Re: Coast Guard Fines
 

[QUOTE=tomtbone1993]
6500.00 for my fireboy not being serviced with the last 6 months
QUOTE]


!!!??? :eek: You better hire a hooker and get that kid taken care of! :D :D :D

Re: Coast Guard Fines
 

That's the best thing that you can do every year. ;) ;) The chances of getting boarded (unless you are doing something reallly dumb) are lowered by 95% with a safety check sticker on the boat...trust me on that!! :D :cool:

Re: Coast Guard Fines
 

I spent 15 years in the Coast Guard, 5 years of that was spent in what was then "Boating Safety" enforcement and training.

What they are looking for is compliance with the law. Send a response letter explainging how sorry you are and include copies of receipts for purchase of the missing or unserviceable items you were cited for.

Once the District assesment officer has that he can then mitigate the fines. Normally if you are cooperative, the fines will be waived. If you act like jerk, ignore the situation or do anything else that would indicate you are not a responsible boater then they will take every dime allowed by the law.

As far as the stickers go, they are issued by the Coast Guard Auxillary upon passing a courtesy examination. They are strictly a civilian organization and have no authority what so ever. When we were out doing safety inspections if we saw a current decal displayed on the boat, we would generally pass you by unless we saw something obviously wrong.

Good Luck, you should be able to take care of this pretty easily, the infractions you showed above are mostly of a minor nature.

Re: Coast Guard Fines
 

I spoke with the hearing officer today, I had faxed my proof. I told him I was going to mail the hard copies, but they probaly wouldn't get them before the 45 days was up. The guy was cool. he said no problem i will give you a 30 day extension. the boarding officers were super cool. they were on the boat for 45min, liked all the improvments i had made, liked how clean the engine compartment was. "twin Detroits" I really liked the Coast Guard personal all very nice, i personally think it would be a cool job.

Re: Coast Guard Fines
 

From the way it reads to me, they want you to correct the infractions and have the boat rechecked. At that time they're gonna dismiss the fines. The coasties can be some hard asses if you try to cross them, but they would rather have you to be safe than collect a inflated citation.

Re: Coast Guard Fines
 

You mean they aren't weeners like the HP or Cops?.... I love it when a cop pulls you over for going 10 mph over... and He's ALL PISSED OFF THAT YOU WERE SPEEDING ON HIS WATCH...... :evilb:

Re: Coast Guard Fines
 

The coast guard we have on our local river and bay (in my opinion) are useless undertrained obnoxious pricks. About 10 years ago we had a bad year for deaths on the water in michigan overall and alot of areas stepped up their so called "enforcement". It really amounted to ALOT of outright harrassment of local boaters. I had a 17 ft open bow cobra jet boat at the time and it wasn't uncommon to get pulled over and get ran thru the wringer 2 or three times in one outing. Between the sheriffs dept and coasties i was pulled over at least 100 times in one summer. I was cooperative the first 30 times then i got just outright pissed and became very uncooperative after that. They went as far as to pull EVERY boater leaving hooters over and give breathe test. I was given at least 20 pbt's and was NEVER drunk.It took a harassment lawsuit/petiton between all the local boaters against the sheriffs dept in bay county before it stopped. The worst incidence i had i had just gotten done getting pulled over,boarded,safety checked(yes,my boat was legal,quiet and ALWAYS passed) and i went 1 1/2 miles down river and got pulled over again by coasties patrolling river (in a boat with no running lights whatsoever) in one of the two sections of river that are not no wake zone.I saw them without their lights on,drove right past them and they followed me to the dock. As i docked boat to put it on the trailer they wanted to do a full check,i threw my inspection report from minutes earlier on dock,told them to call their buddies down the river as i was just inspected.They insisted on reapeating the inspection,i told the pos e-2 to f--k off and that they better get some guns if i was going to cooperate,loaded my boat on trailer as they stood in disbelief(and called for sheriff dept as they have no arrest powers only the right to detain you for local law enforcement) and drove off.I quit boating in that area for rest of that season,i had enough,wrote a letter to coast guard district governing michigan questioing the legality of them being in a non-no wake zone without even having a anchor light on in dark. I did get a reply,some section of their rules allows them to break the law in their course of duty,although i don't agree with that.I was in the navy and achieved the rank of e-6,nothing pisses me off worse then having some kid thats 19 y/o and a e-2 think he's god,I think they should stick to patrolling the great lakes and large bays.Everytime ive ever need their help they drive right by as they are not supposed to render assistance unles you are in immenent danger,go figure.They have told recreational boaters although you don't have to wear your lifevest by law we WILL pull you over if your not wearing it,we are taliking about idling thru 1 1/2 hour no-wake zones,not bouncing around in the bay at 80 mph!!Anyways,i don't like them and have 0 respect for them,Smitty

Re: Coast Guard Fines
 

It's sad that it took too many deaths to get them out on the water. I agree I myself have been harassed and even put into the court system by water police here also. But I have to admit I see drunk azz boaters every single weekend without a missing a beat I'll see them all again next summer. I think the fact that we are in faster , louder boats pisses them off even more.

I can only say my younger brother in the CG was out in the great lakes. He picked up several floating DEAD boaters several times up there and it always involved booze. So I can see where they are coming from. NOT saying I agree with them.

Re: Coast Guard Fines
 

I used to do the voluntery inspections if FL, till another coasty pulled us over as we were crossing under anna marie bridge, had the decal showing and all, he looked at it I stated we just did this last weekend his reply was I didn't put that sticker on there so I'm gonna inspect! go figure passed again no probs, after that I decided to run the outside around them at the area.

Re: Coast Guard Fines
 

Wow. That's enough to get your attention. :eek:
Better do an inventory and check expiration dates, etc.