When does the "legal" boat limit apply?

kaydano

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3 boats, 6 families, 22 people = one awesome day on the lake!!!

I took the advice of the forum members and did not raft up with the other two "pointy" boats in our group, but rather we each anchored 40-50 feet apart (it was windy and changing directions) and what worked really well was to use one of the tubing tubes to shuttle the 2-3 people that didn't want to get wet from one of the pointy boats over to our pontoon. This worked great, especially with some eager kids willing to swim an empty tube over to one of the other boats to pick someone up (a couple moms didn't want to get wet). So, just thought I'd pass that little trick along in case someone can use it. I've never thought of doing this, and it sort of just happened on the fly and worked perfectly. All our tubes were 3 or 4 person tubes, so they were large enough to ferry one person at a time without them getting wet.

Anyway, my question is when does the legal passenger count limit come into play? When anchored in a cove with our friends, we never exceeded the 13 person limit of our boat, but we got close to the limit a couple times. Half were kids, so I'm sure we never came close to the weight limit. But, my question is can we exceed the 13 person limit while anchored? Is the limit only in effect when underway? Or is the limit in effect "24/7" so to speak?

Thanks,

Dan
 
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I would say when underway. Check the Department of waterways in your aera to be sure. Whats legal here might not be legal where you are at.

I have also been told that. the body count only applys to what's on your boat. Example lets say you can only carry 10 people max. You can have 10 on the boat and 3 or 4 on the tube and your good to go. Seems kind of crazy to me but thats what I was told by a local LEO (law Enforcment Officer)

Best advice for anyone is to get the Boating & Waterways booklet and read it back to front. It makes for great bathroom reading. Its best to know up front what you can and cant do.

keep a copy on your boat for questions like this that pop up when you least expect it.

Most countys have the info online and you can download the info
 
Thanks for the comments Gee. I've read several hundred pages of boating stuff over the winter, I've also read our state booklet cover to cover at least twice, and thumbed through it a half dozen times. I've never run across this particular detail. I'm not saying the answer isn't in print somewhere, but I just don't recall ever seeing it. Pretty sure I would have remembered it if I had. I will of course dig around more, or make a phone call, but just curious if there was a quick answer here.

I'm pretty sure in our state the body count includes those on the tube. I recall when I first read this thinking it made perfect sense since the tube riders will very likely be in the boat at some point. Just not sure on the body count when the motor isn't running though...
 
Had you been out yesterday at Mehaffey Bridge, I'm sure one of the 4 DNR boats checking would have been happy to answer your question. ;-)
 
Indiana requires anyone on a tube, ski, wakeboard to be included. Quite often they'll ticket PWC's for that reason. A 2 person pwc with a tuber or wakeboarder always gets ticketed.
 
Careful with the weight limits, I know you said kids were onboard. The problem is we all have a gross weight limit including gear (coolers, food, anchors, fuel, etc.) it's fairly easy to exceed if your not careful when adding people. Also make sure you have proper life jacket sizes for everyone onboard.... been stung on that one before with those in between size children.
 
Another interesting one is when you're already at people capacity for life jackets, and the officer asks to come aboard without one. He/she can ticket you if you allow it because you're 1 short as soon as they step onto your boat. Crazy trick, I know, but apparently it happens. I would assume you'd have to really be acting like a jerk to earn that one.
 
Another interesting one is when you're already at people capacity for life jackets, and the officer asks to come aboard without one. He/she can ticket you if you allow it because you're 1 short as soon as they step onto your boat. Crazy trick, I know, but apparently it happens. I would assume you'd have to really be acting like a jerk to earn that,

Ok I'm gonna have to call BS on this one! This sounds like a story a friend of a friend told someone who knew a guy who got a ticket this way!

But it makes for good story telling, keep up the good work. Lol
 
PA just states "every boat", no specification on anchored or moving, except in the case of 12 years old and under on any boat under 20' MUST wear one while moving.
 
There is no way I could come close to 11 people listed the sticker, the weight limit on mine is less than 1500 lbs .
 
Another interesting one is when you're already at people capacity for life jackets, and the officer asks to come aboard without one. He/she can ticket you if you allow it because you're 1 short as soon as they step onto your boat. Crazy trick, I know, but apparently it happens. I would assume you'd have to really be acting like a jerk to earn that,

Ok I'm gonna have to call BS on this one! This sounds like a story a friend of a friend told someone who knew a guy who got a ticket this way!

But it makes for good story telling, keep up the good work. Lol
You're very welcome.
 




If it looked like this, you're probably over limit... This is why my buddy and local Benny dealer stopped renting pontoons. This was not one of his...
 
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They're also riding in the very front while underway. All it takes is one person to fall.......................The funny thing is..................they have no clue they're doing anything wrong!
 
Those photos look like the rental pontoons on our lake every weekend. It's amazing how naive people can be.

Well, some are naive, some are plain stupid, like the ones who let their kids sit up front, with their feet in the water, while under way (without life jackets) ..... Fish & Game never catch them .... ????
 
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