FROM THE HELM
STEVE MORRELL,
EDITOR
Ohio Passes Law Limiting Boardings – Is it Time Florida Does the Same Thing?
will give them lots of publicity. Readers, let me know what you think. editor@southwindsmagazine.com.
In July, the state of Ohio passed a law restricting local and state officers from boarding pleasure and charter boats unless there is reasonable suspicion that laws are being broken. Following a growing trend in the country limiting local and state police from boardings without probable cause, Ohio passed the Boater Freedom Act limiting such police actions. Several other states have already done so (see “Our Waterways” and “From the Helm” SOUTHWINDS, June 2013 issue, at www.southwindsmagazine.com, Back Issues). Boaters in northwest Ohio have been complaining for years about constant safety inspections by local and state agencies, with some boaters reporting being inspected multiple times in the same day. One boater was even reported to have been brought ashore while face down and in handcuffs, even though a Breathalyzer test showed no evidence of alcohol use. The new law will not stop the U.S. Coast Guard or Homeland Security officials from arbitrarily stopping and boarding boats, but Ohio legislators hope to next talk to these two organizations about also eliminating boardings unless they see laws being broken. Above was a report I was going to put in the magazine, but decided that it was due more attention. In the June issue, I wrote an editorial about this problem of unwarranted and excessive police boardings. In the same issue, we published an article by Norm Schultz of TradeOnlyToday about other states passing or considering similar laws (go to Back Issues at www.southwindsmagazine.com). It’s about time someone in Florida government takes up this issue. We are the biggest boating state and we all know there are too many unwarranted boardings. I call on all boating publications in Florida—plus other national publications—to come out and promote a boarding law in Florida. Readers of SOUTHWINDS know that I have been questioning unwarranted boardings for over 10 years. It’s about time others joined the cause. If anyone wants to take up this cause, I
Watch the America’s Cup
SOUTHWINDS
I mentioned this almost a year ago when the America’s Cup catamarans were sailing at locations around the world—all viewable online. You’ve got to see it to believe it. What they’ve done with TV/video coverage of these races is remarkable, enjoyable and educational to watch. It is truly entertaining. For those who know little about racing—as well as those who know a lot—you will learn a lot, as they have virtual lines— like the scrimmage line on TV football—showing the start, the layline and the three-boat-length circle around the mark, where rules apply differently as boats meet inside the circle. This is all superimposed over helicopter footage to see how the boats are racing, where they are in distance between each other, time to finish, boat speed—and much more. This all happens with cameras onboard the race boat, onboard a nearby pursuit powerboat—even shots from up the mast. These are all coordinated—along with the helicopter camera—to give the viewer great perspective of what’s going on. Plus, if you go to the website, you can view it on a large computer monitor, or on a large TV hooked to your computer with superb quality, as they have figured how to bring this website video onto a big screen. You gotta see it to believe that it is that good. Go to page 32 for more on the Cup and where to watch it on your screen. The finals are all in September. You can watch them live.
Corrections
Mark Johnson corrected our photo caption on page 16 in the July issue which called what is obviously a trimaran, a catamaran. Mark lives on a Jim Brown Searunner 34 trimaran, Delphys. Pat Alston corrected another caption, which identified a Hobie 18 on the top left page 32, August, as a 16. As soon as he pointed it out, I noticed the struts between the hulls are definitely not those of a 16. Good eye, Pat. Pat has his custommade mahogany trimaran 21 for sale in classifieds.
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