Somebody help me please..

[bobdu11]

I just picked my boat up from the dealer getting some "modifications" done. They regularly trailer down to hatteras and OI even Beaufort. They told me that NC is really chomping down on trailer boats even to go as far as being at the boat docks inspecting for width, lights, chains crossed, cotter pins in trailer latch, proper registration and such...If this is true then my spring season is frigging screwed man.....

If anybody has any info on this I would appreciate it....Bob

[HeadHunt]

It is true. The HP has a thorn up their but over this. Below is one of the latest articles I have found.

Alan


Boat trailer rules not likely to change

By ANNITA BEST

Tideland News Writer

Rules are rules, and recreational fishing boats aren’t exempt from regulations regarding weight and size limitations, according to a spokesman for the N.C. Highway Patrol.

In the past several months, sports fishermen from North Carolina and surrounding states have complained of being mistreated and fined huge amounts while pulling their trailers and boats to and from various marinas. Additionally, they say they aren’t sure where to go to find out where to find the correct weight regulations.

Robert Fisher of Swansboro said he has been dealing with these same issues for years and if a trailer is oversized, it shouldn’t matter if it’s a recreational fisherman or a commercial truck driver pulling it.

“I’m trying to make a living … if they are going to hit us, they should hit everyone,” he said. “I found it offensive that boaters think they are being picked on.

“The rules are regulated by the Federal Department of Transportation. They are the same rules and regulations in Florida .”

Fisher, as owner of a Hubert business in which he is required to haul large containers, has become quite familiar with the trailer rules over the past couple of years.

Fishermen, apparently, have only recently been introduced.

Following many complaints from fishermen during the past few months, N.C. Rep. Pat McElraft, R-Emerald Isle, began working with Rep. Bonner Stiller, R-Brunswick County , to formulate legislation that would exempt boaters from some of the rules.

However, in an e-mailed response to McElraft, Carla Farmer, assistant to Stiller, said legislation is not likely to happen.

“I spoke with Mikael Gross in our Bill Drafting and he said the overweight/oversize issues are federal laws,” Farmer stated. “These folks will need to display the banners, etc., to alert other motorist as a safety issue. He is working on legislation to exempt boaters from the Sunday and after
dark travel.”

So, unless federal regulations are changed to exclude recreational boaters, it seems that in order to avoid large fines and hours spent waiting on the side of the road, anyone pulling a potentially oversized trailer needs to be prepared with the proper license for the size and also needs to be schooled on the other requirements for pulling that weight.

According to Fisher, the book of regulations governing oversize transport is as big as a Sears catalog, and it is difficult to wade through.

“But if someone is going to haul a big load, they need to know them and abide by the same rules as commercial truckers,” he added. “Boaters aren’t being targeted.”

First Sgt. W.A. Hook, who works for the N.C. Highway Patrol motor carrier enforcement administration, agrees.

“A person in a private capacity and one in commercial will be required to follow the same weight laws,” he pointed out. “There are some exceptions for certain commodities like forestry and livestock, but those are all outlined in the regulations.

“When someone is in commerce, they may be required to have a little bit more, like log books and medical cards, but many things will determine whether someone is considered in commerce.”

Hook added that the driver will be pulled over and interviewed by the patrolman who pulls him over to determine whether or not the individual is in commerce.

“In the case of people pulling boats, there’s a federal interpretation as to whether they are engaging in commerce,” Hook said. “Certain federal requirements are going to apply.”

One of the complaints regarding the regulations is they are hard to find and even the patrolmen aren’t always sure which regulations apply.

“One guy will stop you and tell you need fuel stickers, then another one will stop you and won’t say anything about them,” Fisher said. “You ask 15 highway patrolmen and you’ll get 15 different answers.”

He settles the confusion by keeping a copy of the pertinent regulations in his vehicle in case he gets stopped and there is any question regarding what is required.

Lt. Everett Clendenin, public information officer for the N.C. Highway Patrol, said that the solution to the confusion is to research the pertinent regulations and abide by them.

Clendenin denies that boaters are being targeted, and if they haven’t been pulled over in the past five years they were probably just lucky.

“We have been enforcing these laws since we merged with the Department of Motor Vehicles enforcement office in 2003,” he said. “Maybe certain people just hadn’t been caught yet.”

He also denies allegations that state troopers have a ticketing quota.

“There’s no quota. We expect our troopers to enforce the law consistently. That’s what I’m told they are doing,” he said.

As to the rules, Hook suggests researching on the Web.

“The best place to look for the statute is to go to the N.C. General Assembly homepage and click on the link for general statutes,” Hook said. “Look for GS 20-118. When it comes to weight laws, that’s one place to go.”


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[hrdcor32]

You can buy an oversize permit for $100, but the law says even with this you can't tow in the dark or on Sunday's!

[FinRazr]

Does this apply if you are a virginia registered vehicle.I thought there were a set of laws in place so you wont be required to meet other states regs unless you were commercial.

[rich]

The rumor is very true had a friend get a ticket for trailering his boat not too long ago.

[bobdu11]

yes...you can get a permit...you cannot tow during hours of darkness or on Sundays....kinda screws up going down there from VaBeach..usually leave here at like 0230ish...and if we spend the night legally can't tow the boat until the sun comes up...I like to be on the fish when the sun comes up...

Guess gonna have to make some long runs from Rudee Inlet to get those early YFT !.....Bob

[hrdcor32]

The weight and size restrictions are federal, so I wouldn't think it would matter what state you are in. The only thing NC controls is the night and Sunday rule.

[dino688]

whats this garbage about not towing sunday night????
there some sort of great reason why i shouldnt be towing my boat on sunday nights? i may have missed it in that article
Personally i think its the best night in regards of traffic on the road. less a$$holes tailgating my boat and/or cutting me off!!!!

[Squid]

whats this garbage about not towing sunday night????
there some sort of great reason why i shouldnt be towing my boat on sunday nights? i may have missed it in that article
Personally i think its the best night in regards of traffic on the road. less a$$holes tailgating my boat and/or cutting me off!!!!

If your boat/trailer is over 8'6" wide, you MUST have an oversize permit in order to legally pull the load. This permit is $100/year and goes on the trailer, not the boat. In other words, you have to have one for each trailer you have that is over 8'6". One of the laws with the permit is that you CANNOT trailer:
1. Anytime between SUNSET and SUNRISE (this eliminates any towing in the dark to or from the boat ramp)
2. ANYTIME on Sunday
3. Anytime on a holiday and 12 hours before and after the holiday.

The permit is a federal law. The times you can tow are what we need to be concentrating on in order to get them changed to allow us to tow at night and on Sunday since they are not federal laws.

And yes, they are cracking down on this. I was ticketed this past fall and a friend of mine was stopped very recently in SE NC. I also saw a semi truck pulled over by a state trooper today and he was breaking out the scales to weigh him on the side of the road (just like they did me). Be careful and good luck!

Bryan

[offshore]

You cannot tow before sunrise after sunset on sundays and certian Holidays!!
I was in the red and white store in Wanchese over the weekend and there was a guy that had just gotten a ticket for over width. $500 fine.
I dont have a problem with getting the permit for overwidth (Whats another $100.00) but why buy the permit and you cant use it when you need to trailer to the ramp or your destination before and after sunrise and on Sundays!!!! As far as I know this applys to anyone trailering in NC in state and out of state vehicles. This all really started after a king fishing tournament last year when a out of state boat received over $2000 in fines. Its a bunch of Crap Period if you ask me. You cant even make a day trip if your boat is over 8'6" and you cant make a weekend trip unless you have a 4 day weekend but not on certian Holidays....Mark