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Met a Fish and Game Warden

papee

Well-known member
I live near Harrisburg so I decided to take the wife out on the river to see the Kipona Celebration fireworks. Not knowing the water and at dark, I ran my fishfinder for depth and also turned on my lights mounted on the bow to see the upcoming rocks. When I got in to the ramp there was the warden. He said that I need the front navigation lights and I told him that I had them on and that I had just turned them off. I showed him that they worked and he then said that it was not legal to run the "docking lights" until coming into shore. I mentioned that some people put them on the cage and he said that it was not legal there also. So I guess here in PA, you cannot run any lights other than the Coast Guard required bow and stern lights?
 
No it don't sound right. It sounds to me like this Warden doesn't know his own laws. I bet had you asked him to show you that in writing as a rule or statute he would not have been able to do it.

That is my guess.
 
tell him there head lights or fishing lights not docking lights :D


where he will get you is most CG laws are wrote to read the nav lights on bow must be visible in a 180 degree area and your fishing lights over power that nav lights visibility if he wanted to be technical but heck if someone can't see you with all those lights they don't need to be out there anyway in my opinion
 
Whitebear is right as to asking for the rule in writing. (You should write this guy's division for a writen copy of the law.) While underway, you must run you nav lights but I'm not aware of any laws not allowing you to navigate safely via spot lights.
Again, ask for the law in writing.
 
I thought about asking but may wife was along, LOL she kept saying at a whisper,"are you trying to make friends with him or what" I was just stating to him that I understood what he was saying. (she had to go potty :lol: ) I looked some at our laws and didn't see anything. I see one of the Wardens at the ramp where I usually fish, more friendly, I'll ask him next time I see him. If he shows me something, I'll just put on a remote spotlight and leave it in one place. I was out of the normal "airboat area" also. He also told me that my front navigation lights looked dirty and I should clean them.
 
I have been stopped by the county sheriff marine deputy for using "docking lights" on a pontoon boat. The warden is right, there is a US Coast Guard rule about running with lights other than navigation lights:

Rule 20
(b) The Rules concerning lights shall be complied with from sunset to sunrise, and during such times no other lights shall be exhibited, except such lights which cannot be mistaken for the lights specified in these Rules or do not impair their visibility or distinctive character, or interfere with the keeping of a proper look-out.

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/mwv/navrules ... Rule20.htm
 
The tug boats use spot lights & all cabin cruiser use them. & the coast Guard boat have them & use them.
 
Air Express":1l0cddhl said:
I have been stopped by the county sheriff marine deputy for using "docking lights" on a pontoon boat. The warden is right, there is a US Coast Guard rule about running with lights other than navigation lights:

Rule 20
(b) The Rules concerning lights shall be complied with from sunset to sunrise, and during such times no other lights shall be exhibited, except such lights which cannot be mistaken for the lights specified in these Rules or do not impair their visibility or distinctive character, or interfere with the keeping of a proper look-out.

http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/mwv/navrules ... Rule20.htm
Ok, IF this is true, I can just raise my nav light a bit. My lights point pretty much at the water so at a distance, you would still see the nav lights. Two lights would not be mistaken for either of the other lights since the rear(stern) light has to be 2 or 3 ft higher than the bow nav light. Sounds like it would just be something to pee off the warden and cause him to find something else wrong, not that there is but they could always find something. Again he may have been busting on me because I was in an airboat in a place that rarely sees them at 10:00 at night.
 
goldhunter_2":1tr0kxg4 said:
but heck if someone can't see you with all those lights they don't need to be out there anyway in my opinion

yeah but nav lights are used so other boats know your heading and for right of way purposes.
I have had coast gaurd shut me down for running a continuous spotlight before on the ICW.Most bigger boats that I see running remote spots use them only temporarily when entering tight passes. I think it has something to do with spotlights blinding other boats. From the ABA , spotlights should be used sparingly in a sweeping motion and never pointed directly at another vessel.
I also belive rule 20 does not relate to using a spotlight. My understanding is , it is meant that you shall only display the navigational lights as stated by law for size vessel so other vessels cannot be confused to your heading. Dock lights since they are attached to the vessel could be however encompassed in this rule.
I am not a lawyer, in law enforcement, a member of the CG or have a captains license for that matter. So these are just my opinions.
 
Rule 20
(b) The Rules concerning lights shall be complied with from sunset to sunrise, and during such times no other lights shall be exhibited, except such lights which cannot be mistaken for the lights specified in these Rules or do not impair their visibility or distinctive character, or interfere with the keeping of a proper look-out.

What makes the lights leghal is the last sentence.........nor interfere with the keeping of a proper lookout.

The big lights make keeping a proper lookout possible. Without them a proper lookout is not possible due the the night obscuring rocks and floatsum which could be seen in the day time.

Their intent is that the big lights not obscure the running lights for obvious reasons, however if they are needed for keeping a proper lookout then they have to be legal according to the poosted CG rule 20.

Thats how I see it. now is this inland rules or open water rules? Hmmmm

Scotty
 
I agree, Bear. A waterman should have not only the right but the obligation to use additional lights to ensure the safe passage of his vessel.

As long as additional lighting doesn't obstruct his nav (position) lights, there should be no problem.
Sounds to me like this F & G officer was just looking for an excuse to flash his badge.
 
Papee get used to it! The pa fish commision here in Pa. HATES airboats they tend to tell people that they need things that are not required by state law or by coast guard regulations because they simply dont know. I have a copy of the BIG RULE BOOK and to shove it in thier face and make liars out of em seems to be the only way to get em off your back. sometime come see me. I could tell you a few stories about things they have done to me and fellow airboaters and they are all true. Many of those guys are real jerks! give em a gun and a badge and you get an instant a........ they are not all bad but most of em have no common sense and no nothing about an airboat. so they make rules as they go!
 
airboat_Mike":29kokgdf said:
Papee get used to it! The pa fish commision here in Pa. HATES airboats they tend to tell people that they need things that are not required by state law or by coast guard regulations because they simply dont know. I have a copy of the BIG RULE BOOK and to shove it in thier face and make liars out of em seems to be the only way to get em off your back. sometime come see me. I could tell you a few stories about things they have done to me and fellow airboaters and they are all true. Many of those guys are real jerks! give em a gun and a badge and you get an instant a........ they are not all bad but most of em have no common sense and no nothing about an airboat. so they make rules as they go!

Did I see you in at Tom's over the weekend? I was just passing by on the way home. Also can you pm me a way to donate for the use of the ramp in Millersburg?
 
It is possible that the Warden was just using the lights issue as an excuse to contact you to see if you were operating while impared by alcohol. They make contacts like that alot, especially at night.

For a spotlight in the airboat I use a motocycle helmet with a blue-eye spotlight bulb mounted on it. There is an on/off switch mounted on the side of the helmet. this works very well because the light shines where you look, and it is hands free. The Optronics blue-eye bulb works much better than normal spotlight bulbs because it does not cause the glare from the inside of the boat. It also cuts through rain, snow, and fog better than a normal spotlight. The difference is amazing. Try one, you will like it.

Here is a link to the spotlight : http: http://optronicsinc.com/spotlights3.htm

they also make them in 100,000 cp, and 200,000 cp, and also cordless. I just buy the replacement bulbs for my helmet, but I do keep a cordless one for a backup.
 
jpatter123":xp0hfpkf said:
yeah but nav lights are used so other boats know your heading and for right of way purposes.

yep I understand that that why I said that the nav lights on the bow are supposed to be visible for 180 degree area and your stern light for 360 degree but there are some out there that don't know the difference . point was that the spot lights would over power the nav light for a oncoming boat to see even if they are pointed down
 
Air Express

I did not see any pricing on those blue eye spot lights any idea what they cost ?
 
goldhunter_2":1130hvlk said:
jpatter123":1130hvlk said:
yeah but nav lights are used so other boats know your heading and for right of way purposes.

yep I understand that that why I said that the nav lights on the bow are supposed to be visible for 180 degree area and your stern light for 360 degree but there are some out there that don't know the difference . point was that the spot lights would over power the nav light for a oncoming boat to see even if they are pointed down

My lights aren't spot lights, they are running lights for cars with bulbs in like air is talking about. With the charging system on the mini they don't get very bright even when it's running. I'm gonna try it and see if it flys. I figure if I can see the nav light from a distance while it is on the trailer it will be better in the water when people will be higher than the lights. If not and I need them I just have to eat the fine if one of them feels the need.
 
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