Boats and Alcohol
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Boats and Alcohol
How would you handle this hypothetical issue?
Your sailing club shares dock space with a public marina. When you have races (every other weekend during the sailing season) anyone is invited to join in the races. There is one sailor who, although not a member, participates in all of the races and is very helpful to everyone on the dock. However, you begin to notice that you never see him without a can of beer in his hand. You think little of it as he doesn't show any outward signs of impairment.
One day you had been at the dock all day in blistering heat helping another member raise the mast on his new boat. This non member was there as well, again with the ever present can of beer. After the mast raising is done you offer everyone to share a pitcher. He drinks two or three large glasses of beer. He then ask you if you want to go for a sail on his boat, one that you have long admired. You accept, thinking nothing of his alcohol consumption to that point. You sail for approximately 90 minutes during which time he downs a minimum of six more cans of beer and by this time he is certainly showing the affects. Coming in under power he almost rams several power boats because "I am a sailboat and I have the right of way" and then runs into the dock. You cannot get off the boat fast enough and make a promise to all the Gods of Sea to never set foot on that boat again.
Now the question is that since this is obviously not an isolated event based on past observations of his intake what do you do about it? You can't kick him out of the club because he isn't a member. You can't really stop him from getting in the race since its an open race and he could just join in unofficially. Plus if you accuse him of being drunk you open yourself and the club to a lawsuit. So, what is the answer?
Thanks
As a club officer I have to make a recommendation to the board by the end of the month so any help would be greatly appreciated. BTW, I am not a teetotaler but just as I would never drive after more than one drink I would never get on the water with even the one.
Your sailing club shares dock space with a public marina. When you have races (every other weekend during the sailing season) anyone is invited to join in the races. There is one sailor who, although not a member, participates in all of the races and is very helpful to everyone on the dock. However, you begin to notice that you never see him without a can of beer in his hand. You think little of it as he doesn't show any outward signs of impairment.
One day you had been at the dock all day in blistering heat helping another member raise the mast on his new boat. This non member was there as well, again with the ever present can of beer. After the mast raising is done you offer everyone to share a pitcher. He drinks two or three large glasses of beer. He then ask you if you want to go for a sail on his boat, one that you have long admired. You accept, thinking nothing of his alcohol consumption to that point. You sail for approximately 90 minutes during which time he downs a minimum of six more cans of beer and by this time he is certainly showing the affects. Coming in under power he almost rams several power boats because "I am a sailboat and I have the right of way" and then runs into the dock. You cannot get off the boat fast enough and make a promise to all the Gods of Sea to never set foot on that boat again.
Now the question is that since this is obviously not an isolated event based on past observations of his intake what do you do about it? You can't kick him out of the club because he isn't a member. You can't really stop him from getting in the race since its an open race and he could just join in unofficially. Plus if you accuse him of being drunk you open yourself and the club to a lawsuit. So, what is the answer?
Thanks
As a club officer I have to make a recommendation to the board by the end of the month so any help would be greatly appreciated. BTW, I am not a teetotaler but just as I would never drive after more than one drink I would never get on the water with even the one.
- Charlie P. (NY)
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Re: Boats and Alcohol
First you consult the local laws and ordinances. In NY it is illegal to operate a sailboat while intoxicated - same laws as a motor vehicle.
I'd say if you don't have one you opt to pass a bylaw that forbids the consumption of alcoholic beverages during race events by the participants. If for no other reason than to protect your club should some lush be found sleeping with the fish and the family goes after the deepest pockets (we lost a local regatta because of this when the family sued the charity the event was fundraising for!).
If someone shows up intoxicated it would be up to the race committee to either disqualify the entrant and/or call the sheriff. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that as you're inviting problems.
We've been at marinas where certain folks are just never without a beer. Varying degrees of intoxication. It's usually live-and-let-live unless you get someone endangering others' property and persons. Then we get a shore party to convince them to sit it off. If enough folks complain they had their agreement revoked. Happily it rarely came to that.
Then you consult the club bylaws. Any mention of alcohol use or restrictions?Boating While Intoxicated
No one may operate a vessel on the waters of NYS while impaired
or intoxicated either through the consumption of alcohol or drugs. An
operator with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 or higher is considered
legally intoxicated. New York law prescribes heavy fines, imprisonment,
and the suspension of operator privileges for violators. In New York, if
you are stopped for the suspicion of impaired operation and refuse to
voluntarily submit to a breath test, your privilege to operate may be
immediately suspended, pending a hearing.
I'd say if you don't have one you opt to pass a bylaw that forbids the consumption of alcoholic beverages during race events by the participants. If for no other reason than to protect your club should some lush be found sleeping with the fish and the family goes after the deepest pockets (we lost a local regatta because of this when the family sued the charity the event was fundraising for!).
If someone shows up intoxicated it would be up to the race committee to either disqualify the entrant and/or call the sheriff. Hopefully it wouldn't come to that as you're inviting problems.
We've been at marinas where certain folks are just never without a beer. Varying degrees of intoxication. It's usually live-and-let-live unless you get someone endangering others' property and persons. Then we get a shore party to convince them to sit it off. If enough folks complain they had their agreement revoked. Happily it rarely came to that.
Charlie Pearsall
Mud Hen 17 (1986)
s/v Mad Hatter
Mud Hen 17 (1986)
s/v Mad Hatter
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Re: Boats and Alcohol
Good point about the bylaws. I don't think the issue has ever come up.
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Re: Boats and Alcohol
I am not good at these situations, but that might be a very good way to address it, purely from the point of view of personal safety and risk of damage to property. First step perhaps a private conversation out of courtesy, from an officer of your club. But again, I am not good dealing with people. Three good friends of mine are alcoholics and all three sail. Then of course there are the dozens and dozens of acquaintances that drink excessively on and around boats. I am not exactly sure of the cause and effect here, but I think as a community we need to try and get better at dealing with alcoholism and encouraging moderation. Best regards.
The more I get to know humans, the more I like boats.
The more I get to know humans, the more I like boats.
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Re: Boats and Alcohol
I am not sure what I would do in this situation. I have hidden the keys of drinking friends trying to drive, but there isn't exactly a marine equivalent, is there? I am glad you asked, though. We kid a lot about the neccessity of rum and gin, but, in real life, boating and drinking don't mix.
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Re: Boats and Alcohol
Friends with SCAMPS wrote:I am not sure what I would do in this situation. I have hidden the keys of drinking friends trying to drive, but there isn't exactly a marine equivalent, is there? I am glad you asked, though. We kid a lot about the neccessity of rum and gin, but, in real life, boating and drinking don't mix.
Because almost everyone drives alcohol related auto crashes get far more exposure than boating accidents. However, probably as a percentage of participants there is no difference. I knew a power boater when I lived in Jacksonville who while running a bass boat at night on the St Johns River ran into a dock piling and killed himself and a passenger. He was another of those folks who believed you can't catch fish sober.
In the final analysis there is probably little that can be done without antagonizing the casual drinker. If you say no alcohol there are several who always have a gin and tonic or drink with an umbrella on board, but just one. Could you pass a rule that says no more than xxx and then how do you enforce that?
Its truly an issue that should be addressed but probably never will be since it means a sea change in attitude.
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Re: Boats and Alcohol
have you considered identifying his vehicle & making an anonymous call to the local constabulary with a request for them to be ON THE LOOKOUT?
i know my dad's official autopsy report said he dies of LIVER/KIDNEY FAILURE , due to his being constantly pickled
he never had an accident or caused any damage that we ever knew about
butt, the world was way less populated back then...
sw
i know my dad's official autopsy report said he dies of LIVER/KIDNEY FAILURE , due to his being constantly pickled
he never had an accident or caused any damage that we ever knew about
butt, the world was way less populated back then...
sw
steve,
addicted to water and many of the activities that require or are enhanced by it
trailerable, wooden, fiberglass, aluminum & hard plastic
power, sail & paddle
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addicted to water and many of the activities that require or are enhanced by it
trailerable, wooden, fiberglass, aluminum & hard plastic
power, sail & paddle
hand crafted a/o commercially created
- Art Haberland
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Re: Boats and Alcohol
I have been around boats most of my life.. and the amount of alcohol some people need to consume when on the water scares me. I am not a drinker, but I do remember losing some family friends years ago when their boat was run over by another who's captain was so inebriated I am not sure how he was able to stand.
As such, I have -no- time for drinking and boating.
dropping a dime on somebody is a good way to handle it. Passing a new by-law that enables you to remove a participant from a race due to drunkenness would go a long way to cover your ass.. just do not be afraid to use it
As such, I have -no- time for drinking and boating.
dropping a dime on somebody is a good way to handle it. Passing a new by-law that enables you to remove a participant from a race due to drunkenness would go a long way to cover your ass.. just do not be afraid to use it
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Re: Boats and Alcohol
Art Haberland wrote:I have been around boats most of my life.. and the amount of alcohol some people need to consume when on the water scares me. I am not a drinker, but I do remember losing some family friends years ago when their boat was run over by another who's captain was so inebriated I am not sure how he was able to stand.
As such, I have -no- time for drinking and boating.
dropping a dime on somebody is a good way to handle it. Passing a new by-law that enables you to remove a participant from a race due to drunkenness would go a long way to cover your ass.. just do not be afraid to use it
In discussing this with the Commodore I think what we will do is to promulgate the information that the Wildlife Resource Officers will be patrolling the lake more frequently. Its a $2500.00 fine if you are caught with an alcohol level above 0.08. Then we are going to ask the Wildlife Resource Officers to actually patrol the lake!
I am also going to move that we put something in the by laws per your suggestion
Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. This is not an easy issue to be sure. We can't get the drunks off the highway where the carnage is greater than the death toll in the Vietnam war each year so its a losing battle but to do nothing is even worse in my opinion
Thanks again.
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Re: Boats and Alcohol
This is an issue that comes up all the time here on the lake I live on where drunk boaters kill themselves and others regularly with high speed power boats. I have learned to never go apply at the Corps of Engineers office for my regatta permit anywhere near a big event or holiday because I have twice done so while rangers/officers were dragging for bodies and they are very cranky during that time.
We enforce a PFD requirement at Sail Oklahoma and enforce a sobriety policy simply by other members keeping eyes out for offense. And because we are a private event, there are no bylaws, just common sense. We have only once early in history of event had to tell someone they needed to not be there because they had brought young men who seemed obviously under some drug effects.
Drinking during Sail OK takes place, we don't prohibit, but I have never observed anyone drunk nor even visible open consumption. My housekeeper once said she'd never been anywhere on the lake with more sober people, that all the fishing events involved drunks.
Now what can we do about the ages of all us boat nuts? We seem to have more Senior Events due to old age related lapses than we do alcohol! Me among them, unfortunately.
Love, Jackie Monies Sail Oklahoma 2015, Duckworks jwboatdesigns.com
We enforce a PFD requirement at Sail Oklahoma and enforce a sobriety policy simply by other members keeping eyes out for offense. And because we are a private event, there are no bylaws, just common sense. We have only once early in history of event had to tell someone they needed to not be there because they had brought young men who seemed obviously under some drug effects.
Drinking during Sail OK takes place, we don't prohibit, but I have never observed anyone drunk nor even visible open consumption. My housekeeper once said she'd never been anywhere on the lake with more sober people, that all the fishing events involved drunks.
Now what can we do about the ages of all us boat nuts? We seem to have more Senior Events due to old age related lapses than we do alcohol! Me among them, unfortunately.
Love, Jackie Monies Sail Oklahoma 2015, Duckworks jwboatdesigns.com