Quote:
Originally Posted by SAMIAM
Can anyone tell me what the law is about drinking alcohol on the lake.We used to go for a late afternoon cruise and throw down a few beers.Can an operator drink as long as he is not impared....how about passengers...is there any kind of open container law? I should know by now but things chasnge and maybe someone can enlighten me.
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I don't exactly know what the law is on drinking and operating a boat. If I had to guess it must be illegal, kind of like operating a car. My personal rule is to hold off drinking until I'm back at the dock. Not always easy to do if I have guests downing a few. For me, given the events of the last few years of accidents on the water where drinking is in question and the outcome of investigations and civil law suites that are popular, I want to remove the question of alcohol impairment in case I were involved in an accident or if the Marine Patrol were to stop me. In a court of law the point of when a person becomes impared is subjective. As the operator of a boat you are responsible for the safety of all on board. I would not want to be sitting in jail or responsible for hurting someone or worse just to have a few beers on the water.