Don't Come Back!
10-23-2017, 11:26 AM
#51
Registered
A cop on the boat is never a good thing! I too was once naive and confident in my level of compliance. By the time they raft alongside. (with a potential for damage to the cosmetics), climb over your upholstery with nasty police issue black sole shoes, do the 15 minute inspection, and find that you have full, green arrow but not current dated fire extinguishers, straight arrow smugness is not much consolation. Ask me how I know!
Keith
10-23-2017, 11:53 AM
#52
Registered
I'd guess a Go Pro or other camera recording everything may also have some ability to keep things professional and reasonable. Definitely don't rub it in anyone's face but when everyone knows there's video evidence of the conversation things tend to be more in line with the actual law. Attach it to the dash to record each outing and not only will you probably get some good running footage but you also get video evidence of your normal boating activities and encounters. If a LEO gets out of line and you can show their COC the video and you can bet things will be addressed no department wants to end up on you tube doing something wrong or out of line.
10-27-2017, 02:21 PM
#53
VIP Member
VIP Member
We live on an inland lake and I can tell you I wouldn't want the Torch Sandbar Circus in front of my house either...On the other hand you shouldn't move next to an airport and complain about the airplanes.
I haven't been to the sandbar in years but it was explained to me that the vast majority of the problems weren't caused by boaters but rather by the "walk ins" from some narrow parcel of access. A simple solution if that's true would be to eliminate that access IE have the association purchase the property.
We frequently boat on the Muskegon River backwaters of Hardy Dam and the marine patrol up there has had a reputation of being very level headed in terms of what they write and why. To be blunt if got a ticket you probably had it coming.
A couple years ago there was an overzealous deputy who would hide behind the bridge where M20 crosses the river (no wake zone) and when people were idling through would ambush them - literally would zoom out - and was an incompetent idiot in terms of (lack of) boat handling skills; several people had their boats damaged. There is also a very nice campground/launch/general store (River Ridge) at that location and it's the only place to get gas on the river.
I know that several boaters / campers complained to the people at River Ridge and said they wouldn't be back & some others called the chamber of commerce and told them the same thing...if this is the way we're going to be treated we'll take our $$ elsewhere. The beautiful thing about W. Mi is we have lots of choices.
I don't know if that had anything to do with it, but that idiot is no longer there.
I'll add that other than "that guy" and Grand Haven back in the 80's, every marine patrol officer I've dealt with, whether USCG or Sheriff Patrol, was great to deal with. I know I wouldn't want their job.
I haven't been to the sandbar in years but it was explained to me that the vast majority of the problems weren't caused by boaters but rather by the "walk ins" from some narrow parcel of access. A simple solution if that's true would be to eliminate that access IE have the association purchase the property.
We frequently boat on the Muskegon River backwaters of Hardy Dam and the marine patrol up there has had a reputation of being very level headed in terms of what they write and why. To be blunt if got a ticket you probably had it coming.
A couple years ago there was an overzealous deputy who would hide behind the bridge where M20 crosses the river (no wake zone) and when people were idling through would ambush them - literally would zoom out - and was an incompetent idiot in terms of (lack of) boat handling skills; several people had their boats damaged. There is also a very nice campground/launch/general store (River Ridge) at that location and it's the only place to get gas on the river.
I know that several boaters / campers complained to the people at River Ridge and said they wouldn't be back & some others called the chamber of commerce and told them the same thing...if this is the way we're going to be treated we'll take our $$ elsewhere. The beautiful thing about W. Mi is we have lots of choices.
I don't know if that had anything to do with it, but that idiot is no longer there.
I'll add that other than "that guy" and Grand Haven back in the 80's, every marine patrol officer I've dealt with, whether USCG or Sheriff Patrol, was great to deal with. I know I wouldn't want their job.
__________________
There are 2 types of people in this world:
1. Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.
There are 2 types of people in this world:
1. Those who can extrapolate from incomplete data.
10-27-2017, 03:11 PM
#54
Registered
I'd guess a Go Pro or other camera recording everything may also have some ability to keep things professional and reasonable. Definitely don't rub it in anyone's face but when everyone knows there's video evidence of the conversation things tend to be more in line with the actual law. Attach it to the dash to record each outing and not only will you probably get some good running footage but you also get video evidence of your normal boating activities and encounters. If a LEO gets out of line and you can show their COC the video and you can bet things will be addressed no department wants to end up on you tube doing something wrong or out of line.
Keith
Platinum Member
