I would make one additional suggestion....

Know the maritime law for the area you are in......

I have been boating in IL for 20 years and now in FL for 20 years and I
come across MANY officers who do not know the USCG rules of the road or
common marine etiquite. The biggest error I have seen is the difference
in NO WAKE IDLE SPEED and SLOW SPEED MINIMUM WAKE. I have a 48 ft
sport fish and during manatee season, the ICWW is SLOW SPEED MINIMUM
WAKE. A 48' Boat can go almost 2x the speed of a smaller boat and meet
the legal definition of SLOW SPEED. The way it was expained to me by
USCG officals was that a vessel can go as fast as they want, as long as
the boat does not "begin to go on a plane" Which means the bow does not
begin to rise.

Most also have no clue as to signalling rules for passing. I have hit
the horn before expecting a response and they just look at me funny...

Have fun and stay safe.




swatcop wrote:
Looking for a little bit of direction here. I've been recently assigned to
my department's Marine Unit. I've been a cop for 15 years. I lived in NJ at
the shore around boats most of my life, but never owned one. I rarely even
went out on boats except for fishing or waterskiing. I moved to Florida in
late 2000, and I'm still working as a cop (just in a nicer place). As a
result of some administrative changes in my department, I was assigned to
the Marine Unit. I've completed the necessary training and such, but one
thing is lacking: experience. I'll try to get to the point - I'm open for
comments and opinions. I know what the law says, and I know what my job is,
but I try to use more common sense than what the law may actually say in
black & white. What do you (as boaters) feel the most important issues are
for the Police to deal with on the water? Would you like to see more O.U.I.
enforcement? More vessel stops for no wake zone infractions? More safety
inspections? More after dark patrols of inlets, channels, and harbor areas?
You tell me. I'm asking for your honest opinions here. As a rule I use more
common sense than anything on the job. I treat people fairly, and as a
result I rarely ever have to appear in court. I would like to do the same on
the water. Here's your chance to make a difference, because I will take
every opinion into consideration. Thanks for your help.