Thread:

noise question

Hi All.

New to the board...

I recently picked up a 62 Howard flat.

It's got through hull exhaust & we're putting all the water through the manifolds.

I can't seem to find the Mi law re. excessive noise but i seem to remember (years ago) seeing something about 90db at 3 feet at idle ??

Does anyone know what the law really is ? Or tell me where to find it?

I don't think it's loud, but some of the summer neighbors undoubtedly will & I can't think of too many things more fun than the sheriff having to tell them "Sorry, folks - they're legal, so you don't need to call us everyday".

thanks

I've got a clue about not being an idiot & agree that most of the people i've seen awarded tickets have usually been asking for them.

But...unless you live on a lake you probably can't "appreciate" the politics.

It seems like every time my wife & i want to use our "family" boat the kids have it; so i bought something "for us".

We put the boat in the water last weekend and (me,wife,both kids) made a few low speed, just up on plane laps...I counted at least 6 of the retiree/self appointed lake gestapo out on their decks watching pretty closely. I'm actually a bit surprised we didn't have our first visit from the marine patrol already.

I've also found it helps to know what the law is when you're speaking to the DNR or the Sheriff Patrol. Years ago we were getting ready to go to some race or another & i couldn't get to the river to test the boat...i dropped it at the lake and was on the water long enough to get heat into the block and make exactly 2 short passes; the cops showed up and were threatening an excessive speed ticket until i started quoting the ordinance re. " participating in or testing for a sanctioned speed event or competition"...i showed them my ADBA card and all was well but had i not known the law ...? ...probably would have gotten a ticket.

I was floating that same boat once at the landing - we were trying to cure some of the leaks - and the PD showed up due to complaints that i was running around, making noise, going too fast etc...while they were telling me this i had my hand on the header showing them the boat hadn't even been run, i didn't have my jacket or the kill switch top (tied to my jacket)...they told me they were going to see a resident about filing a false complaint .

small lake politics...

I think the boat is legal, but wanted to make sure...

thanks

Your grandmother's soap operas have nothing on most small lake politics.

What's frustrating is the boat is neither fast nor loud; but since the engine is exposed it's the wrong "look".

Our lake is finally turning over & getting younger residents which is helping...but we have a long way to go.

I've tried to go the the association meetings but can't hardly stomach them. They nearly always end up in a bitch fest & battle lines are usually drawn between the "kids" and the "blue hairs".

They (blue hairs) actually tried to put a 15hp limit on our lake a few years ago...and tried to sneak it through the township meetings in the fall when the summer residents wouldn't find out about it until it was too late.

fortunately we have a public access and the DNR squashed their plans...but they tried...and this is a 200 + acre, 90' deep all sports lake.

Originally Posted by Haulin Ash

Your grandmother's soap operas have nothing on most small lake politics.

What's frustrating is the boat is neither fast nor loud; but since the engine is exposed it's the wrong "look".

Our lake is finally turning over & getting younger residents which is helping...but we have a long way to go.

I've tried to go the the association meetings but can't hardly stomach them. They nearly always end up in a bitch fest & battle lines are usually drawn between the "kids" and the "blue hairs".

They (blue hairs) actually tried to put a 15hp limit on our lake a few years ago...and tried to sneak it through the township meetings in the fall when the summer residents wouldn't find out about it until it was too late.

fortunately we have a public access and the DNR squashed their plans...but they tried...and this is a 200 + acre, 90' deep all sports lake.

the (Blue hair's) should have known that there is gunna be noises...they live on a lake...-does anyone know if Diamond valley Lake is going to ever open up the lake for water sports? thats a bunch of crap...thats a nice lake- sorry...I didnt know this was a Michigan HB thread

"there is gunna be noise..they live on a lake"

That would be giving some people waaaay too much credit for having common sense.

On a hill just S.E of the lake there is a farm house with a large barn and a few horses. On A Hill. Large Barn. As in, you can't miss it. It's been there since the late 70's. It's well kept, looks nice, nice people yada yada yada...once in a great while if the wind is wrong you'll get a whiff of "farm smell" but it's rare and since it's horses it's not hatefull like it would be for cattle or pigs.

A couple years ago we had new neighbors that moved in a few houses down from us. We let them get settled for a week or so and then walked down with another couple (neighbors the other way) to do the meet & greet thing...welcome to the lake etc.

We hadn't been there for more than 10 minutes when the lady wanted to know if we'd sign a petition ...she didn't like the farm 1/4 mile away. My wife got a weird look on her face because she knew what was coming...you could've heard the proverbial pin drop when i asked petition lady "must be you moved in when it was dark and couldn't see the barn there?"

We don't really do all that much with those neighbors.

And the barn and horses are still there....

thats bulllshitt...
why cant we all just get a longneck?

Originally Posted by Wildfire

There are a couple of boaters in M.H.B that have gone to the Secretary of State and had their M.C. numbers changed to Historical Watercraft numbers. If your boat is 30 years old or older,it qualifies as a Historical Watercraft. Then you can run any equipment that was available for you boat. Such as unmuffled exhaust ETC. Hopefully they will read this and explain it even further. Don't let those OLD FOGIES get you down. Chet

how do you do that?
pain in the asss?
who knows about CA?

i should be good to go.

What I have is factory installed. Here's the law from the Mi DNR website.
Mufflers

• A vessel's engine must have a factory-installed muffler or exhaust system for noise reduction, or another effective muffling system. Vessel operators may not hear sound signals or voices if the engine is not adequately muffled.
• Michigan law states that a vessel's muffler or exhaust system must prevent noise in excess of:
  
  • 90 decibels at idle from three feet away and ...
  • 75 decibels when measured from the shore.

I am going to look in to the historical MC numbers though...thanks for the tip.

I have the historical # on my boat Im running a blown injected alky burner with zoomies on it. No issues Nothing they can do I have the paperwork with me at all times just incase