Imagine being on the Sheriff's hit list and not knowing it....

[JW]

Went out to test the Pulsare Saturday. Added setback and bow cover, wanted to see what rpm gains were. When I got to the boat launch, I find a dozen of our local finest. Mix of county sheriff and dive team out for a day of practice. I said 'Hi' to everyone and put the boat in, didn't look like they were writing tickets or even had a radar gun. Nobody else on the lake.

Fired it up, let it warm up a bit and then made some passes. Went back to the ramp, forgot my sunglasses in the truck. Nobody said 'boo' to me, all seemed AOK.
Buddy of mine shows up, and takes some pix of me flying by. I stopped back in and I said kinda loud: 'I think I'm gettin' 55 out of her today'. Ha Ha. I let him take it out for some fast passes, still nobody says anything to me.

Then we both go out together to enjoy the day, and he proceeds to tell me about the conversations he had with the county boys while I was out. One of the posse told him that they tried to get me on radar last year, but the day they came out with the gun I wasn't on the lake. Then they asked him how fast I was going, he says: 'I don't know.' Ha Ha again. The guy runs up to the truck, and grabs out a radar gun, runs back down to the dock, and tries to get me! He couldn't lock on for some reason, I escape justice again. Before I could get back to the dock, he ran back up and hid it in the truck again. NOT a sheriff truck mind you, and dive team truck. WITH RADAR.

Going to have to be on the lookout, I'm thinking they got me on the 'hit list' now. Not many boats can get above 48 mph around here, so they love to catch the few that can :D
Took them some of the wife's cookies later, hoping that will buy me a friendly warning instead of an expensive ticket.

[Scott Gilmore]

Join the club............it happens to me a bunch :mad: ! Scott

[Racemore]

I couldn't live where I would get a ticket at 50 unless my boat wouldn't go any faster.:D There's no place you can stretch it out legally? :cool:

[Ron V]

We've got the same thing here except it's a 30 speed limit. Love watching them shoot radar at the drunk housewives in the pontoon boats. Just remember JW, everyone who's on a time clock gets a coffee or lunch break sooner or later. Our finest usually retreat back to the station in their Jeep during that time, which is when I uncork it.

What good would the roadrunner be without the coyote, I always say.........

[Raceman]

In dealing with the radar, keep this in mind: If you're running dead straight at it, the reading is accurate. If you're running perpendicular to it, the reading is zero. Somewhere in between is what the radar is reading because of your angle. Don't let him get within 45º and he can't read anything useable.

[Racemore]

Thats easy to say when we know the Coyote can never catch the Roadrunner.:cool:

[Capt.Insane-o]

i think it's the metalflake, kinda mezmerizes 'em. Now i can tell 'em i was boat of the month on an internationally famously renown website. Nothin better than the look on the water swines face when he sees two 20 lb nitrous bottles bolted to the floor and I tell him it goes 54.:eek:

[at100plus]

In addition, radar picks up the largest/closest moving object, (whichever comes first), so if the pontoon boat is doing 50 mph 100 yards away, and you are doing 90 mph 300 yards behind it, he's reading the pontoon boat.


I highly recommend that you don't dispute the officer's reading when you are stopped though. Believe it or not, there are plenty of assholes where you came from so the police really don't need your ticket to meet their quota. It's quite a myth although, I admit some cops do act like it (I'll never understand why).

[airpacker]

You guys got speed limits,WTF is up with that? Land of the free? If they slapped speed limits on the lakes here,I would give up boating or move to somewhere really free like cuba ;)

[JW]

Here in Michigan. Lake Michigan has a speed limit also, until you get out a certain distance then the sky is the limit.

I've never disputed a radar reading, I usually know how fast I'm going and it's amazing how accurate those guns are :D

I knew about the angle thing, and that's probably why I got away with it this time. When he had the gun out, I was going by the ramp instead of at it from a distance.

My plan is to make nice with these guys whenever possible, so that if I do get caught maybe it'll buy me a warning or just a friendly 'gotcha'.

[speedyfast]

apparently there are speed limits on some lakes in Quebec too. I think its 55. Thats getting a liitle too close to home for my likings

[outboards4life]

What lake do you boat at? Just curious cuz i do most of my boatingin SW Michigan.
Lata
Travis:cool:

[wing nut]

i think im gonna be on there "hit list" this summer.. 14ft metalflake hydrostream flying around.. im 17 BUT i like like im 14.. so that wont help either :(

scott

[JW]

I mostly boat at Barton Lake. Look south of Kalamazoo/Portage on US 131 and it's usually called out on maps.

Where do you run?

[outboards4life]

My family has a cottage on Gun Lake. In between kalamazoo and Grand Rapids. You've probably heard about it. It's pretty shallow in some spots but once you know it its not that bad. My family has been going there since my father was a kid. I'd like to go to Coldwater sometime though I heard there are quite a few hotboats running out there.
Lata
Travis:cool:

[ripperd2]

the good old lake minnetonka:

Speed Restrictions

40 mph daytime
20 mph nighttime

I have never seen them enforce it though. There are many hotboats on that lake, inboards and outboards. Shoot, even our boat can do 10 over that limit. Never been hassled by the sheiffs yet. I had a buddy get ticketed for coming off plane too close to shore though. that wasn't cheap!

-Dean

[175checkmate]

I spent quality time on Gun Lake, grandparents lived on the lake. Boating in the summer and ice boating in the winter. Great place. There are some fast boats on that lake

[JW]

But with the Checkmate dealer being there I've been to it a bunch. Probably one of the top 3 inland lakes in Michigan for high speed boats, and accidents. If that lake wasn't so shallow, it would be filled with monster offshore boats.........

[sms]

Ripperd2

I spent a lot of time in the twin cities and on Gull Lake in Brainerd growing up but it's been a while since iv'e been there. I remember that milfoil was taking over your lake. Did it ever get under control?
If any of you West Michigan boaters get near Spring Lake let me know. I need something to run with besides the deep V's that come in off Lake Mich.

[ripperd2]

There is some milfoil there, but it is better. It only gets bad if your on the windward launches, then you get a bit on your trailer. Out in the lake, you don't really run into much.

[B.Mac]

They don't even look at ya twice if you're under 100 in unmarked channels....... Intercoastal waterways have limits but open Bay running is no limits. The rule is "unsafe speed for conditions" whatever the heck that means.......basically it's up to the cops, who are reasonable here, as long as you've got you're equipment and enough wisdom not to open up 'yer yap and get stupid.....Yes Sir, No Sir, Thank You sir, I'll take care of it right away.......(they always find something to see if you're stupid enough to argue with 'em).

Only thing down here that stinks are Manatee Zones everywhere
makes me wanna get a Manatee Stamp for my Starboard side hull like they used ta' do on warplanes:eek:
B.MAC:D

Tree huggin' frog lickers.......:D ;) :p

[JW]

Jet boats!! Send all yer Allies, all yer STV's, all yer Checkmates up here to the north and you take ALL the jet boats down there! Sounds like a plan! Save the Manatees!!

[outboards4life]

JW you would be surprised at some of the boats they run on Gun Lake. I've seen some big Checkmates, Bajas, Powerquests running out there. I've seen some big cuddy cabins. Every time I see them running I just say to myself oh good the lake is a foot deeper now. Yeah that Lake has it shallow spots. You just gotta know where there at, just like any other lake I guess. But like you guys said plenty of fast boats to run around with up there. Makes it for some very interesting weekends. Nothing I like more than beating up on I/O's and overgrown squirt guns.
Lata
Travis