Be safe out there folks

[dezul]

Good to know. So are you comfortable with 1 beer every two hours?

It depends on what lake I am on and where I am at. I know where I normally see twra and where I have never saw them. They tend to stick to the more popular areas. With all that being said, I have known 4 other people that has been "12-14 beers" in that got pulled over and passed the test. I always have at least one person on the boat besides myseld that is sober just in case I decide I want to let loose.

[jaciche]

It's awful to see this. Unfortunately, it seems there's a common misperception to certain people that because you're not on the road, you can't do much damage. Obviously not. If you are EVER in a situation where you are driving a boat when under the influence, your boat shouldn't go faster than idle speed while in gear.

This reminds me when I saw a drunk woman trying to drive a wakesetter onto a lift and dinged up the bow about 6 times before getting on it successfully. I was bringing our boat closer to her to try to help her when she finally suceeded, only to watch her mumble and stumble her way off the dock. Smh...

[mikeyg]

Where did you find this?

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https://www.boat-ed.com/tennessee/studyGuide/Boating-Under-the-Influence/10104401_700059517

[ibelonginprison]

I'm not comfortable getting slammed on the water anyway. Too many other people that don't know what they're doing that you have to dodge. I feel comfortable in my ability to have 6-8 and still function safely, because I would slow everything down. I do not feel comfortable in my ability to have 6-8 and then do emergency maneuvers to avoid a guy that's had 20. Therefore, I don't have 6-8 and drive.

And at night? eagh...

I'll have a drink or two, but it's more than just "your boat" that you're responsible for. There's a lot of people on the water, and you're responsible for them as well, even if it's them that's acting a fool. It's your job to be able to operate a boat safely.

[robbennett]

In Georgia you can be charged with BUI if intoxicated while being towed behind a boat.

[oldjeep]

In Georgia you can be charged with BUI if intoxicated while being towed behind a boat.

Drunk while tubing? Weird

[nyryan2001]

.08 BAC for 21yrs and older

.02 BAC for 20yrs and younger

[dezul]

Lets don't take "drinking and driving on a boat" status to "drinking and driving a vehicle" status. Afun can attest to this based on the signs on TN highways. We have about 1k roadway deaths a year. Some of them are from drunk drivers. I hear about 5-10 deaths a year on the lakes. I might hear about 1 boating accident a year from an intoxicated driver in TN. Those deaths are around the holiday weekends. Judging by the statistics, it is safer to drive a boat and drink than drive a car and drink. This observation does not take into account serious injuries from accidents...which will make the boating option even more safe. You have about the same chance of getting side swiped by grandma as you do of getting into a boating accident that causes serious injury while drinking. Grandma is on the road and legal people....watch out. Her cataracts affect her vision.

[DocPhil]

^^^wow. Glad I don't boat near you

Nothing like justifying boozing on your boat in a "guy died while boozing on his boat" thread

Edited May 1, 2015 by DocPhil

[bcoppess23]

It is all about volume and ratios

Lets don't take "drinking and driving on a boat" status to "drinking and driving a vehicle" status. Afun can attest to this based on the signs on TN highways. We have about 1k roadway deaths a year. Some of them are from drunk drivers. I hear about 5-10 deaths a year on the lakes. I might hear about 1 boating accident a year from an intoxicated driver in TN. Those deaths are around the holiday weekends. Judging by the statistics, it is safer to drive a boat and drink than drive a car and drink. This observation does not take into account serious injuries from accidents...which will make the boating option even more safe. You have about the same chance of getting side swiped by grandma as you do of getting into a boating accident that causes serious injury while drinking. Grandma is on the road and legal people....watch out. Her cataracts affect her vision.

It is about volume and ratios. There are a lot more people that drive a vehicle than drive a boat.

[saxton15]

The guy in the article is a strong case of lack of judgement. Clearly, there are laws in place that do allow consumption on your boat within the established set of BAC. This guy didn't seem to care about that law, just like many people do the same on the roads each day. Unfortunate yes, but he made a choice to get in his boat at 4AM.

[Cap305]

Lake Norman does not have a good reputation for being safe...Is it crowded?

On weekdays it's fine but on the weekend it turns into a show. One of the main reasons I moved my boat off the lake. We had several close calls with folks who were either not paying attention or plowed (or both). Couple of them were while we were just sitting at anchor in a small cove which boggles the mind how they would think it's ok to sling tubes close to anchored boats. Put it this way, there are at least four law enforcement jurisdictions actively monitoring it and they all do a big business in BUI albeit mostly from a few hang-out areas around the lake. (The Sandbar, Cocktail Cove, The Rusty Rudder to name a few)

[Afun]

Some are making it sound like having a couple of beers on your boat while being Captain....is foreign to you

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[ibelonginprison]

Some are making it sound like having a couple of beers on your boat while being Captain....is foreign to you

I don't think anyone on here is questioning a couple of beers. Although I do know a handful of boat owners that make sure that anyone driving the boat has had zero to drink. Most of the time it's them, but on occasion they'll dedicate a DD for the boat. Granted, one of the guys is a police office, but that's beside the point.

Anyway - to each their own. "Safely operating a vessel" is the key, and it's a judgement call. If you're a lightweight, don't drive after having two. If you have plaques/awards from drinking contests in college... then you can probably do one or two and be alright. My wife and I have known each other long enough that I know when she's not good, and she knows when I'm not good... and we never both get tanked at the same time.

But then again, despite my screenname, these days I'm a fairly responsible adult. With a few exceptions of course, but there's a time and a place for all of that - and none of it include operating a powered vehicle/vessel while a bottle of Angel's Envy deep.

[shawndoggy]

Some are making it sound like having a couple of beers on your boat while being Captain....is foreign to you

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I love me some beers. And I love me some boating. I don't mix the two ever. In addition to my own, I usually have someone else's kids aboard my boat. Not worth it.

Totally down to tip a few back when the day is done tho!

[isellacuras]

I enjoy a few beers while out on the water. I am guilty of mixing the two on a regular basis. There is a big difference between getting drunk and having a few beers, even more than a couple. When I'm drinking at home or at a restaurant/bar , I enjoy drinking good beers but when I'm on the lake, it's typically bud light or coors light so I can have a few extras. I don't even like my boat passengers to be drunk so I have limits and expectations. Theres to much liability with drunkeness on the water. Like others have said, it's about being responsible.

[Bill_AirJunky]

Be aware of any night time speed limits in your state. Here in WA it's 5 mph. I have not been able to find that in writing & it's certainly not posted, much less enforced. But I had a buddy get in a boating accident in the Seattle area where someone died & the DA tried to enforce that law on them.