Alcohol on boats

[loozitt]

Can someone clarify something for me ???, about alcohol on boats.
I have heard that when anchored on your vessel you are allowed to be as pissed as you like. You only are drink driving when behind the wheel and on the move, is my understanding correct.

Thanks

[Wezza]

From what i have heard this is correct, as long as they feel you are not going to be moving it is okay.

[subzero]

I have discussed this issue with VKR Water Police on a couple of occassions previously.
To the LETTER OF THE LAW, like a car, if you are in your car, parked or not, with or without the keys in the ignition, in a public area (not in your driveway), you are able to be deemed to be "Driving" the car.. in a boat, you dont have to be sitting at the helm, anywhere on the boat.. If the Police choose to see it that way.

On a boat it is identical whether anchored or not. (Technicly).
At all times including while at anchor their MUST be someone on the vessel who meets the same on road alcohol limits as being in possession of a vehicle on the road. In other words they must also hold a valid licence for that vehicle or vessel, and be capable of opperating it.
i.e Comercial vehicle or vessel 0%. Private .05 (Drink driving limits QLD)
Now by the same token, most of these Water Police blokes are usually pretty decent ordinary blokes, I was also told that they WOULD NOT NORMALLY take any action but would rather advise the legal requirements if they believed that these people were not going to go any where, but if it was a slippery customer with whom they had had dealings before, depending on attitude and curcumstances the law IS there for them to utilize if you catch my drift.
I guess I should mention this is in Qld, wouldnt have a clue about the other states.
Interpretation of these laws is open to a lot of poetic licence, the Police, Lawyers, Prosecutor and the Judges will all come up with different interpretations on the day, so I guess I suggest caution is the best way to go.
JUST REMEMBER, you loose your car licence for DUI now days, you also loose your boat licence and visa versa... that is a fact, not open to interpretation and is the same in ALL STATES.
Hope the info helped
Kind Regards
Lloyd

[MTpockets]

I concur with Lloyd.
Same rules as a car.
cheers
Les

[cooky]

I believe it is same as a car. Friends son got done by police for sleeping in his car after a big night out. Another person I know got caught charging their phone in the car (big night out). Shame really - would they prefer these people to drive their cars home?

I think the rule is ridiculous - particularly with boats. This is australia - it's what we do!

- it's my view - safe or not.

[SeaHunt]

Hired a houseboat once and asked the proprietor about being pissed on board and he said once you have anchored and are not going anywhere you are OK.
Having said that though , I see it as a good way of getting yourself killed.
I fall out sober. ???

[Wild_Side]

I know dhdfvsdgya,aqgm, ghsdgtebdhychj alcoholnmvbAGLKM
CAN BE A LITTLE jdfiyhuih fbnfhcyndf but I'm just here to have a good time officer. [smiley=drunk.gif] [smiley=confused.gif] [smiley=smug.gif]


Wild Side

[joeT]

Realistically, you need a sober person on the boat (who can drive the boat) even at anchor. If the boat starts to drift, a storm builds, or some big tanker is about to run you over, you need someone who will be able to take action...

[Mortalkombat]

once saw two guys come past us while snapper fishing they both had a sink full 10 km offshore 20 min later they came drifting past us one had fallen out off the boat :o and could not climb back in and his mate did not have the strenght to pull him in if we had not been there the bloke would have drowned. Booze and boats dont mix :o
Nick

[blaze]

ye
I agree with nick
my boat is a total dry boat, It can be tough enough out there some times and i dont need the hassle of looking after someone who didnt know when to stop drinking
wash the boat and lets party
cheers
blaze

[MY-TopEnder]

Yeah i agree... no booze on my boat full stop. It sounds harsh but stuff it... as the skipper, if i'm in control of what happens out there, i don't want a bunch of drunken yobbo's in my boat.

[Needmorerum]

In the hope of not sounding like a hoon, I love having a drink on the boat. Never been pissed, don't think I would have ever gone over the limit either, but to be able to go for a fish with good company and have a drink is great. Don't agree with getting pissed on a boat, and don't agree with alcohol and swimming, but to just have a drink, I can't see anything wrong with that.
Maturaty needs to tell you when you have had too much.

Corry

[cooky]

you're not allowed on my boat if you don't have beer ;D

I love drinking while having a swim, I enjoy a drink in the boat, I enjoy a few more if not driving.

I'm not a hoon and pretty sensible at the end of the day. Nothing better than throwing back a cold VB/XXXX with the wind through your hair at 25kts ::)

My relaxation, my time with my mates - good to unwind and I enjoy 'unwinding' with a cold drink - it's the Australian thing to do. And I'm a patriotic lad at heart :D

I do the same thing when having a round of golf

[drevil]

Lloyd's correct, the only exception to that is when the boat is at rest in a berth at a marina or home port. But if at anchor at Moreton or anywhere else, you must have someone under 0.05 with a valid license.

Talking about drunken yobbo's, I was down near Runaway Bay on the weekend and I went past one of those floating party boat things which had what looked like a football team or something on board. They all looked pissed and were chucking empties into the broadwater. One of them started getting a bit agro when I checked them out as I went past. Where are the water police when you need them?

[Kiktz]

Never been a big one for having a drink whilst out fishing on my boat,
But I must having one or two does go down well.

98% of the time mt boat is a dry boat, I have banned myself from a mates boat
because of this same issue...........

It's not like on a boat you can get out and walk to get help if things start going astray............

There's my 2 bobs worth

Cheers

[devocean]

Defoinetly cannot be drunk even if boat is anchored. Been pulled up for this when anchored big motherboat in hinchinbrook channel. My uncle made my aunty go get her liscense so we could drink on the boat

[aido]

for me, boating and fishing usually involve a few beers.
the vb i'm guzzling now says 1.4 standard drinks.
so i reacon 2 in the first hour and 1 every odd hour will
keeps me under the limit and i can still enjoy a few.
if it's real hot, like it should be soon, i might take some
mid or heavens forbid light and then no risk at all of being
busted.
as for safety, boating and being out of your mind pissed
definately do not go together. a few social tinnies aint going
to hurt anyone though.
i'm sure you can have a few too and stay under .05.
if busted, go the blood test anyhow, by the time you get to
a doctor you should be way under the limit.
[smiley=stop.gif] [smiley=bigcry.gif]

[aido]

btw, for the new south welshmen,
i notice since yesterday the water wallopers can carry out
random breath tests, as opposed to the normal old
'reasonable suspicions' as the reason to do a test.

[Brett_Hoskin]

there are few boats that are large enough to have alcohol on board.

[billfisher]

Remember what happened to Natilie Wood. That boat was anchored also.

[Sandman]

I also like to keep a dry boat plus i cant drink out on the water get pissed to fast.
I think a point to make is that if your going to drink limit it so you are under , i could show a few photoes of idiotes getting into their cars after coming in driving off causing acidents , not tieing their boats down etc. Lets face you drink and drive your an idiot.

[Dignity]

Here's the rules quoted verbatim from: http://www.msq.qld.gov.au/qt/msq.nsf/index/alcohol_rules

Recreational ships
The skipper must have a blood alcohol limit of less than 0.05, the same rules as on the road. The skipper is also responsible for the safety of the passengers and should be responsible for their alcohol consumption. The effects of alcohol are enhanced while on the water due to the sun, wind, waves and constant motion. Reflexes and response times to emergencies are slowed and swimming ability deteriorates considerably.

Skippers of recreational boats should also be aware that, when their boat is anchored, it may still be considered to be used for navigation, and the blood alcohol limit applies. The limit does not change unless the boat is securely moored in a marina, to a jetty or wharf or on a swing mooring.

Saw the rules applied a week before Christmas just south of Tipplers. Ski boat with 5 people aboard, anchored just off shore and boozing away heavily. Cops made the skipper blow in the bag and then proceed to take him back to Southport. The boat and rest of the passengers were left behind. Don't know how they got home again. Guess common sense should apply when mixing grog and driving of car/boat.


Sam

[cooky]

shame, it's a lot of fun :o

[coasty]

all my fishing mates have a policy of no booze allowed on the boat.
this is a dangerous time and drunks cause problems.
if you want to drink dont go out in a boat.
there is nothing worse than pulling a dead person from the water.
if you cant go a couple of hours with out booze or cant enjoy life without it you have a problem.

[familyman]

NSW waterways website info on alcohol is the same as road regs for this state.Commercial vessel operators and juvenile recreational operators 0.02% blood alcohol level, adult recreational operators 0.05% blood alcohol level.It also says that the person in control of a vessels course or means of propulsion is deemed to be an operator of said vessel.Further it goes on to say that Police are entitled to carry out breathe tests if given due cause ie by erratic driving etc.It is not clearly stated on the site just what powers waterways have in regards to testing for alcohol but commonsense would play it safe for being the master of your vessel you have a duty of care for all those around you who could be affected by your actions.Thats the way the law will look at it anyhow. :o :o
Phew I'm thirsty after all that ,somebody chuck me a beer!!! ;D ;D

[cooky]

okay then - light me a joint instead 8)

[snappa]

before i saw the light about drinking...
i would always take out half dozen tall necks...

hmmm that was back when...cape moreton early eighties running out of fuel at combi
decded to just lie down and sleep..no anchor??
well i'm still here but would not recommend it to anyone now... :-[

[Brejen]

I have a dry boat policy as well. As skipper i not only have the resposiblity of my own life and vessel but the resposiblity of the lives of others that are on my boat.It can get nasty to quick out there and having that worry of getting pounded is enough to worry about let alone worrying about drunken mates as well.And i just can't afford the liability that comes with all. As skippers we are accountable for everything our boats are doing and everyone that's in it, and what they're doing.Anyway it give's me something to look forward to when i'm doing the dreaded boat clean and fillet part of the day.At the end of the day it's each to their own.

Brett

[QldKev]

I allow a couple on the boat. Like the others have said nothing like a beer out in the fresh air. But I never get over 0.05 myself, and noone gets drunk on my boat.

[baldyhead]

My relaxation, my time with my mates - good to unwind and I enjoy 'unwinding' with a cold drink - it's the Australian thing to do.
UNFORTUNATELY Cooky there are these misguided self opinionated, no idea whatsoever, to hell with the ramifications or hardship etc we cause PROFESSIONAL REGULATORS, who would NEVER get a job in the real world (and Christ knows how they got a job in the Government Department in the first place) who have NEVER experienced (probably spent their entire young growing period in front of a Telly or bloody computer game screen and probably comes from a single mum on welfare family) "the Australian thing to do" let alone been Horse riding, Camping, 4 wheel driving, Playing social cricket in a public place, Bush walking, Fishing, swimming, Diving to name a few of the things that have always been known as the Aussie way. BUT they do KNOW how to be a DOBBER which is VERY UN AUSTRALIAN.
Then they put outlandish fines for breaking their REGULATIONS in place...
It's only a matter of time before the MASSES REVOLT. AND thats the REAL REASON WHY LITTLE JOHNNY TOOK AWAY MOST OF OUR GUNS.
AND YES I'm waiting for the HOWLS OF PROTEST!!!!!
Baldy

[cooky]

;D ;D ;D

Well put Baldyhead. I would put certain parts of your statement differently, but I certainly agree with the general concept.

Time for another RUMBO then isn't it. Whoops it's not beer o'clock yet.

[snappa]

baldyhead...

great

couldnt said it any better..
i onced loved my crabbing trips away in the pine forrest ..
no one to worry about or no one to worry us..
a week on fraser is with the mates and MR xxxx..
couldnt get any better...
then

whats wrong drinking in an ANCHORED boat ANYWHERE.
provided you are not intending to move or drive the boat later....
NOTHING i say..
i never stopped anyone having a coldie or a smoke on my
boat.. and i dont touch either... ::)
come to think about it..
i even allowed females..... :o

[Thunderbird]

What do you smoke on your boat snappa? ;D That's something else all together.
Hmmm do you reckon that i dont mind a beer!!??
It's even good for kangaroos too ;D

[BladeRunner]

Hi Thunderbird
you can only smoke on your boat when you have got a lighter that works, remember
how many lighters it took to light your smoke that day not counting the ones which went into the drink thrown by P. A. That was a great day.
Cheers
BladeRunner