what are the REGS in your state?

No… No… & no. U see water, U paddle

what about lights?
we had a recent incident when the dnr were making up rules on the water and we were told what they say goes?! rule of law, rule of men or what? our state regs say navigation lights required between sundown and sunrise. nav lights are not defined. coast guard regs say a handy flashlight is sufficient. what say you?

Well…

– Last Updated: Aug-08-04 7:16 PM EST –

The "Coasties" are higher up on the chain of command on the DNR. And the DNR holds more power than the State Police & the Highway Patrol. So if I were you, I would go to the DNR website & ask a question about the light situation & do the same thing on the Coastal Patrol website, wait for a reply, print them off (and carrry them with you when you paddle) & tell the DNR to go F$#% themselves.

After all, it's all politics! It doesn't matter who is wrong or right, just as long as they get their paycheck!

Paddle easy,

Coffee

Hometown pride
I live in Jacksonville, FL, and I have to say we have one of the BEST parks systems in America. TONS of launches, and not a fee in sight for us kayakers. I have several problems with how local guvmint spends my tax money, but our park system is not one of them.



Someone mentioned earlier how powerboaters who pay reg fees and usage fees at ramps might see us as freeloaders. I don’t agree. It takes me about three minutes to get my little 'ol yak in the water at a local ramp. My impact is negligible. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve respectfully waited 20-25 minutes for a bunch of drunken hillbillys to line up the trailer to get their noisy damn scows in the water, and how many times I’ve helped them just so I could get going. It’s a PUBLIC ramp, and I fall into that category. If it’s all about equity, though, then let’s charge by the minute. Three minutes to launch, three bucks. Twenty-five minutes of stupidity, twenty-five bucks.

MI regs.
Registration required only if the craft is powered by motor, electric excluded. $7 dollar or so state park fee for entrance. Ramp use free. Craft w/ no motor,a white light visible 360 deg.

What’s more…
…I seem to remember (too lazy to go outside and check) that the permit provides space for 2 vehicle license numbers, in cas you use different rigs on different days. This is an improvement over the last year I bought one, when only one rig was allowed. I still enter the # in pencil, just in case.

in IL, all watercraft must be registered
and titled, except those non-powered craft that are operated on fully impounded private waters. No numbers need to be displayed, but sticker must be on the bow and proof of registration/ownership must be carried. $13 for new and transfers, $6 for renewal. Good for 3 yrs. We pay less than powercraft and some of the operators let us know about it.



We put in for ‘free’ on most of the rivers and lakes in northern,IL. Most private ramps charge a fee. Fees are charged according to the individual situation.

what about light regs?
we had a very surreal event recently involving 7 yes 7 dnr boats because of a light issue at sundown. seems she knew more about the regs than they did, in s.c. the regs say ‘navigation lights’ and dont define them. the coast guard regs say ‘handy flashlight’ required… the dnr guy said 360 white light. i’ve never seen one on a kayak. what do you do after sundown?

Danny,
I searched online for you and came away as confused as you are. Is there any way you can look up the applicable statute(s)? I made a brief effort at it but gave up.



Whatever is written intheir little phamplet isn’t the “law”. If I were you, I’d find the real law and read it.

In NH you better go 360
Mass just follows the coast guard regs as far as I know.

out west
In the Black Canyon area ( Colorado River AZ-NV border), paddlers are charged $13 per person to launch and paddle down the 11 mile stretch, after filling out a rather lengthy permit application (like you were doing a Grand Canyon trip) for the National Park(ing lot) Service. The hassle is well worth it, except that during the summer, and most weekends, you will be dodging powerboats and PWC’s which, (yes, you’re reeding this correct) did not pay a DIME to be there. Is this sick and wrong or what?

True
That’s true, you can put two license numbers on your permit - and that’s yet another confusing point about the Washington DFW pass: do both cars need to be mine? I guess for $10 I should just STFU and buy one every time I need one (which is what I’ve done so far) but I like to play by the rules, when they’re knowable - but again, every time I ask, I get a different answer (and AFAIKT it’s not written anywhere).


  • rob

Indiana
No motor–no registration or numbers. Lights at night. For something the size of a canoe or kayak. A flashlight is all that is required.

flashlight not enough
but if you put a plastic cup over the lense end it becomes a 360 light and that is what is required by the coasties. this also applies to motorboats with less than 7 hp engines, 7 hps,7mph is the general rule.Fees for human powered craft is crazy. it’s though they want to penalize you for not paying a fuel tax. Basically the goverment has gotten out of hand, exponential growth is the norm, spend,spend ,spend, makes it seem like they are doing thier jobs. when they really should be finding ways to reduce.

Not in Indiana
Here is the quote from the regulations manual.



"One lantern or flashlight shining a white light, visible from a distance of at least two miles. The operator must display the light in sufficient time to avoid a collision with another boat "



This is for any unpowered vessel(no motor) less than 22’ long.

Raystown
Launch fees suck!! I have registered my canoe because it is cheaper over the long term and I buy DCNR launch permits for my kayaks. DCNR’s permit is accepted at most Fish Commission launches.



My wife and I camped at Raystown this past spring and we were told there were no launch permits required for non-powered craft under 16’. That may not hold true now after a long summer of powerboats and PWC abusing the lake.



In the past I have tried to avoid these costs. 2 Summers ago I launched at a site that I had been using for almost 10 years. While we were running shuttle someone(landowner I presume)stapled a nasty letter to my boat stating that the authorities had been notified of my trespassing. Thats right stapled to the hull of my 1500.00 kayak. Needless to say I was steamed so in reply to the letter I left a nice steamy response on the footpath and above it I dangled the note with my reply. “Please post this property as no trespassing, Private property.”



Big Mac

Big_Mac…
The launch fees are only if you launch at the ramps. On my very first visit to Raystown I intended to launch fron the ramp. A gentleman come over to collect the fee,but he told me if I wanted to launch by the picnic area,that no fee was required. We have never been asked to pay a fee at the Gatherings yet,but I think if you camp there ,you don’t have to{don’t quote me there}. Farther up this thread I posted a link to Raystown boating requirements. If you search around you may find,or find someone to contact to answer this. STAPLED your boat!,what a jerk.



Happy Paddling billinpa