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Originally Posted by Acres per Second
Me too, on my 20-footer. 
But the MP asked how long your boat was, and they asked me the very same question. If you'd answered 12-feet truthfully (and therefore operating illegally), wouldn't the MPs be compelling you into self-incrimination?
In my case, the MPs also asked me if I had a tape measure on board—still another case for the Fifth Amendment, IMHO. (That is, providing I'd produced a tape measure that they use to establish my boat's true length.)
Not a problem to produce personal identification upon MP request, but a request that compells you into a ticket? 
NightWing (heck, everybody) is silent on this. |
Many officers, whether on land or on the water, may already know the answers to the questions before they ask you. Your response may agree or conflict with what the officer knows to be true. The street cop might ask you if you knew why he stopped you, or he may ask you if you knew how fast you were going. Playing dumb here can work against you. If you didn't know how fast you were going, then you weren't paying attention to your instruments. If you weren't watching the dash, you might not have been watching the road and the speed limit signs. Your responsibility on both counts.
Not knowing the length of your boat can be a clue that you don't know the required safety equipment, some of which changes as the boat length increases. It is in your best interest to know your equipment and what the legal requirements are for both the operator and the vessel.