night driving on the a Parker Strip

[63stevens]

I was always under the notion that the Law says that after dark the speed limit on the water was 5MPH. I just got back from the Strip and saw all kinds of boats speeding up and down the strip after dark. Anyone know what the law is?

[HM]

63stevens:
I was always under the notion that the Law says that after dark the speed limit on the water was 5MPH. I just got back from the Strip and saw all kinds of boats speeding up and down the strip after dark. Anyone know what the law is?It has always been legal to drive at speed after dark. I am not sure of the law, but it has to do with the Colorado River being a navigatable waterway. It is legal on almost all of the Colorado, from lake Powell to Blyth.
Some regional areas have imposed a 5 MPH after sunset (or 30 minutes after Almanac sunset). This usually happens after a couple of deadly accidents.
By the way, I saw your beautiful boat on Saturday morning at the sand bar outside the Blue Water Casino. Your son and some friends were in it. Your very trusting of your son! We drove up river right behind them for a spell. He was pretty easy on it, but did go a bit faster than we did in the chop.

[HM]

One more comment about Parker - Why are there so many off shore boats and cats here? Some of them can't even turn around at speed, especially near the dam!
Also, gotta love the guys who get up to speed in front of the Blue Water Casino. I think I saw at least 6 people get tickets. Most of them jets - how odd!
[ August 05, 2002, 03:12 PM: Message edited by: HolyMoly ]

[HM]

o.k. - got an official reple from an official.
It is legal to drive at reasonable and prudent speeds that conditions allow as long as you have proper navigationl lighting.
Obviously, reasonable and prudent allow for speed above 5 MPH.

[Boatcop]

HolyMoly emailed me on this topic, so I thought I'd come over and give the straight scoop.
Night driving on any portion of the Colorado River is legal, always has been, always will.
There is no speed limit, per se, and locals have no authority to enact specific speed limits.
The areas which do have speed limits, are in designated no wake zones. These are put up after the area has been designated environmentally sensitive, and are established by several federal agencies. Among them, the Bureau of Reclamation, US Coast Guard, US Fish and Wildlife, Army Corps of Engineers, EPA, etc.
The only exceptions to this are the London Bridge Channel, and the area in front of Harrahs in Laughlin. The one in Harrahs is the only one in the main channel of the Colorado River established strictly for safety.
Even though there is no specific speed limit, all boats must travel at a speed that is "Reasonable and Prudent for the existing conditions, taking into consideration all hazards that are, or may be present."
On a dark night, no moon, heavy Holiday Boat traffic, maybe anything over planing speed is too fast. On the other hand, under a full moon, light traffic, excellent visibility, faster speeds are permitted.
Every operator is responsible for keeping a proper lookout, and is liable for any collision. Even if a properly lighted boat collides with an unlighted boat, the lighted boat is still partially at fault if its speed is a factor in the collision.
This is true for daylight hours, too.
These rules are spelled out in Federal Navigation rules, and various State Laws.

[HM]

Alan,
are you stationed at Parker? I stayed at the Rio Del Colorado, across from the Sherrif and Emergency Medical Support.
Hey what is up with the Road Runner squirting boats that come up? They have a pipe that comes down the upriver side of the bar that looks like might be on a switch. They hosed down my family in our mastercraft, and it smelled like sewer water! One passenger wanted to retaliate, but I told them no as I was afraid that I might be cited for squirting down the bar.
[ August 05, 2002, 01:35 PM: Message edited by: HolyMoly ]

[Boatcop]

Are they up to that crap again?
They were doing that a few years ago. I warned them that if they kept it up there'd be consequences.
I'll have to go have a little talk with them again.

[HM]

Boatcop:
Are they up to that crap again?
They were doing that a few years ago. I warned them that if they kept it up there'd be consequences.
I'll have to go have a little talk with them again.One of my passengers would like to be around for that conversation. He had his wife and 2 daughters (3 & 6) with us, along with my wife (5 months pregnant) my 19 month old son, and me. He was ticked and wanted to retaliate with our squirter. Later he wanted to burn the place down. I told him that the police were going to have a chat with the Road Runner, and he said "Can I go?".
If possible, let me know the outcome.