I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

[metalwizard]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

Don't fee; bad here in Utah you pull your boat out of the water then you have to wait in line for THEM to steam clean you whole boat. so the kids are wound up or tired ready to go home then you have to wait for 30 to 45 mins for them to Pressure wash your boat. and they don;t give a dang what they screw up when they do it.
I have one live well that the drain went bad it it. so we sealed it off and made it our Cooler out of it. it is totally sealed so we fill it with Ice and Drinks... it never gets Lake water in it. the still EVERY time make me take everything out of it to PROVE it does not have a drain...

last time they did it the idiot pressure washed my stereo... Destroyed it... I biotched about it, they said " Sorry just doing our job... we won't pay for it. it's your problem it's not sealed you should have sealed it before we washed you boat..." WTF? I wanted to find what that Idiot was driving and fill his car with water...see how he liked it..

OP feel luck thats all you have to do is pull your plug..

 

[bruceb58]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

That's the law in CA too. As I pass through the agricultural inspection leaving the tahoe basin they made sure I had it out. Not a big deal to me.

On the way into the lake if there is any water in any tank or holding area, it gets cleansed with some sort of solution. I just make sure my boat is bone dry and don't wash it before I take it up there.

Personally, I think its a good thing. I don't want the quagas in Tahoe or any other lake for that matter.

 

[Spazzn]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

Wll in CA there is an "Invassive species of muscles" so to go to the lake you have to start your bout 2-3 days in advance and if you want to wash your boat same thing the inspection is ridiculous they open motor compartment and have you drop out drive any water comes out you dont go in and get quarintined for seven days. Be happy a plug is only required.

This happened to us two days ago here in Cali. We had our boat repaired last week. After the repairs were finished, the repair man flushed the boat. A week later we went to the lake to do a trial run before a big vacation up north. When we lowered the trim a few very tiny drops of leftover water came out of the exhaust. We were not allowed in, and were black listed from all state parks for 7 days. The reason: "the Quagga mussel can breed in the tiniest drop of water." Even when we explained that the boat had been out of any lake or river water for a year due to needing to be repaired, they didn't believe us. So to get into a state park in Cali, make sure there is not a drop of water ANYWHERE in your boat! Also, to get a boat back into Cali from another state,we have always had to pull the plug...I wish our laws were still that easy.

 

[roscoe]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

Wll in CA there is an "Invassive species of muscles" so to go to the lake you have to start your bout 2-3 days in advance and if you want to wash your boat same thing the inspection is ridiculous they open motor compartment and have you drop out drive any water comes out you dont go in and get quarintined for seven days. Be happy a plug is only required.

This happened to us two days ago here in Cali. We had our boat repaired last week. After the repairs were finished, the repair man flushed the boat. A week later we went to the lake to do a trial run before a big vacation up north. When we lowered the trim a few very tiny drops of leftover water came out of the exhaust. We were not allowed in, and were black listed from all state parks for 7 days. The reason: "the Quagga mussel can breed in the tiniest drop of water." Even when we explained that the boat had been out of any lake or river water for a year due to needing to be repaired, they didn't believe us. So to get into a state park in Cali, make sure there is not a drop of water ANYWHERE in your boat! Also, to get a boat back into Cali from another state,we have always had to pull the plug...I wish our laws were still that easy.

So how do you go boating several days in a row?

If you are vacationing for a week, do you have to leave your boat in the water for the entire week?

What if you want to go to a different lake?

Around here, the invasives can spread like wildfire just through the river systems that run through the state.
IMO, all the good intentions and overzealous laws will do little to no good in the end. Given time, they will spread everywhere.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

At Tahoe they put a wire tag between your bow eye and the winch strap so they know you haven't been in another lake. That also tells the next lake where you were just at.

 

[Scorpion8]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

No plug law like that in Alaska, but I usually pull my plug anyway to make sure that the bilge drains and doesn't accumulate rainwater.

 

[jbjennings]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

Wll in CA there is an "Invassive species of muscles" so to go to the lake you have to start your bout 2-3 days in advance and if you want to wash your boat same thing the inspection is ridiculous they open motor compartment and have you drop out drive any water comes out you dont go in and get quarintined for seven days. Be happy a plug is only required.

This happened to us two days ago here in Cali. We had our boat repaired last week. After the repairs were finished, the repair man flushed the boat. A week later we went to the lake to do a trial run before a big vacation up north. When we lowered the trim a few very tiny drops of leftover water came out of the exhaust. We were not allowed in, and were black listed from all state parks for 7 days. The reason: "the Quagga mussel can breed in the tiniest drop of water." Even when we explained that the boat had been out of any lake or river water for a year due to needing to be repaired, they didn't believe us. So to get into a state park in Cali, make sure there is not a drop of water ANYWHERE in your boat! Also, to get a boat back into Cali from another state,we have always had to pull the plug...I wish our laws were still that easy.

We don't have a problem with zebra or quagga mussels here, so I now am more enlightened as to the reason for the plug law. I wonder how they keep wading birds from transmitting the mussels to new lakes. Heck, if you have a small pond and don't want yellow bream in it, you're out of luck because wading birds will visit your pond and eventually you will have them. I think Roscoe is right---it will be impossible to prevent their spread. However, if we had such a problem I'd do my best to make sure that my boat didn't contribute to the spread. I can't say I wouldn't be upset if I legitimately forgot to remove my plug and received a ticket for more than 20 bucks or so.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

The cost of these species to the water systems and other property damage is so high that just delaying the spread of them is worth it. I know there are water companies spending millions of dollars a year just trying to keep pumps, pipes and other machinery clear of the buggers.

 

[core79]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

youy have to be kidding me poor boater. now thats sucks! i live in minnesota and the whole plug issue is just another step to do. as long as they start doing there job alittle better on the water then i might actually start caring. what ever you have to bide by the laws of the land i guess HA!

 

[Gun Dog]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

I may have missed one Asian carp hiding in my bilge the other day! I think it jumped out in lake Erie. Just kidding!

 

[paultjohnson]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

youy have to be kidding me poor boater. now thats sucks! i live in minnesota and the whole plug issue is just another step to do. as long as they start doing there job alittle better on the water then i might actually start caring. what ever you have to bide by the laws of the land i guess HA!

Ya I know... poor me. You evidently didn't read thru all the posts.. I guess I shouldnt even comment on you post cuz I really dont get you point What is/are it/they ? Plz enlighten me.

 

[BIGALF]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

You guys must live in an area that never rains. I live in Florida and we get rain, and when it comes down it really comes down. I store my boat inside a building, but after running it all day and washing it at night aand with the afternoon rains it is always good to keep the plug out when I'm not in the water.
It's just part of the launch procedures before you put it in the water and when you take it out to check your plug.

 

[jkust]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

You guys must live in an area that never rains. I live in Florida and we get rain, and when it comes down it really comes down. I store my boat inside a building, but after running it all day and washing it at night aand with the afternoon rains it is always good to keep the plug out when I'm not in the water.
It's just part of the launch procedures before you put it in the water and when you take it out to check your plug.

No just indoor storage.

 

[itsaboattime]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

Last year I worked at Lock 13 on the Mississippi. The job was a retrofit on the Aux. lock. When we set the cofferdam and pumped out the water, the zebra mussles on the lock wall were almost 5 inches thick!! After two days in the july sun the smell was bad enough to make ya wanna upchuck!! Not to mention we had to scrape them off in places so we could get to the concrete to mark cut lines.
I will do anything to control the spread of invasive critters. As said before, the hull plug is part of the prep routine and part of the recovery routine. I don't wanna be part of the problem.
I too use my livewell as a cooler, and it gets drained on the trip home.
I understand your point Paul. The hull plug was a habit I got into as a Bosun's mate working the gig and the motor rowboat on the Merrill. They were my babies then just like my boat is my baby now. Pulling the plug on recovery just helps keep her dry.

 

[zopperman]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

It's a whole different world out here in Jersey. When Picking up my first boat, I got stopped by the troopers and didn't have the trailer registered yet.. so it had no plates. Trooper stopped me because headlight running light was out. Let me go for that and didn't say a word about the boat/trailer

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

Louisiana has a very large amount of waterways, bayous, lakes, etc. Like many states, it also has a very large number of trailer boaters. Along with that, we have a couple of invasive plant species that clog our waterways every summer. In many places, they get so thick that you can't drive a boat through them.

As far as I know, we have no laws here about drain plugs and/or flushing an outboard/outdrive, before launching at another location. Our invasive species problem has gotten so bad, that I wouldn't mind such a law at all.

 

[Cap’n Ray]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

We have a lot of signs and flyers now, expect the laws to start soon too. The zebra mussels are horrible in several KS lakes (Perry is really bad) and I've seen what they can do- friend is a tech at a marina and he's shown me outdrives and sea trainers absolutely plugged with em, and that's after a relatively short period in the water - less than 1/2 a season. The lake I'm on hasn't had any confirmed yet, but I know it's just a matter if time, and I'm worried about the problems that's gonna cause me and my friends!! Sure wish more people had the sense that alot of iBoaters seem to have, maybe we wouldn't be in such a serious position right now... Who knows!!

 

[Icyharp]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

Well at least they are trying to continue the fight of Zebra Muscles as I seen Friday that the MN DNR has purchased heated pressure washers and will be moving them from infested lake to lake and they were spraying the boats and trailers down with 140 degree water to try to kill and larve.

They are really trying to get the word out, everytime I launch my boat I have a few questions to answer and an inspection of the boat and trailer prior to launch, and this has been going on in WI as well.

So kudos for trying to get this resolved, but I am afraid the damge is done and I persaonaly don't see a way to stop the spread of the muscle, and I really hope I am wrong.

 

[Icyharp]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

The zebra mussels are horrible in several KS lakes (Perry is really bad) and I've seen what they can do- friend is a tech at a marina and he's shown me outdrives and sea trainers absolutely plugged with em, and that's after a relatively short period in the water - less than 1/2 a season.

This is what has happend to the 64' house boat my father-in-law owns, the 2 big block chevs are plugged, the days of running the boat down the river anytime soon are over for now until he decides like a lot of others what to do...

 

[mnypitboat]

Re: I hate this new Minnesota law, Do other states have it ?

I find it amazing that we, as responsible boaters, cannot police ourselves. I cannot understand why anyone wouldnt just do this stuff, instead of having to get the government involved. Whenever the government gets involved, they not only make the law to help the enviroment, but they usually take away some part of our freedoms. They use enviromental issues to close down one area after another to boaters, 4 wheelers, hikers, etc etc. Usually they overstep what is actually needed. Taking a plug out should be common sense if you are in danger of cross contaminating lakes or rivers, but so many people do not pay any attention to these things and we get invasive laws that effect everyone, not just the people that are causing the problem. One jerk leaving thier garbage on an island,,,,,, island gets closed down. One jerk not putting out a fire correctly in a forest area, and they close the whole area to everyone. One person leaves a plug in, or leaves crap around their drive and brings it to another lake, they impose laws to curb it, and, if that doesnt work, you watch, they will close these areas down completely.


Sucks, but as they say, one bad apple spoils the bunch. We have to do our part to make sure these bad apples are weeded out before the government has to get involved. Educate them, help them, let them know what their ignorance will or can cause.