Marine Patrol
 

I have spent the last 4 or 5 months on this forum and have yet to post anything. I really love the forum and I think it is very helpfull to all those who use the lake. But one thing turns up my nose.

Many of the threads I read start off as harmless questions folks have, whether it concerns safety on the lake, boating laws, etc.. But then there are those who try to contibute to the thread in a negative way and it always turns into a big argument over the MPs and how they do their job.

This summer I was stopped and ticketed by Marine Patrol for rafting. Hey, I broke the law... I just liked the spot and didnt think i'd get caught. Id like to see a reponse to this thread containing all those who were stopped by the MPs and EXACTLY what was so bad about the experience other than paying the fine.

... I hope I didnt hit a nerve;)

MP just doing their job?
 

The Marine Patrol do nothing on this lake to make the lake a safer place. Case in point, why are they in some cove writing you a rafting ticket, rather than making sure the traffic areas of the lake are safe, where boats are passing each other within the 150' of safe passage, at more than wake speed. They seem to migrate to where people tend to socialize and make sure there is no fun attempted. I have boated on this lake for over 20 years and have never seen an injury or accedent from rafting, yet that is what they spend the majority of their time preventing. I recieved a ticket for rafting once, I parked my boat, through out my lines and decided to take a nap. The Marine Patrol woke me up to tell me they were writing me a ticket for rafting because why I was sleeping, two other boats parked to close to me. I tried to explain it to them, and the boat next to me even admitted he came in and parked next to me, but they still wrote me a ticket. How about the time I went to see the fire works in Alton Bay with my inlaws. I had my mother inlaw, two sister inlaws with husbands and about 6 kids in my boat. I ran out of gas after the fire works, when I waved to a Marine Patrol boat to help me, they pulled aside my boat, told me there was nothing they could do
and kept on going, leaving me with a boat full of kids and my aging mother inlaw. I had to ask another boat to pull me to a near by dock to get my boat out of the way of other boats leaving Alton Bay. By the way, they also have no idea what 150 ft is as far as safe passage it, they think its 3 football fields if you ask one of them. Once you have been out on the lake for a longer period of time you will know why so many of us do not think that highly of them.

Paulie:

I find your post unusual and somewhat disconcerting. You start it off by saying that you don't like folks who post negative messages and then you bait the forum with a Marine Patrol question. "I hope I didn't hit a nerve" Are you sure? What are you trying to accomplish?

Have to agree with the Big Kahuna and this has been going on for yrs. now. I doubt if anything will ever change, no matter how many people complain. I actually got pulled over, with a boat full of guests this summer, in the channel because the very young MP felt my bow numbers weren't "contrasting enough." Black #'s on red paint, only been on that boat for 20 yrs. but I was more of a threat than the huge carver that nearly swamped us coming into the channel, I suppose. Unfortunatly these stories are alot more common than any good comments that MP does. I'd like to hear some nice stories about the MP, if anyone has some. They are totally different than the police officers we have around in the state. I think it must have something to do with the inexperience these kids have or with the management from above. To me anyway, they focus more on the harmless than the dangerous.

My $.02
 

I think you will find a lot of the stories like the ones above regarding MP.

As long as they are forced to hire kids at $13 an hour during the summer instead of having a professional department then nothing will change.

How can MP have a professional department? Merge it with the NHSP and train full time professional troopers to handle marine issues. At the end of the season instead of laying off the $13 rent-a-cop, the MP trained troopers of the NHSP are redeployed within the NHSP dept.

Bait and Airwave
 

I agree! Seems as though the bait was set. Sure seemed odd to me but I knew airwaves would chime in with some negative comment about how NH conducts its affairs.

I agree Airwaves, tough situation. Not sure if I myself would be overzealous in regards to writing easy tickets, in easy water, to seeming harmless familys, to cut my teeth in law inforcement, which most of these kids are doing. I don't have any answers to these problems. Maybe it does stem from management. I would start these kids learning how to work with the good people, which 99% of them are good safe boaters, to tell them what they did wrong. Just their presence alone in congested areas help. I won't comment on this thread since it seems to always be here one way or another but all the hassling of rafters really bothers me. The season is so short and if you figure the actual time spent enjoying the water vs. the costs of owning a boat & slip, it doesn't make sense to be hassled.

JDeere wrote:
I don't see where recognizing a problem and suggesting a positive solution is a negative comment on how NH conducts its affairs. Where was the negative comment on the affairs of NH?

News at 11!
 

Right under your nose, I guess! :)

And yes, I know...I know:

Since it appears what I write and suggest will be taken as an attack on the fine state of NH, I now withdraw from the forum.

You will see better without your blinders...

Ever use the buoys?

It's a thankless job; but someone has to do it.


May I have that in writing? ;)

What's that old saying about names will never hurt me? :confused:

Don't whimp-out. Think of a good reciprocation...

I didn't mean for this to be the same old rant from the same old people. I simply want people who have had good and just experience with marine patrol like myself and my brother, or even maybe someone who was helped by them. People need to read those sorts of things... I think my registration dollars are well spent. And to be honest with you, I find some of these negative stories hard to believe.

.... and in response to

Case in point, why are they in some cove writing you a rafting ticket, rather than making sure the traffic areas of the lake are safe

I have a bright yellow boat and have been seen in that spot 3 times (that i know of) and they have simply swung in and asked me to move. 3rd time I wasnt so lucky.

All well and good until those "professional troopers" are told that they will be responsible for enforcing the laws of the state on the water as they did on the road but they will be doing the job without a firearm. The stampede out the door will be deafening.

The term rent-a-cop is an insult. MP officers receive extensive boating law training and then must attend the NH Police Standards and Training Academy. They must meet the same training requirements. They train right beside those men and women who choose to serve in the State Police, County Sheriff, Fish and Game and numerous local police departments. They will stand tall and proud on graduation day and will take an oath to serve this fair state and all her citizens and visitors. The fact that many are young should be taken in a positive way, because these men and women are stepping up to the plate in a field that is somewhat exclusive, terribly demanding and as some of the posts here confirm, a thankless job ridiculed by many.

There are also a number of officers who return every year, get recertified again and perform their duties extremely well. Some have returned for over 20 years. Some actually are police officers from other departments.

As far as the $13.00/hr figure, I think if you research state jobs, you will find there are countless positions across the board that start at the same rate.

Humm I guess my experiences are unique
 

I always find it interesting that people seem to have so many bad experiences with the Marine Patrol. I for one have been on the lake for over 20 years know, and my experiences with the Marine Patrol have always been good. But then again I don't act scared or shy away from them. I have had great conversations with many of them, when they have been tied up taking a break, having lunch. I have even had some rules that I didn't quite understand explained to me. And if you wonder why sometimes they can be a little less the hospitable on the weekends, Well I have never seen one of them finish there lunch. My conversations with them usually end with them throughing there sandwich on the dash while I untie there boat and they go after someone who has very noticably violated the 150' rule. And Hey even once or twice I have had the blue light turned on and had to explain myself. Now call luck if you will I have never been ticketed.

Here is my point get to know some of these guys you will find that most of them are out there doing the job, because they have a love for the water, just like the rest of us. And as someone else stated there are a lot of these guys that come back year after year. The last one I talked to had been working on the Marine Patrol for over 10 years.

Here's a positive! During last Saturdays Turkey Plunge on Weirs Beach I felt a lot better with the MP boat sitting well within reach of all of us as we dove in. God forbid something were to have happened they would have been in the perfect spot to save someones butt!

"The Marine Patrol do nothing on this lake to make the lake a safer place."

This is a joke right? What about the 3 drunks who crashed their boats into land this summer (Eagle Island, Light 80, Hurricane Island)? The MP was there to rescue their butts and make sure they got what they deserved (all charged with BWI). Surely there were numerous other intoxicated skippers who got stopped and arrested before something happend. Not to mention that there had to have been others who were deterred from driving their boats home after a hard night at the bar thanks to the MPs presence on the lake.

One night I was caught admiring one of the "AMBAR" patrol boats at the docks and had the pleasure of talking to a MP officer about the lake. He told me that the "night shift" on Winni is comprised of some of the Depts. best officers and are selected based on their performance only after working a number of years on the day shift. They train for an entire summer on patrol with other night officers and are required to know the location of every light buoy, point, cove, island, and summer camp on the lake before they are allowed to patrol alone. They are out there 7 nights a week for the entire summer responding to accidents, escorting lost boaters home or boats without proper lights.

It is a shame they don't publish a Marine Patrol Arrest Log because I am sure we would all be surprised by the number of drunk driving arrests that are made every weekend. Its definitly not the wild west, but no open container law sure makes it easy to have "one too many".

And I bet these guys were happy the MP was there...
http://www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/s...ics/rescue.jpg
From www.nhmarinepatrol.com

then..
 

If MP do nothing on the lake then why is there a need for a speed limit? It is just going to be another "law" that they are not going to enforce.

Not the point.
 

Horse Hockey! Not the point, who cares about the stupid speed limit, make it 5 mph for all I care. What I have a problem with is the one time I needed help from the Marine Patrol, I was told I couldn't get it. I had run out of gas, it was night time and I had a boat full of children and an elderly grandmother. If that happened to you how would you feel when they told you, sorry we can't help you that is not our job!

Well what is their job? Did I have to wait until someone broad-sided me and when my boat started to sink then they could have helped me. It's a degrace, it happened about 10 years ago and I can still remembered how I felt when I was told they wouldn't help me. I had to paddle a 27ft. boat full of people to shore, about 100 yrds. Do know how long that took, and how hard it was to do, and then once I got there had to walk about 3 miles to get some gas, and it was by act of chance that I was able to get some. I didn't get my family home until 2:00 AM. I still get upset when I think about it.

I know they save people, right time right place, but do you know how many people I have saved on this lake in the last 20 years. About 10, because there sail boat tipped over, or they ran out of gas and were drifting. And you know why it was me that saved them, because Marine Patrol was no were around!

Marine Patrol
 

One has to ask Kahuna, "why did you run out of gas" ? Planning ?
I was taught, always have 1/3 tank of gas, to get where you're going, 1/3 to get back, and 1/3 in reserve! This rule has never failed me, and I've never run out of gas..... Hopefully, I'll never be in that situation.

I understand what you're saying about your situation Kahuna, the M.P. should have helped or sent for assistance to get you some gas, they didn't !
Shame on them ! But the event was 10 years in the past, I say "let it go".
Maybe just bad judgement call by the M.P. ?

There is good and bad in the M.P., but you find that in any organization!
However, the good the M.P. does outweighs the negative. I've been stopped by the M.P. in the past, for a violation, nothing serious, but they pointed out something that I wasn't aware about. In that case, they were right, and I learned something from the event.

They do need to "back off" on trivial issues, which appears as harassment, and concentrate more on serious situations that occur around the Lake. Maybe more education and dealing with the public would help their image ?
They definitely need to work on their "people skills" !

http://www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/s...rol/index.html

Now, regarding fuel or a tow, a situation on land that would involve contacting a towing service for assistance, help is closer than most realize, 24/7 during the boating season at the Lake…

Who ya gonna call?????????????????????????

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopo...9670-1024w.jpg
Larger version:
http://www.winnipesaukee.com/photopo...512&perpage=30

and the answer is...
http://www.nhmobilemarine.com/
Join online:
https://www.boatus-insurance.com/new...N.asp?WT10564W


http://www.seatow.com/
Join online:
https://secure.seatow.com/onlineapp/joinapp.aspx

Need a tow...
 

When did it become MP's job to tow everyone home that ran out of gas? Isn't that what towboatus is for? I'm trying to think of the last time I saw a State Trooper with a vehicle in tow.... Nope, can't recall a single instance. :rolleye2:

I'm not unsympathetic to those that run of out of gas -- heck, we towed someone in on our last day out this season -- but to knock a public safety function for not being AAA of the wet, that's not valid.

On this Thanksgiving I'm thankful that we have a big lake, the means to enjoy it and Marine Patrol working in partnership with the rest of us to help keep it safe and enjoyable for both boaters and property owners.

I also am thankful for the Lake and the Marine Patrol. I don't always agree with their protocol on the lake but...it is what it is and quite frankly if you don't like it... boat somewhere else. I won't miss you and I'm sure there are others that feel the same way. AND Paulie, being told three times not to do something by an officer not only is stupid on your part, but you wasted his time for potentially "more important" duties. I hope the fine was stiff.

Were you offered a call to a tower and when you found out it might cost a couple of hundred bucks you declined, but wanted a freebie from MP? Did you expect the MP to tow you halfway across the lake to your slip but the officer said he would only tow you straight to shore?

Towing a vessel takes the Patrol unit out of service. Even in an emergency; boat going for the rocks, high winds and so forth, the MP unit would only be obligated to tow to safety. Maybe only twenty feet away, where you could drop your own anchor to prevent being blown into the rocks.

There are several towers on the lake and they make their living by towing for dollars. Every time an MP unit tows a vessel, some tower is going to call and complain. That is not a good way for MP to establish a working relationship with towers and marinas on the lake.

on a positive note...
 

I have not ever had a problem with MP but i do agree that often I have seen unsafe situations on the lake...and the old adage...where are they when you need them?? comes to mind. That said, however, it could happen on the highways, also..They can't be everywhere at once.

I have one experience to share. My husband and I were coming out of Wolfeboro harbor one fairly windy day and got ready to set sail. Of course we LOVE wind :) . I was at the helm and he went up on deck to raise the mainsail. He had his life jacket on. We spotted an MP in the distance and he started to motor towards us. He idled down and just sat..keeping watch. He motored away after my hubby was safe in the cockpit. I felt good about that. With a sailboat there is always a risk of going over board when on deck raising sails, especially if there is a sudden gust of wind or a mechanical problem.

As far as running out of gas, towboatus is a worthwhile membership and an oar or 2 can come in real handy. Been there,done that:emb: .

mp's
 

We've had several fine experiences with the MP.

The first was like pmj's..we were coming out of Fay's and the MP stopped to see if we had our pfd's on. He smiled and gave us the thumbs up then followed us out until we got under sail.

The second was when a windsurfer went down in the Broads and took a little too long getting up. I called to let them know and the dispatcher said they would send someone right away. Several minutes later the surfer started for shore and got onto the beach. My husband went to check on him and he said he was OK. I called dispatch and told them that and she thanked me for letting them know she would call the boat back.

Third time...Fay's was coming to take our boat off the mooring to repair a broken spreader. Unfortunately they came in an unmarked boat. So a guy gets on our boat, starts the motor and off they go. My husband got a call at work from the MP(on the lake at the time with the guys right there!!) to check if their story was true. What public service!

I've often seen them stopping boaters on the Broads for various reasons. Too much Lake, too few officers.

Many thanks to all in public service, they are too often under appreciated.


Happy Thankskgiving Everyone...be safe...have fun. :)

My experience ...
 

My wife and I were out on our first boating experience on Winnipesaukee taking an in-water test ride on a boat we were considering purchasing. The marina's temporary registration was in place on the windscreen and one of their staff was with us for instruction, etc.

This was September 2 and we were feeling the effects of hurricane(?) Ernesto so it was blowing pretty good. Realistically it was not a day we'd choose to go boating - very windy, lots of chop and overcast & cool - but a good test day never-the-less.

The boat checked out fine, though the weather conditions led us to instead choose a bigger, more stable boat (23' instead of 20').

But the highlight of the test was my getting pulled over (for lack of a better term) by NH Marine Patrol way out in Sanders Bay and getting yelled at for not keeping to the right in a head-on situation. The officer apparently didn't notice that we were stationary (had stopped and were discussing the boat with the marina guy out with us), and were therefore the stand-on boat. Not to mention there were virtually no other boats even in sight and the entire bay was wide open for maneuvering.

Everyone we related the story to that day all had the same response - since there was hardly anyone else out he was just bored. And this was not a young guy.

Since I've now got that first stop under my belt, I figure I'm all set from here on out. :)

NHskier

Maybe I am wrong
 

Not sure if I am right or not but unless you were at anchor you are the same as any boat that is under way. So MP was right. I think!?

I've got to more or less side with the Big Kahuna on this one. I agree other folks that the MP is not, and probably shouldn't be, a towing service.

But, the circumstances were that this was a disabled boat, full of kids, at night, in the middle of a post-fireworks traffic crunch. :eek: Those people were clearly in danger and would have been much safer if the MP had stayed with them with flashers going until a tow boat arrived. The MP might even have had his dispatcher call one.

So far as I know, that's what a NH State Trooper would have done in an equivalent situation on the highway; I can't imagine why the MP would behave differently :confused: ...

Silver Duck

Without both sides being presented by the actual people involved, it is impossible to determine if the MP or the boater was wrong. It may have been a misunderstanding or a situation reported here differently than the actual event.

Again, the question of "Do you want us to call a towing service?" may have been asked and when advised that the cost might be a few hundred dollars, the boater declined. Perhaps the MP unit said he could tow him directly to shore where he would have to get his own help was not what the boater wanted to hear, but instead wanted a tow back to his marina. Another consideration was that there was not a true danger to the boat or its occupants and they could safely anchor there until help arrived. Major inconvenience and a crappy way to end a voyage? Yup, big time. Justification to criticize the officer? No.

I don't think that any MP unit would abandon a disabled vessel if that vessel was truly in danger. In this case, 10 years after the fact, the poster claims he had to paddle 100 yards to shore. 300 feet. Then he had to walk 3 miles to get gas. He WAS able to help himself. Yes, it took time. Now, suppose the MP had towed him that 300 feet and left him there. Would he be happy? Probably not because he was 3 miles away from fuel. Perfect example of a stranded boater thinking the MP should act as a towing or shuttle service. The MP certainly would have called for a tower or offered to contact a friend or a marina for them. If the boater copped attitude, then "Have a nice day!"

towing
 

************************************************** ****
I think that the tow boats on the lake have not been around for ten years.. I think its only been maybe three years. I can recall when you run out of gas or break down hold up a rope and someone would tow you, give you assistance.

It is my opinion that the Marine Patrol are doing the best job that can be done, with what they have. As far as rafters go, perhaps they are bothering you because the neigbors on shore do not appreciate people coming on their property and releiving themselves on their property that they are paying absorbing taxes on. Or the water is not a place to relieve yourself.

Facts??
 

Lets see....In his first post Kahuna says he had to find someone to tow his 27' boat to shore. Then in his last post he had to paddle his 27' boat to shore. Which was it? I know I wouldn't have forgotten facts of an ordeal like that. Maybe certain other facts are not being remembered clearly too. eh? :rolleye2: Maybe by his next post the boat will have been caught in a storm and washed ashore on a deserted island where they all suffered the past 10 years causing this MP fixation/syndrome. :laugh:

As the original post was to tell of an experience of being stopped by the MPs, I'll relate an experience that my son's friend had on the lake this past summer. Exiting the harbor at Little One Mile, my Son's friend, on a Sea Doo, 80 hp. was pulled over by the MP who's skiff was "parked" in the channel. There is Little more than 200 ft. between the makers do he was pulled over for the 150' rule, having exited the channel at more than headway speed.

My son's friend was wrong and violated the law, but I have a problem with the way in which he was entrapped. It was a deliberate "speed trap" and was done with the intent to trap people. The MP was not in trouble nor was he signaling that he had engine trouble, he was there to entrap. BTW my son's friend is a town cop in CT and the MP wasn't dissuaded by his badge. I say OK to the ticket that was written, but MPs should be a little more aggressive to find more egregious violators.

Bottom line is, for better or for worse, MPs obligation is to protect the safety and wellbeing of boaters (that's what laws are intended to do) It is entirely their discretion as to what is a "issue" that needs their attention. They are human, they have judgment calls which we may or may not agree with. I've had issues both positive and not. We can *&^tch about everything in life or get used to the reality that not everything goes the way we think it should. Welcome to life. Sorry for the rant, but lately this forum is getting way to negative for me.

You cannot "keep right" if you are stationary. Being stationary made them a "vessel not under command", I think. Other vessels have to avoid hitting a vessel not under command.

Tow service on the lake
 

Now, regarding fuel or a tow, a situation on land that would involve contacting a towing service for assistance, help is closer than most realize, 24/7 during the boating season at the Lake…[/QUOTE]

These tow services on the lake were not available 10 years ago. You had to call one of the Marina's for help and since it was late at night after the fire-works, there was no one to call. As far as why I ran out of gas, it turns out I had a bad sending gage on my fuel tank, thought I had plenty of gas.

You are right about one thing, they should have helped me. As far as letting go, they have not shown me anything over the past 10 years that would want me to let go. I know they do some good things out there, but they don't make up for the terible things they do.

Deliberate trap.
 

The Marine Patrol has been setting up traps more and more each year. They are using a spy boat in the channel, they sit at the far end of Channel Marine and watch boats coming in and out of the Naswa. They log the bow numbers and check them against the time you docked to the time you leave. If they think you have been there long enough, they radio ahead so that when you leave the channel, another patrol boat stops them. They do it on all the major holiday weekends and motorcycle weekend. So if you are planning on stopping at the Naswa, go to the end of the channel first and see if they are sitting there. If they are and you were planning on having a few, you might want to have one only.

Message straight
 

That is correct, I was given a tow to get me out of the on coming fire works traffic. Then it was up to me to row the boat to the dock. What is your point, are you trying to say it never happened. I got news for you, it happened and I hope it happens to you so you can experience it for yourself. As far as this forgive and forget sentiment, forget it! They had their chance to make things right, first impressions is what we remember.

Boat Parking Meters?
 

BK< I'm not sure I understand; is there a time limit that the MP imposes for docking at the NASWA?

It does seem that MP does in fact attempt to make the Lake safer, according to your post…

No time limit.
 

No time limit, they are making a judgement if they think you have been there long enough to have to much to drink, they come after you and find a reason to pull you over. I know several people that this has happened to.