Did anybody get stopped and searched near the Tappan Zee on Saturday? Ticketed? The locals were boarding and ticketing down there. Probably a sign of things to come with all that federal money buying boats for land-based departments. They're probably getting bored now with the over-abundance of Rescue craft. We boaters are actually pretty good and there just isn't that much to do. Maybe they should go back to towing, like the days before Sea-tow.
Stop and Search
- Thread starter Cap10pat
- Start date
I know many people have "no problem" being stopped and boarded and that the officials are professional, blah, blah.
Me, I have a different outlook. I work hard during the week and have precious time on my boat. I don't want to come off plane and talk to an official for 20 minutes if I have done absolutely nothing wrong. There are plenty of knuckleheads on the water who don't abide by the rules...go deal with them and leave me alone!
I stopped in the club this weekend. Of the two that just came in from boating, both were boarded. One received a ticket because she initially couldn't find her registration. When they did find it, they tracked down the police(Orange County Sherriff) and they gave her a "release form" or something. Better than having to drive up to Orange County from Croton to defend yourself.
Me, I have a different outlook. I work hard during the week and have precious time on my boat. I don't want to come off plane and talk to an official for 20 minutes if I have done absolutely nothing wrong. There are plenty of knuckleheads on the water who don't abide by the rules...go deal with them and leave me alone!
I stopped in the club this weekend. Of the two that just came in from boating, both were boarded. One received a ticket because she initially couldn't find her registration. When they did find it, they tracked down the police(Orange County Sherriff) and they gave her a "release form" or something. Better than having to drive up to Orange County from Croton to defend yourself.
parkrode360
Member
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2007
- RO Number
- 25031
- Messages
- 341
There seemed to be some "activity" outside Stony Point on Saturday nite, and Sunday I saw what looked like a small patrol boat sitting outside of SPBM -- had no idea what was going on -- is there a marine version of a ticket blitz happening?
was stopped on friday night. fishing near croton. all my lights were on. when they came they said they just wanted to make sure we were alright. then said they would like to do a spot safety inspection. i said no problem, what do you want to see? gave him my registration and safety course certificate. life jackets---check. throw ring----check. fire extinguisher, sees it, asks me to hand it to him. looks at it and hands it back. distress signals. hand them to him. still in the original plastic container. holds them up to the light, shakes them around a little and says to me that they were expired. long story short, i got a ticket for expired signals. when i asked him how i could dispose of the old flares, he says, oh don't throw them out. they are still good. keep them as backups. these guys were just out there looking to give people tickets. but i must say, that westchester county sure does have a nice boat.
Well, being the most taxed county in the nation, we couldn't have our law officials on a skiff breaking our balls now could we. Nope, my taxes go towards breaking balls in style...LOL! And yet, still no pumpout boat!
Sunday the Coast Guard had 8 law enforcement patrol boats + the Cutter working with them in Cold Springs. They told me they are pulling EVERYONE over. "Routine safety checks". The Sheriff Patrol checked my vessel without boarding. He basically asked for me to read the expiration date on the flares, and show him that I checked the gauge on the extinguisher. He asked to see 4 life jackets, blow my horn and turn on my running lights. Everything on my vessel cleared. They provided me with a document which shows that it passed a safety check. I asked for a USCG Safety Sticker. He laughed and said the current budget did not support it. When we got back to Pennybridge,(Home Port) a buddy told me when he was pulled over that the USCG gave him a sticker... Go figure.
Meanwhile Indian Point was wide open for a threat during this time.
Meanwhile Indian Point was wide open for a threat during this time.
lil red truck
Member
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2007
- RO Number
- 25758
- Messages
- 593
We were out there Saturday, and saw NYS Parks on the Irvington side and a CG vessel on the Piermont side just south of the TZ. We were going to go up to Croton but the chop was bad at the bridge and I figured it would only get worse in the bay, so I chickened out. Of course after washing down the boat it calmed. grrrrrrr
I too got boarded Saturday afternoon just north of Cold Spring. It was a Sherrifs vessel but I was boarded by a very young (19 yrs?) man in a coast guard uniform. I was told by the affable men driving the Sherrifs boat that while this was a routine safety inspection, that it was really a training session for the new Coast Guard officers. I passed AND got a snappy green sticker...even though my flares were expired by one month. The young officer told me the flares were NOT REQUIRED to be on board unless the vessel will be more than 2 miles off shore! Can anybody verify this? Anyway, it was a minor inconvenience, and I didn't mind the boarding, but really it only keeps the honest people honest.
As Black Dog stated, there was no apparent coverage in front of Indian Point, not unlike September 10, 2001
As Black Dog stated, there was no apparent coverage in front of Indian Point, not unlike September 10, 2001
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2000
- RO Number
- 36
- Messages
- 6,627
When we passed Piermont Pier Sat. we saw a cutter with no less than 5 "patrol" boats rafted up to it. I was thinking timing is everything and that perhaps we were "on time" this year because in retrospect we were not hauled over. I was going to hold up all the receipts of past boardings and give them an expression of frustration if they intended to stop us. I'm not sure where that would have landed us but it seemed innocent enough to me at the time.
All along the way up to Newburg we heard people talking on 16 "Is the CG listening", "does anyone know where I can get a throwable pfd", and etc.. I have to wonder if it was bait to get people to answer mocking or if they were people that were all getting boarded.
Given recent events I have to think that the likelyhood of a pull over is increasing.
I did not see anything at Indian, but then, that doesn't say they ain't there!
Speaking of pump out boats, we were pumped out free at Lib landing, and by the "royal flush" down in red bank. Both boats pulled up to us and did the deed for free! Now that's impressive. Talk about a stanky job getting done with a smile?
What's up with NY I say? I think we need an adventurous person to drive around after getting a grant to buy equipment and get the job done.
All along the way up to Newburg we heard people talking on 16 "Is the CG listening", "does anyone know where I can get a throwable pfd", and etc.. I have to wonder if it was bait to get people to answer mocking or if they were people that were all getting boarded.
Given recent events I have to think that the likelyhood of a pull over is increasing.
I did not see anything at Indian, but then, that doesn't say they ain't there!
Speaking of pump out boats, we were pumped out free at Lib landing, and by the "royal flush" down in red bank. Both boats pulled up to us and did the deed for free! Now that's impressive. Talk about a stanky job getting done with a smile?
What's up with NY I say? I think we need an adventurous person to drive around after getting a grant to buy equipment and get the job done.
Randy;
I believe that the young man was mistaking. I have had 10 - 12 Inspection/Boardings and I have never been told that flares are optional. I was cited once for out-dated-flares, and once I proved that it was fixed, the citation was dismissed.
They may not be required on inland waters and lakes, but I think you got a pass on the river.
I believe that the young man was mistaking. I have had 10 - 12 Inspection/Boardings and I have never been told that flares are optional. I was cited once for out-dated-flares, and once I proved that it was fixed, the citation was dismissed.
They may not be required on inland waters and lakes, but I think you got a pass on the river.
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2004
- RO Number
- 13137
- Messages
- 652
Pete -
I believe you've lucked out - while it's true . . . according to the CG Aux website that, per federal regs, that boats on inland waters are not required to have visual distress signals (see CGAUX site, under vitual safety check), NYS DOES require USCG approved visual distres signal devices on all joint waterways, and interior state-lakes (see NYSPARKS site, boaters_guide.pdf). So, flares may be optional for the feds, but req'd by the state.
I believe you've lucked out - while it's true . . . according to the CG Aux website that, per federal regs, that boats on inland waters are not required to have visual distress signals (see CGAUX site, under vitual safety check), NYS DOES require USCG approved visual distres signal devices on all joint waterways, and interior state-lakes (see NYSPARKS site, boaters_guide.pdf). So, flares may be optional for the feds, but req'd by the state.
boating_rob
Active member
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2006
- RO Number
- 21873
- Messages
- 1,090
Last weekend the Department of Homeland Security was patrolling the Haverstraw Marina handing out pieces of paper with emergency phone numbers on it. They said to keep an eye out for anything suspicious - especially larger boats unloading stuff to smaller boats.
boating_rob
Active member
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2006
- RO Number
- 21873
- Messages
- 1,090
Only if the dog is sneaking something in (I mean out).....
No, coal tankers that unload in newburg area, they are not always checked in harbor, some time they get cleared when they dock...Watch for stuff being thrown off of them with small boats picking it up...That included people...
"I stopped in the club this weekend. Of the two that just came in from boating, both were boarded. One received a ticket because she initially couldn't find her registration."
Its amazing that you can get a ticket for that, since you have a sticker on the boat and all they have to do is punch into the computer and they find out whether your boat is legally registered or not. I know this to be true because I got a legitimate ticket a few years back on my old boat - I had forgotten the reg was expired but couldn't remember if I had renewed it, so the Sheriff checked the computer to be sure. That was a stupid goof on my part - this was the old boat that I had thought was sold in April so I didn't bother to renew the reg. When it didn't sell I forgot about it, and I was taking the eventual new owner on the test drive when I got stopped! D'oh...
There's a strong police presence upriver too, although they haven't bothered me as of yet. I wonder if the hyperactivity downriver was a Homeland Security thing, as others have suggested, or just a revenue enhancement for the local agencies...
Its amazing that you can get a ticket for that, since you have a sticker on the boat and all they have to do is punch into the computer and they find out whether your boat is legally registered or not. I know this to be true because I got a legitimate ticket a few years back on my old boat - I had forgotten the reg was expired but couldn't remember if I had renewed it, so the Sheriff checked the computer to be sure. That was a stupid goof on my part - this was the old boat that I had thought was sold in April so I didn't bother to renew the reg. When it didn't sell I forgot about it, and I was taking the eventual new owner on the test drive when I got stopped! D'oh...
There's a strong police presence upriver too, although they haven't bothered me as of yet. I wonder if the hyperactivity downriver was a Homeland Security thing, as others have suggested, or just a revenue enhancement for the local agencies...
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2001
- RO Number
- 4846
- Messages
- 3,913
Glad I'm down in NY Harbor where they don't bother you........isn't that right Dan??? LOL.
Jonathan
Jonathan
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2000
- RO Number
- 36
- Messages
- 6,627
HA! Yup. At least we got away with it this year anyway. Maybe they are remembering who they have gone after in the past these days.
But for piece of mind Deb only gets one towel in the shower now. That way she can't come out with one on her head. Maybe that's what turned the corner this year?
But for piece of mind Deb only gets one towel in the shower now. That way she can't come out with one on her head. Maybe that's what turned the corner this year?
Flatsflyer
Member
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2005
- RO Number
- 16388
- Messages
- 204
Just took a 1,000 mile trip and only saw two Law Enforcement boats, both where tied up dockside. One was a Department of Homeland Security (Stock Island)Center Console with 4-300 HP Outboards. My comment to my wife was that only the Feds could be so dumb to buy something like this, must burn 100 GPH.