I had a similiar incident for the first time on Higgins Lake this year. Pulled over twice in one day, 1 for speed (going 45-50 tops and sayed I was too fast) and 2nd for noise but only said I was too loud and never tested and no tickets issued. Wonder if these enforcements are starting to make there way everywhere?

That's sad GH used to be such a fun port to visit

The mayor hates loud boats and as told her friends she will do whatever it takes to eliminate them. My wifes friend is friends with her. This was said towad the end of summer.

Typical personal agenda to wreck the economy of a small town.

The best thing to do is call in complants about cruisers. There are several mid 90's cruisers (and older) that could never pass the 90db sound test. Give a descrtiption of the boat, mc number, and location. Hang out near the boat and if the officers don't come then call it in again.

The officers say its all about the number of complaints they get to justify hasseling the "go fast" boats. If all the performance boats called in on legit loud cruisers we may see something happen. You would be surprised how quite 90db is.

Todd the Mayor is Male you refered to "Her" are you mistaken as to whom????

This sucks i talked to Community services director and she was unaware of the issue

More info to come

This is my *****..............Why can some hillbilly (not that i am not a hillbilly) pass my house haulin as$ on his harly and i cant push up the river with dry pipes in a nostalgic old race boat....Hell when my boat was built they did not even have mufflers...

Hey now.. Easy on the Harley comments. I've been boating in the Grand Haven area for the past 20 years and the Marine Patrol is definitely trying to hassle the go-fast boater. They had postings on all the launch ramps last year about the switchable exhaust law, but I didn't see them this year. I assume someone set them straight on how to comprehend the writing of this law. They pulled me over last year and asked me if I had this and I asked him what difference does it make as long as I have muffler tips. If I take the switch off the boat will be LOUDER as i putt through the no-wake zone , but legal. They didn't understand that part. Another time I was pulled over doing nothing wrong just because of my "Profile" as he stated. I understand they have the right along with the Coast Guard to do this at any time but it seems more commonplace here. I still love boating here and I'm not going to let them scare me away! ( By the way , the road patrol follows me on my Harley when I ride through town here, too, but they don't pull me over!)

I said i was a hillbilly too ...........All my buddies have them, i just cant justify buying one because when it is nice out i like to go get tickets for loud exhaust on my boat instead of riding a harley.....lol

Good catch Mark. It gets me so worked up I type bad.
I don't think anyone representing the city will acknowledge the problem.

People will have fun getting back at the officers with stereos this year.

Pete from hankypank.com won his court case about loud stereos in hanky pank. The judge sided with him and said the officers have no way to determine what exessive noise is on the water.

I will have to look for the article.

Here it is:

Friday, October 12, 2007

Spring Lake Township Ordinace ruled unconstitutional


October 12, 2007 Grand Haven, MI

The District Court in Grand Haven ruled the Spring Lake Ordinance Disorderly Conduct by Disturbing the Peace/Loud Music unconstitutional. The Court ruled the langauge of the Ordinace was vague and did not put people on notice as to what conduct was prohibited as unreasonably loud and raucus were not adequately defined.

This means that the misdemeanor charge of Disorderly by Loud music cannot be enforced in Spring Lake Township. The Township will have to rewrite the ordinace to be more specific if it wants to enforce the noise ordinace.

The client who was facing upto 93 days in the county jail as well as fines as much as $500.00 plus court costs has been vindicated and his record will remain clean.

The Court ruled that the ordinance was vague and the term unreasonably loud or raucus noise did not give proepr notice to individuals on what noise level would violate the ordinace.

This past summer our client who had a house boat on Hanky Panky Bayou with speakers allegedly playing music was arrested and taken to jail. The complaining witnesses were homeowners on the bayou. This applies only to the ordinance effecting Spring Lake Township only. it would not affect Grand havens or any other municipality.

Congrats to our client and our attorneys at the Barrix Law Firm who worked so hard on protecting the Constitution of the State of Michigan and the united States.

Sounds like Grand Haven is off my list of Harbors to visit this coming summer... but hopefully not forever. I bought my '89 Baja new at Kenan Marine on Spring Lake and enjoyed boating all down the coast of Lake MI, mostly South Haven. I moved from the west Mi area in '92 & sold my boat before this noise enforcement. Now that I have the sonic I hope I'm not limited to Lake St. Clair, it's like a small mud puddle in comparison.

More lost revenue for west Mi or at lease G.H. and does anyone wonder why there are financial problems in this state?