To All Interested Parties:

This note will advise that the location has changed for the July meeting of the NJ Boat Regulation Commission scheduled for Wednesday, July 9, 2003 at 10:00 am.

The meeting will take place in Sea Girt at the NJ Militia Museum meeting room, located on the grounds of the NJ State Police Training Academy.

I have not seen an agenda for the meeting, but understand that there will be presentations to the Commission on powerboat noise control and on the placement of "slow/no wake" buoys in certain areas of Barnegat Bay. The Commission will continue its review of NJSA 12:7, the State's Marine Laws, and review comments received on proposed amendments to NJAC 13:61 et.seq., the administrative regulations governing boating in New Jersey.

Please give this notice of change in location the widest possible distribution.

Thank you.

John H. Shanahan, Jr.
Member, Boat Regulation Commission
State of New Jersey
Phone: 800-237-1708


Fellow Boaters,
With a recent attack from our opposition, we will need as many people as possible.
I will not address this latest issue until after the meeting.
It will be addressed at the meeting and I hope the reporters have brought some extra pens...
These sail boaters and environmentalist have really hit an all time low with this one!

I gotta hear this one.

Let me say this, "They are flexing their muscles."
It looks to be getting ugly.

A last minute change in location.
It's usually a ploy to keep the attendance low so they don't have to listen to all the complaints.

Florida does the same with the Manatee hearings. They'll make arrangements to have the meetings at opposite ends of the state, or in locations that have no part in the outcome, in hopes no one will show and they can make quick, uncontested decisions.

Funny thing was the savebarnegatbay.org website showed the meeting being completely CANCELLED. Were they just misinformed? Oh well...it went on as scheduled in Sea Girt.

Well, fill us in!!!

WELLLL Are ya gonna leave us hanging???????????

Well I can't wait to hear this. I finally get my boat finished and now I won't be allowed to drive it.Otto

New Business: Well, I don't know why it was considered new business, but they wanted to add a regulation requiring all vessels to have a muffling device. (It is already a State Law since 1987.)
NJSMP said they would spend the rest of this season notifying those that are not in compliance and that it would be strictly enforced by Jan 1 2004. Allowing people to come into compliance.
Discussion went on forever about different devices, and that water through a pipe would not be considered a muffling device even though we all know it does muffle the sound.
The best news was they were looking to abolish the db level. It would be simple for the police, cut & dry. Equipment inspection. You either have a muffler or you don't. No test no reading no risk to the police officers trying to perform a db test.
As of right now, nothing is in stone. They tabled it till the next meeting.
They are waiting to see if they can get some experts from the manufacturers to come in and give some insight.
Meanwhile, the opposition is still insisting on the current law to be enforced and dealt with.

..so it sounds like the status-quo, right?