Billy G & Brad Z

[Ron V]

This thing with the noise ordinance on the Chain intrigues me. How can they be citing people for stereos? The loudest stereo in the world in a boat can't be heard even half the distance away that a waverunner can. If they are getting away with writing these tickets, imagine what is in store for us in the years ahead? It's not so much even what is happening now, it is the precedent that it sets. And when are they writing these tickets for noise? 30 already? I've been out there four times already this year and have yet to see a cop boat. Are these numbers coming from credible sources? If they are citing people for stereos then even I'm in trouble with a stock V-4 with the prop half out of the water. I really wish the stuck-up landlubbers who complain about noise from boats after buying homes that border a world class boating bonanza would get a life.

And of course the media is just the boater's best friend with regards to all of this too. You can always count on the Daily Herald and Tribune to hype things up.

[Brad Zastrow]

I love the sound of a 540 supercharged motor as much as any gear head. But wide open headers is a bit much when you live on the water. The whole house shakes! And I have been floating in my deck boat trying to relax when some nutbar has to have his stereo so loud you can not talk in your own boat. Sound travels on water. Hi-Perf mufflers on those big boys will still sound cool but cut the noise back. The stereos just turn the em down or listen at home as loud as you want. Oh wait, even at home neighbors will call the cops if too loud. Out-boards are not as loud as the big blocks. And it is my understanding the test is given at idle. I was at a poker run last year and they did a "gentlemen start your engines". There was a twin 900sc Fountain next to me who after he started I had no way of telling if my motors were running unless looking at the tachs!

[WillyT]

Noise regulations are just going to increase, and enforcement is really going to escalate around the country. This is not a battle that we have ANY chance of winning. When jet skis were banned from Lake Tahoe, a major push was from the wealthy casino owners who were tired of their well-heeled gamblers complaining about being awakened by the buzzing from these craft (the hotel guests like to sleep to about 11:00 a.m. after gambling all night!) They played the "environmental card" to obtain the ban, but the noise was a real underlying issue. Since the environmental concerns were the "official" reason for banning them, 2-cycle outboards were eliminated as well. Now that the EPA and CARB are doing away with NEW "traditional" 2-cycles in the coming years, it could be only a matter of time before OLDER/EXISTING 2-cycle outboards (i.e., yours and mine) are legislated off of the water. We don't need to give the government any "hidden" reasons to do this, like running real loud outboards around busy waterways and waterfront homes. In any case, I like to "spank" loud big blocks with my relatively quite ProMax. Being a quiet "family/ski/fishing engine" just makes the defeat that much harder for them to take. We have to play this smart and not do anything to encourage our extinction. Things like dry stacks on a "pleasure" outboard boat is just asking for trouble for all of us. Like it or not, that's just how it is. Remember, for everyone of "us", there are thousands of "them".

[KaptainKirk]

As for the stereo volume issue I agree wit ya!
Know as to the sound ord. you are mistaken!
In the City of McHenry it is Officers discretion!
That is for the river from the stratton lock and dam until pistakee.
That is from the ticketing officer and from da judge when I went to court they changed that in july of last year,otherwise the idle test is a fox waterway rule,but the locals have the right to impose stricter laws.
Just relaying my experience...Later

[Techno]

I find these "noise ordinace" laws to be illegal. When someone can blast their stereo at home or run a weed eater and not be breaking the law. But to have a stereo in a car while a boom box on the corner is heard beyond 50'. And the car is ticketed or the equipment confiscated. In that almost useless piece of paper called the Bll of rights it states that 'property can't be siezed with out due process.' It is confiscated and none of the government offices that are supposed to enforce this right are to be seen. That a 'person in any state should be treated the same in any of the other states.' Hell a person with differrent forms of sound "noise" generators is treated differently and this in the same state.

This is a perfect example of the difference between a Democracy and a Republic.
Democracy- Everyone votes on Every law.
Republic- A person is voted to make decisions for you. And for a long time they haven't been for you.

[Ron V]

First, I am not saying that some of the people who live on shore do not have a valid point about excessive noise from offshore boats with absolutely wide open exhaust systems. And I had my windows rattled on the 10th floor for 2 years at Illinois State University because of Puff Daddy playing from stereos in cars with 6" diameter chrome wheels 1/2 mile away. And the cops wouldn't and couldn't do **** about it. But, that was in a university setting and it gets annoying listening to it day and night when can't hear your own TV or work on term papers or sleep. As for equipment like weed eaters, that falls under outdoor work ordinances and has restricted hours. I agree that it is odd that an offshore midsection at 2 PM should be illegal but if some kind neighbor starts up a a roto-tiller at 7 AM on a Saturday, it's no problem. Most towns also have "sound amplification device" ordinances as well. The state of Illinois made a "75 foot" law a few years back for car stereos and it failed in court due to freedom of expression, etc. But, locales can still cite people under the local amplification device laws.

Now, I agree with WillyT in that if we all want the sport we love to continue, we need to take some social responsibility too and not go out of our way to annoy people. Sailboaters and fisherman have the same right to the lake as us, even though they typically don't see it the same way--they think they have more of a right to it than we do. People bitch enough as it is, and they certainly don't need any encouragement. To a certain point I say they can kiss my ass, but only to the point where politics and rich bitches step forward and ruin our hobby and others. We had some problems with some careless (drunk and inexperienced) 19 year olds in a Concord with a 454 in it on our local lake a few years back, and basically they ruined it for everyone. Shortly after that the ax fell. Now we have cops aiming radar guns at pontoon boats on that lake. If you think I'm kidding e-mail me and I'll give you the directions to the launch ramp and you can see for yourself come July. Anyone going over tubing speed is being stared down with binoculars and radar. My boat is under careful observation every minute I am out there, even at 25 mph with the motor tucked under. The only good news on the lake in 3 years is that they just cut the duty hours for the police boat in half. My point in all of this is lack of discretion can and will inhibit the future. But at the same time, the law is going beyond its moral realm of power in many cases.

I did write a letter to the Fox Waterway Agency last year about what I thought of their abuse of power. Never got a response (go figure, I didn't expect one). I wasn't going to even buy a Chain sticker this year but it is just too much fun to let some carp-hugging bureaucrats stand in the way of.

[Gerben]

I was wondering,
Are there any clubs/groups around the lakes you guys are running at?
Though I realise a lot of us are a bit individualistic in a way, no individual can stop/slow this environmental trend.

We/you really need to organise in strong groups locally and nationally (does f.i. the OBDA have any part in this) to have any influence on the political course of things.

I don't know the Situation at your side of the lake, but in Europe this whole environmental thing seems to start snowballing. I'm not saying it's a bad thing per se, but once it's rolling, it sometimes roles a bit to far...

Greetings,
Gerben

[Bill Gohr]

First of all, The test isn't done correctly and never will be. If your stereo sets off the meter you'll get a ticket, just like if your motor does. That's the way it is. All them guys with the loud IO's do the test with the silent choice on. it's supposed to be done with the choice open. They don't do the test right. As far as the people on the lake....I know they pay taxes and all that stuff but they did also knowingly buy a home on the second busiest body of water in the world so deal with it. The loud IO's got to go. I don't live on the water and it's annoying to me. By the way, They're just gonna lock up Kirk with no test. So Kirk don't use your boat this weekend so you don't give the cops my money for doing your motor.......

[Bill Gohr]

If you guys havn't figured it out that's why a boating guy like myself doesn't live on the water. What really pisses me off though is when it's like 2 in the morn and we're over at Danny's house on the No Wake on Petite and some Jag comes on the lake with some monster bass thing. You know we have spent countless evenings listening to the call of nature out there. Late at night you can sit on the deck and hear somebody bending a screamer over the back of a Bayliner and it gets interupted by a guy like Kirk idling in from Fox Lake. That's rude.....

[KaptainKirk]

I may have the equipment but I haven't abused it YET!
Still have 2 more bose and one more amp to put in!
Now as for listening to the screamers, do the same thing in Barrington am right across from hankypanky bay.Roll onto a river pier on my golfcart pop a cold one and listen all night to the night sounds and quite a few times a rude basser goes by and ruins it.
Thats why my tunes Have never and will never bump at night.
Rule of thumb I use...If I can't fly I can't scream and bump.So dusk til dawn I run no stereo!!Besides can't even power the stereo with all the night gear runnin!!Of course the motor is still loud at night on the way home from the races,until they busted me!Now I run the muffs after dusk also.And Bill did ya get my e-mail?Oh well will talk to ya monday.
By the way next time at night on petite if ya see 2 green glowing eyes looking your way,thats me wit da nightvision on lookin for your screamers!!HAHAHA.