Unattended boats

[Braunbehrens]

Why would I want to go and stir stuff up? Sounds like a dumb idea to me, no offense.

As for chase boats and so on, you are exactly right, it's a risk you either accept or do not accept. The amount of diving I can do is worth the risk of me losing my boat. If the risk is not one of losing the boat, but losing my life, then I don't do the dive....

 

[jeffkruse2000]

What are these "rules" your talking about? As long as your not in shipping lanes what laws are you breaking. I have never heard of that before. Here in Washington St we leave our boats un attended frequently. It's not a problem (unless you don't dive at slack).

Jeff

 

[200 Bar]

jeffkruse2000 once bubbled...
What are these "rules" your talking about?

The only rule I can think of, is unless anchored at an anchorage you must maintain a watch....We hoist our dive flag, then dive...If the Coast Guard is waiting for us upon surfacing..WHAT THE HECK ARE THEY DOING WITHIN 300 FEET OF OUR DIVE FLAG !! I have at times of less than good vis, attached a reel to the anchor, so I can feel if it should drag and of course find my way back...


Barry

:hiding:

 

[Doppler]

jeffkruse2000 once bubbled...
What are these "rules" your talking about? As long as your not in shipping lanes what laws are you breaking. I have never heard of that before. Here in Washington St we leave our boats un attended frequently. It's not a problem (unless you don't dive at slack).

Jeff

Jeff: I will try to get the actual number and wording of the regulations but there are two that I am thinking of.

One has to do with boats in a navigable channel. Can't be left without someone on board... think it says that person must be capable of managing the boat and communications. Not sure of how navigable channel is defined.

Second has to do with boats left "abandoned" and I am not sure it specifies anything about being in a channel, just think it's on navigable waters. Among other things, it can be argued that abandoned boats are distressed vessels and open for salvage...

Now, the Coast Guard has better things to do most of the time than to enforce these, but still they are in effect. And ignorance is no defence by the way. Especially true with Maritime Laws.

Of course the other thing is that Coast Guard -- and port police -- are constantly on the lookout for small craft that have "lost" passengers... Drunk fishermen falling overboard, etc. Just think you're opening yourselves up for all sorts of grief... well, you would here in the Great Lakes... maybe on the west coast everyone's laid back!

Doppler