Ballast regulations

[sagmanaur]

I believe most of you have heard me talking the past 2 summers about the new Wake Enhancing Device ban on the river that we surf on. It is official this year that they are enforcing it, over 17 miles of the Willamette River! No ballast, foils, or distribution of people in the boat in order to create a "bow-high" condition. There has been more places that want to adopt this law, and just want to warn you of how quickly it can get passed in your area if it becomes a political issue. It started with people that lived on the Willamette River complaining about dock damage and after years of not getting results they wanted, they moved up the food chain, politically, and made it into an erosion issue. Of course this raised a lot of eyebrows, even though there was no data to prove it. Now we are stuck with a law that can soon spread like wildfire to other parts of the country.
Just giving all of you a heads up in case you start to hear rumors of this type of legislation in your area.

Steve

[NICKYPOO]

They are going to regulate where people sit in a boat? Wow.Super weak dude.

[sagmanaur]

It became VERY political. The belief is that some of the people that lived on the river got the ear of the Governor of Oregon and he pushed the legislation thru (the Gov appoints the Oregon Marine Board).
It was funny, because even in the meetings when it was being discussed the sheriff's were against the law because it will be very hard to enforce. However, if you surf it is pretty obvious that you are using ballast.

[NICKYPOO]

"No Sir, no ballast on this boat. It's a Tige'. No ballast needed."

[Jeffe]

Wouldn't they consider the TAPs a wake enhancing device. I guess its subject to how they want to perceive it & if they want to be D-CKS's & abuse their authority.

[chpthril]

Wouldn't they consider the TAPs a wake enhancing device. I guess its subject to how they want to perceive it & if they want to be D-CKS's & abuse their authority.

It it is, then by default, water skiing would be illegal as well. All the quality tournament ski boats use a plate to lift the stern to flatten the wake.......is this not "enhancing" the wake as well, if you use their terminology.

[NICKYPOO]

It it is, then by default, water skiing would be illegal as well. All the quality tournament ski boats use a plate to lift the stern to flatten the wake.......is this not "enhancing" the wake as well, if you use their terminology.

Nice one.

[Jeffe]

Thats like if you say you have a wakeboard at the airport they automatically charge you quadruple. If you tell them its a water ski its a normal rate.

[Carter13]

Sorry to hear about that.
You guys will just have to get in the water in the early am and tear it up before the Sheriff puts in.
My wife and I have been doing that for years because we rarely have a spotter with us. Done riding by noon then just chillin.
What is the cost of the ticket going to be?

[sagmanaur]

Luckily in the area that we put in, I can head upstream and I can tear up the banks of the river as much as I want (joking), but if I go about 1 mile downstream Wake Enhancing Devices are not allowed. The drawback is the affected area is the NICE area of the river... always flat and not very many dead heads, but the area we go now is a bit more "choppy" and shallower which makes dead heads more prominent.

Cost of ticket, I have no idea, but I am guessing it would be in the $100-200 range?

[Jason B]

Well they certainly cannot regulate the average size of your passengers! Make some FFAAAAAATTT friends!!!!!! lol

"You sir! Ya, you! With all the fat people in the boat...pull over!! Your fatness is breaking the law, you can only play with skinny people."

[tnvolgrad]

Ballast Regulations

I hope this is not the case, but I can tell you Oregon is all about big government, running companies out of the state, and become a socialist state. While the regulation is disappointing and has the potential to spread to other locations - keep in mind this is from a state who raised taxes in the middle of recession, has declared social warefare on high income earners, and wants to regulate anything to create more public sector jobs.

Regulations are certainly a reality, but enforcement is another issue. To another point raised, what's next equal weight distribution due to wakes?

[sagmanaur]

I did find out that the fine is $287, but I have also heard that the Sheriff boats seem to be looking the other way for this law. It is so hard to enforce with the new ballast systems.

[wallacmc]

I did find out that the fine is $287, but I have also heard that the Sheriff boats seem to be looking the other way for this law. It is so hard to enforce with the new ballast systems.

It is going to take the high sherrif tons of time to find the ballast tank that is under the floor, even if the boat is leaning. It's not much, but it's something.