Alcohol consumption whilst at anchor

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by rwidman

When anchored, you can never be sure you won't have to operate the boat on short notice. It's not like being docked at a marina.

Law or no law, it's best to stay sober when anchored. And you might need another sober person as well to handle the anchor.

I agree with Ron. My (much) better half doesn't drink alcohol at all (Chocolate does it for her) and although I do enjoy a glass or two of wine in the evening, I can feel them more than I like so we have a rule: no alcohol underway and no more than one glass of wine or equivalent in the evening when anchored up. We have, more than once, had to get underway at 0'dark 30 to avoid some circumstance or other and even a small amount of alcohol seems to have a negative effect on one's reasoning. Of course, our rule has acted to prevent friends and relatives that have differing view-points from sailing with us including a cousin from Chicago who routinely sails across the Lake and views an arrival in Michigan a failure if he and crew are still sober at the conclusion of their cruise. So. He won't sail with us nor we with him!

FWIW...

[Bleemus]

Originally Posted by Heg

Hi
. . . A mooring does not fall under this restriction.

Sounds like you need a mooring.

[Kita]

Originally Posted by Captain Bill

Basically the same law exists in most places in the US, though as long as one person is under the limit there is no problem. A designated helmsman so to speak.

First off I am in FL, let me make sure I get this right, a single person at anchor can get a dui?but I would be OK if I was on a mooring? If that's true then we have dodged a few bullets..many go out fishing ,anchor, have a couple, fish for hours then come home...makes me happy I don't hardly ever drink,because I was thinking I could sail up the coast ,drop the hook & have couple & I mean 2, and relax ,sleep then move on....but two beers & right then you have to blow & I think that would be enough to be trouble?

[Pierre]

[QUOTE=Mike OReilly;2266925]
In Canada it is legal to drink while at anchor on a typical cruising boat (one that has a permanent sleeping facilities, permanent cooking facilities and a permanent toilet).

This law is not a Canadian, but is a provincial law in Ontario and possibly other provinces. The boating laws are provincial in Canada and in the province of Quebec there is no limitation as to the type or size of boat. Toilets and beds etc are not considered since the only laws are the art. 235 of the Canadian Criminal Code and the applicable boating laws is the Merchant Marine act. Quebec does not have a provincial law of limitation and drinking for boats styles.
You can go fishing with a case of 24 on the floor of your row boat or whatever.
Of course the skipper cannot be drunk (over .08) while driving the boat or be drinking while driving and then not pass the alcohol test of the Criminal code.
At anchor it is assumed you are considered as driving so one person of legal boat driving age must not be over .08.
In a marina there is no limitation.

[TomLewis]

At anchor, out in the open, no. In the ICW, happy hour at 4pm. Two drinks normally is it. Weather does play a part no matter where you anchor. I still believe in common sense and good judgement more than dictatorial laws.

[category4jay]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

This is why I and I's boat ain't in Australia.

The fun police in 6 months boarded me more times than the rest of the world in 8 years.

Here in the Caribbean you would be insulting the French Gendarmerie if you did not partake of a fine Bordeaux at anchor...

My sugestion: go cruising

I might just have to scratch Australia off my list of places to cruise to.

[Jim Cate]

We've been cruising in Australian waters much of the time since 1992. Never been boarded. Never been questioned by floating authorities, except about our dinghy which, being a tender to an international yacht, does not display Australian rego numbers.

I dunno what markJ did to attract so much attention... must be his aura!

Jim

[brianlara 3]

Originally Posted by CaptRory

A "proper watch" shall be kept at all times.....

Thing is, if anyone on board your boat or dinghy falls overboard because they were legless and the worst happens, you.......are responsible for it.
Personally I'm immensely grateful for the police who enforce what some see as excessively harsh laws.
Really good to see how many here run tight ships.
Anyone here ancient enough to remember the sad death of the lovely Natalie Wood?
With the benefit of hindsight Robert Wagner should never have let her out of his sight.
On a boat it isn't like falling into a gutter drunk.

[brianlara 3]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

We've been cruising in Australian waters much of the time since 1992. Never been boarded. Never been questioned by floating authorities, except about our dinghy which, being a tender to an international yacht, does not display Australian rego numbers.

I dunno what markJ did to attract so much attention... must be his aura!

Jim

Suspect not his "aura".
Fumes !!
Do you know about Natalie Wood Markie?

[Maka]

I keep a variety of navigational aids on my boat. Alcohol being one of them.
Common sense dictates when to use which one.
If you dont have common sense you have no business owning a boat, and are a hazard to yourself and others.

[iancoombe]

what the free world needs is more freedom, then maybe people could learn to be responsible all by themselves.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Pierre

… Quebec does not have a provincial law of limitation and drinking for boats styles.
You can go fishing with a case of 24 on the floor of your row boat or whatever.

Vive le Québec

Quebec has always had a more mature attitude towards drinking. Legal age of 18 (if you can vote for your government and die for your country, surely you should be able to drink ). You’ve always been able to buy beer and wine at Quebec stores, and the bars are open to 3 am. As an Ottawa boy I really appreciated being able to walk over to Hull around 1 am after all our bars closed down.

Originally Posted by Pierre

At anchor it is assumed you are considered as driving so one person of legal boat driving age must not be over .08. In a marina there is no limitation.

Most (if not all) Canadian provinces now treat boating while drunk the same as driving. In most provinces you can have demerits applied to your driver license, and can have your driver license revoked. But as for drinking at anchor, according to Transport Canada, alcohol can be consumed by everyone on board as long as "The vessel is anchored or secured alongside a dock.” Transport Canada defines anchoring as being affixed to land, which is the equivalent to being moored or tied to a dock. If your boat were to become un-affixed, then you better have someone with a blood-alcohol count below 0.08 for sure, but you can drink at anchor if your boat meets the minimum provincial standards (which in Quebec are none).

I’m definitely not suggesting or condoning anyone getting drunk at anchor — bad idea indeed. But the laws here in Canada do allow for drinking at anchor.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

We've been cruising in Australian waters much of the time since 1992. Never been boarded. Never been questioned by floating authorities, except about our dinghy which, being a tender to an international yacht, does not display Australian rego numbers.

I dunno what markJ did to attract so much attention... must be his aura!

Jim

Agreed My experience with boating authorities is that if you aren’t being an ass, aren’t causing a disturbance, and aren’t obviously flouting the laws then the water cops tend to leave cruising boaters alone. As the accident stats clearly show, we aren’t the problem ones on the water. It’s the yahoos in their zippy boats that cause most of the problems. These are the ones that (rightfully) attract most of the water-cop attention.

[brianlara 3]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Agreed My experience with boating authorities is that if you aren’t being an ass, aren’t causing a disturbance, and aren’t obviously flouting the laws then the water cops tend to leave cruising boaters alone. As the accident stats clearly show, we aren’t the problem ones on the water. It’s the yahoos in their zippy boats that cause most of the problems. These are the ones that (rightfully) attract most of the water-cop attention.

What they both said.

[Big Macca]

In my early days of cruising I was in a very calm and half-empty anchorage for two days of rest and relaxation that involved more than a little alcohol. Day two and the anchorage filled up with weekend yachties, not that I really noticed until 2am. That was when the wind swing around (not forecast) and brought with it a heavy swell. The anchorage was on a lee shore and my anchor dragged. Befuddled friend and I staggered out and started engines as we shot between the neighbours, forgetting the dinghy in the water. The dinghy painter wrapped around the starboard prop and pulled the RIB against the boat, and then under it and into the prop as the swell increased. Thank god for the Volunteer Marine Rescue guys who arrived out of the murk within 30 minutes, towed us clear and helped us re-anchor. After that I bought a new RIB, retired the CQR in favour of a gigantic Rocna, started donating a regular annual amount to VMR and adopted for myself as skipper the same rule for anchorages as I have at sea: a beer in the afternoon and a scotch at sundown.