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Flags and mufflers

hillrunnerfl

hillrunnerfl

Well-known member
Fished Shell Mound at Cedar Key yesterday. Out of about 12 or 13 airboats, I saw 2 or 3 three flags, none of which looked to be the legal size. Most had mufflers, but the ones I saw were the beer can type, couple still had no mufflers.
I know most of the people that read this forum are getting right with the law, but a lot of guys still believe they are exempt.

Talked to one guy that said he was not aware that the flags and muffler were required now.

Oh well, I guess petunias and weeds will look good growing in my new Jimmy White hull.
 
There were quite a few boats up to the new regs this weekend at the reunion.

It struck me as interesting to hear a really LOUD boat go by, and it would turn some heads.... Mostly out of annoyment about interrupting a conversation. But by comparison to the several hundred boats that were there, the unmuffled boats were definitely a MINORITY.

Yea team. :roll:


Seriously, it was nice to witness first hand the difference mufflers make. I have to admit that I was wrong about a year ago about the level of difference mufflers alone would make. But I still stand by the fact that our boats are still capable of generating complaints. There were a few instances where I saw guys NOT idling out and instead just hitting the hammer down right in front of 100 people having a nice time talking. None of us are gonna complain. But if you did that in front of a blue-hair citified retirement community? there'd be a complaint or two.

Overall, hat's off to the airboaters who have complied!!! It was a hurdle and as a group, I think we've done a pretty good job!

p.s. someone needs to tell the FWC officer on the Kissimmee chain to stop trying to give out tickets for people with an UNDERSIZED flag. According to Adam, he was out there issuing tickets for not having a flag 12x16. Oh no.

:roll:

matt.
 
I've had mufflers on the sled for a while and I put the flag on last weekend and I was wondering does it measure ten feet from the bottom inside of the hull to the bottom or top of the flag , mine hits the 10' mark about middle of the flag is this legal or do I need to move it up?don't want to get a ticket.
 
GTO...the law doesn't get that specific....so you could be safe and move it up or if you are willing to be ready to argue it you can leave it...either way your legal. I guess it depends on who stops you...they've been making up new regs out around Kissimmee lately anyhow.

I say leave it!!!!

Adam
 
GTO, I'm with BlackPowder .... the thing is, you've got one. The enforcement that's lookin to write somebody should be lookin for somebody that doesn't even have a sign of one, and there are still plenty of those.

olf
 
Keep like it is ! Cause if he going to go that far to write you a ticket! Three flags .ten life jackets doesnt matter ! (And this comment does not reflect on law officers that understand thier jobs!) Just the ones that think that its thier way or else ! Personaly I like them being around ! Never had a problem with them ! But seen other poeple being done over . But again ,never knew the whole story ! ( The law says from the deck to the flag )! :D
 
FB - Are you sure about that "Deck to flag" part? I think that was the old law, and because different boats of different sizes, open hulls or deakovers, or walk-arounds.... made it confusing.

I'm pretty sure we can thank Swampjet for getting that confusion taken out.... in a stroke of brilliance, he convinced them to say "from the bottom of the boat". Every boat has a bottom in the same place.

Sidenote: A lot of us bitch and moan about the new laws. Myself included. But I struggle to remember how good it is that we had REAL airboaters in there doing their best to keep it real. Because it could be Rep. Dean or some other lawmaker / airboater wannabe just handing down laws to us.

Dan - The law does not say top middle or bottom - it says FLAG. so 10' to the flag would hold up in court. It seems black and white to me. The FLAG starts at the top of the flag. So 10' to the top of the flag. Anything more is for your own safety based on your own judgement call.

If I'm riding in some tall grass, I could care less about the 10' dumb rule. I'll fly it at 12 feet if I can!!!!
 
Thanks everybody, think I will leave it alone unless the man stops me and tells me different,but again thanks for the help.
 
moodfood":4i18qmtp said:
FB - I'm pretty sure we can thank Swampjet for getting that confusion taken out.... in a stroke of brilliance, he convinced them to say "from the bottom of the boat". Every boat has a bottom in the same place.

Sidenote: A lot of us bitch and moan about the new laws. Myself included. But I struggle to remember how good it is that we had REAL airboaters in there doing their best to keep it real. Because it could be Rep. Dean or some other lawmaker / airboater wannabe just handing down laws to us.
Click to expand...

The real airboaters were the cause of the new laws ... no laws were proposed until they started the anti-discrimination jargon . Time will tell for sure but even FWC saw the foolishness of asking for anti-discrimination by writing a law only applying to airboats. Now we have our very on discriminatory section of laws just for us.
 
The way I heard it Cntry is that Sen (or rep or whatever) DEAN was going to make a flag law because a close friend or relative of his was killed in a situation where an airboat having a flag could have saved his life.

As I understand it, Mr. Dean was gonna push that one at us ANYWAY, and in a move to keep the anti airboaters from jumping onto his wagon, we jumped on.

The point about whether it was a good idea or not to jump onto that wagon is not something I want to start up debating again. (been there many times haven't we!) You and I are 95% in agreement about that. But spilt milk. We were there - so we make the most of it.

I was trying to point out that the law USED TO BE confusing, and an airboater went in there and made it less confusing BECAUSE HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. Without him or someone like him, it could have been worse. (Remember at one point they were talking about a 20" x 20" flag??!!!! )

I doubt Bob blew out the candles on his cake as he wished for a flag law. Unlike Mr. DEAN, a flag law was not his life's dream and purpose. But one was there, and he did what it took to make it smooth and less confusing / ambiguous / foggy of language.

"From the lowest portion" is a good place to measure from - A specific point. "flag at a height of..." says to me "any part of the flag".

(3) An airboat may not operate on the waters of the state unless it is equipped with a mast or flagpole bearing a flag at a height of at least 10 feet above the lowest portion of the vessel. The flag must be square or rectangular, at least 10 inches by 12 inches in size, international orange in color, and displayed so that the visibility of the flag is not obscured in any direction. Any person who violates this subsection commits a noncriminal infraction punishable as provided in s. 327.73(1).
Click to expand...

The whole law: http://tinyurl.com/rt9m8


matt.
 
Got pulled over by the Sherriff yesterday coming off the boat launch at lone cabbage. I found out that it is against the state law to have a sprayer on your boat. Got a warning for that and no flag. Everybody make sure if you are going to take your boat. To have all your stuff to past regulations. I'm sure the law is going to be checking everybody at the races.

Geoff
 
First time I heard sprayers were illegal,Basketcase is going to love that.I thought as long as you didn't use any oil base products it would be fine.
 
Yea this is the first for me too. I didn't have mine hooked up to a container. But he said you cannot even have one in the boat. I didn't argue with him he was real nice about it.


Geoff
 
hmgm123":2jh1ouoy said:
Got pulled over by the Sherriff yesterday coming off the boat launch at lone cabbage. I found out that it is against the state law to have a sprayer on your boat. Got a warning for that and no flag. Everybody make sure if you are going to take your boat. To have all your stuff to past regulations. I'm sure the law is going to be checking everybody at the races.

Geoff
Click to expand...

Geoff...YOU NEED TO FIGHT THAT ONE!!!!! Get the officer's name and all the details and send it to Swampjet or Branco.They are on the ball about calling up to Tallahassee and getting Bonnie Basham ramped up about stuff like that!!!!

NOWHERE does it mention sprayers!!!!! You were just taken for a ride my friend. FIGHT IT!!!! You can easily get that warning removed.

Adam
 
the regulation pamplet for upper st. johns wild life management area
says (the possession or use of any device capable of discharging,
emitting spray, or introducing any pollutants with the intent of enhancing
the mobility of airboats is prohibited. ) the management area map
shows from sr 60 to sr. 520. I've seen this reg before, I think it's
been in there for quite a while. But I havent heard of any state reg
on sprayers. Kevin.
 
Heck he act like he wanted me to remove it right then and there. Look like deputy N. Onosse Badge(610) Sherriff
 
Now I finally see something worth fighting !

I think we need to sick the FAA onto whoever makes such laws or rules. Years ago nobody knew about using a biodegradable soap in the sprayers and they did in fact use oil or diesel in them. Even with this I was never convinced there was any permanent damage done but now we have liquid soaps like Doze etc. that are in fact biodegradable.

The soap being biodegradable defeats the argument used to create the sprayer rule in the first place. Those who now have sprayers and use oil then should get fined or lose their boat etc.

We had sprayers in all the big heavy seismic boats out in Louisianna and East Tx and they certainly worked as advertised. We only used liquid biodegradable soap and never had a problem with EPA, DNR, the SO or their Game Comission.

Time we got our regs updated to be realistic.

Scotty
 
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