New Law

[sweetwater]

is it illegal to drink on a boat in KY? I had no idea... we drank all the time on a boat in Fl.

what about kayaks?

If you're over the limit and in control of a boat you can be charged with OUI (operating under the influence). It's carries a maximum $250 fine for the first offence and the taking a boaters safety course. That seems to be a meager punishment considering the damage and loss of life that a drunk boater could cause. I think the new law is geared more toward the benefit houseboat owners that were tired of a few Barney Fife LE officials that were boarding and searching their boats. All of my encounters with law enforcement officials on Kentucky waters has been pleasant ones and I do not mind being inspected from time to time as it stands to benefit us all.

[jfw]

If you're over the limit and in control of a boat you can be charged with OUI (operating under the influence). It's carries a maximum $250 fine for the first offence and the taking a boaters safety course. That seems to be a meager punishment considering the damage and loss of life that a drunk boater could cause. I think the new law is geared more toward the benefit houseboat owners that were tired of a few Barney Fife LE officials that were boarding and searching their boats. All of my encounters with law enforcement officials on Kentucky waters has been pleasant ones and I do not mind being inspected from time to time as it stands to benefit us all.

Well I have a place at Wax and a few years , we had a "special" Game Warden , he was running people off . He checked me one time and slammed my boat when he came up on me . But I am always legal .....I do personally think it is sad you cannot enjoy an adult beverage while fishing , heck it kinda goes together and as long as you dont over do it , but we know folks always over do it.

But this guy was ridiculous ... all the local merchants complained about him running business off and ya know I havent seen this Warden in the last 5or6 years ...

[kyriverblues]

The times I have been checked the guys have been very nice and sometimes even will relay some fish info of what they have been seeing. I don't mind showing my license or life jacket but I hate to have to show them the live well. I rarely keep a fish and hate to have to deal with that while trying to fish. I guess they have to do there job though. I do like to have 1 or 2 cold beers sometimes while fishing. From my experience the fish and wildlife don't worry to much about the guy fishing as they do the pleasure boats running 70 mph all over the lake. I was checked once on Lake Cumberland while striper fishing and had a bud light setting on the deck by me in plane view. The officer asked for our license and life jackets and did talk to us for a bit about what we were catching and what he had seen caught, I think he was seeing if we were slurring speech or acting drunk. After a few minuets he said you guys be careful and good luck fishing and drove off. I guess we were lucky but I think he knew we were not drunk and let us be. I did have a officer check us on the Ky river in Henry co. a few years ago and was a real ass wipe. He asked if we threw the fish out of the live well when I saw him coming and questioned us about alcohol and drugs in the boat and we had nothing but Pepsi. He was some young punk trying to act bad I guess but we just thought he was a real prick and make the good officers have a bad rap. That was the only bad issue I have had on the water. Most officers are cool and don't seem to mess with us much other than checking license and I don't mind that to bad.

[bigwormy]

So I will be renting a houseboat on cumberland for labor day weekend. This will be our 2nd year. My question is, if the boat is moored, can we all be drinking? That was the case for us last year..lol.. Not sure if we broke any law unintentionally. I was only one with boating experience so I was captain. 77 foot boat is hard enough to operate sober, let alone trying while drinking..lol. Hopefully the fish will bite better this year too.

[Duayne]

I am not a Lawyer so this is strictly my opinion but I have always understood that a moored houseboat is considered the same as being in a home. INSIDE. You could possibly have issues if you are on top going nuts. Point is, they really don't want to go through the hassle of bothering you if you are chilling with a cold one on the top of your houseboat. Inside it, you could go as nuts as you want.

[kstonich]

I need a house boat.