WaterWings
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Boating Noise Laws?
What are the boating noise laws for KY? Anyone been pulled over for having a boat that was too loud, engine wise I mean.
I've heard some good stero systems a 1/2 mile away.
May 3, 2012
Attracting Attention
A closer look at boat noise laws
By Joan Wenner, J.D.
Most boaters don’t want every large lake and inland waterway turned into one giant No-Wake zone because a small minority of operators ignore boat
noise laws. With fines for violations no longer inexpensive, it’s time for an update.
Engine noise statutes have been around a long time and initially were pretty much geared to nudge ahead engine technology back in the day to more
quiet operation. Many still provide for somewhat higher decibel limits (dBA) for engines manufactured before 1993. Those states without specific
levels cautioned boaters, and continue to do so, that engine noise had to be ‘adequately muffled’ with no removing or tampering of factory muffler
systems.
Noise Suppression
Engine noise suppression technology evolved with engine makers quite effectively meeting the challenge for quieter as well as for more efficient
products. For example, personal watercraft makers, according to the Personal Watercraft Industry Association, have reduced engine sound pressure
levels up to 70 percent since 1998. These reductions have been achieved in part by lowering the sound made as well as the pitch of the engine. Without
getting technical, methods employed by manufacturers of these popular crafts (and carried aboard many houseboats plus often owned by pontoon owners
and others), absorb or block the wavelengths of sound, which greatly lessens both the loudness and the pitch attributed to PWCs.
For instance, Polaris has had for a decade its Low Acoustic Noise Exhaust engine noise suppression system. More modernly, its four-passenger Genesis
claims noise reduced by 60 percent. Yamaha’s Super Jet includes its well-received Sound Suppression system, and Kawasaki, Sea-Doo and Yamaha
WaveRunner each have their innovative models with the latest generation technology.
Engine Noise Levels
The Coast Guard has long recommended a level of 86 decibels (dBA) for powerboats, though the limit varies somewhat by state. Commonly boats must not
produce noise levels in excess of 86 dBA to 90 dBA when subjected to a stationary-mode standard. Some states say no boat shall be operated if it
exceeds 75 dBA measured from the shoreline with the vessel in any level of operation, not less than 200 meters away. For those who may question the 75
dBA shoreline limit, extensive research showed noise-induced speech interference is a key annoyance factor and the highest acceptable outdoor
background noise is a constant sound level of 72 dBA. Any higher requires people to raise their voices to communicate.
Mufflers must be installed to reduce noise, and existing mufflers or muffling systems must not be removed or be altered with a cutout or bypass that
reduces or eliminates their effectiveness. Note most regulations require system compliance in all operational modes. Under Louisiana’s Uniform
Pleasure Boating Act, muffler regulations (similar to Oklahoma, Arkansas and Georgia) make it unlawful to operate without an “efficient muffler,
underwater exhaust or other device capable of adequately muffling the sound of the exhaust of the engine.” Alterations and modifications to a device
or system meant to reduce noise can easily get you in some pretty hot water.
In addition to California setting noise levels, for the past five years it has utilized “a more efficient method to measure and enforce” the existing
limits. Its noise laws apply to 1) inland waterways and coastal waters out to one mile from shore, 2) state registered recreational boats and those
federally documented, and 3) the boat’s owner responsible for the vessel’s noise level, not the operator who borrowed or rented it. Penalties for
violation can have a fine assessed of up to $250.
It is important to remember that the noise laws in many states that had fairly languished on the statute books have now been dusted off for renewed
enforcement. Ohio has always enforced its “noise” laws normally on a “complaint-driven” basis and according to Officer Todd Doncyson of the Ohio
Department of Natural Resource’s Division of Watercraft Law Enforcement, while not many noise citations are written, they do try to educate boaters to
promote voluntary compliance as to the mechanical aspects which he says has worked well for most operators. A decade ago courtesy testing of engines
was provided as part of the state’s boating safety legislation with time given for corrective measures to the system if needed, and continues to be in
effect.
User Conflict
What the Ohio Division of Watercraft labels as the “user conflict” noise-related problem is equally important to address. This somewhat recent
development relates to individual boater perception as to particular boating activities enjoyed, which has a decidedly unenjoyable effect on other
boaters engaging in dissimilar activities. Do you think those snappy sport boats pulling skiers and tube toy riders for hours on end are in too close
a proximity to a lazily motoring houseboat or cruiser? Or too close to the marinas and shore-side dwellers?
“This kind of arrest usually starts with a ‘normal’ violation stop that leads to much more during the safety inspection process,” says Officer
Doncyson, who believes operating impaired is always a concern and major attention is given to it. His advice to ‘noise’ violators: “Don’t draw
attention to yourself.” A probable cause stop casts a wide net in checking for additional possible violations including speeding, reckless operation,
lack of required onboard safety equipment, overloading, etc.
The immense and very popular Fox Lake Chain O’ Lakes known as the “Key West of the Midwest” in northeastern Illinois has seen a disturbing increase in
‘noise’ incidents the last couple of seasons and they, along with local officials, are determined to do something about it, said Fox Lake Agency
Executive Director Phil Bartmann. It oversees and is the proud caretaker of the “busiest inland recreation waterway per acre in the United States.”
The Agency expects to have an ordinance affecting its over 7,100 acres of water, 15 lakes and 45 miles of river, included into the state statutes for
enforcement purposes along with the strict speed limits already in place. Several alternatives had been attempted to no avail.
It should also be remembered, and Indiana with other states’ legislation reminds us, that excessive boat noise can prevent an operator from hearing
other boats’ sound signals and warnings, and/or from hearing approaching marine patrol and emergency rescue vessels.
One more point for those who may trailer their crafts to U.S. national parks. A noise abatement regulation prohibits operation exceeding a level of
82dBA measured at a distance of 82 feet from the vessel.
Readers wanting to check the ‘noise’ laws can check with their state boating department or can go to the National Boating Law Administrators website
at www.nasbla.org/refguide and click on the appropriate jurisdiction.
A little consideration will go a long way on the water and may also save some a few citations along the way too.
Full story here:
http://www.houseboatmagazine.com/houseboat-news/display.cfm?...
WHATEVER floats your boat Dude!
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show-n-goh2o
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Does that go for music as well? If so Ky can pay a months salaries on the tickets they could write on one holiday weekend in Harmon. This was really
big at Lake of the Ozarks, all the boats had turn down exhaust pipes so that when at idle the pipes were under the water line. i was told that out
there they tested at idle though, according to this they can do it from afar.
You can never have to much horsepower or to much money, it's just hard to have both...
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be
sitting next to you saying, \"dam...that was fun! - Anonymous\"
Topless Pleasure 38 Donzi Zr with 525\'s
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9000revs
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Oh good grief, geek alert... Make another stupid law up
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Tom
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This is Lake Cumberland
They ain't no noise laws!
And to proove it all ya gotta do is listen to these go fast boats runnin up an down Fishin Creek on any given weekend.
Sides, Ya ever see these big boat races or poker runs. Noise is half the show!
Atleast they ain't enforced anyway...
Get-R-Wet
in
Pulaski County!!!
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kdfwr911 (retired)
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| Quote: | Originally posted by WaterWings
What are the boating noise laws for KY? Anyone been pulled over for having a boat that was too loud, engine wise I mean.
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KRS 235.200
Required equipment -- Prohibition against operation without required equipment.
(1) Every vessel shall have aboard:
(a) Personal floatation devices of the type and quantity as prescribed by the United States Coast Guard;
(b) When in operation during hours of darkness, or during times of poor visibility, such lights as prescribed by administrative regulations of the
department;
(c) If carrying or using any inflammable or toxic fluid in any inclosure for any purpose, and if not an entirely open motorboat, an efficient natural
or mechanical ventilation system which shall be capable of removing resulting gases prior to and during the time such motorboat is occupied by any
person;
(d) Such additional equipment designed to promote the safety of navigation and of persons as the department may find to be appropriate and for which
it has provided in its administrative regulations;
(e) If such motorboat is equipped with toilet facilities, a storage container or a treatment or disposal system of size and construction sufficient to
protect and preserve the waters of this state from pollution. The storage container or treatment or disposal system shall conform to the construction,
performance, and utilization criteria as may be established by regulations promulgated pursuant to this chapter;
(f) The certificate number.
(2) Except during an authorized race or regatta, which shall include trial runs in preparation for such race or regatta to be conducted at a
time and place designated by the department, it shall be illegal to operate any motorboat without an effective exhaust muffling system, or in any
manner which renders the exhaust muffling system ineffective in muffling the sound of engine exhaust.
(3) No person shall operate or give permission for the operation of a motorboat which is not equipped as required by this section or modification
thereof or which is not safe for operation as a motorboat.
Effective: July 15, 1998
This is the law. Now, someone define what an "effective exhaust muffling system" is for me. Exactly what is too loud and what isn't. Where do you draw
the line, and more importantly, how do you find that same line on the next boat you stop? When I worked the roads, 15 over the speed limit was my
breaking point and I was consistant with that number. But how can you be consistant when you can't find the same line from day to day or even from
boat to boat on the same day.....much less trying to be consistant from officer to officer or lake to lake.
Yes, some of the boats on Cumberland are obviously waaay too loud. But the problem is our law doesn't establish a reference point by setting a db
limit that makes things black and white. It's completely open to the individual officers opinion as to what too loud is......and opinions are like
arseholes, we all have one.
We have speed limits on the roads that specify an exact limit. If you exceed that limit, you are clearly in violation. We train and equip the police
with high tech radar to pick the violators out, and in court they can tell the judge and/or jury EXACTLY how much over the limit the violator was.
Then they can make an educated decision about guilt based on hard data instead of an individuals opinion. Can you imagine what a circus it would be if
troopers tried to enforce speeding laws if it was just left it up to their own individual opinion to decide if someone were going too fast or not
without the benefit of established speed limits?
We have DUI laws that spell out exact limits for blood alcohol and spend millions buying equipment and training officers to measure the BAC levels. If
you exceed those limits, you are considered to be legally under the influence. If you are below those limits, then you are considered legally not
under the influence.
But this law doesn't establish a reference point by specifing an exact limit. It leaves it all up to the individual officer to try to figure out what
is too loud and what isn't. That means there can NEVER be any consistency in enforcement from officer to officer, or even from stop to stop or day to
day. Heck, the same officer can't even be consistant from boat to boat because all he has to rely on is his own estimation of how loud that other boat
he cited was. I may stop you for a safety inspection and think your exhaust is perfectly fine and send you on your way. Ten minutes later another
officer comes along and writes you a ticket for it. Then your defense attorney subponeas me to court to testify against a fellow officer because I had
just stopped you and told you it was okay, then 10 minutes later officer B comes along and says it's too loud and writes you a ticket for it.
"Officer exactly how loud was my clients boat"?
"Well sir, it was pretty loud."
"How loud is pretty loud officer"?
"Well, it's pretty loud sir".
"And just exactly how loud is that officer"?
"Pretty daggone loud sir".
Well officer, since you can't tell the jury how loud it was, can you at least demonstrate how loud it was for them"?
"Well it was about this loud VROOOOMMMMMMMMM, VROOOMMMMMM."
This law needs a db limit set and KDFWR to purchase the necessary equipment to measure those levels with. Either that or take all exhaust noise
restriction laws off the books. That's the bottom line and I'll leave it at that until my retirement is official on 8/1. 
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9000revs
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So now I can say 17 yrs of breaking that law has come to an end.
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WaterWings
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Thanks for the post and clarification 911. I can see your delima. ANOTHER one of those well meaning laws enacted by people/politicians that don't have
a clue what its like in the real world.
This is a tough one. Frankly, and this is MY opinion only there should be noise laws for boaters but it needs to be resonable and fair. The
limit needs to be set so high that it does not curtail Go Fast boats and other recreational boaters.
Several of us last weekend heard a boat coming around the bend at Conley and thought wow that's going to be some kind of Go Fast boat with a noise
like that. It was a 19' runabout. He obviously had no mufflers of any kind.
Now what about the noise limits at marinas. I have heard some pretty loud music at almost all marinas. Again, its not a big deal most of the time but
when it runs past us old folks bed time...
PS Congrats on the retirement in Aug 911. I'll be joining you in about 40 years.
WHATEVER floats your boat Dude!
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NearlySatisfied
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This topic had come up before and there are various opinions. I think everyone is aware that it is illegal to not have muffling devices but just
about everyone just puts up with it. Like 911 mentioned, what's good for goose good for the gander and if enforcement is going to happen, then
everyone without exhaust will have to be sited and a standard set.
Personally I am in the middle here. To be totally opposed would be hypocritical because I have several friends who have boats with thru hull exhausts
and I can say I enjoy running down the lake with that rumble behind me. On the other hand I understand the annoyance when these are fired up in the
marina, especially under a set of covered slips. My opinion is that ALL thru hull should be mandated to have captain's call / choice and be required
to use it when in the marinas or under roof. Most of my friends who had this option always used it when entering their slips. Truth be known, most
at the marina view these boats a nuisance and I have seen several Pi$$ed off mothers when their sleeping child comes up screaming after one of these
guys fire up early in the morning or come in late at night without their captain's choice engaged. We had on guy in question at Conley for the life
of me why he didn't get his butt kicked every other weekend because he would fire up between 7 and 8 AM. Sit tweaking with his engines for about 15
minutes because they hardly ever ran right, then shut them down and just sit and smile at everyone after he woke them up. He was a short guy and I
guess the others just shrugged it off as "short man syndrome" and just let it lie. I think more of the women wanted to whip him more than the men.
Music noise is just as annoying and the docks still put up with it. Loud motorcycles are a pain in the a$$ and motorists and LE put up with it.
(Although, I would rather hear a bike on the expressway over not being able to know their coming.) Like everyone said, there are laws regulating
exhausts and loud music. Since the docks or LE don't have the inclination to enforce them, It seems like people just put up with it and the the ones
who don't find a way to get away from it.
Society has to deal with an increasing level of loud, obnoxious, disrespectful, "all about me" people all the time. Weather it be motor exhaust, loud
music, the neighbor's surround sound, or the loud group of rednecks over in the corner cackling in the restaurant, somewhere or sometime during the
day, people are going to endure some sort of noise pollution. One can confront the situation, which may have positive results 1% of the time, One
can endure the situation and tolerate the headaches that go along with it, One can place oneself in a sound proof bubble. Respect and consideration
died off with our Parents generation. There is still the occasional oddball out there but Society has taken it's turn and one just has to adapt.
Ladies and Gentlemen... might as well throw in the towel..
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Libertybelle
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As fast as most of these boats go, I'd rather be able to hear them coming and get out of their way than have them sneak up on me at 80MPH or better.
I think the noise is rather neat. I don't like being awakened by them at an early hour though. Go vroooooooooom, vroooooooom boats.
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Roadtrip
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Great post 911...
There is plenty of room for everyone out there on LC, and there is always room for improvement in tems of respecting another's right to enjoy it as
much as you do.
I have boated on lakes where there were specific noise and speed limits. And plenty of officers around to enforce the laws. Guess what, the locals
were still not happy, adding more and more rules to the book all of the time, and complaining constantly. I'll pass. Life is too short.
As for the a** that won't respect other's rights in the marina, this is a reflection on marina management. With enough complaints, the offender
should just quietly not have their slip lease renewed. No excuse for that.
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squakmeister
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You don't need:
- new laws
- decibel meters
- or assistance from Law Enforcement
All you need is a can of GREAT STUFF big gap form sealant.
Simply spray it into the exhaust pipe using the nozzle extension tube. A 3 second burst will
swell up like a tick on a deer's ear.
In addition to preventing the engine from starting, it will not harm the exhaust system, but it will
require some time and the use of a long 1/4" wooden dowel rod or screwdriver. Once the mass
has been disloges, simply start the engine and it will remove itself.
I recommend using the big gap sealant and it is guaranteed to send the message you intend.
Although there was one person who was a slow learner and he required two applications.
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spinzone
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Squak- remind me never to pi$$ you off!
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show-n-goh2o
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Let me start by saying that we are never on our boat real early or late.
Even with the captains call on when we fire up those 525's it's loud. We have our lift lowered and everything loaded before i ever touch a key so that
when we do fire it up we are pushing out. Backing in is a whole different problem since the boat exhaust is facing the covered slip and it takes a few
min to get it in the slip. The people around us are all really cool about it and we try to keep it to a minimum.
I always figured that the noise just came with boating, your going to hear loud boats, loud music and loud people. Out on the water i don't think
there is anyone who doesn't love the sound of big blocks at 4000 rpm going by, i can understand that people don't like to hear it at their slip at 7am
or 11pm. We don't need more laws, we need more mutual respect.
You can never have to much horsepower or to much money, it's just hard to have both...
A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be
sitting next to you saying, \"dam...that was fun! - Anonymous\"
Topless Pleasure 38 Donzi Zr with 525\'s
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E_HILLMAN
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Good show Show! lol
I expect to hear them roaring by. I would not want to have someone that reved them all the time for no good reason.
I also expect respect when somoene is in a cove alone even though they do not OWN the cove if you join the cove with them you do not put out any more
noise or music than they do. If they are partying they were there first and it is up to them, if they are being quiet I would guess that is what they
are looking for thus it is RUDE to enter the cove with your radio blasting. (some do this to try to run people out of "THEIR" favorite cove. 
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NearlySatisfied
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Our rule: You were there first, it's now your cove, your music, your rules. If you don't like what is there when you get there, you are always
welcome to raft up elsewhere. No hard feelings, just see you next time.
I know even with Captain's call some of the boats are still fairly loud. But at least, the boater is attempting to muffle his sound and respect those
around him.
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Watt Money
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| Quote: | Originally posted by NearlySatisfied
Our rule: You were there first, it's now your cove, your music, your rules. If you don't like what is there when you get there, you are always
welcome to raft up elsewhere. No hard feelings, just see you next time. |
That's the way I see it.
We never really grow up; we only learn how to act in public.
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macpirate
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I got to be honest, the thru hull noise drives me crazy...I know to expect it, but I have been driven out of a cove many times because I can't stand
the noise. And I know we have all been in coves that when finally the dude shuts the engine off, that everyone breaks into applause.
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