Bass Fishing Forum - Westernbass.com

Boating safety enforcement operation this weekend in Delta
By Paula King
East County Times
Posted: 07/15/2009 03:52:41 PM PDT

Marine patrol units from the counties of Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Sacramento and Alameda along with the U.S. Coast Guard will conduct a boating safety enforcement operation this weekend on waterways in San Joaquin County.

A similar operation took place near Discovery Bay in late May. The aim is to promote safe boating through education and enforcement.

The Contra Costa Sheriff's Office reminds boaters that each vessel must have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life vest for each passenger; one must be at least 16 years old to operate a power boat or personal watercraft; and boats over 16 feet must have an accessible flotation device.

The local marine service unit also will be enforcing the no-tow zone in Discovery Bay's Indian Slough to Orwood Resort, including Werner Cut. The unit also will be distributing safe boating handbooks.

More information is located at dbw.ca.gov.

— Paula King

What this means is, you better have a working horn an updated fire extinguisher, sufficient type III vests and your float cushion had better be the first thing you grab when you open the locker it's stored in, or sitting on yer deck! If, you see that Sherrif's boat and it's lights are flashing, you had better come down off plane and pass him,, no matter how far YOU think, you are away. This is a Delta wide operation this weekend and you HAVE been forwarned!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the heads up!

Good looking out Cooch!!

what is the float cushion about? is that the throwable device? is the float cushion the only thing that is considered a throwable devise?

my middle seat cushion is removable...would this be consider a throwable device?

Birdi,

I do not know about your removable cushion, might work if that was the original intention of the design.

here is a link... i know the ones i bought was only 15 bucks. they are cheap. it just a square, blue colored with two straps.

http://www.boatingsafety.com/boats/cgchecklist.htm

Steven

thanks bro...ill check out the link

How many of you carry fenders/bumpers for when you tie up to the dock..If the thing floats it can be used as a throwable flotation device, especially the larger ones..

mac

Have your approved throwable floatation device accessible, NOT in a locker. I was stopped a couple months ago by the Sheriff. They asked to see life vests, approved throwable floatation device, fire extinguisher, running lights, visual and audible distress devices and rope. They informed me that it could be a $200.00 ticket for the throwable being in the locker, but because I had everthing and did not have to look for the items he would only give me a warning. You can bet that my partner now sits on the throwable or it is strapped where his rods go when I am alone.

mac (Doyle McEwen) wrote:How many of you carry fenders/bumpers for when you tie up to the dock..If the thing floats it can be used as a throwable flotation device, especially the larger ones.. mac

These are NOT, considered legal devices Mac! Unless they are designated a type IV PFD! They can though, be used in an emergancy if needed. Good back-up tip!

Birdie, much like those found on airplanes, if that removable cushion is indeed a Type IV PFD, you are good.

A TYPE IV PFD, or THROWABLE DEVICE is intended for calm, inland water with heavy boat traffic, where help is always present. It is designed to be thrown to a person in the water and grasped and held by the user until rescued. It is not designed to be worn. Type IV devices include buoyant cushions, ring buoys, and horseshoe buoys.


Mike makes another really good point as I mentioned above. The actual US Coast Guard terminology leaves a little room for confusining inturpretation:

Coast Guard Regs wrote:They should not be stowed in plastic bags, in locked or closed compartments or have other gear stowed on top of them. Throwable devices must be immediately available for use.

Many times for us bass fisherman, having these throwables on the deck at all times, tends to leave us with NO device at all once we git up on pad and take off. So it's common we keep them stored. Techincally, it is supposed to be out in the open. Tied to a rope will keep you from loosing it. Yet, as I mentioned, if you do have it stored in a locker, and are indeed stopped for a check, you had better be able to jump right up, open the locker and yank it out first, EFFORTLESSLY! Placing it in one of yer middle tackle lockers is best, since you don't want to have to unstrap and/or move rods and such out of the way to retrieve it. Although not to the "letter" of the stated rule, this typically will suffice and get ya off with a warning, as long as ya don't argue with the officer!

The other thing to keep in mind, if you have one of the automatic inflatables, unless it's a Type III PFD, like the manual ones, it IS NOT, considered a valid PFD unless you are wearing it. You take it off, you better have others in the boat to fill the requirement for the number of persons in your boat.

Thank you for the heads up...I appreciate it.

Oh ya they are.. coming back to Ladds yesterday we seen 7 sheriff boats between 14 mile and Ladds And the Coast Gaurd was doing boat checks at the ramp..

Be safe out there as it was a ZOO yesterday after 1 00 pm

The throw cushion can't be in a locker.. it was explained to me yesterday by the coast guard that it must be out and accessible! Life jackets can be in the locker, but they have to be on top! The heat was on this weekend out off Ladds and the Stockton channel! Saw a ton of people getting boarded and cited! By the way, the fine for a stowed throw cushion is the same as not having one at all! $800! Don't know where they come up with the fine amounts?... But I don't plan on getting one! I was pulled over and boarded 5 times in 2007, 3 times in 2008 and this was my first in 2009. Get your boat pre checked to get your sticker! This will definitely help. Your receive an "approved" sticker that will go next to your CF # and a pink form copy to keep on the boat.

Chad

We saw one sherrif outside of St. Francis yacht club, we were on the inside of the matts, they waved and we waved and that was it. Sherrif was cruising though and looking, its good to see a show of force out on the river.

where do you get the approved sticker at ? tahnks........

also the throwable needs to be out of the plastic wrapper.

I keep my throw cousion with the rope wrapped around it under the consol and put my feet on it as I run across the water and throw the back seat on it for the drive to and from the lake after a while you dont even notice its thier. the marie patrol loved it sitting thier

Walt

What this means is, you better have a working horn an updated fire extinguisher, sufficient type III vests and your float cushion had better be the first thing you grab when you open the locker it's stored in, or sitting on yer deck! If, you see that Sherrif's boat and it's lights are flashing, you had better come down off plane and pass him,, no matter how far YOU think, you are away. This is a Delta wide operation this weekend and you HAVE been forwarned!!!!!!!!!!!![/quote]

Will an air horn work or does it have to be the boat's horn?

where do you get the approved sticker at ? tahnks

Who would you contact for this inspection?

Thanks

I was stopped at the River a few weeks ago...

First make darn sure your fire extinquisher is in the GREEN, that should be the first thing they ask you. Its a felony (so they say) if you don't have it.

Also make sure you have the sticker you received with your DMV plates (ommissions?) attached to the back of your boat by your trailer tie down. (that was a suprise)

Grab a couple whistles from your local Wally World just in case you have one of those (umph) keyless (neverworks) ignitions you get with a Ranger.

Cooch wrote: boats over 16 feet must have an accessible flotation device

What if your boat is 16 feet or under? Do you need a horn? A throw-able float?

And if you see a boat pulled over and you are on plane you better get off and go 5 or you will suffer from the BLUE LIGHT LAW!

Anytime a sheriff has a boat pulled over and his blue lights are on you must go 5.

I found out the hard way, IT's A $415.00 TICKET!

Funny thing is I asked the Harbor Master in Half Moon Bay about the ticket and he said he never heard of the law and he teaches boater safety!

The state is broke and they are writting tickets!
rickd

Sacto John wrote:

Cooch wrote: boats over 16 feet must have an accessible flotation device

What if your boat is 16 feet or under? Do you need a horn? A throw-able float?

Check out #9 in this link:
http://www.dbw.ca.gov/Pubs/Abc/

You don't need to carry a throw cushion.

You need to be able to provide a means of making a sufficient sound signal but are not required to carry a whistle or bell. I don't know what they mean by that but I would carry a whistle just in case.

Whoopbass wrote:You need to be able to provide a means of making a sufficient sound signal but are not required to carry a whistle or bell. I don't know what they mean by that but I would carry a whistle just in case.

A handheld air horn (electronic versions also exist):