IF YOU TRAILER A BOAT IN NC---LISTEN UP!!!!

[Squid]

Alright guys, I learned a lesson the hard way last night and want to share it with everyone so that we can all learn.

Recently the NCDMV and NC Highway Patrol merged and since then have been on a serious crackdown with people towing trailers, ESPECIALLY BOATS! On your vehicle registration, there is a weight limit listed which is determined by your tags. THIS LISTED WEIGHT IS FOR YOUR TRUCK AND TRAILER COMBINED!

For example: My tags are weighted (the blue tag) for 10,000 lbs. My truck (GMC 2500HD Duramax) alone, empty weighs 6,725 lbs. This means that if I tow anything over 2,275 lbs. I am considered overweight.

"Regular" NC tags are rated for (I think) 5,000 lbs. With this being the case, I'm sure there are a TON of y'all that are overweight when you tow your boat and don't know it.

Last night, the trooper pulled me over after "seeing" that the rear lights were out on the trailer (the ground wire had come loose and caused the problem on the way home) and says "since I have you here, I'm going to weigh you because I know you're overweight." The truth of the story was that he never saw the lights out until after he pulled me---he was pulling me for one reason and that was to weigh me and cite me for being too heavy. (He was a COMPLETE ASSHOLE by the way!!!) He then has me pull to the next intersection and get the scales out to weigh me on the spot.

My truck alone weighed 7800 lbs and the boat (a 32' Seacraft with twin 225 Merc's) weighed 10,400 lbs for a total of 18,200 lbs. All of this equaled out to a $430 overweight ticket!

So here is a word to the wise: Check your registration and do a little math. Then go to the DMV and either A--buy a weighted tag to cover your weight or B--up your weighted tag rating to cover you.

The law has gotten VERY strict on this lately, pulling people from Morehead down to the NC/SC line especially boaters and farmers.

I'm going to up my tags to 20,000 or more in order to cover any of this.

NOW FOR THE OTHER KICKERS!!

If you tow a trailer/load that weighs more than 10,000 lbs, MUST HAVE A CLASS A DRIVER'S LICENSE! (I didn't get ticketed for this but found out today that I could have.)

ALSO, IF YOUR BOAT/TRAILER IS WIDER THAN 8'6" WIDE, YOU MUST HAVE AN OVERSIZE PERMIT IN ORDER TO TOW IT!! (The officer mentioned this to me last night however didn't cite me on it and decided to "be nice". ) With this permit, you CANNOT tow your oversize load between SUNSET and SUNRISE, ANYTIME ON SUNDAY, ANYTIME ON A HOLIDAY AND 12 HOURS BEFORE OR AFTER A HOLIDAY! Be sure to read that closely! You can ONLY tow during the day from Monday-Saturday on non-holidays!
This permit is available from the Permit Office and is $98/year. It goes to the vehicle and covers any load that you tow with the vehicle. Without this permit, if your trailer is over 8'6" wide, you are subject to a $500 ticket ON THE SPOT!

Again, this is VERY IMPORTANT! Things are getting VERY SERIOUS about this issue with reports of numerous people getting tickets in Snead's Ferry, Morehead City (after one of the King Mackerel Tournaments), and all across the state!

If you ask me, we need to try and fight some of this issue----I know for a fact, there are a LOT of people who do not live on the coast but travel to the area most weekends out of the year. For nearly 100% of these people, it is IMPOSSIBLE to NOT trailer a boat after sunset (see the oversized permit law). This would mean taking a half day off work on Friday and Monday in order to get the boat to and from the beach in order to simply go fishing or just enjoy the water!

This is complete BULL$@&# and we have to try and do something about it if you ask me. I am fortunate enough to live in Wilmington, NC and don't yet have a boat but I do tow a number of boats for friends due to my truck. So eventhough I don't have much of a "dog in the fight" (no Michael Vick pun intended ), I realize how STUPID this whole ordeal is.

Ok...I think I've covered all of the material on the subject. If you have any questions or comments please post up. I'm still learning on all of this since it's the first time I've been involved with such an issue but I know that more and more cases just like mine are happening with some fines being in the THOUSANDS of dollars.

Tight lines!
Bryan "Squid" Williams

[flatbottom]

The 8' 6" you say is the trailer. What is the rule on boats over 8' 6" but the trailer makes the legal width?

by the way thanks

[whitemarlin16]

ya I heard they were crackingdown the company that brings my boat down to fl and back to nj said there was something oging on but now you explaned it real well thanks alot .

[Tuna Taxi]

The 8' 6" you say is the trailer. What is the rule on boats over 8' 6" but the trailer makes the legal width?

by the way thanks

It's not the trailer width, it's the widest of the trailer or load that must be 8'6" or less.

[flatbottom]

roger that

[Squid]

The 8' 6" you say is the trailer. What is the rule on boats over 8' 6" but the trailer makes the legal width?

by the way thanks

Tuna Taxi hit it on the head----if ANY part of your load is wider than 8'6", you are illegal without the permit. The officer told me last night that he could get on board the boat with a tape measure and bust me but he didn't. WHEW!

[TROPHY SPORTFISHING]

Squid we run big trucks in my buisness and this is an ongoing pain in the ass. They will and can wear you out about the absolute most bullshit. To bad they don't worry or stop the guys who are knowingly breaking the law you have all seen these wrecks driving on the roads. Enough said.

[GALAZIO]

sounds like you guys need to elect more boaters!

That is BS... I can see it with an International pulling a 42' CC, but a guy with a Surburban and 23' CC????

One Word...

Extorsion!

[Capt. Jon Tennant]

was it the one in the new balck tahoe? They are taking advantage of the laws that were written with the intent of "commercial" vehicals and using it for a big money grab. total bs. i know some things about a couple of the dmv/hp officers personal life that they would not want public. give me a call squid, if it was one of them I think I might be able to help you out a little.

[squirtis]

I heard a few of the SKA big boys with the triple outboards etc. got nailed at one of the Kingfish tournaments recently and there was a big stink.

Here's and idea:

Let's ticket an already beaten up industry and while we are at it ticket the very people who are likely bringing in at least a million dollars to the local economy for one of those big events between hotels, food, resaraunts, FUEL, bait, parts, Wal Mart, tackle shops, oil, dockage fee's, home rentals etc....

That's the sign of a state that is a little backwards....

Many of the people that own these larger boats have money obviously, and one of these guys is going to ticket the wrong set-up and BAM....law go bye bye.

I have lived in many places in my life worldwide and have driven numerous times from coast to coast and I have to say that the following three states have the worst cops I have ever seen:

North Carolina
Texas
Virginia

Does anybody have a link on the correct representative to bring this attention to?

Maybe someone could write an electronic letter and we could get members to electronically sign and send that person a mass mail to try and fix it so the law is interpreted correctly.

Curtis