9 Mile Discharge for Gulf of Mexico

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by zboss

Well first off, Florida patrol boats cannot board you anymore without probable cause if you have a state inspection sticker. So although there are no hard and fast rules on who gets a sticker once you have one they must possess probable cause, which I would guess also means they are going to be much more conservative on who they pull over.

https://www.waterwayguide.com/latest...ed-by-governor

I've asked for a sticker the half dozen times I've been boarded over the years & they never seem to have one.

[dannc]

Originally Posted by zboss

Well first off, Florida patrol boats cannot board you anymore without probable cause if you have a state inspection sticker. So although there are no hard and fast rules on who gets a sticker once you have one they must possess probable cause, which I would guess also means they are going to be much more conservative on who they pull over.

https://www.waterwayguide.com/latest...ed-by-governor

Wow. That is a huge change for FLA boat safety laws. *** IF *** one has the sticker.

It seems pretty clear that a law enforcement officer who does a safety inspection of a vessel WILL issue the safety decal. What is interesting is that the statue say "initiated by a law enforcement officer..." Years ago, the GFC, now FWC, would have boat safety inspections and hand out stickers. I wonder if they will/are doing the inspections...

The officers will have to have reasonable suspicion for the boat stop which is a big change.

327.70 Enforcement of this chapter and chapter 328.—...

(2)(a) Upon demonstrated compliance with the safety equipment carriage and use requirements of this chapter during a safety inspection initiated by a law enforcement officer, the operator of a vessel shall be issued a safety inspection decal signifying that the vessel is deemed to have met the safety equipment carriage and use requirements of this chapter at the time and location of such inspection. The safety inspection decal, if displayed, must be located within 6 inches of the inspected vessel’s properly displayed vessel registration decal. For nonmotorized vessels that are not required to be registered, the safety inspection decal, if displayed, must be located above the waterline on the forward half of the port side of the vessel.
(b) If a vessel properly displays a valid safety inspection decal created or approved by the division, a law enforcement officer may not stop the vessel for the sole purpose of inspecting the vessel for compliance with the safety equipment carriage and use requirements of this chapter unless there is reasonable suspicion that a violation of a safety equipment carriage or use requirement has occurred or is occurring. This subsection does not restrict a law enforcement officer from stopping a vessel for any other lawful purpose.

[a64pilot]

Reasonable suspicion is awfully vague. It can be as simple as I think you have been here too long and must be overdue to be pumped out, I thought I saw a brown stain in the water etc.
What does it take for an LEO to pull a car over? Same here I think.
However most are people just like us doing our jobs, it's only the rare one that can be a pain.

[Brewgyver]

Originally Posted by gamayun

... I seem to recall it having something to do with how far a canon ball can be shot ...

While you may have heard that, it has no basis in fact. The longest-ranged black powder cannons would shoot just about one mile, and most considerably less.

[a64pilot]

That is what Robert E Lee thought when he built Ft Pulaski, but then there was this thing called a Parrot Rifle that proved him wrong
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parrott_rifle

Trivia but Naval gun related, both the Virginia and the Monitor could have easily sunk each other, but the Virginia had no solid shot with her that day as she was only going after wooden ships and explosive projectiles were much more effective, and the Monitor by orders was only allowed to shoot its Parrot Rifles at a reduced load as they had a nasty habit of blowing up.

[sailorboy1]

so since we are drifting .......................... is it agreed that no one is discharging raw sewage within 9 miles of shore in the Gulf of Mexico?

[Cavalier]

Originally Posted by Brewgyver

While you may have heard that, it has no basis in fact. The longest-ranged black powder cannons would shoot just about one mile, and most considerably less.

Probably a typo, as it clearly had more to do with how far a cannon ball could be sh*t!

Sent from mTalk

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

so since we are drifting .......................... is it agreed that no one is discharging raw sewage within 9 miles of shore in the Gulf of Mexico?

My guess is that plenty are, but it does appear to actually be FL law.

[a64pilot]

I know that I always have, three miles was I thought the number, and 99% of my boating has been done in the Gulf since I was a little boy.

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by Brewgyver

While you may have heard that, it has no basis in fact. The longest-ranged black powder cannons would shoot just about one mile, and most considerably less.

Yeah, I must admit to always wondering about that, but never doing the research to verify whether that was the case or not. I was a policy analyst in the Florida Governor's office way back when. If someone will send the question to the person below, it is very likely you will get an answer....rather than ask a bunch of anonymous forum "experts"

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/ps/

The Office of the Ombudsman and Public Services facilitates open communication with the public by acting as a liaison to the agency’s programs. The Office is the Department’s public gateway for locating information, answering questions, processing records requests, reporting problems and corresponding with leadership. You may contact the Office of the Ombudsman & Public Services at the address below.

Department of Environmental Protection
Office of the Ombudsman & Public Services
3900 Commonwealth Blvd., MS 49
Tallahassee, FL 32399

Email: public.services@dep.state.fl.us
(850) 245-2118 (phone)
(850) 245-2128 (fax)

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by zboss

Well first off, Florida patrol boats cannot board you anymore without probable cause if you have a state inspection sticker. So although there are no hard and fast rules on who gets a sticker once you have one they must possess probable cause, which I would guess also means they are going to be much more conservative on who they pull over.

https://www.waterwayguide.com/latest...ed-by-governor

You do realize that any cop who has two brain cells can find a "probable cause".

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

.................. except for a NDZ an electro scan is OK to use even per the florida rules

That's the way I understand it.

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

That is what Robert E Lee thought when he built Ft Pulaski, but then there was this thing called a Parrot Rifle that proved him wrong
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parrott_rifle

Trivia but Naval gun related, both the Virginia and the Monitor could have easily sunk each other, but the Virginia had no solid shot with her that day as she was only going after wooden ships and explosive projectiles were much more effective, and the Monitor by orders was only allowed to shoot its Parrot Rifles at a reduced load as they had a nasty habit of blowing up.

More trivia: the only remaining 12" mortars used for coastal defense are at Fort Desoto Park in Pinellas County. Designed in 1886 they are very impressive shooting 1/2 ton rounds 12 miles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12-inc...defense_mortar

[Scout 30]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Well that's the issue. Pretty much the only working way for me to comply as a full time cruiser is to install an Electro Scan. Otherwise I'm running in/out to a pump out station all the time and that is controlling my cruising.

Minor correction: it's called a Lectrasan. An Electro Scan is a medical procedure where they search your body for electros.

[jhulmer]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

The question is simple; instead of being 3 miles is the requirement no discharge of sewage within 9 miles when in the Gulf of Mexico?

I came across something that said this and hadn't heard it before so did a web search that didn't say this.

That's news to me on Florida I always thought it was 3 miles on the Gulf side. That's why like CF.

In Mississippi and as far as I know, Alabama and Louisiana it is 3 miles from any land including the barrier islands.