Made a mistake removing dash warning plate

[WakeSlayer]

Minnesota's law states the exact as what MikeC posted with this exception:

"A watercraft 20 feet or less in length manufactured for sale in this state after December 31, 1980"

I like that as it exempts me on my other Correct Crafts.


I live on a semi private lake and have not run numbers on my boats in 10+ years, either. This is not legal, however.

[Gasman87]

cln cut

we dont like all the warnings either !! we took them ALL off except the warning for people on board . we covered it with flat black vinyl !!

How did you vut the vinyl to make it look so clean?

We just used a razor blade ! The law says it has to be att to boat , mine just has a cover over it so it wont fade ? ; )

[aarond0083]

RE: cln cut

Thanks, i am going to cover mine with a carbon fiber type vinyl, should look good.

http://www.tiptopsigns.com/Black-Car...yl-p-2438.html

[RedZoom]

As regards USCG Capacities plates, I sent an inquiry to the Alabama Marine Police. Their response is that the Alabama Law requires manufacturers to have a plate when a boat is sold and the Alabama Marine Police interpret that to mean the plate must be in place to operate the boat on Alabama waterways regardless of wherever and whenever the boat was purchased. I found this interesting because I purchased a 23 year old boat in Florida and it has no plate. I asked the Alabama Marine Police where to obtain one and they were somewhat less that helpful. i.e. they admitted they have the requirement but have no concrete suggestion on how to comply with their requirement. I love bureaucracies. I hope each of you do also. They suggested I ask the manufacturer for one. I plan to do just that and will report back to this forum what Correct Craft has to say.

[WakeSlayer]

Tell them to get lost if they pull you over. Just make sure you haven't beem imbibing.

[Shooter]

Do all "vessels" have these warnings posted from the manufacture? That would mean old boats to oil tankers require these warning plates. I think it’s obvious that this is not the case.

A law like this would be written differently in every state and almost impossible to enforce. Each state with intent to enforce this law would need a very specific written legal section outlining the requirements.

What type of boats require the warning, when and where the boat is required to have a warning posted (When in use? Docked? Occupied? What water ways?) , who is responsible to obtain and / or supply a correct warning placard if the original is damaged, missing or does not exist, where does the warning need to be posted in the boat (what is considered visible?) and what does the warning needs to say.

I'm sure you get the idea, the legal section would be long and unreadable after the lawyers get a hold of it. There are too many variable for an officer to enforce this law fairly.

This would be a chickenshi* ticket anyway. Most cops only give chickenshi* tickets to people who ask for them. (AKA: "tell them to get lost")

I would guess that these warning placards are required by the manufactures. They also limit CC liability if someone dies while doing something stupid. I don’t need warnings posted all over my boat to remind me to be safe. I will take my chances with the law.

[SkiTower]

I work in a vaguely similar industry. Most companies don't want special builds for where their product is going so they will attempt to supply a product that is accepted anywhere. In CC's case, they will attempt to build a boat that is acceptable in all 50 states and most countries and have a few special builds for extreme laws (Italy is an example in my case). My dealer said that the decals are for a COAST GUARD requirement, so if you're on an inland lake it doesn't apply. This doesn't mean some private lake can't shake things up a bit or that a wildlife officer can't misinterpret that plaque as a law, but I would imagine the boats as is pass all but a few extreme laws. Any other requirements would be owner responsibility like fire extinguishers, life jackets, etc.

IMHO removal of the decals just allows some Barney Fife to harass you. More trouble than it's worth. Yeah you can probably beat the ticket but why have to go to the trouble.

[AirTool]

My dealer said that the decals are for a COAST GUARD requirement, so if you're on an inland lake it doesn't apply.

I've not studied the sticker issue in detail and don't plan too. But my experience in the offshore business tells me to be careful with the above statement. Coast Guard rules are a part of the CFRs (Code of Federal Regulations) and would apply to everyone unless explicity excluded. "Navigable water" as defined by the feds is water that will float a canoe.

The Coast Guard is (in general) the "enforcement" agency for the feds. Although any peace officer can arrest you for breaking federal laws. Note there are many bodies of water in Texas developed and managed by the Army Core of Engineers thus they are patrolled by Federal Marshalls. I was pulled over by one in the camping area. The Coast Guard can also patrol lakes and rivers.

That is why I try to stay only on private Lakes of Katy....few rules and frequented only by Katy rednecks. Yellow_Flash_Colorz:

[WakeSlayer]

The decals are required to be put on by any manufacturer building boats in the US. It is a standard that applies to the flotation capability in the boat.
I speak mostly from my understanding of the laws in our state. This is why I do not worry about the fact that my ballast capacity alone is double what my CG plate says. I don't literally mean to tell the cops to get lost, Shooter. However, if you have all the required vests, throwables, fire extinguisher, registration, horn, and whatever else, and he is down to giving you a rash of crap about your capacity plate, you are probably going to get ticket for something anyway. Their lack of understanding about the law becomes your problem.
In MN, if you are in a turn lane with a red arrow, and your line of traffic still has the green light going straight, you can stop, wait for opposing traffic to clear and turn. The only time you cannot do this is if there is a sign that say " Left turn on green arrow only" No one does it, and half the cops would give you a ticket for it. It is still ok, and perfectly legal, just like not having a capacity plate on your boat. Or, for that matter, exceeding it. It is a manufacturing requirement only and you would win that case if you fought it. Hassle, yes, are you in the wrong? No.

[AirTool]

Army Core

Army Corp

Federal Marshalls

Federal Marshals



They don't teach spelling in engineering school. I guess I need to switch to FireFox if that new PN upgrade doesn't come soon.


AirTool

[oldslalomskier]

I could never understand how CC managed to put so many friggin' warnings on their boats. M and MC sure don't.

[WakeSlayer]

It used to be better when the dash was just stickers instead of printed on there.
A friend of mine bought a new boat many years ago and was good enough buddies with the dealer that he got him to NOT put ANY of the warning stickers on the boat when he set it up.

[WA-H2O-SKI]

WA State Warnings

In WA state it is law to have the Carbon Monoxide sticker in place. To me, just a good idea to leave well enough alone........