MN DNR boat landing inspectors.

[The_Dude_Abides]

Helped my dad get his boat out of the water today and ran into an inspection crew in MN. They were pretty pleasant people. They are there to make sure you don't spread an invasive species (zebra mussel, milfoil, etc) to another lake. They even had a hot wash station that they used if you were going immediately to another lake to clean everything off.

 

[WIMUSKY]

I drove back from Wisconsin towing the boat, I did not stop at the border to pull my plug in the boat. I will offer any CO to pay double the fine if they find so much of a drop of water or liquid in the bottom of my boat.

WI has the plug out rule too. You can be pulled over and fined if it's in. Same thing goes if there is a weed hanging off the trailer...

 

[DeepCMark58A]

WI has the plug out rule too. You can be pulled over and fined if it's in. Same thing goes if there is a weed hanging off the trailer...

I was up on the Middle Eau Claire a couple weeks back, I read all the signs there at the boat landing did not see any reference to pulling the plug before transport. Thing is I do check my trailer and make certain that I am not transporting vegetation or water.

 

[jbcurt00]

I read all the signs there at the boat landing did not see any reference to pulling the plug before transport. Thing is I do check my trailer and make certain that I am not transporting vegetation or water.

Thing is, they won't care. Plug out is fairly easy, isnt it?

 

[WIMUSKY]

I was up on the Middle Eau Claire a couple weeks back, I read all the signs there at the boat landing did not see any reference to pulling the plug before transport. Thing is I do check my trailer and make certain that I am not transporting vegetation or water.

May not have been on the sign, but it's the law. I believe it's $200 plus if caught... There's a lot of Deputy Sheriffs in that area too...

 

[bruceb58]

Almost every state has this rule now. It's just common sense so you don't transfer invasive species. Not sure why there is an argument over this.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

The plug comes out when I leave the lake, the boat goes in the climate controlled garage and is dried out I am not transporting any liquids or debris or weeds from the lake, I do make certain. My original post was about an unprofessional effort to represent the DNR when dealing with the public.

 

[G_Hipster]

I mean I walk to the back of the boat to unstrap it anyway. I just carry the plug and wrench with me. A lot easier then a ticket.

 

[bruceb58]

The plug comes out when I leave the lake, the boat goes in the climate controlled garage and is dried out I am not transporting any liquids or debris or weeds from the lake, I do make certain. My original post was about an unprofessional effort to represent the DNR when dealing with the public.

And as long as the plug is also out when you arrive at the lake all is well.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

I am looking at going to an external plug I could simply reverse the current set up and access from the outside.

 

[philipp10]

I do transport home with the plug out, then it goes in the climate controlled garage with the fans on. It is a classic boat and it is dried and preened after every use so there is never any residual moisture in the boat.

The law is pretty clear and simple...transport with the plug out. No one cares that it's a classic boat....

 

[fhhuber]

Reality:

You can not clean, drain, dry your boat and trailer adequately to prevent transfer of invasive species from lake to lake.
If you have carpet on the boat or trailer, they can hide there for weeks between times the boat being put in the water.
If your trailer has enclosed tubes anywhere, you have a place the invasive species might survive MONTHS and you can't access those places without cutting up the trailer frame.

There is one and only one way to guarantee you are not transferring Zebra Mussels from lake to lake with your boat and trailer. Only use it in one lake.

There may be no place you or the DNR person can find water... but there's still water somewhere.

 

[DeepCMark58A]

I am looking at going to an external plug I could simply reverse the current set up and access from the outside.

Read all posts thru before commenting, last two posters complaining about something that has already been corrected.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Almost every state has this rule now. It's just common sense so you don't transfer invasive species. Not sure why there is an argument over this.

Couldn't agree more and in Mn/WI we don't get issued tags when we launch..... The boat landing monitors are any Joe or Jane off the street that's willing to do it for $10/12 per hr. Most people want nothing to do with that job....

 

[WIMUSKY]

Most that are given the job have no clue about what they are doing.

yup, they are given minimal training...

 

[RCO]

Last summer I was inspected by a MN conservation officer. I had already taken the straps off, installed the plug, and was about to launch. He ran over as I was getting in the truck to start backing up. The plug was in obviously since I was launching the boat. He explained that it was illegal as long as the boat is on the trailer. I asked him if I should launch the boat and then install the plug? He didn't find the humor and it cost me $100 plus a mandatory court appearance. The judge agreed with me, but said the way the law is written the boat was technically being transported with the plug in.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Last summer I was inspected by a MN conservation officer. I had already taken the straps off, installed the plug, and was about to launch. He ran over as I was getting in the truck to start backing up. The plug was in obviously since I was launching the boat. He explained that it was illegal as long as the boat is on the trailer. I asked him if I should launch the boat and then install the plug? He didn't find the humor and it cost me $100 plus a mandatory court appearance. The judge agreed with me, but said the way the law is written the boat was technically being transported with the plug in.

That's chicken poo right there.........

 

[southkogs]

Wow. :tape:

 

[ZacUSNYR]

In NY on one of the lakes I vacation at they are doing inspections like this....on Saturdays when the rental fleet "turns over" so to speak. My cousin and uncle got stopped when they launched and warned me ahead of time. Usually a non issue for me as I will have driven for the better part of the day followed by unpacking/organizing the cabin so the last thing I want to do is launch the boat after all that. Never saw anyone on Sunday!

So while the goal is admirable, if they really wanted to stop invasive species at the lake I'm at they'd check all days, not just Saturday.

**My boat is a trailer queen and kept with the plug out...drives me nuts if there's seaweed on the trailer when the boat is retrieved so it gets removed immediately.

It's popular in NY.

Sacandaga is doing it at public launches. They're simple "Mind if we take a look at the boat?"... I never said no. Nothing to hide and I keep my stuff clean. "Has the boat been anywhere else?" They check trailer bunks and underside.

Also had one at the public launch on Schroon lake.

I brought a wave runner to Lake Loon in the Adirondacks and they wouldn't let me launch without a hot water bath. They also required me to open up the seat to see the bilge.

Lake George on the other hand has gone to the full extreme. They cinch a lock clamp to your bow strap after inspection and mandatory wash - if you don't have that, you can't launch.

 

[briangcc]

Just a followup to my comments earlier this year....


I ended up launching on a Saturday at Black Lake and went through one of their "inspections" for invasive species. I stopped the person short as I had only had the boat in the water at that point one other time, at that very lake a month prior. They checked it over and no muss, no fuss. Due to the weather, I pulled my boat out a day early and had to go through one of their "inspections" again. They checked my anchor as I had used it - it was clean, no way was I storing a dirty anchor in the boat! - and went over the trailer again.

Launched last weekend in Canandiagua and had to go through the process yet again. Wasn't much of an "inspection" either as they just checked the boat & trailer quickly and I was on my way. Interestingly enough, I wasn't checked when I retrieved the boat - which was when most of the seaweed got trapped between the bunks and the hull?? I pulled most of it loose anyways but still, if they are that worried about it, perhaps say something as I'm pulling out as I had stopped briefly to confirm the boat was sitting straight on the trailer??

Both pre-launch checks I had my drain plug in, never mentioned at all by either inspection.



Ohh well, season's over for me so until next year...