A DUI on a boat has EXACTLY the same ramifications as a DUI in your car in the state of NH. You would think WMUR would have mentioned that... However, a good lawyer will have a field day arguing the field sobriety test of someone that is on a "rocking" boat, or even bringing that person to land for the sobriety test after being on a boat for a long period of time, because it is a fact that some people continue to "feel" like they are still "rocking" on a boat long after they have been off the boat. Don't get me wrong, I don't condone drunk driving, just saying that if you are stupid enough to drink and drive, and you get a DUI, you have a better chance of beating it on a boat arrest. I witnessed this trial in Laconia District court a few years ago when I was there fighting a speeding ticket, and the perp was found not guilty because of the "rocking boat" field sobriety test defense... Personally, I don't drink, so I have no worries, but if I did and I was driving the boat, I would not drink one drop of alcohol. The penalties are just way to severe to even chance it, and when you have the Gestapo of MP that is on this lake these days, it's not a question of "IF", it's WHEN you get caught. Also, in this state, if you refuse to blow, you lose your license AUTOMATICALLY for 6 months, and even if charges are dropped, or you are found innocent at trial, you still lose license for 6 months. Which is BS to me, but that's the Gestapo.
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