Quote:
Originally Posted by Bear Islander
From a logical point of view.
If you are anchoring overnight, and you have some kind of toilet facility, then you are a houseboat and you are breaking the law. As people have pointed out the sleeping accommodations part of the requirement can be almost anything. And one can assume you will not be standing up awake all night.
If you DON'T have some kind of toilet facilities, then where are you going to the bathroom? The only logical conclusion is in the lake, and that is also illegal.
Either way you can't legally anchor overnight.
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Not to be argumentative, but I've taken the time to read through the entire law concerning this and while I won't even begin to claim I'm a lawyer, your statement of to being able to legally anchor overnight does not seem to be entirely accurate. I think it's pretty clear that there are certain places and or specific boats with certain features cannot unless certain requirements are met, it leaves all the unmentionables where? Way I figure it, if the law does not specifically state something, one can only assume that it's OK. Of course due prudence would have to be exhibited, and my guess is that if one were to find a large stretch of undeveloped frontage and dropped anchor for the night there would be no problems. The key to being successful however I would imagine would be not behaving in such a way as to draw attention to yourself or anchoring in a way where you've become a navigational hazard.
Had I been aware of this clearly huge hole in the statute I would have asked the MP guys this weekend that gave me a courtesy inspection. I may have to write to the MP and ask them just for the heck of it, or better yet if anyone from the MP happens to read this forum, some sort of opinion on the matter would be interesting to read. Afterall it's not a matter of whether or not we read and understand the law correctly, it's if the MP would bust you for it and for what violation they would site.