Got plug?

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/s720x720/546560_488220647873607_1627181278_n.jpg

Makes a guy wonder I know that.

LOL

I don’t get it ? What am I looking for ?

Sheriff left his plug in. Why? Because he can!

Do we want the Sheriff stopping to put in his plug when he is en rout to save a child that is capsized out in a canoe with the possibility of drowning? Common sense tells me no, the law tells me yes.

The plug law doesn’t apply to Law Enforcement/Emergency Vessels although they’re suppose to drain any water out after leaving a body of water.

Heck with the children, I want them out there to save MY butt.

Yes, we can’t expect them to remember the plug when launching, I agree. That would be dangerous.

Quote:

---

Yes, we can’t expect them to remember the plug when launching, I agree. That would be dangerous.

---

But I can (remember) when I am solo lanching a 22′ pleasure cruiser with wife, kids, gear and a line of others waiting to launch? I live a mile from the launch and only boat in the Sipp/Criox. I can’t put the plug in my totally dry boat in my driveway while I am prepping things in a non pressure environment without getting a massive fine??

That’s bulls***!!

Rugs, how would the LE’s know that? You might lie. <insert sarcastic gremlin>

Not many in favor to the whole plug law…’cept those that take it out prior to the law anyway.

How about the gallons of water sitting in an I/O motor that was sucked up in god knows what infested body of water. Doesn’t that get pumped out in the next body of water it is run on?

Not if the motors tipped down and water runs out at the inspection station…we get tickets.

PS I’m not sticking up for this crazy law.

But if the plug is left in from lake to lake the infested water doesn’t leave the boat. It just turns into a giant sesspool of infected water in the hull. Until…you turn the bilge on; but that siphons all the bad stuff from the water and keeps it in the boat, right. Wait…not if its my boat then I get a fine; weird must just be my boat that doesn’t siphon the water.

i had a i/o, i can tell you for a fact that all the water does not run out of the motor when the outdrive is trimmed all the way down. if it did i would not have had a cracked block in the spring!!! that exemption covers all emergency responce watercraft, not just law enforcement

Not buying the time thing, can’t take more than 3-5 seconds to put a plug in and it can be done while their pulling the tie down straps off….or don’t they need them too?

One way to look at it though is eventually they’ll infect every lake they go to and we can get on with our lives while they figure out how to deal with the little buggers.

Something they should be doing now. imho

Al

Quote:

---

But if the plug is left in from lake to lake the infested water doesn’t leave the boat. It just turns into a giant sesspool of infected water in the hull. Until…you turn the bilge on; but that siphons all the bad stuff from the water and keeps it in the boat, right. Wait…not if its my boat then I get a fine; weird must just be my boat that doesn’t siphon the water.

---

If the plug would actually make a difference, I would be in favor of the law.

The only reason to pull a plug is to make it easier for LE’s to ensure the boat isn’t carrying <EDIT> water…

Whether or not a particular boat is carrying AIS is not the point…we are guilty whether there’s AIS in your boat or not.

Come on over to Wisonsin where the citizens and the cops are held to the same law.

An I/O motor holds gallons of water in itself. It doesn’t drain out by lowering the lower unit or by pulling the boat plug. It only drains out when the drain plugs are pulled from the block. As mentioned above, this is what they do when the winterize them.

My I/O has a convenient “plunger” where I can open it up and drain the water. It holds gallons of water in the block. I have done it many times. Not all I/Os have this. It is only accessible from the engine compartment. My drain plug can be pulled from the back of the boat and ‘they’ would have no idea about all the water sitting in the block. Basically every I/O in our area is going to have gallons of water sitting in it from the body of water they just pulled out of.

Careful Rugs,

All I/O’s might be pulled down the road next year with a flag showing the water jacket has been drained.

Quote:

---

Not buying the time thing, can’t take more than 3-5 seconds to put a plug in and it can be done while their pulling the tie down straps off….or don’t they need them too?

One way to look at it though is eventually they’ll infect every lake they go to and we can get on with our lives while they figure out how to deal with the little buggers.

Something they should be doing now. imho

Al

---

My big boat has a brass plug that requires a wrench. I don’t use tie downs as the 4,000lb. vessel on a bunk trailer going 30mph through town doesn’t shift an inch. So, I have to remember a wrench and remember to put the plug in while I am doing 10 other things at the launch? This is all so I can launch my totally dry boat?? B.S.

I can’t speak for everyone or all boats but I usually run by bilge before I leave the lake and when I pull my plug on a few drop of water come out. and I agree with BrianK if it acutally mattered I would be all for the law the only lakes I would think it makes a difference are those with the spiny water fleas. But on those lakes you would have to wash out all live wells, motors, compartments…pretty much the whole boat to ensure you don’t transport the little pests. As many times as I have been to LOTW (which has spiny fleas) this year I have only seen a portable wash down station set up once and you were not required to use it when landing your boat.

Quote:

---

Careful Rugs,

All I/O’s might be pulled down the road next year with a flag showing the water jacket has been drained.

---

No doubt! I don’t put anything past these guys. AllenW’s 3-5 seconds could flip into hours for some boats. Basically winterize between each use. Many people would not have the knowledge/skills to even do it on their own.

I’m not picking on Allen or the time it takes which could be very minimal for my 17’er and myself.

It just that it MIGHT at best slow the spread.

Mike, Zeb’s too as they can’t be detected with the naked eye.

That’s a perfect example on LOTW’s or other lakes. If one boat/motor/cooler/live well/water jacket/lower unit gets by…it’s game over. Having a fine for driving down the road with a plug in is like a law that says everyone needs to wear glasses…even though some don’t need them…you MIGHT. Then where would we be if you had an accident because you didn’t have your glasses on?

Forgot about the Zebra’s; I get the whole check your trailer for aquatic species and stuff; but come on at some point common sense tells you unless you test every lake and put a wash down station at every infected lake in MN, WI, or wherever and have someone stationed there 24/7 to ensure every boat is getting washed down properly; at some point something is going to get by. I understand the whole make everyone aware tactic but someone could miss the littlest think on your trailer or in your boat that could spread to the next lake you go to.

Take for example your anchor how many fisherman make sure all the weeds and mud get cleaned off the anchor of their boat or carpet after every trip. I myself would think that would be of more concern than leaving your plug in the boat or not draining the live/bait well. Just my opinion.

I’ve always thought that any water in the block would have been significantly heated beyond the survival rate of Zebra Mussel vilegers. Does anyone know the answer?

Let’s just say it does Buzz.

That doesn’t stop the anchor ropes, trailers that don’t drain, live wells that hold (some) water, hulls of boats that don’t drain completely and the list goes on.

Personally? I think the attention on websites (not only Ido) is stopping more AIS from spreading then any of the tactics that are trying to be used today (wash down stations, pulling plugs ect)….with the exception of closing accesses.

My 2 pennies.

Almost forgot about the “20% increase in AIS tickets”. Did I say that right??

The spin can go both ways. Since there are more Co’s/LE’s checking for AIS compliance there are many more as a percentage complying. Which ever way you want the spin to go.

I would have to agree that forums such as these help make other boaters aware of AIS, but we as people using the forums are only a handful and I would bet we probably aren’t the major cause of spreading AIS.

I blame the recreational boaters…Damn Jet skiers

Brian, I think the 20% failure rate came from the CO’s who conducted a few road-side spot checks. What is interesting is that they wrote more tickets then we expected and it has gotten the attention of the Legislature.

Here is some data I just got on a few West Metro lakes.

Here is the next installment of watercraft inspection records for Lake Ann, Lake Susan and Lotus Lake. These inspections occurred between the dates of June 8nd and July 20th, 2012. A total of 660 inspections are tallied in this group – 11 of the 660 watercraft had their bilge plugs in place upon arrival (1.7% failure rate). Fourteen boats/trailers had aquatic plants attached upon arrival at a landing (2.1% failure rate) and 15 boats/trailers were cleaned of aquatic plants upon exit. Three watercraft had water present in the motor or hull upon arrival (0.5% failure rate) and one had water present in the motor upon exit. These passing rates (97.9% to 99.5 %) and failure rates (0.5% to 2.1 %) for 660 inspections, are consistent with the previous 941 inspections.

What percent of the plant violations had Milfoil?

Whet percent of the vessels with water in the lower unit/hull ect had spiny water fleas/zebs or anything else dangerous to the lake?

Guilty until proven innocent. That’s not my America.

Quote:

---

What percent of the plant violations had Milfoil?

Whet percent of the vessels with water in the lower unit/hull ect had spiny water fleas/zebs or anything else dangerous to the lake?

Guilty until proven innocent. That’s not my America.

---

Good point Brian, I would like to know of the violations what percent actually had an AIS. Even still that is a pretty small percentage of violations, good info Buzz