Ottawa County Sheriff on the loose
 

The Ottawa County Sheriff Water Patrol recently received a nice present from a donor, two new decibel exhaust meters.
They cover the Holland to Grand Haven waters of Lake Michigan. Their usually seen patroling the sand bars of Grand Haven a popular spot for us go fast guys to relax, etc.
Here they come with their new meters and asked all the boats to fire up the engines. The Michigan law is 90. Some boats were coming in higher. They got ticket happy.:angry-smiley-055: No gentlemenly warning.Ticket happy.So 12 citations were issued.But making you get off the sand bar and crank the engines at an idle to hear and see if you comply with the noise laws?They never did this, ever.
So just have caution when boating or even beaching in these areas when knowing you have some horses to keep quiet..

Heres where you need a hidden kill switch. "Gee officer I can't seem to fire my engine(s) at the moment" then lift the hatch and fumble around with a few things trying to "fix" the problem until the cops go away and bother the next boater.

Check out the Grand Haven Tribune August 24th.

They are such jerks, I have fought them many times and won, they don't know how to do the test, plus this area is full of obstructions where the sound can bounce, the sea wall, the dune, heck even the stupid musical fountian box. There has to be a law against making you start up, they have to catch you running. It is like getting a ticket for no seat belt while parked and eating lunch. I say every one of the 12 fights this and shows them how much they disapprove of this harassment. I have a friend who is a cop and he is the only one I like, they are a bunch of losers who are jealous. I was stopped for tinted windows, by a kid cop who I bet $100 has tinted windows. I asked him why he was not looking for the dudes who pull wheelies at 100mph past our street to the state park and he said nothing....because they can't catch them...but my truck they can catch. I have a new hatred for them, they abuse power and think they own the world. Then they go back, raid the confiscated drug and personal belongings cage. Now you have me going....:angry-smiley-044: :angry-smiley-055:

I had to look it up and read it. You can probably use it to fight the case in court. Ask some others about not getting a ticket the first time. Barron?

If you look at some of the other posts on noise I have posted most of the law and the required criteria for performing the test.

http://www.grandhaventribune.com/pai...1529392136.bsp

ratickle
i got a ticket first time out last year. no warning. problem fixed and it's legal now.
todd

Most cops are peasants! No problems yet on the Indiana shores of Lake Michigan. BTW, I would tell the cop to get bent before I would pull off the beach to do a noise check!

You know, I would too! I know they don't need probable cause to do a stop but that is ridiculous. That seriously pisses me off just thinking about it! :angry-smiley-055:

I don't know where this sandbar is but what if you were anchored for the night and tipping the bottle? They would probably nail you for a DUI too! :rolleyes:

Making a powerboat owner get back in his boat to pull off a sand bar and comply with a BS test is absolutely absurd! I can understand if he "pulled" you over while under power or idling, but to make someone (with engines off) drop what they're doing to conduct a test sounds bunk! I wouldn't participate.

I am a cop and I agree with you guys that I think their actions were BS! It would be paramount to me asking you to fire up your car, then see how fast it goes. Afterwards, issue a speeding ticket.

Well I guess this is the new way to make revenue:angry-smiley-055: I sure hope the trend goes away fast...

They are wrecking boating over here. *ssclown Dykhouse is the one that pulled me over last year, didn't put out an fenders, handed my wife a fender wipe for a line and said hang on while he rammed the DB gun up my pipes. I finally told him he could write me up for what ever he wanted if he would just meet me at the ramp. This was only after he almost drifted us into a dock and shore. He has ruined fuel sales for many marinas and dockage, as now many out of town vistors no longer come to our town. Nice job, and michigan is doing so well as it is, thanks.

next time everyone fire up at the same time,or just leave em all idling when they show up.

I know Grand Haven is a nice area but there is no way I'm putting up with the hassle factor. To he!! with them, I'll boat elsewhere. You'd think these clowns would be kissing your azz for spending money there. Just what Michigan needs...egotistical cops driving tourists away along with the jobs

Nobody b1tches about the noise when the poker runners and their money come to town. God Bless the kids from Make a Wish but doesn't it make more sense to put the money back in the boating community?

That is because we secure permits for that week to allow the noise for a few days during the event

No difference then getting a variance to block off a street for a car show except we have to do our diligence to make sure it applies to the entire area we cover during the event which icovers many countys

What if everyone started carrying a video cam in their boats with sound and video'd the entire test? If you went to court with that and the SAE test requirements, could you lose? Would you also be able to counter with a reckless endangerment issue? Attorney's on here?

Check out the "other" site (SW) they have a long thread about this issue and were identified in the news article in GH!

Grand Haven can kiss my azz. I will spend my money other places Where I do not get hasseled

Total BS. How can they make you start the engine to cite you. Seems like you could call that entrapment.

I have down turns on my boat and they work great.

We also offer the CMI Sound Elimination Mufflers if you are interested.

Kirk
Ateco Engine and Dyno Shop
(847)623-2737 Waukegan IL

TOTAL BS!!!!!!!!!!!

Why dont they spend their thime looking for HARLEY's to bust... Such DOUBLE STANDARD

Ahole cops with nothing better to do......

I am originally from Grand Rapids from 25 years ago.Spent alot of time in Grand Haven being my father and all of his family is Grsand Haveners.Did alot of ot boating in the 70's there also.

When i grew up there in the early seventies the only offshore boat was my dads 26 Monza and a 28 Cigarette and a couple of Donzi's and a handful of Nova's

The only real loud boat around was a 26 purple Monza with a Baker engine and Stellings .Every thing else was way mild.

Any ways it totally blows me away that Grand Haven is such an Offshore meca these days since when i left it was a quiet little going to church town.

My say on this is 1000hp with open headers is not going to buy anybody new friends .But why outlaw switchable exhaust so boats can run quiet when need be?

And don't even get me started on the double standard for Harleys.

Thats whats good about vermont / new york and lake champlain, There is no law for that.

Lake Perry in Kansas
 

We have had a new law enacted also but the limit is 86 dB. Also, Captains Call or any other mechanical device on your exhaust is illegal. My boat is now illegal on the lake before they test it for the 86 dB limit......which it won't pass.

I have started writing letters to our legislaters discussing aspects of the new law and the impact to tourism in the area. We are safer boaters for the most part, we know the laws, we spend a buttload of money on gas, food, merchandise.

To be totally fair, they will need to check everyone of the older house boats that have through hull exhaust. Fair is fair...right?

I was reading Car and Driver and in the latest 2007 Corvette test, it mentioned as an option, you can order an exhaust with a mechanical device in it to change back pressure!!

Some states have in their laws that switchable exhaust is illegal.Its either one way or the other.I am so in favor of the switch exhaust because it shows our respect of our fellow boaters in the marinas during the day and especially in the evening hours with the high H P engines.Some house or state represenative had to score some kinda of points for additional revenue for his county or state to suggest a law banning the switch exhaust because he or she feels its hiding the real power of the boat and the engines so they need to breathe by having this system for the engines longevity..
Marinas we should respect everyone, but in the wide open waters you should be able to open it up and live it up!!

they sure would. A friend of mine was docked on a sea wall and the cops asked him to move his boat,as soon as he turned the key they asked him to shut it down and took him to jail.

just got back from grand haven. went out around 4p didn't see any offiers. but i picked up a friend at grand isle who was a 46' searay. he said the offiers where going into marina's this weekend and having people turn down there stereo's in there slips. it's only what he told me i was out of town this weekend.
todd
dennyb was that your concept heading out tonite around 530ish?

It wasn't me. It must have been someone else on a Concept enjoying a beautiful day on Lake Mich..

Baronmarine, Was that you putting your Cig in at Grand Haven Storage? I was in the Powerquest 270 next to you at Skipper Bud's with my two kids as you were putting in. Nice Boat! If you ever need a co-pilot let me know, I would love to go for a ride. I live in ada at Knapp and Pettis. How was the big lake. I heard there was 2-4's today? Hope you had a nice ride.

Water was absolutely perfect running water!!!! Maybe 1-3's this evening.

Todd, I saw that concept too. We went out on the lake around 6pm or so after floating in the pank for the day. Cops all know my boat is quiet now. I passed at 82db last thurs. Jay (purple haze) passed with a 89 this evening.

yes that has me. first time out since the first weekend of august. just got got back from cedarpoint at 2. i see we live right down the road from you. lake was great, nice rollers. i will take you up on that co pilot. oh by the way great looking pq. always fun to boat with the kids.
todd

Silent choice is not illegal in Michigan. That is a misinterpretation of the law. The law states that "cutouts" are illegal, meaning anything that bypasses the muffled(water is considered a muffling device) system to an unmuffled(louder) system is illegal. However, you still have to pass the 90db test with the thru hull system.

IMO Grand Haven is going to continue to push boaters away. Maybe the percentage of "go-fast" boats is small enough that it won't hurt. But, I know I will not be going there.

That is bullchit!
:angry-smiley-055: :angry-smiley-055: :angry-smiley-055:

sorry i missed you guys.i broke the last time out and went out to put it back together and test run it. i had to get home to help sheri get the kids ready for the first day of school. mine passed last year with a 88. see you this weekend at hardy with no down pipes.
todd

I think it is illegal to use any kind of muffling device during hot boat at hardy. :cool-smiley-011:

see you there.!

Spring Lake Property Owners Association are the people who bought the db meters for the cops "F" them and the Cops too.

I talked to Dykehouse yesterday when I pulled their boats and I asked him about the new sound testers and he he told me that Spring Lake township bought them. I said then why do you harass all my customers in building 2 with all the go fast and he gives me some bull**** lie that he's seen some of my customers putting there boats in Port Sheldon and idling done Spring Lake. WTF????

And he told me that the reason they are hammering down on us so bad now about the noise is because, everyone will like this one, " We can't here someone screaming for help when these loud boats go by". Come on if that's the best you can do go somewhere else.

Crazy coming from a guy that told me he used to have a Liberator!

Crazy coming from a guy that told me he used to have a Liberator![/QUOTE]


Its was a Vibrator he had not a four winns.

Just one more reason I love Lake Travis and Austin, Texas! :D