More trouble for charters

[Capt. Mike Holmes]

I checked on something Capt. Randle told me about, and it was true. Charterboats are now required to carry alcohol testing kits on board, to test crewmembers in the event of a Serious Marine Incident (SMI). In the case you are involved in a SMI, you must be tested within 2 hours. If keeping the boat afloat or saving someone's life makes that hard to do, do it as soon as possible, except not after 8 hours. You can buy a breath test kit that gives alcohol content for $500 - $8,000, roughly, but since the ruling only require testing for the presence of alcohol, a saliva test kit costing $113 (that has a shelf life of 12 - 18 months) will do. If you can make port normally in 2 hours, you do not have to carry this kit, just get your ass to a doctor or some other test facility.

If you run the boat by yourself, this means you test yourself.

There will also be a change in cetification for captain's licenses soon. We will be classified as Transportation Workers, and issued a card with photo and fingerprint and an imbedded chip that works in a card reader. Original plans were to require a reader on every boat, so you can prove to yourself you are who you think you are when you board your own vessel, but that hasn't gone through yet. The card will give us unescorted access to regulated areas in all US ports. This is a Homeland Security Proram.

With this, the short red snapper limit, and the turtle saving stuff, I am going to sell my Federal Charter permits, just tarpon fish within two hours of port.

[Bruce]

Here's a cheap alcohol test kit.


Show a picture of Rosie O'Donnell to them.

If they barf, they're sober.

If they take a second look, they're approaching the legal limit.

If they show any interest at all, they're drunk.