On our end of the river if you are drinking they give the same as DUI on the water guess it varies State to state.

I was told by someone the USCG cannot issue a DUI that goes against your driver license. Only local law enforcement like sheriff, city pd, etc. Is that true?

There was a thread a while back about a guy in I think Oklahoma or maybe Missouri that rented a houseboat. Drove the boat to where they wanted to stay for the weekend and tied off. After a couple of days the lake patrol or game warden pulled up and wanted to know who whose house boat it was. They checked the guy out and he had been drinking so he was hauled off to jail. I was on Lake Livingston here in Texas about a 90k acre lake by myself and had 1 beer. I had not been driving fast at all and there was only a couple of boats on the lake. 2 hours later I was pulled over by 3 guys in a boat I think the wildlife department. One asked to board the boat, checked all my safety equipment registration etc looked into my eyes asked how much had to drink and so on. They let me go but it scared the hell out of me. I have never had any problems with law enforcement in 30 years of boating.

Just don't take a pi$$ in Peoria Lake at 5:30 in the afternoon without checking out your surroundings really, really well. They will board you and have a chat! The told me, "Next time, be a little less obvious".

so true...

A friend of mine was stopped by coast guard then turned over to DNR who wrote him up for BUI in ohio he had to go thru same thing as DUI fine 3 day lock up and high insurance and not able to boat for 2 years then 6 months later get civil fine from USCG for 5000 and this is not considered double jeopardy. Still had to pay fine but was reduced because he responded and sent in what he already did but still had to pay..


http://www.uscg.mil/legal/cgho/CGHO_...o.nwl.vol7.pdf

The local police tie up at our local watering hole. I used to have a party out at our hang-out (island) every year. One of the cops took the early shift so that he could get off and catch the tail end of the party.

I think you would have to do something real stupid to get their attention. Although leaving the harbor I have heard of people getting stopped for a safety check, but I'm sure they are required to do that.

This is the part that scares me! In MI you the operator can drink as long as he/she is under .10. If the boat is moored then you are no longer considered operating the boat. But, what happens when the law asks you to move your boat for some reason?

never know what the whole story is, i kinda find it hard to believe they could take someone in for being docked/anchored and drinking.

I get pulled over every so often and have absolutely no problem with that. The guys here are pretty cool and very professional especially when they find you have not had a drop to drink. Most are just doing safety checks and are probably using that to target bui's but in all honesty i am fine with that. The more often i get stopped tells me there is a high frequency of stopping people in general and the more chances to get the drunk idiots off my water. I see the schit all the time from local bars and beach spots, drinking all frikin day then take off with a boat load of people. I have a zero (zero) tolerance policy for myself but i have no prob with passenger drinking while on my boat, my friends are fairly responsible and no one turns into a mess. Got pulled over around eleven o'clock one night coming back from a concert and got the full test. My crew had been drinking and it was mildly obvious (lol) but the coasties realized very quick i was stone sober and my boats pass impeccably any safety check. They thanked me for operating sober and also complemented me on the state of my 89 Scarab and how i have safety gear stowed within two steps of my helm. I thanked them for watching over my end of the lake, I see them often and get a wave and maybe a cordial short stopping every so often but they already know i pass safety so its usually short and sweet. Point is most of these guys really just doing their job and its the belligerent A'holes that make it tough, the guys that think its some sort of right in boating to drink all day and still be out there. At some of the speeds we travel schit happens fast people, you gotta have a clear head at all times.


And yes i will catch up to my crew when i get safely to my dock for the night lol

I'm sure I'll catch some heat for some of the above

They were loaded for bear! Guy was on beach across from us for a couple of hours.