Todays article on SB-27....2/23/11

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Skip

A blood alcohol concentration of .08 or more is presumed intoxication. If you are under 21 that concentration falls to .02%.
While it is theoretically possible to be charged with operating while intoxicated with a BAC of less than .08%, convictions are extremely difficult. However, there is no difference under this statute whether you are operating a boat, ATV, snowmobile or motor vehicle.

While trying to remember how many died in an inland Poker Run a few years ago, I stumbled on this Mastercraft forum post which followed the description of a collision that took the lives of FIVE boaters.

"Not to judge or throw stones, but while I agree that it doesn't make you a threat, I believe that consuming an amount of alcohol that provides you with the desired effect (a nice buzz) does impair your abilities to some extent, regardless of whether you think it does or not.

It might not make you a threat, but it does lessen your abilities to pilot your boat. Not to mention the fact that for many people, maybe not you, the ability to know when to say "when" diminishes when alcohol starts to be consumed.

I just don't trust myself to be able to operate my boat to the highest ability under the influence, so I never drink when I'm driving the boat. And trust me, I love a beer a lot more than the next guy. I just save it for the after ski activities.

While I think it's a knee jerk reaction to assume "drunk" anytime you hear boat accident, I understand that statistics indicate that alcohol is a factor in a very high percentage of boating accidents, particularly as compared to other motor vehicles. So I can at least understand why people feel the way they do. Plus, if you've ever seen the damage that drunks can do, it hits even closer to home.

With a significant percentage of Winnipesaukee boaters dismissing the presence of alcohol aboard boats, the above writer has just echoed my assertion that whatever is "Reasonable" and "Prudent" will change with every sip of alcohol.