my boat with his BLACK shoes and marks my engine cover up, puts me through a safety check, when he finds nothing, puts me through a sobriety check, everything ok, but inform me that my vessel is much louder then 90 dcb. Getting aggravated my wife tries to calm me down, but I ask him to go to the dock a perform his sound check, he informs me he has no means to perform test, but informs me if he did he would surely ticket me. When I questioned him as to how he can put a citizen though this and not have the equipment to perform test anyway, he says, just get that boat back to the dock and we'll be watching for you and it better have a muffler system next time. He also inform me to not try to put silent choice system on because that's illegal to. I will put the muffler system on, but as we know next time it will be something else. how about some comments, I just want to see if anyone else has a run in with these jerks. Thanks, more than anything I just needed to vent. John
06-29-2003, 09:48 PM
#2
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YOu have not been found guilty of anything. If he continues to harass you, have your attorney write a letter to his boss professionally stating your concerns. I would not put the mufflers on until I was found guilty of something. On the other hand, it might be nice just to "buy some time" by putting on mufflers. That's a personal choice.
I think it is a total crock and it is borderline harrassment. They have a job to do, but it seems this guy had a hard on for you way before he stopped you. Is he new?
Good luck, this is only the beginning of this garbage. I agree...all in all, we typically take better care of the waterways than the avg recreational boaters....BY FAR!!!!
I think it is a total crock and it is borderline harrassment. They have a job to do, but it seems this guy had a hard on for you way before he stopped you. Is he new?
Good luck, this is only the beginning of this garbage. I agree...all in all, we typically take better care of the waterways than the avg recreational boaters....BY FAR!!!!
06-29-2003, 11:19 PM
#3
speel chekk this fokker!
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i've pretty much come to the conclusion that there are tons of dickheads involved with boating.
You get these idiots that are convinced they are gods of the sea.
Or better yet the harbour constable that thinks he's some kind of old salty sea dog who spent his life on the ocean when in reality he put putted around in a 14' whaler.
A coupel years ago the attendant at the town operated pump out station (floating **** tanker) threatened to ticket me for noise violations (i had stock exhaust and mufflers) and a 5mph zone violation.
I was idling at about 800 rpms. my baot couldn't go any slower. and it was by no means a rocket ship with a 10mph idle. Single 330 on a 4500 lbs boat.
The big issue is there are some bad apples taht spoil it for trh rest of us. This is genarelly true of most sports but in boating its kind of exagerated. DUe to eth fact a 47 fountain with triple 1000hp engine runing aground and killing everyone or a waerunner being driven over or (thi sas a persoanl experience of mine) the jackass driving the boat gos 90 through a 5mph zone and refuses to close the muffler around the docks on a sea trial (he was ellign his boat, i was along as an impartial observer)
one jackass like that make us all look really bad
You get these idiots that are convinced they are gods of the sea.
Or better yet the harbour constable that thinks he's some kind of old salty sea dog who spent his life on the ocean when in reality he put putted around in a 14' whaler.
A coupel years ago the attendant at the town operated pump out station (floating **** tanker) threatened to ticket me for noise violations (i had stock exhaust and mufflers) and a 5mph zone violation.
I was idling at about 800 rpms. my baot couldn't go any slower. and it was by no means a rocket ship with a 10mph idle. Single 330 on a 4500 lbs boat.
The big issue is there are some bad apples taht spoil it for trh rest of us. This is genarelly true of most sports but in boating its kind of exagerated. DUe to eth fact a 47 fountain with triple 1000hp engine runing aground and killing everyone or a waerunner being driven over or (thi sas a persoanl experience of mine) the jackass driving the boat gos 90 through a 5mph zone and refuses to close the muffler around the docks on a sea trial (he was ellign his boat, i was along as an impartial observer)
one jackass like that make us all look really bad
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Pardon me, while I whip this out!
Pardon me, while I whip this out!
06-30-2003, 05:57 AM
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I see I'm not alone, mufflers are coming, but I know it will be something else the next time. Beware, the 4th is coming and the jackasses will be out in force. I think most of us don't try to antagonize them but like you said, the power of the badge gets the best of some of these losers.
06-30-2003, 06:49 AM
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Like allan said, fook them until they can prove it in court, if they want to get nasty with you then get nasty right back, only with legal papers We had a run in a rew years back with ODNR in my friends cabin cruiser, He was driving on plane through a no wake zone @3 in the morning (which I admit was wrong) but when the guys stopped us they were total d!ckheads and did not seem to care about the fact that we were driving to fast . They insisted that we were all drunk and were toting a lot of drugs on the boat
I had one drink hours before and my friends do not drink, and none of us use any drugs of any kind....Anyway theese a$$holes searched the boat not once but 3 times and searched us 3 times
you could tell that they were getting mad as hell because they were not finding anything. In the end my freind got a ticket for wreckless op, and a warning stating "we will be watching you so you better not have anything illegal(sp) on board next time"
My frend called the ODNR office the next day and talked to the head officer and he was trying to back his officers (go figure) but when my friend did not let up with his gripe about harassment the officer told him to just forget about the ticket and drive slower next time
I had one drink hours before and my friends do not drink, and none of us use any drugs of any kind....Anyway theese a$$holes searched the boat not once but 3 times and searched us 3 times you could tell that they were getting mad as hell because they were not finding anything. In the end my freind got a ticket for wreckless op, and a warning stating "we will be watching you so you better not have anything illegal(sp) on board next time" My frend called the ODNR office the next day and talked to the head officer and he was trying to back his officers (go figure) but when my friend did not let up with his gripe about harassment the officer told him to just forget about the ticket and drive slower next time
06-30-2003, 07:26 AM
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They are really cracking down on that this year in Toledo. I got stopped a couple of weeks ago. Tizbad got stopped TWICE this weekend and glassdave got stopped stutrday nite. Same story, black shoes, no meter an don't run it till you fix it. I'm just going to go the silent choice route and try to keep my head down and not ask for trouble. They may not have a meter but my experince with cops has always been "We're not harasing you, we're enforcing the law". 
06-30-2003, 07:29 AM
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Originally posted by puder
Or better yet the harbour constable that thinks he's some kind of old salty sea dog who spent his life on the ocean when in reality he put putted around in a 14' whaler.
Or better yet the harbour constable that thinks he's some kind of old salty sea dog who spent his life on the ocean when in reality he put putted around in a 14' whaler.
06-30-2003, 05:43 PM
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Thing is.. They will board again with shoes on. Those guys won't take off their shoes. It sucks that you have to have mufflers. Someone should make silent choice type system that they can't detect. Cout out type .Maybe a niche... ? I see alot of guys complaining about this. It's just not the same without the sound.
07-01-2003, 09:58 AM
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The water cops in Texas are great. They don't harass people, but they do keep the waters safe. They don't care about noise. They only care about safety. If you are being unsafe, they will pull you over. Otherwise, they leave you alone.
God bless Texas!
God bless Texas!
