Got in trouble in Wisconsin

[TheYelowDart]

Re: Got in trouble in Wisconsin

Thanks - I'll keep that in mind. We are on the corner edge between lake and bay. We have two seadoos and a blue superjet at home. Ever do group rides there?

[fox river pwc]

Re: Got in trouble in Wisconsin

You're welcome. It's normally 5-8 of us riding on the weekends. 20 or so of us were riding in central wisconsin this weekend. Be sure to check out the bjp website in my sig. Chase me down on the lake. I'll show you the ropes. I know the river/lake fairly well

[TheYelowDart]

Re: Got in trouble in Wisconsin

Are they okay with stand ups there? I have been run out of the chain for the most part and the only place I have left is the Illinois river

[linkman]

Re: Got in trouble in Wisconsin

Yeah, you can beat this one in court, unless they can prove you were near someone while doing it.

Here's the Wisconsin boater's handbook:

http://dnr.wi.gov/files/pdf/pubs/le/le0301.pdf

Specifically, it is illegal to:
• Operate a vessel repeatedly in a circuitous manner within 200 feet of another vessel or person in the water.

And here is the Wisconsin statute:

http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/30/V/68/5

30.68  Prohibited operation.

(4m) Facing backwards. No person may operate a personal watercraft while facing backwards.
(5) Operating in circular course. No person may operate a motorboat repeatedly in a circuitous course around any other boat, or around any person who is swimming, if such circuitous course is within 200 feet of such boat or swimmer; nor shall any boat or water skier operate or approach closer than 100 feet to any skin diver's flag or any swimmer unless the boat is part of the skin diving operation or is accompanying the swimmer, or unless physical conditions make compliance impossible.

I had to include the backwards portion. I hope that's not the case in other states!

[fox river pwc]

Re: Got in trouble in Wisconsin

I wouldn't ride on the chain if you paid me. I have several IL riding buddies who drive up to ride with me.

I have been riding nothing but stand ups on the fox/tichigan for 26 years. I wouldn't have chosen to live here and raise my family here if I didn't feel welcome here. Frankly, the cops here know me well and they recognize that me and my friends on stand ups are not part of the group of boaters who tend to cause real problems. Frankly, 99% of the stand ups you will see on the river/tichigan are me and/or my friends, therefore there is only a 1% chance that you will see a retard doing retarded things on a stand up - and the cops understand this as well. On the other hand, 99% of the retarded behavior by pwcs on tichigan is committed by sitdowns, so the cops look at the sitdowns far more closely than they look at stand ups. Your ticket was partly the result of you being on a sitdown, and partly because you were riding in a tiny bay breaking the law for 20 minutes and a resident probably called and complained. If you had been on a stand up doing the same thing in that bay, the cops would have probably thought you were me and then came to check and see if you (me) had suffered a head injury and were simply lost

[fox river pwc]

Re: Got in trouble in Wisconsin

Yeah, you can beat this one in court, unless they can prove you were near someone while doing it.

Here's the Wisconsin boater's handbook:

http://dnr.wi.gov/files/pdf/pubs/le/le0301.pdf

Specifically, it is illegal to:
• Operate a vessel repeatedly in a circuitous manner within 200 feet of another vessel or person in the water.

And here is the Wisconsin statute:

http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/30/V/68/5

30.68  Prohibited operation.

(4m) Facing backwards. No person may operate a personal watercraft while facing backwards.
(5) Operating in circular course. No person may operate a motorboat repeatedly in a circuitous course around any other boat, or around any person who is swimming, if such circuitous course is within 200 feet of such boat or swimmer; nor shall any boat or water skier operate or approach closer than 100 feet to any skin diver's flag or any swimmer unless the boat is part of the skin diving operation or is accompanying the swimmer, or unless physical conditions make compliance impossible.

I had to include the backwards portion. I hope that's not the case in other states!

The bay he was in is very small. He was most likely within 200 feet of dozens of moored boats the whole time.

[TheYelowDart]

Re: Got in trouble in Wisconsin

It was saturday early AM and more in the middle between the bay and the middle of the lake. I promise, no boats near me and almost none on the lake.

[fox river pwc]

Re: Got in trouble in Wisconsin

By myself in a cove doing hard right circles. Cop watched me for 20 or so minutes before coming over and giving me this. He said it was a state law that boats can't go in circles. What??


http://m.imgur.com/VH7feyI?r

Now you weren't in the cove? Better delete this thread before the town DA sees it . He knows about this website

[TheYelowDart]

Re: Got in trouble in Wisconsin

No reason to be odd about it... If I measure the footage I was at least 350 feet from both shore lines... Do you think the town district attorney is going to come after me about doing circles in the lake on a jet ski? I am really worried now!

http://imgur.com/a/rIbXY

[fox river pwc]

Re: Got in trouble in Wisconsin

Just giving you crap.

First you said you were riding in a cove, and you posted a link of the exact cove/bay I figured you were talking about.

Then you said you were in the middle of the lake.

Parts of the bay/cove you posted are not even 400 feet across, thus making it impossible to be 200 feet from shore.

No DA is coming after you. The cop came after you, watched you for 20 minutes and wrote you a ticket. If the cop took pics of you with their range finder thingambob, it may be tough to claim you were 200+ feet from shore/moored boats. If not, then it's your word against the cop. It's just a ticket. If you were truly within 200 feet from shore/boats, consider it a lesson, pay it, and move on. Either way, there are much better places to ride where you are at that do not involve even getting near that bay.

[linkman]

Re: Got in trouble in Wisconsin

There are probably a few things about what you did and how the law is written that will get you a not guilty verdict. First, the law states that you are not permitted "repeatedly in a circuitous course around any other boat, or around any person who is swimming." If there was no boater or swimmer inside the circumference of that path then it could be interpreted that the law is intended to prevent you from being a hazard to someone inside that loop (which is probably the intent anyways).

If that argument fails and the only problem was a nearby swimmer -- as far as I can tell that law does not define what the term "swimmer" means. The lack of definition creates ambiguity and that is in your favor.

[650s ex]

Re: Got in trouble in Wisconsin

Are they okay with stand ups there? I have been run out of the chain for the most part and the only place I have left is the Illinois river

Fox chain??? I only ask because i live down here. Never had issues with standups i get the thumbs up and they move along. So many idiots and noobs in boats why are you going to target a stand up.

Now if you have no waterbox i could see you getting some attention.

[CGPro856]

Re: Got in trouble in Wisconsin

Different scenario but I got a parking ticket while parked legally and out riding my standup. I called the cop that ticketed me and was told that although I was not breaking any laws someone had called and complained about my car and therefore the cop felt obligated to ticket me. They stressed that I was welcome to fight the ticket and that the magistrate might well take my side, but that it was at their discretion to ticket me regardless.


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