NHMP & Operation Dry Water

[jrc]

to save some typing read this thread fofrm a couple years ago.

Skip has your opinion changed?

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...ead.php?t=5047

[Skip]

Originally Posted by jrc

to save some typing read this thread fofrm a couple years ago.

Skip has your opinion changed?

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...ead.php?t=5047

Yes....good point!

The definitions were clarified in 2008, and the legislative intent was made clear that all boats, not just motorized vessels, are subject to this RSA.

[woodswalk]

II. ''Boat'' means and includes every type of watercraft used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on the water.

So, no more floating on an inflatable after a couple beverages of choice?

[SBC]

Originally Posted by woodswalk

II. ''Boat'' means and includes every type of watercraft used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on the water.

So, no more floating on an inflatable after a couple beverages of choice?

They are toys when utilized in non-navigable waters, i.e. close to shore, in a swim area, etc. When they move into navigable waters then they become a boat. So if junior and his friends want to paddle their inflatables, or similar devices, across the pond, lake, cove, etc., they should be equipped with the most basic safe boating requirement-a wearable PFD. BTW, if they are under 13 years of age they should be wearing those PFDs in that scenario.

[Sunbeam lodge]

What happens if you are caught in one of these checkpoints and there is no probable cause. But then they find you don't have a fire extinguisher on board. Do you get a ticket? There was no reason to stop you in the first place.

[Skip]

Originally Posted by Sunbeam lodge

What happens if you are caught in one of these checkpoints and there is no probable cause. But then they find you don't have a fire extinguisher on board. Do you get a ticket? There was no reason to stop you in the first place.

Once again for clarification:

There are no "checkpoints" being utilized by the NHMP in this effort. They are simply intensifying their pursuit of stops based on existing violations.

And I repeat, you do not need probable cause to tmporarily stop and detain an individual. You need probable cause to effect an arrest. You only need the lesser level of articulable suspicion to temporarily stop and detain.

[jrc]

Did anyone notice any extra enforcement last weekend?

I was surprised as I walk the marina in the morning, that only a few people had heard about Operation Drywater or any news about increase enforcement.

I did hear some chatter later in the evening about the MP visiting boats in Braun Bay to just talk to people and remind them about the rafting rules. Probably a good chance to see people up close.

I also heard some people talking about special 48 hour zero tolerance rules on drinking on boats. Sounded a very non-credible and probably just a frequent flyer upset that he had to pass up his breakfast beer.

[Rinkerfam]

We traveled from Paugus Bay Marina to the Meredith town docks and back during the course of the day and saw absolutely no marine patrol presence.

[ApS]

I was out on the Broads for nearly four hours on Saturday morning, and saw no MPs.

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by jrc

Did anyone notice any extra enforcement last weekend?

I also heard some people talking about special 48 hour zero tolerance rules on drinking on boats. Sounded a very non-credible and probably just a frequent flyer upset that he had to pass up his breakfast beer.

Huh?Since when can you not drink alchohol in a boat?

[jrc]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

Huh?Since when can you not drink alchohol in a boat?

You can drink alchohol on boats, nothing has changed. Obviously, you still can't be drunk.

I was just relaying some mis-information or dis-information I heard, as I said it does not seem credible. A lot of people were talking about the event after the fact and a lot of the stories felt like exagerations or just plain made up.

One guy said he delayed drinking until noon, just to be safe. Another guy talked about what he ate to cover the smell. Another talked about having only six beers per person on the boat to avoid over indulgence. Two others argued if the fine for BUI was worse than boating without a safety cert. He wanted his sober wife to drive the boat home.

I guess getting people talking about it, is a good thing, it raises awareness.

[Skip]

Originally Posted by jrc

...I guess getting people talking about it, is a good thing, it raises awareness...

Exactly!

Excellent post jrc, and from the first hand comments and observations you made, it is apparent that the publicity did indeed get some people to think about the problem and be proactive in not becoming another statistic.

I believe that was the whole point of this excercise...and it appears from your observations that it was indeed effective.

Thanks for sharing what you saw over the weekend...

[Paugus Bay Lake Girl]

State to Increase Enforcement of “Boating Under the Influence” Laws
Posted on June 24th, 2009 at 7:55 AM By Alliance Staff 4 Comments


Gilford — June 24, 2009 — Thinking about drinking and operating a boat this weekend? New Hampshire Marine Patrol officers will be looking for boaters who are operating under the influence as the state begins participating in a national awareness campaign known as Operation Dry Water. As part of its stepped up effort, the Department of Safety has authorized increased patrols on state lakes, including Ossipee Lake.

Impaired boaters caught this weekend can expect penalties that include a minimum fine of $500, a one-year loss of boating privileges and a minimum 90-day driver’s license suspension. In New Hampshire, a boater is considered to be under the influence if his blood alcohol concentration has reached the state limit of .08 percent.

In a press release, David Barrett, the state’s Director of Safety Services, said the Marine Patrol has a zero tolerance policy for anyone found operating a boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

“There will be arrests this weekend,” Barrett said, “and some boaters will face the consequences. But we’d much rather arrest someone than to have to tell their friends and family they’re never coming back.”

The state’s new awareness effort comes in the wake of several high profile alcohol-related boating accidents in the region.

Last year a Laconia woman, Erica Blizzard, 34, was indicted on charges of negligent homicide and aggravated driving after crashing her boat into Lake Winnipesaukee’s Diamond Island. Authorities say she and her two passengers had spent the night drinking in Wolfeboro before heading home in the boat. Stephanie Beaudoin of Meredith was killed in the crash, and Nicole Shinopules of Burlington, Mass., was injured. Blizzard faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

In a Maine trial last year, Massachusetts resident Robert LaPointe, 39, was convicted on two counts of aggravated operating under the influence as the result of a high speed crash in which he ran his boat over another craft, killing Terry Raye Trott of Harrison, Maine and Suzanne Groetzinger of Berwick. LaPoint was sentenced to three and a half years in jail and two years of probation. The jury deadlocked on additional charges of manslaughter and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon.

National statistics show that 21% of boating fatalities are the result of alcohol use, which can impair a boater’s judgment, balance, vision and reaction time. According to a press release from the Department of Safety, sun, wind, noise, vibration and wave motion can intensify the side effects of alcohol, drugs and some prescription medications.

All but four states — Alaska, Hawaii, Minnesota and Pennsylvania — will take part in the national effort this weekend. Operation Dry Water is a joint program of the New Hampshire Marine Patrol, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and the U.S. Coast Guard. More information is available at www.operationdrywater.org and on Facebook.