Be careful with the "part timer approach", as many counties/municipalities are sending reserve candidates through a 120hr program and granting MCOLES waiver of training.... Full arrest authority while on duty for offenses committed in their presence. If they have limited arrest authority and really want to impound the boat, they'll have a paid/full-time/sworn deputy at the dock to fill out the tow card and pull a complaint number.

In any case, reference MCL 28.609 for the reserve definition and authority, and note that the minimum training requirement (Sec 9. [C]) exempts sheriffs.

The part about writing under the ordinance vs. state law/administrative rule is correct.


Argue the ticket in the courtroom, don't get in a pi$$ing match on the water. The outcome is seldom pleasant.

Switchable mufflers are not illegal in Michigan. A "cutout" is something that bypasses the exhaust system to make it louder. Switchable mufflers, silent choice, etc make an exhaust system quieter.

Your boat does have to pass the db test both ways.

Did not know that Sheriff's Department personnel are exempt. Thank you.

Hmmmm. But officer, the system seems to have failed. It is permanently stuck in the closed "quiet" position. You can only test in that position------sorry.

LOL. I had by Donzi Classic tested years ago. The nice thing about air actuators is you can stop them "in-between". I bumped the switch a couple times so the butterflies were partially closed before starting it. The cop was not happy when I "passed". :D

No, a friend of a friend with a bone stock 380. He was told the boat would be impounded if it was seen on the water again. The guy has lived on the lake for 16 years.

Funny how you can ride a straight piped Harley through residential areas with no issues around here, but it's an issue to run your boat on a wide open lake. I can see a confrontation in the near future.

Any body no of any good Merc outdrive rebuilders in that area. Indian River gaylord area. I need my Bravo 1 rebuilt. I would like to take it to All American drives near MIS Speedway/Ann Arbour, but that is a 6 hr drive for me. Any help would be great. I am located in the UP.

Darn, wish you'd have blown them a week earlier. My girlfriend and I went to munising, could have dropped them on my way home. I live 45-1hr east of MIS. Straight down 127 to m50 then straight home. Could have at least saved you one trip. :poopoo:

Mr. Gadgets (from this forum) is in the Grand Rapids area

MR Gadgets ( Dick Tryce ) is where I take my drives. He just built one for me from scratch.

Just heard that the officer harassing boaters was relieved of his position due to multiple complaints from boaters on torch. They said he was doing more harm than good. Apparently he had hit a few boats with his and somebody is going after the county for damage to their boat caused by him.

I heard the same thing. Good riddance.

Was he harassing boaters with loud or louder than normal exhaust noise?-----Or, was he known for just harassing any kind of boater in general? Did he have or usually have a decibel meter on his patrol boat? Would you happen to know what effect this will have on offshore type of boats with questionable exhaust sound? Thanx for any reports you have heard---and getting this bit of news out to us!

And anyone who got a ticket from him can now contest the ticket and, since he probably won't show up, get found not responsible.

By the way, was he a Sherrif's Deputy marine patrolman? Maybe it was the same officer that we came across on the Grass River as we were about to enter Clam Lake on Labor Day weekend 2012. I was on a rental pontoon boat and he stopped us and asked for ID, if there was any booze was on the boat, and proceeding to do a safety/equipment check on the rental boat I had rented for the day and then told me he pulled me over for excessive wake.

His reasons for pulling me over were very surprising to me as I distinctly remember only making maybe a 1" wake...yes, only 1" inch, but he said it was too much, and I responded, "One inch is too much?" and he said, "Yes, it is for here!" I did not argue with him. I was very surprised and find it difficult to believe. I think his motives were to catch us boozing too much or something---not sure. I might drink 2-3 times per year---and not to get hammered.

I know and understand the Grass River is a highly protected water way, but 1 inch of wake is too much???I suppose I could have gone slower yet, but I think it is a little humorous because in some areas I believe I have seen the wind blow teeny weeny little waves in there that were bigger than my wake. Anyway, it just seemed to be a little ridiculous, but maybe I am wrong or missing something---not sure. Just was wondering if it was the same guy (?).

I was up at Torch Lake for Labor Day weekend. On Sunday night, we were sitting at that little party store and gas dock right on the Torch River just before it goes out into Torch Lake. It was about 2 hours before dark would settle in and we were watching some of the boats coming in from the day. One of those boats was an all black single engine boat----I cannot remember the Make of the boat, but it had a radical sounding engine...looked like it had wet exhaust and it was thumpin' pretty good---he was shouting to some guy on the dock that he got stopped for noise, but he did not say if he got a ticket or not. It looked as if he slips his boat at the Torch RIver Marina. I would have liked to talk to him.

I did happen to talk to a guy who they call "Bones" or something like that. He has a 39' Velocity--mostly yellow with some other colorful markings has some big blower engines in it. He told me he has never had an issue with the noise up there...and he lives up there and keeps his boat at Torch Lake Marina. That's good to know!

The black boat is Sam's, a good friend of mine, as is Bones. Both of them are definitely over the limit. It seems like those of us who are always around up there, don't get bothered much. The water patrol was mostly new guys this year, and none of them know how to properly use the decibel meter. The best advice I could give would be to keep it real cool on the river and near the sand bar.

Thanks for the feedback. Being a cool customer is a big part of it, that's for sure!

Ok, so here we are the middle of July 2015....can anybody give us any updates/reports about Torch Lake with noise issues, etc.???

Also, someone had told me that the "sand bar" area had become carelessly trashed by some irresponsible party people on the sand bar during the 4th of July and the locals were not happy about it.

Does anyone have any further info to comment on? Thanks

Have not been up this year but some friends went up for the 4th and said it was pretty bad. (People issues)

I didn't have any issues, Eric... twin 525's and did not run my silent choice. The issue was the idiots walking out onto the sandbar without a boat. None of my crew were harrassed either, 502mags up to 700 innovations with dry exhaust.

This.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapi...orch_lake.html

I see news feeds on this everyother day still. I would say things must have gone way too far.

Should have clarified did not hear any noise issues just too many non boating idiots

+1 with Hot, I have a colleague who lives on Torch and said it was all the non-boaters parking everywhere and walking out to the sand bar.

I have been up there a few times this year and have not had or heard of anyone having issues with noise this year.

There were definitely a lot of people at the sand bar the day of the 4th, but I really didn't think it was anything out of the ordinary (compared to years past). Sure, you get your careless and irresponsible people, but that's expected with any crowd like that.

Its a couple days of chaos and then it goes back to normal. Seems to me a lot of the people complaining are older homeowners on the south end of the lake who think that just because they own waterfront they own the lake. It is still a public lake and i'm also a waterfront homeowner as well, but there are some very fussy people in that area.

With that said there is absolutely no excuse for not picking up your own trash and those people need to be dealt with.

I did however witness a black boat go into the rocks near Butch's marina by the dockside. There were a lot of non-boaters and rental pontoon captains which are VERY scary

here is another story on the mayhem. Seems like Mlive has an agenda.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapi...d_citatio.html

I agree.

Higgins, Houghton, St. Clair and many other lakes have big parties as well and Im sure they have the same issues - I dont see anyone talking about those lakes

Everybody gets a turn on the complaint wheel-
http://m.houghtonlakeresorter.com/no...9#.ValLC1L3bCQ

http://wgrt.com/inmates-clean-jobbie-nooner-mess/

Higgins Lake should be due any time now....

I'd say they do…

Lood at how they represent the numbers of arrests/citations - "collectively over the holiday weekend" and the medical runs -"in the area during the course of the weekend".

I'd be curious to the numbers of that stuff directly related to the sandbar party ; I'd think that if the party was the predominant source they'd have jumped at the chance to list it that way …

And some of the violations can't have been made by boaters - last time I checked Mi didn't require insurance on a boat (if it's financed it's a bank reg, not a state law) and an open container was legal as long as you weren't drunk..so those aren't boater violations unless they were in their tow vehicle.

They're looking for a news story, cuz stories sell and partiers, especially boaters, tend to be an easy target.

Having said that, we live on a lake and I wouldn't want all the cigarette butts, beer cans, food, diapers, and **** floating up on my beach either.

I wasn't there & it's tough to comment just by looking at the pics and reading the "story" but it sure doesn't look to me like there's anywhere near 10,000 people in the pics I saw.

Thank you all for the update...I am sure we'll be making some visits up there with either a pontoon rental or some sort of Zoom boat at Torch/GTB next year.

Pontoon will probably be a better choice than a Zoom.