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Department Of Common Sense?

State threatens suit against boat hobbyists

Posted: Feb 08, 2012 6:27 PM EST  Posted by Nancy Amons

MURFREESBORO, TN (WSMV) -The Tennessee Department of Revenue is threatening court action against a Murfreesboro man who built a small wooden boat in his garage with his 7-year-old son. 

The state says that makes him a boat dealer and subject to paying extra taxes.

The boat is 14 feet long and made of wood. The family ordered the plans over the Internet because 7-year-old Carter loves to fish with his dad.

But when the Kings registered their boat and paid the boat registration fees, the nightmare started.

Letters from the Tennessee Department of Revenue say that because the Kings are boat dealers and manufacturers, they have to pay $539 dollars in taxes on the boat.

Johnathan King thought there was a mistake, so he called the auditor assigned to his case.

“I explained to them that this is just a wooden craft built in the garage, and they indicated that they knew that that was what this was,” King says.

Revenue didn't back down from insisting they were dealers, and warned the family the state could get injunctions or even pursue misdemeanor charges if they didn't pay the taxes.  

“If we don't, they could file liens and levies against the craft,” King says.

“To say it politely, I think it's quite silly,” he says.

How could something you build in your own garage for your own use make you a dealer?

We asked the Department of Revenue for an interview. They said  they couldn't discuss the cases of individual taxpayers, and said that no one was available to speak about the issue, even in general terms.

Johnathan King says there's no way he's a dealer; this boat is intended to be a family heirloom that will be passed to his son's children. 

“It'll never be for sale,” he says. “He would be very upset, yes.”

Our view from the helm: We all know how this story will end. The  Tennessee Department of Revenue will back down from their ridiculous position and the King family will not face any legal action from the state.

   What we always wonder about with stories like this is what government nimrod thought that they would actually get away with trying to enforce a law that is clearly intended for situations other than a family building their own boat from a mail order kit and using it for their own personal enjoyment? 

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Sticker Shocked!

Senator seeks sticker system for boat inspections

Posted on 07 February 2012

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., recently asked the Coast Guard to meet with marine trade groups, boating safety advocates and local law enforcement officials to discuss the implementation of an official inspection sticker system that would better coordinate boater patrols on the Hudson River so boaters are not repeatedly stopped.

Creating a sticker system that all levels of law enforcement recognize has the support of the boating community, and several Hudson Valley law enforcement agencies have expressed a willingness to participate, Schumer said.

He noted that not only will the use of a widely recognized inspection sticker minimize hassle for boaters, but it also would free up law enforcement officials and allow their positive influence to be spread more widely throughout the community.

“With spring boating season fast approaching, it is time to jump-start an official boat inspection sticker program, which will help prevent repeated boat stoppages on the Hudson River, which are as annoying as they are inefficient,” Schumer said in a statement. ”I am urging the Coast Guard to take the lead on this important initiative by coordinating a meeting with state and local authorities, as well as boater trade and advocacy groups, so that this coordinated inspection program can get off the ground.”

Rather than screen one boat six times, we need to develop a program to screen six boats once, he added.

Schumer is urging the Coast Guard to meet with stakeholders this month.

Last summer, he sent a letter to Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Robert Papp after a series of media reports documented concerns about a lack of coordination among federal agencies that resulted in recreational boaters being stopped multiple times by different agencies on the same day.

Our view from the helm: To be blunt the placement of an inspection sticker on a vessel should not take the place of law enforcement. To us this would be no different than putting a Police Benevolant Association sticker on your car bumper and expect that it will give you immunity from being pulled over by the police. Part of living in a free society is that we have rules and regulations and in a post 9/11 world this is just something that we'll have to put up with.

   Instead of a sticker system it would seem to us that communication among the different law enforcement agencies patrolling the waterways would be a more logical place to start. If a vessel is pulled over and inspected a description of the vessel including the registration numbers could be broadcast to all patrolling agencies and barring that vessel or the people on it doing something hazardous, it could then be left alone.

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There Ought To Be A Law

Panel votes to make boat hit-and-run a felony

By Lee Davidson The Salt Lake Tribune  Feb 03 2012 03:53PM

After witnesses said boaters at Pineview Reservoir left a swimmer to bleed to death after they struck her last summer, lawmakers advanced a bill Friday to make leaving the scene of a boating accident clearly illegal.

The House Transportation Committee voted unanimously Friday to pass HB92 and send it to the full House. It requires people who have “reason to believe” they have been in a boating accident to remain at the scene. It makes it a felony to flee the scene when someone is killed, and a misdemeanor in other cases.

Its sponsor, Rep. Richard Greenwood, R-Roy, said it comes in response to an Aug. 21 incident where Esther Fujimoto, 49, a University of Utah researcher, died after being struck by a boat on Pineview Reservoir.

A witness told deputies that men in the boat yelled at the woman to see if she was all right — but then fled without offering aid. Her screams were heard by another passer-by, who rowed to her. As he called 911, he was unable to pull her into the boat, but held her head above the water.

Rescuers arrived and performed CPR, but Fujimoto — who suffered lacerations to her torso from the motorboat’s propeller — died before she reached shore.

Our view from the helm: It is truly sad that our government needs to pass legislation that makes “boat hit-and-run” a felony because of man's inhumanity to man, chilling indifference, or just outright selfishness.

 In short things like what happened to Esther Fujimoto should never happen to anyone, anywhere. Get it together people!

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Baby It’s Cold Outside

The months of January, February and even part of March are not known as the best months for boating here in North Florida. In fact, many us tend to focus our attention on other things and try to patiently wait out the less than ideal conditions. However, as a passionate boater I find these down times to be a blessing in disguise. As with any lifestyle, it’s imperative to set aside time for planning and education. I know that this doesn’t necessarily sound exciting, but you’ll have to trust me – it is!

The Perfect Destination
If I’m not going somewhere on my boat, the odds are I’m planning my next adventure. I’ve come to realize that thinking about and planning a trip to a tropical paradise can be almost as rewarding as the actual trip itself — and honestly sometimes better. In my mind the weather is always perfect, my boat never breaks down and the seas are always calm. Therefore I find myself spending the winter months either planning my summer trips or daydreaming about warmer days and tropical destinations.

Your first stop in planning a cruise is often the internet, but the information you’re hunting for is often hidden and difficult to find. That’s why I created Florida By Water — to save you the endless hours I spent searching for new destinations to explore by boat. The site is broken down by city and then into categories like campgrounds, marinas, daytrips, restaurants, boat ramps and hotels. Often you’ll find reviews from other boaters that can help you make your decision. Every location on the site is accessible by water. Florida By Water does not charge for listings, therefore we list anywhere and everywhere you can get to on your boat.

My recommendation: look for areas you’ve never visited before. Last summer we discovered Carrabelle, Florida. It’s one of those small but great boating and fishing destinations that tend to be overlooked by the majority of boaters. Carabelle’s a quaint town with great water access and the charm that only a small fishing village can bring. Here’s another example a Florida By Water member sent me a few weeks ago:

“We are still cruising. We are at Whiddens Marina on Gasparilla Island, a charming, hospitable, old Florida marina that has been in the same family since the twenties. Another one of those hard to find spots only locals know about. This place has character. A highlight of our journey! When I asked the lady how much to stay the night she said she gets $40. When we said we would anchor in the harbor for the night she said to just stay on the dock for free as there is no one else here staying. I believe she lives in the upstairs of this old building. There is an old (everything here is old) museum attached and an outhouse with shower. It's wild. Like we have gone back in time. While it may not appeal to all, we feel privileged to find and be able to experience the rustic nature of this place. We will be back home on Tuesday.”

Once I’ve chosen my destination, I spend the next few weeks charting my waypoints. Personally I use Garmin Homeport for my charting software, however many companies make the same type of software. I can easily add all of the GPS coordinates from the comfort of my home, create routes and upload them to the chart plotter. Then I’ll save these and revisit them many times before heading to my new location. Another great information source — a quick call to a local sea tow or marina can provide valuable tips about the area. Just make sure that when you’re boating in unfamiliar waters you always use your charts, as well as local information.

Events
Another winter option is to attend some of the many boat shows that are held after the first of the year. More than half of the NMMA boats shows are held during the month of January. Here in the Jacksonville area, the Jacksonville Marine Association Boat Show is at the Prime Osborne Convention Center from January 27-29, and the Southeastern Boat Show’s at Metropolitan Park April 20-22. If you’re up for a road trip, one of the best boat shows in the nation is in Miami on February 16-20. You can find a complete list of boating events at http://www.floridabywater.com/events

Whatever you decide to do, you’ll find you don’t have to completely break from boating just because the weather is a little less than desirable.

Rusty Gardner is the owner and President of floridabywater.com & Boatflorida.com

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Thar Be Whales On My Toilet Paper!

Absolutely potty: £640 for a Moby Dick novel

(but it's typed out on four and a half toilet rolls!)

By Jill Reilly

Some people will go to any lengths to win a bet – including one man who spent hours typing out an 822 page novel onto a set of toilet rolls.

But even more puzzling is now that he has finished copying across the classic novel Moby Dick, he is trying to sell the four and a half rolls on eBay for £640.

The American was challenged by a friend to write a book on a loo roll after joking that toilet tissue should come with instructions.

Weird wager: The American was challenged by a friend to write a book on a loo roll after joking that toilet tissue should come with instructionsWeird wager: The American was challenged by a friend to write a book on a loo roll after joking that toilet tissue should come with instructions

 

Roll for your money: The four and a half 'clean' toilet rolls are advertised on eBay with a starting price of $999.95 (£640) but is yet to receive a single bid with the auction ending in the early hours of Thursday morningRoll for your money: The four and a half ‘clean' toilet rolls are advertised on eBay with a starting price of $999.95 (£640) but is yet to receive a single bid with the auction ending in the early hours of Thursday morning

 

Labour of love: He typed out the 822-page Herman Melville novel - which tells the story a sailor hunting a giant sperm whale - on four-and-a-half 'clean' toilet rollsLabour of love: He typed out the 822-page Herman Melville novel – which tells the story a sailor hunting a giant sperm whale – on four-and-a-half ‘clean' toilet rolls

He went through with the weird wager and is now selling the work of art on eBay for a staggering £640.

The man, who is from Florida and goes by the name ‘The-Heppcat'.

He is selling the toilet roll ‘to prove the doubters I actually did it'.

He typed out the Herman Melville novel – which tells the story a sailor hunting a giant sperm whale – on four-and-a-half ‘clean' toilet rolls.

The-Heppcat said: ‘My friend and I once joked that toilet paper should have instructions printed on them for certain people.

‘One day, the conversation grew from there and turned into a wager that i couldn't (or wouldn't) be able to type out a novel on toilet paper.

‘Yes, we did have some time on our hands but, as you can see from the photos, I won the bet.'

It is advertised on eBay with a starting price of $999.95 (£640).

The auction ends in the early hours of Thursday morning, but is yet to receive a single bid.

There are a couple of rips on the rolls, which the seller describes as being in ‘excellent condition'.

Our view from the helm: For a novel that is known for its metaphors and symbolism we're not sure what it being typed out on toilet paper means but in the end if it gets people reading then it can't be a bad thing, right?