At launches where power boats are inspected or subject to a mandatory wash ($$$) to prevent transfer of invasive species (eg milfoil, zebra clams), has anyone’s kayak been inspected or washed?
I’ve never had any of my boats ( canoes or kayaks) inspected. But I don’t remember launching at a boat ramp or dock where there were active inspections going on. There were signs in some places warning about taking precautions. I almost always rinse my boats down when I get home so I have never worried about it. Probably someone, somewhere has seen it done.
Out of curiosity I looked around the web a bit. Those states that have laws requiring inspections say that it applies to any watercraft including canoes, kayaks and paddle boards. I guess you need to check laws wherever you’re going.
When we do the 90 miler up in the Adirondacks every year there is a whole gang of inspectors thoroughly inspecting every boat between each portage, (carry). We always thank them.
We usually try to get rid of any plants or stuff prior to leaving the water, but like every one else we are trying to go as fast as we can and several times I have had one or two inspectors running along with me under the boat that is on my shoulders
Yellowstone rangers often I spent boats prior to permits,…and then sometimes not.
We’ve had ours inspected despite the state not requiring that of kayaks. Most of the time the staff just ask if we are using motors or have bait wells, or they just wave us on.
At one lake we used to frequent, all boats were subject to inspection if they had been used anywhere but that lake within the last few weeks.
The rules vary not only state to state, but also by jurisdiction within one state. Always ask before you visit.
The inspections themselves are not a big deal (unless your boat is infected). What IS frustrating is that some waters get closed to all boats during off seasons when inspectors are not on hand.
In MN, WI, MI, CT, and MA I never had my canoe or kayak inspected or washed once. (though I am sure to remove any plants/critters that stick around)
In CA they are very strict since any fresh water is a drinking water source. One reservoir I frequent requires wash down each time (even if your last outing was on the same lake). Another one requires a 35 day quarantine of Any boat - whether powered or paddled. I bet the rental place does well on this lake. Who the heck will quarantine their boat for over a month?!?
The wash down I dont mind - They dont allow swimming in the reservoirs which is a shame! So much nice, clean water. I dont see how a person’s body would contaminate the water more than fish, bird, or coyote poop
CA goes place by place. The ones I have been to require that the boat be clean and dry. Any water inside the boat (hatch, cockpit, anywhere) and you would fail the inspection. Prices are a bit outrageous. Often you pay park entrance, launch, and inspection fees. Can add up to over $20 per trip.
Many lakes in NH have lake hosts that do the inspection. Some inspect going in, some going in and out. Some even ask you to deploy the skeg. “5 days or dry” is the rule here.
I mostly paddle Arizona, california and Nevada and although Nv requires a sticker for that, 've never been examined.
Now when I cross into Calif, I have to stop at the aggie-inspection station but they only ask me “When was the last time your kayak as in the water?” If I say ‘more than a month’, I get passed through without comment.
Yes, had my kayak inspected at a launch site on Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Other inspections were mostly honor system. The inspection-sticker issuing official asked a few question about last location where the boat was used, had it been cleaned and dried, and so forth. My impression was the sticker requirement was mostly about collecting a few bucks.
Entering Idaho a few years ago there was an inspection station at the state line. Signs said all boats must stop, so I did. The inspectors looked at each other and scratched their heads. I got the feeling their training had not included how to inspect sea kayaks. They may have asked me about bilge water, but eventually they sent me on to a marina in Coeur d’Alene to purchase my IS sticker.
~~Chip
@NotThePainter said:
Many lakes in NH have lake hosts that do the inspection. Some inspect going in, some going in and out. Some even ask you to deploy the skeg. “5 days or dry” is the rule here.
What is a lake host?
The stupid lawmakers in Oregon thought it would be a good idea to require a permit for kayaks and other boats to use the Columbia River. Meanwhile, huge ships from all over the world ply the waters of the Columbia and no one seems to give a rip how many foreign species are deposited from ships. It’s all about the permit fee.
@ExploreNE said:
@NotThePainter said:
Many lakes in NH have lake hosts that do the inspection. Some inspect going in, some going in and out. Some even ask you to deploy the skeg. “5 days or dry” is the rule here.What is a lake host?
It is a volunteer guide who helps to keep invasives out of out waters.
Lake George in NY state had set up at least one inspection station where there is a motor boat launch. All boats. Last I knew not on the smaller hand launch sites scattered around.
That said anyone who has gotten a cut from the invasive mussels likely agrees with people being considerate about washing out their boats.
@BoozTalkin said:
Yes, had my kayak inspected at a launch site on Flaming Gorge Reservoir. Other inspections were mostly honor system. The inspection-sticker issuing official asked a few question about last location where the boat was used, had it been cleaned and dried, and so forth. My impression was the sticker requirement was mostly about collecting a few bucks.Entering Idaho a few years ago there was an inspection station at the state line. Signs said all boats must stop, so I did. The inspectors looked at each other and scratched their heads. I got the feeling their training had not included how to inspect sea kayaks. They may have asked me about bilge water, but eventually they sent me on to a marina in Coeur d’Alene to purchase my IS sticker.
~~Chip
Those fees pay inspector wages. Before AIS became so widespread, nobody had to be paid to do that. The boat season in CO was severely shortened precisely because there was not enough money to justify paying inspectors to stand around during lower-use times.
ID required boat inspections many years ago. We had to locate an inspector before we could legitimately paddle on a lake there. I think that was back in 2011.
We always wash our sea kayaks and dry them after every use. Someone might still want to inspect them, which has happened, but when they see how clean and dry all compartments are, the inspection stops there.
Anybody who has smelled large numbers of dead shellfish will know one reason to comply with all precautions voluntarily. In waters used for irrigation or municipal consumption, the concern goes much farther than stinks—the mussels clog water filtration systems. Extremely $$$$$$$$$$ to mitigate after the fact.
@magooch said:
The stupid lawmakers in Oregon thought it would be a good idea to require a permit for kayaks and other boats to use the Columbia River. Meanwhile, huge ships from all over the world ply the waters of the Columbia and no one seems to give a rip how many foreign species are deposited from ships. It’s all about the permit fee.
Stop and think why this is the case.
Huge oceangoing ships do not go into smaller bodies of water. Recreational boats do, thus potentially spreading contamination. They probably assume the Columbia has AIS already, thanks to those ships.
ID has inspection stations where major highways enter the state, but that coverage is not at all fully comprehensive. The kayak sticker costs $7 per year, no great burden.
WA has a similar system, but I don’t know if they require a sticker. Lake Whatcom in WA is an example of a local county which goes further and has inspection stations at launch sites on the lake itself. The lake is the source of drinking water for Bellingham, WA.
I spend several weeks a year at our farm in Utah. Utah has inspection stations on I-15 at the southern border with Arizona, they also have inspection stations on the roads to the Bear Lake Marinas. I’ve had a stand up paddle board (???) and a whitewater kayak inspected. There is no charge and they just ask where the craft has been used and was it washed out, and take a peek at it, and flag you on, no big deal. Best not to go to Bear Lake on a holiday summer weekend as you will have to wait in line to get inspected. You can fill out a form you download and just leave it on your dashboard ifyou are paddling in spots without inspection stations.