people get a ticket for this?

  • carver
    West Metro
    Posts: 611
    May 31, 2012 at 3:08 pm #1277503

    In WI you have to have your battery fully covered positive and negitive. $150 ticket….

    Is this law for border waters as well?

    suzuki
    Woodbury, Mn
    Posts: 18715
    May 31, 2012 at 3:27 pm #1072517

    I thought it was a law everywhere?

    sandmannd
    Posts: 928
    May 31, 2012 at 3:33 pm #1072521

    Can you define “covered”? My batteries sit in a locked storage. I don’t have covers over each terminal.

    dfresh
    Fridley, MN
    Posts: 3053
    May 31, 2012 at 3:46 pm #1072533

    Mine are in battery boxes ratched to hooks in the floor and in a compartment. Am I legit?

    smackem
    Iowa Marshall Co
    Posts: 956
    May 31, 2012 at 3:47 pm #1072535

    Quote:

    I thought it was a law everywhere?

    It should be but nope. I covered all 4 of mine because I do make it up north a time or two.

    walleyebuster5
    Central MN
    Posts: 3916
    May 31, 2012 at 3:50 pm #1072536

    What does covered mean?? Like, a blanket? in a box? the poles with plastic?

    Whiskerkev
    Madison
    Posts: 3835
    May 31, 2012 at 4:01 pm #1072542

    You either have to have them in a battery box or have both terminals covered individually so you can’t drop a wrench or something on there and cause a fire. If your batteries are secured in a compartment you can put a battery box cover over them and strap it down and you are good to go.

    gregory
    Red wing,mn
    Posts: 1628
    May 31, 2012 at 4:26 pm #1072557

    I thought it was only on incapsulated boats, boats with built in fuel tanks.

    stuwest
    Elmwood, WI
    Posts: 2254
    May 31, 2012 at 5:02 pm #1044013

    nope, they’ve got to be covered individually if they are not in a compartment. I’ve temporarily taken the doors off my compartments as i’m doing so much work back there all the time and my CO buddy elbowed me and handed me plastic caps he takes with him on patrol to hand out to his friends. glad to have dodged that $150 ticket. i’d tke him out more, but he won’t go. he stopped by on a courtesy visit/inspection at MY garage…

    i know they also have to be ‘secured’, but i think he said they need a tray under them also, anyway i bought a tray for that reason at FF. he said i was good to go now.

    trophy19
    Maple Grove, MN
    Posts: 1206
    May 31, 2012 at 5:09 pm #1072565

    I thought it was only the positive terminal that had to be covered…….????

    Joel Ballweg
    Sauk City, Wisconsin
    Posts: 3295
    May 31, 2012 at 5:22 pm #1072572

    Both terminals have to be covered and the battery itself must also be fastened down.

    Don’t try to use logic when arguing this one. It doesn’t matter that your ground is attached to the boat frame. The law says both terminals must be covered.

    Brand new boats are generally sold with only the positive terminal covered. It’s your responsibility to cover the negative as well.

    stuwest
    Elmwood, WI
    Posts: 2254
    May 31, 2012 at 5:26 pm #1072573

    FWIW, the fold over ‘rubber’ covers from FF will satisfy the law, as so the plastic ones that come with the batteries.

    jon_jordan
    St. Paul, Mn
    Posts: 10908
    May 31, 2012 at 5:30 pm #1072576

    Quote:

    Is this law for border waters as well?

    Yes on the border waters. Heavily enforced on the St Croix.

    -J.

    stuwest
    Elmwood, WI
    Posts: 2254
    May 31, 2012 at 5:41 pm #1072586

    my CO buddy said he was just writing warnings to MN boats, but didn’t know what the other COs were doing…

    smackem
    Iowa Marshall Co
    Posts: 956
    May 31, 2012 at 5:45 pm #1072588

    Do you have a reference for that? I can’t find the law anywhere for either MN or WI.

    brian_j
    Posts: 204
    May 31, 2012 at 5:46 pm #1072589

    I got boarded by a wisc ranger on the st croix a few years ago and he never looked or asked about it. I wouldn’t loose any sleep over it.

    jon_jordan
    St. Paul, Mn
    Posts: 10908
    May 31, 2012 at 5:49 pm #1072590

    It’s not just CO’s that enforce the law. On the St Croix, in addition to the MN and WI DNR, you can have the Coast Guard, National Park Service Police, Washington County Sherriff, Ramsey County Sherriff, Pierce County Sherriff, St Croix County Sherriff and so on. All can write tickets.

    -J.

    stuwest
    Elmwood, WI
    Posts: 2254
    May 31, 2012 at 6:06 pm #1072599

    is this a MINNESOTA law also??
    I was under the impression that this was ONLY a WISCONSIN law…

    ggoody
    Mpls MN
    Posts: 2603
    May 31, 2012 at 6:10 pm #1072601

    Quote:

    Don’t try to use logic when arguing this one.

    Just ask the guy at Hidden Falls last July 4th about logic. The guy didn’t have his battery sucured or his terminals covered. The fire or melting process was incredible to say the least. The battery after tipping over basicly just melted into the back-side of the aluminum boat. Which in turn started the floor on fire.

    I have a picture on one of my old cells phones I’ll see if I can dig it up.
    It’s real important to have your battery sucured and the terminals covered in any boating situation.

    smackem
    Iowa Marshall Co
    Posts: 956
    May 31, 2012 at 6:55 pm #1072623

    I can’t find it in the MN laws either. How can it be enforce if it’s not stated in the Reg book?? Help please

    Whiskerkev
    Madison
    Posts: 3835
    May 31, 2012 at 7:47 pm #1072645

    I’ve been checked quite a few times by wardens and my stuff is straight and they never looked at the batteries so no issues. The local sheriff water patrol looked hard at my batteries and they chased John Schultz and I off the water when his new boat didn’t have the negative covered. They will enforce the rule but I think it likely you might get told to get off the water in Wisconsin if you don’t have it. It takes a whopping 10 bucks to get a battery box. You would be in danger of getting a ticket on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi. It is a good practice to secure your batteries and cover the terminals in any regard.

    phigs
    Twin Cities, MN
    Posts: 1046
    May 31, 2012 at 7:54 pm #1072647

    technically, they do not have the right to look in any closed compartments in your boat without a warrant or probable cause.

    so I wouldn’t worry about them stopping to check your life jackets and then pillaging through every compartment on the boat. if they choose to do so, just politely remind them that “I do not consent to this search” and therefore anything they find will be thrown out anyways.

    the Law can only check whats in plain site without your permission. and that goes for livewell too.

    Don’t believe me – look it up on the MN legislative revisor site yourself.

    Joel Ballweg
    Sauk City, Wisconsin
    Posts: 3295
    May 31, 2012 at 8:07 pm #1072653

    Quote:

    Quote:

    Don’t try to use logic when arguing this one.

    Just ask the guy at Hidden Falls last July 4th about logic. The guy didn’t have his battery secured or his terminals covered. The fire or melting process was incredible to say the least. The battery after tipping over basicly just melted into the back-side of the aluminum boat. Which in turn started the floor on fire.

    I have a picture on one of my old cells phones I’ll see if I can dig it up.

    It’s real important to have your battery sucured and the terminals covered in any boating situation.

    The logic part I was referring to has nothing to do with fastening the battery to the floor.

    Logically thinking, as Spock might say, since your positive post is covered on all boats when you buy it, and the negative is grounded to the frame, what sense does it make to cover the negative post?

    I’m not against the law and abide by it on my boat just in case an authority figure takes a peek.

    The argument above has been tried by a friend of mine while dealing with the harbor patrol in the Milwaukee Harbor. The fact that his argument makes perfect sense made no difference at all. He was written a ticket.

    kooty
    Keymaster
    1 hour 15 mins to the Pond
    Posts: 18101
    May 31, 2012 at 8:09 pm #1072654

    Please don’t try to inject common sense into the law!

    deertracker
    Posts: 9253
    May 31, 2012 at 8:17 pm #1072663

    Quote:

    technically, they do not have the right to look in any closed compartments in your boat without a warrant or probable cause.

    so I wouldn’t worry about them stopping to check your life jackets and then pillaging through every compartment on the boat. if they choose to do so, just politely remind them that “I do not consent to this search” and therefore anything they find will be thrown out anyways.

    the Law can only check whats in plain site without your permission. and that goes for livewell too.

    Don’t believe me – look it up on the MN legislative revisor site yourself.

    Probable cause is only needed to make an arrest. You can search on reasonable articulable suspicion but if the compartment is closed it would be hard to determine that.
    DT

    stuwest
    Elmwood, WI
    Posts: 2254
    May 31, 2012 at 8:21 pm #1072664

    Quote:

    Probable cause is only needed to make an arrest. You can search on reasonable articulable suspicion but if the compartment is closed it would be hard to determine that.
    DT

    Well if the body of the boat was arcing out, that would probably get an articulation out of you, correct???

    biggill
    East Bethel, MN
    Posts: 11321
    May 31, 2012 at 11:35 pm #1072720

    Quote:

    Quote:

    technically, they do not have the right to look in any closed compartments in your boat without a warrant or probable cause.

    so I wouldn’t worry about them stopping to check your life jackets and then pillaging through every compartment on the boat. if they choose to do so, just politely remind them that “I do not consent to this search” and therefore anything they find will be thrown out anyways.

    the Law can only check whats in plain site without your permission. and that goes for livewell too.

    Don’t believe me – look it up on the MN legislative revisor site yourself.

    Probable cause is only needed to make an arrest. You can search on reasonable articulable suspicion but if the compartment is closed it would be hard to determine that.
    DT

    I believe that DT is right on here. At least in MN. This was contested a few years back, but it was withdrawn. CO’s can search your boat or fish house if they want. I personally have nothing to hide.

    mplspug
    Palmetto, Florida
    Posts: 25026
    May 31, 2012 at 11:49 pm #1072724

    That’s about as silly as making a law where you can only sell 16oz drinks or less.

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