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Forgive me, but what is BMI that the Coast Guard is unhappy about?

C.G. Has a new requirement that your body mass index has to be under 40 or you have to pass a battery of test in order to maintain your captain status.

They are going to change the ratings they use on some inspected vessel so less passenger can be aboard due to people having larger bmi's.
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Basically they are saying while you are healthy, we don't believe that if you had to drag someone off the boat or out of the water to save them, you can't do it due to your body mass.

This gets tougher and tougher. Pretty soon they will start checking to see that anyone that boards a boat can fit into the basket and that the winch can haul your butt up into the Helicopter.

If they had a BMI requirement for some police departments there would be a lot less cops. This is outrageous! Put a man out of business because of his size? Where are the protesters on this one? Based on this older, skinny, captains can also lose their licenses? Encourage small businesses? Bullshit!

I'm surprised the ACLU hasn't gotten all over this!!

Uncle Vic- The ramifications of a ruling like this are monumental. Is a pilot supposed to be able to manually evacuate his plane? Can flight attendants physically haul passengers out emergency doors? Same goes for bus drivers, commercial fishermen, boat salesmen, ferry operators? You can't refuse a 350 lb customer on any mode of transportation today. Short of cutting one up in manageable pieces, I certainly couldn't haul one off my boat and I'm 6' and 206 lbs. In this day and age of political correctness, isn't this illegal? Can a case be made against this? Would like to hear a legal opinion.

Welcome to the world of conformity -- you must fit in this square or you will be cancelled. As you are aware, I was in a serious car accident back in October. Sometime post the accident and pre me becoming mobile the emissions expired on my vehicle. So, when I went to the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles to cancel the registration on my totalled vehicle I was told, by several people, that I needed to pass emissions prior to cancelling the registration. When I pointed out that the vehicle had an 8 page damage estimate totalling over $27,000 of visible damage, the DMV employee said "sir, I'm sorry but the rules are the rules and you must pay at least $680 to have your engine repaired to prove that it couldn't pass emissions." Note, the engine and transmission were not even attached to the vehicle post the accident and I heard the engine sieze up as I was waking up. Needless to say, eventually Irate Tom got a manager over who overrode the computer system and apologized.

Standards are not necessarily a good thing -- when you are dealing with people that can't see the forest for all those damned trees.

What a shame you have to let the boat go for so little -- she is a beauty and that BMI rule seems unconstitutionally illegal. But, health insurers are now trying to charge higher premiums if your BMI is too high and force you to go to fat camp.

Whatever happened to the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Tom

In order to get my Launch Operator's License many years ago we had to take a first aid course, which was taught by two members of our yacht club (both long time EMTs) who added some things of their own to address the fact that we had a large mooring field with about 200 boats, and we might be called to move someone who was unconscious from the forepeak bunk of a 28' sailboat or from the water.

After several of us tried we found lifting someone from the water into one of our launches (with about 2' of freeboard) was almost impossible, even if there were 2 of us trying.

The instructors did not think it was funny when they asked me what I would do if I was operating a launch alone and had to get someone from the water to our dock.. and I answered seriously that I would get them up against the hull, get a line under their armpits, tie them to the side of the boat, and drag them in!

That is what I would do!! Like the Old man and the Sea!! Just hope there were no sharks!!

I'd stick 'em with the flying gaff and haul 'em up the gin pole.

But that's just me......

would that be a head shot mike

Sounds like the Obama Stimulas Package in action.


Can't the government just mind its own F"$%n Business and stay out of ours...they get their dam tax money...just leave us alone.

It should be the customers choice, if he thinks the Captains or mates BMI is a problem don't charter the boat. I can understand a physical to make sure you don't drop because of a condition...but BMI?

Sorry you have to sell a viable business.

Carl

I really think it's illegal.

I split this topic off the for sale ad as I thought it was important enough to one give Geaux Deep the primary attention to his for sale ad and also to general discussion as it seems to be an important issue.

walterk wrote:If they had a BMI requirement for some police departments there would be a lot less cops. This is outrageous! Put a man out of business because of his size? Where are the protesters on this one? Based on this older, skinny, captains can also lose their licenses? Encourage small businesses? Bullshit!

Since the courts have already ruled that the police do not have the obligation to protect and serve you, a BMI index would be useless as they don't have to lift a finger to help you.

What we have to do is get the courts to issue the same ruling for charter boat captains.

Bruce maybe they should bring this BMI case before the Judge that ruled the police are NOT obligated to protect and serve us...a civil servant paid by the taxpayer..twisted train of thought...many local fire and police would fail the bmi rule as well, doesnt mean that they cant do a fine job our town is volunteer fire dept. and do a fine job, one EMT is a rather "chubby" guy and if Im ever up against a serious health problem HE is the one I hope that shows up. If Ray can catch fish and safely bring his patrons home on a daily basis that should say it all.

Maybe we should use the BMI index on all our politicians...BH

Are you guys sure about that. Sounds a little off to me. I know the CG recently had BMI standards implemented at them. Neck is to large for your height and you are out of the service. Too fat and say good bye to your career. I did not know about this captain lisence thing though. Going to look into that. By the way, most people in this country are morbidly overweight. Ever been to West Virginia.....wow!

A strong union is what keeps this from being applied to Cops.

The only nuance I can think of is that if this rule is applied to the Coast Guard itself, most of us have not noticed that our Captain's "license" no longer says that. Your document now clearly states that you are a "U.S. Merchant Marine Officer". THAT may be the loophole they are now applying.

i believe thats it walterk.as i see it , now that i am a merchant marine officer all military rules apply and i guess b.m.i. is one of them.now i have to tell the cg hey!!! we both work under the homeland security banner!!!

The USCG has starting using a new BMI for its Active Duty and Reserve components. No one else.

It has nothing to do with having your captains license.

For your captains license, all the doctor has to do is say you are healthy and recommended.

http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/Whats_new_to_NM ... 004-08.pdf

This CG link may explain it.

Big Brother IS watching you...scary. So much for all those "Rights of Privacy" documents you sign at Doctor's offices and Hospitals.

What the Active and Reserve go through is completely different from that.

http://www.uscg.mil/announcements/alcoa ... 190.09.txt

"The intent of this NVIC is not to drive mariners that
have medical conditions or are suffering from the
effects of aging out of the industry"

Yeah, right!! That is the effect of it though!

The man is selling Geaux Deep because of it!

Looks like others are having the same issue. Just found this on the Hull Truth.

I had an MI(heart attack) in 2002. I renewed with no problems in 2006 through Boston. Now all renewals go through Virginia and I'm being denied. I was told to take stress tests and passed with flying colors. I just got a letter now saying they don't like the fact that I'm taking a stress relief medicine(clonazepam)because it could be a marine safety hazard. This is joke!! It's not a controlled substance!! I could easily stop taking the meds but fear that may not be the end of this. Obviously I'm going to appeal but, should I get a marine lawyer to facilitate my appeal? I am without work until this is resolved.

Anyone else in this predicament?

This is what happens when bills are written for a future incident, pased after the incident without being read and renewed every time they come up.

All in the name of making us safer while waving the flag.

This is how we help small businesses. Tell me they do this to bus drivers, and other TWIC holders. Who passed on the info to them?

Tony,

I had a H-A in Jan. 2006 from Plague rupture, in which created a blockage, which sent me into a H-A. The doctors at the emergency room could have just used a clot buster, but instead a drug enluted stent was put in place. The only Meds I take now is 10mg of Crestor an a 81mg aspiran. I was on Plavex for the first 18 month after having the stent put in because of certain manufactures were having problems with drug enluted stents. Thank God mine was not one of them.

The first time I had to renew my CG license after now being labeled as having a H-A and having a stent installed. OMG you would have thought I was being put on trail for murder or something.

PASSED everything they wanted with flying colors. Then they turn around an decided that they wanted a nuclear stress test which is very expensive, so I just told the CG doctors in Virginia that they could just keep my license that it wasn't worth all expense & BS trouble to keep it last year.

So after reading this thread it's just a matter of time before the standards of absolute BS & cost become to much to bare. I feel time lessons on the water after all the years of running a boat large & small and even passing a CG test is what make the Capt. not that piece of paper. Just Sayin'

DQ

I'm on my 8th renewal. Cause me a problem and they can keep it, BUT given the "rights of privacy" documents we all keep getting, HOW did they find out you had a (resolved) problem?

Walter, my doctor had to add it in on the report when they ask you if you have ever had a heart attack or stent inplant. He's not gonna lye. Stent's they worry about more than someone having by-pass surgery for some reason. Spending over $2500 to keep that CG license is not worth it in my opinion. Just like that damn worthless TWIC card. Bunch of thiefs.

DQ

A little nudge here, a little nudge there and pretty soon they've reached their goal to eliminate recreational fishing. Of course, it's all in the interest of "safety". :wink:

Bridge for sale...cheap!

We need some more lie-ing doctors. Seems honesty is getting very expensive.

Tony,

To answer your question, NO!, call & try working with the CG doctors in Virginia and see if they can help your case. Seems to be their way or the HWY.

DQ

Tony

Contact this man. I have used him twice so far for renewals and he is well worth the money. He set up Boston and has the inside track and will be able to get through the red tape.

http://www.cglicense.com/


I also highly recommend him for renewals as you dont have to go anywhere and just mail everything to him.

Guys thanks but this is not me. Just a post I found on The Hull Truth. Just showing that others are having the same problem.

Pretty soon it will become an age issue forget the health issue.

Even as an age issue, a boat salesman HAS to have a "license" to legally take a potential buyer out on a boat. Charterboats are independent businesses, and in many cases it's the "old timers" who catch the fish. There's something wrong here that really burns me. When government can tell you you're too old to work, what kind of lightbulbs to buy, what kind of fuel you must burn, what kind of foods to eat, we've crossed a line that's very scary. What ever happened to freedom of choice?

Walter it is called a soft tyrany.

This is crazy and infuriating.
#1. BMI numbers are wacked and skewed for Govt and Ins companies. My BMI says I should be 120-170 for my weight. If I were 120 I would be in the hospital. If I were 170 you would think I was sick.

I just filled out my insurance renewal and noticed a section where they ask if I or ANYONE in my family uses ANY prescriptions to control any physical or mental condition, ie heart, anxiety, etc. They are implying that if you use any prescription you are not well enough to run a boat. Or better put, they are not liable for a claim is more like it.

Less insurance, less govt, less taxes.