Boating and drinking question....

showstoppr88

Seaman
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Jul 24, 2017
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How does drinking alcohol on a boat work? I totally get the driver shouldn't be drinking just like a car but are you able to have beer and open containers on a boat? I cant find a clear answer on this. For reference I would be boating in Wisconsin, Illinois, and/or Michigan.

Thanks.
 

muskyfins

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Jun 7, 2012
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In illinois, there can be open containers, but the driver cannot be drinking.
 

tpenfield

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How does drinking alcohol on a boat work? I totally get the driver shouldn't be drinking just like a car but are you able to have beer and open containers on a boat? I cant find a clear answer on this. For reference I would be boating in Wisconsin, Illinois, and/or Michigan.

Thanks.


It works great as long as you have enough ice and can keep things cold. Sometimes we run out of Bud Lite or Corona, so make sure you pack the cooler accordingly to your crew's brand preferences.

Driver should not be drunk per legal definition - same as a car.

check your local laws for any specifics.
 

RGrew176

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In Michigan there can be open containers but the person piloting the boat cannot drink while underway.
 

robert graham

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If you happen to have a boating accident or incident with injuries or death, THEN the beers you've been drinking come back to bite you hard in the butt.....they call it felony DUI or DWI or BWI or whatever and It's not a joke and it can ruin your life....and your family's life...
 

89retta

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Up here in Alberta no alcohol on the boat unless it's equipped with a bathroom and sink.
 

jimmbo

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Up here in Alberta no alcohol on the boat unless it's equipped with a bathroom and sink.

And even then you have to be anchoured for the day. Actually the no booze in a boat is a Federal Jurisdiction thing. The Provinces and Municipalities have very little say on lakes and rivers, though some try to make like they do.
The way some of the Lake Lice behave on Wabuman, they must be 4 sheets to the wind.
 

wahlejim

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The only regulation in Wisconsin states that you cannot operate a watercraft or ski/tube/wakeboard, etc if you are under the influence or have a BAC of .08 or higher. From my experience boating in Wisconsin, everything is pretty relaxed. Just don't do anything stupid.

With that being said, different lakes are patrolled by local municipalities. The lake a live on is small and has one police boat that is only out about 6 days out of the year. He will watch from shore with his boat covered though to see if anyone is doing anything stupid. He stopped me once the day I launched my new to me pontoon because 2 different colored stickers were showing. I had a beer in my cupholder, he just verified it wasn't in a glass container (illegal on many wisconsin lakes so know the rules of each lake), asked how many I had (it was my first one), went through the standard safety check and let me off with a verbal warning for the sticker since all my paperwork was in order and no other infractions.

5 things they look at in Wisconsin: Registration (proof of insurance not currently required), PFDs (under 13 has to be wearing at all times, 1 for each person 13 and older on the boat) Throwables (I always have 2 in the boat since the admiral likes the seat cushion ones) charged fire extinguisher, and covered battery.

Met him on the sandbar later when he was off duty and gave him a beer.

Other lakes are not as forgiving. Like I said, it is up to the municipality to patrol the lake and some lakes are very strict with these types of things. My advice, go to the area where people anchor and party (every lake has one) or a bar on the lake if it has one and talk to the locals.
 

dingbat

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Five things they look at in Wisconsin: Registration (proof of insurance not currently required), PFDs (under 13 has to be wearing at all times, 1 the boat) Throwables (I always have 2 in the boat since the admiral likes the seat cushion ones) charged fire extinguisher, and covered battery.
Interesting.....here's its registration, a throwable with 15-20 ft. of rope attached and a number of unexpired signally devices, i.e. Flares or flare gun.
Batteries must be secured, not covered. Must have fully charged fire extinguisher (and pass shake test) and nav lights must be operational.

Alcohol consumption is ok, can't be legally intoxicated
 

fhhuber

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How does drinking alcohol on a boat work? I totally get the driver shouldn't be drinking just like a car but are you able to have beer and open containers on a boat? I cant find a clear answer on this. For reference I would be boating in Wisconsin, Illinois, and/or Michigan.

Thanks.

Varies by state. So you need to contact the appropriate agency for the states where you will be boating for definitive answers.

Texas allows drinking on the boat. But the DUI vs BUI (Boating While Intoxicated) BAC limit is the same as for driving a car and it counts EXACTLY as a DUI in a car. (including auto license suspension/revocation if convicted or for refusing the breath test.)
 

Old Ironmaker

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We in Canada are dry on the water unless you basically own a cruiser with a permanent washroom with pump out, not a Porta Potty, and must have fixed cooking facilities and only when anchored. I am more than happy with that. Nothing like being trapped in a boat miles from shore with a drunken idiot. I live by "Booze on the dock and water on the boat when water is under it." My boat is a booze free zone. All the infractions on the water here go against your driving record and and boating auto insurance costs, not worth it. I know idiots that are paying a grand a month or more for auto insurance because of DUI's.

As far as I remember anchored means to a fixed object, not the bottom or a buoy so you are basically docked.
 

H20Rat

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Here in North Dakota the boat laws were never updated to reflect changes in BAC, so it is still .10 blood alcohol for boating, while it is .08 for vehicles. Open container is allowed even for the captain, ie the captain can openly have a beer in hand when waving to the patrol officers. (which will likely result in a courtesy safety inspection!)

I know people have strong opinions about the topic, but you need to look at actual data to back it up. I'm well aware of the data for my state at least, and the majority of boat collisions involve inexperienced &/or young PWC operators. They are either running into each other, people in the water, or other boats.

Injury accidents as a direct result of driver impairment due to alcohol outside of PWC's are fairly rare. (not saying people don't do stupid stuff while drinking, and that people haven't drown because of it, but generally, people who drink on the water here are generally on a slow pontoon with no place to go in a hurry)
 

Old Ironmaker

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smokingcrater;n10475795 Injury accidents as a direct result of driver impairment due to alcohol outside of PWC's are fairly rare. (not saying people don't do stupid stuff while drinking said:
I'm sorry but that is just ridiculous. Can you quantify any of your statement? Some drunk that falls off the front of a slow pontoon boat will end up as hamburger. Come on man!
 

H20Rat

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I'm sorry but that is just ridiculous. Can you quantify any of your statement? Some drunk that falls off the front of a slow pontoon boat will end up as hamburger. Come on man!

I'll see if I can dig up some numbers, but based on my personal knowledge (my day job is in support of law enforcement), those type of incidents are very, very rare when compared to other boating accidents. I'm not downplaying drunk idiots, but again, in my experience, the vast majority of accidents are not a direct result of impairment, but youth, inattentiveness, and inexperience.

To your specific example, I have never once seen or heard of a drunk adult sitting on the front of a pontoon dangling their feet in the water. I have seen and heard LOTS of stories about game wardens stopping people with kids in the front though.
 

Old Ironmaker

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To your specific example, I have never once seen or heard of a drunk adult sitting on the front of a pontoon dangling their feet in the water. I have seen and heard LOTS of stories about game wardens stopping people with kids in the front though.

Unfortunately a tragic fatality occurred earlier this year on a Ont. lake to a Chinese exchange student under the same circumstances. I do not recall however if it was alcohol related. Of the accidents that I have known of locally most were alcohol related but I as well don't have any stats, just my observation as well smoking.
 

rcmpvet

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Nov 8, 2015
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And even then you have to be anchoured for the day. Actually the no booze in a boat is a Federal Jurisdiction thing. The Provinces and Municipalities have very little say on lakes and rivers, though some try to make like they do.
The way some of the Lake Lice behave on Wabuman, they must be 4 sheets to the wind.

Actually there is no Federal Legislation that applies to having alcohol or consuming alcohol on board a vessel. The only Federal Law is the Criminal Code of Canada which legislates the operation of a vessel while impaired by alcohol or a drug, or having consumed alcohol whereby one's Blood Alcohol /Content is over .08%.

As for having or consuming it is up to each individual province or territory to legislate those requirements, whereby most, if not all, allow alcohol consumption if the vessel has sleeping, cooking and sanitary facilities on the vessel and it is attached to a fixed dock (not just anchored), most allow the transport of alcohol if it is sealed or locked away in another compartment.

I used to be in Alberta but now being in Ontario I will comment on those regulations and enforcement: even though the R.C.M.P. are federal they do patrol the international waters and unless they are sworn in as Special Constables for Ontario they do not enforce provincial legislation, but they will enforce the Criminal Code and other applicable Federal Legislation: C.S.A., SVR, etc. The federal waters of the Great Lakes system still fall under the jurisdiction of Ontario Legislation and are policed by their municipalites, O.P.P. Conservation, etc.. All other lakes and rivers in the country also fall under their respective provincial legislation and hence can conduct enforcement pursuant to their respective provinces as well as the Criminal Code of Canada.
 
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