Attn. NC Boaters....

Stow the beer this coming weekend,NC DNR will be on the hunt for BWI and other infractions.As with a DWI checkpoint, other items will be checked, make sure your legal & sober.

RALEIGH, N.C. (June 22) ? This weekend (June 26-28) wildlife officers of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and cooperating law enforcement agencies will participate in Operation Dry Water, a nationwide initiative to detect intoxicated boaters and enforce boating-under-the-influence laws.

?All public waterways in North Carolina are subject to additional patrols,? said Capt. Chris Huebner, the state boating safety coordinator. ?Operating a recreational vessel while under the influence of an impairing substance or with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 or higher is against the law. Penalties may include fines up to $1,000 and jail.?

Operation Dry Water is coordinated by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, working with the U.S. Coast Guard and partner agencies, such as the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

Officers will conduct vessel safety inspections and random checkpoints, alert to possible intoxicated operators. Curbing the number of alcohol-related accidents and fatalities is key to achieving safer and more enjoyable recreational boating.

Drinking affects the skills necessary to operate a boat, including:
Peripheral vision and ability to focus
Judgment and rational decision-making
Balance and equilibrium
Coordination and reaction time

Re: Attn. NC Boaters....

Maryland doesn't have an open container law on a boat. Sounds like Carolina doesn't either.

Re: Attn. NC Boaters....

I know in some states the boat can be in motion and the guest of the boats can have an open container. The skipper has to be under the .08 level. I cant remember if that is also the case in NC. However, I know you can have beer in the boat and can be consumed as long as the boat is anchored or beached. Not sure if drifting counts. Once the skipper start that engine he better be under the .08 alcohol level.

Re: Attn. NC Boaters....

Roger That, my title was misleading, you can have open beer in nc..BUT, keep in mind when your boarded,and there's open beer..the officer is more likely to be even more stringent about other possible infractions, But Why..you say, Well, booze & boating is the primary cause of 75% of all accidents,so no one might be drunk when your pulled over..chances are someone will be by the days end, and those guys hate seeing other people lives jeopardized by a BWI.
On my boat(s) i allow my friends to bring beer,and drink all they want, but i dont want drunk's on the boat,and they know that. So i should have titled this thread...Not to much....