Pacemaker Fishing Forum

This was just posted on another site by a fella that fishes DC water often.

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I just took the infamous DC Boating Safety Course this past weekend, and BOY have I got some news to post. There's some serious officialdom 
in all this that teeters on the bleeding edge of the officers' discretion and budgetary ability to cover territory that you really want to understand.

I'll push to get a summary posted this week, but here's for real: 

Anybody operating ANYTHING that floats in DC waters must by law pass the NASBLA online Boaters Safety Course (DC specific version), or the 
class taught in person at the DC Harbor Master near the fish market on Maine Ave. Rhats kayaks, canoes, paddleboats, pontoons, anything 
(rentals may be licensed differently). The fact that this is news to most people is a result of officer's discretion and budgetary 
edication/enforcement limitations. There is a big wave of states making this mandatory, up to 44 now if I recall. One class covers you 
in most places, but there are many DC-specific regs & laws.

Now get this. Because DC is a sensitive Homeland Security area, EVERY boating or fishing violation that results in a ticket is technically 
recorded as an ARREST (may impact your security clearance), and they have a first expectation of literally taking you away in handcuffs for 
booking, even for simple stuff. It's the officers' discretion whether to give a warning instead, but a ticket is recorded as an arrest.

I would have thought that last paragraph was hysterical rantings, but they made it very clear what their expectations and responsibilities 
are.

Bottom line: if you want to float on the Potomac as the operator of NY boat in DC waters (and be legally responsible for your guests 
operating your boat), take the DC Boaters Safety Course and carry the certification card. And yes, it's clearly a registration database as 
well.
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We will need to do a little more research on this so I think we will scratch the DC float for now.