Drinking And Boating
- Thread starter kev_rm
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The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
pearlwindham
Veteran Member
I have done both and I continue to do so. Beer I'm not much of a wine guy. Now let's address the white elephant.
Do these arguments pertain to weed, hemp, bud ........well you get my point and I don't know how to spell Marijuana. Holy crap I think I just did.
I haven't since high school, (Well maybe I have but I didn't inhail)and I tore them roads up stoned for about three years. I'm tolded even the California weed in them days cannot come close to what is being produced today..... Lordy. It's legal in Washington I bet you my last dollar you got more out there high than drunk in them San Juans. Baby Boomers are by far the most represented generation out there. 
most likely on this forum too.
markpierce
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I adore cruise control in the car. It's too easy to speed over the limit following the flow of traffic.
Panacea
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Yes. If you are unable to operate a boat, car, or machinery safely, you shouldn't. The same arguments apply to prescription drugs (of which there is an epidemic of abuse in the USA).
There are a million ways to alter your mind. The drug of choice (alcohol, pills, plants, coffee/energy drinks) is irrelevant. The operator of the boat should always be held accountable.
pearlwindham
Veteran Member
ksanders
Moderator Emeritus
So true!
What I see is that folks that have had a problem, and overcome it, tend to be the harshest critics of folks that consume alcohol, often lumping us, yes us, all into one category.
Not everybody that goes into the liquor store is a problem drinker folks. I like a nice cold beer, the darker the better. I like a good scotch, the older the better. My wife likes a good wine.
Like probably 95% of the people that drink occasionally we are not problems for anyone. We do not drive impaired, we do not operate a boat impaired. I don't even sit at anchor impaired (just in case).
I applaud anyone that has had a problem and overcame it. I abhor anyone that cannot for lack of a better word "keep their s..it together". On a boat or on dry land. Alcoholism is a disease. Like allot of diseases, not everybody exposed catches the disease. Unfortunately, some do. Not everybody that gets drunk and stupid has a disease though. Sometimes folks just have poor judgement, and lumping them in with the folks with a real disease gives the por judgement folks an excuse, and fails to recognize the folks that have a real disease.
To address the weed issue mentioned a few posts above...
Pot has been legal in Alaska for a long time, like 30 years. It is now legal to sell, and stores are literally opening up this week.
I don't consume pot or pot products, but I did not so many years ago. I didn't quit because of a problem, or because I didn't like it, I quit because I wanted a job that required random testing, and that job was more important. I am not drug tested any more buy probably won't try some simply because at this point in my life I don't want anything in my lungs that could harm them. No other reason than that.
The best pot in the world has much less effect on a person than alcohol. It also has none of the undesired effects of alcohol such as aggressiveness, loss of consciousness, loss of bodily function, etc... That is my personal opinion, and the opinion of everybody that I know that has experienced both first hand. A simple analogy is that "nobody ever beat their wife after smoking a joint" The same cannot be said of alcohol unfortunately.
In regards to boating under the influence, I feel about pot the same as I feel about alcohol... please don't do it. Impaired is impaired. We all share the same waterways and it is everyone's responsibility to not put the other users of the waterway at risk.
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My slip neighbor used to go out with a group and party on Saturday nights. He would come back, everyone drunk and drive home. One Sunday he was still there and I asked him why. His response - "I was too drunk to drive home."
He didn't think he was too drunk to run his boat (at night) but he decided against driving his car once he docked his boat.
As for excessive drinking being a "disease", why is it if you have a heart attack and wreck your car they take you to the hospital but if you are drunk and wreck your car they take you to jail?
I think calling it a disease is enabling the bad behavior. Public pressure against excessive drinking would be more effective.
RT Firefly
Enigma
Greetings,
Mr. WK. Excessive drinking is not a disease. Alcoholism is. BIG difference.
Mr. WK. Excessive drinking is not a disease. Alcoholism is. BIG difference.
eyschulman
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The issue can be simplified. If an individual uses alcohol or any other substance that will significantly increase the risk of operating machinery such as a boat or car there should be obvious and very substantial and effective consequences for that behavior. The incidence of repeat offenders demonstrates how poorly our society handles this problem.
One comment regarding pot use while boating. While it is legal now in many states, it is not legal in the US and on the waters where the USCG enforces laws, they remain very rigid in their response to pot or any other illegal drug. You really just don't want to have it on your boat. Now, because of trafficking, I'm sure there's more attention paid to it in South Florida, but it could cause you serious issues from a boarding wherever you are.
dhays
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Good point. In WA the local LEOs won't worry about it unless they feel you are impaired, but I hadn't thought about the USCG.
Not an issue for me as I have never used it and there won't be any on my boat, but that could come as an unpleasant shock if a boater is boarded by the USCG.
CPseudonym
Moderator Emeritus
No boozing and now no getting baked smoking a fatty??? Next thing you'll tell me is no texting or watching pornos while operating the boat.
Wifey B: Well, we don't allow any smoking of anything on our boat, or at our home.
It would be too hard for you to drive if watching a porno.
foggysail
Guru
Wifey B: Well, we don't allow any smoking of anything on our boat, or at our home.
It would be too hard for you to drive if watching a porno.
One can find excitement many ways when operating a boat besides porno
BruceK
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People who suffer a heart attack generally receive hospital treatment as a matter of course, whether the attack occurs in a car causing a road collision, or elsewhere.
I expect a drunken driver injured in a road collision is taken to hospital too. Otherwise(or later) he enters the criminal prosecution system.
You have been frank about your situation, may I ask how many years of sustained heavy drinking were there before you turned the situation around, in what is without doubt a feat of willpower, and a great achievement?
foggysail
Guru
RT Firefly
Enigma
Greetings,
Mr. hm. Did he make shoe locks?
Mr. hm. Did he make shoe locks?
That's hard to say but It's been about seven years since I stopped. Before that, I pretty much drank since I was old enough to drink. I'm 73 now. I played music in bars and for parties and dances and usually drank. Then I started having an "after dinner drink" most every night until I went to bed. I can't really say when sustained heavy drinking started, I just eased into it. It was a few years though.
Funny story (at least I thought so): I was in the hospital with pancreatitis and after a week or so and many lectures by the doctors about being an alcoholic, needing to go to meetings, etc., the doctor came in and looked at my chart and said "You're doing pretty well, we can start you on clear fluids." Being a smart ass and without even thinking, I said "You mean like vodka and gin"?
The doctor left the room and came back with two more doctors and lectured me. Doctors don't have a sense of humor.
Really though, I don't think of it as a great feat, I just made up my mind not to drink any more. Like I posted earlier, it's a conscious act, something you do. I just stopped doing it.
I miss having a drink sometimes, especially when everyone around me is drinking but on the other hand, I feel much better now and my health is good for someone my age.
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foggysail
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Congrats! - To You!!
BruceK
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Pancreatitis, that is serious, I had a client with it. On what I was told and read, the pain alone would encourage a permanent change.
RT - I believe you do understand, at least somewhat.
For very personal reasons and intense background experiences, I also believe I somewhat understand the basis and basics to addiction.
Although... the word addiction
In some cases of abuse self control does come into play to a certain extent, however, that mind function quite often needs much assistance to "kick the habit", err, "Get the Monkey Off Your Back!
One day at a time.
Yes... BIG, BIG Difference
foggysail
Guru
Yes but how do you differentiate between the two conditions?
MurrayM
Guru
Good point.
and,
https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh27-2/125-133.htm
Pretty loose definition of alcoholic, and one that would include excessive drinkers. We are far too complex an organism for black & white designations.
Article also describes several ways the brain can be damaged by alcohol.
Often [usually] one of the most readily recognizable physical and mental symptom of a true case of addiction is called "falling off the wagon"... time and time again.
In that:
A person who is not fully addicted can usually, actually walk away from what they are abusing without needing to [fairly soon or otherwise] again begin to severely abuse the item. Persons who are addicted can at times walk away for periods of time but too often need to return to the abuse pattern. And, over periods of years regarding the on and off the wagon syndrome of repeated sequences that addicted persons experience will usually get worse/deeper in the abuse-factor during each cycle. Addicted persons also often play the "maintenance game"... wherein during their lesser use portions of the on-again/off-again the wagon they still keep just enough of a substance [or more than one substance] in their system... getting ready for [silently just waiting for] their next heavy abuse sequence to hit the forefront.
Regarding items of repeated abuse syndrome
Not until addicted person clearly recognizes their problem can they begin to seek proper assistance to overcome their addiction sickness. Even then it can be tough and it may take more than one and up to several tries before they can learn the "Tools" required for getting a handle and control over their addiction
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This thread hits very close to home. I found out 2 years ago that my son was an alcoholic. We watched his family and his health slowly fall apart over 5 years prior to that and our relationship with him also fall apart. Watched a very smart young adult with 2 small children ruin his life and destroy his relationships with everyone close to him. We helped him go through rehab for over a year, his ex dumped him while in his first round of rehab. My DW and I knew he was a good person and was worth helping so we were the only ones who stood with him and helped him through that year of rehab/relapses, which took a huge toll on us. Thankfully he is 8 months sober now, his career is back on track, and he is enjoying his children immensely. But seeing what he has gone through has taught us both quite a bit about addiction and I look at drinking much differently now. But unfortunately we all realize there is another relapse around the corner.
This thread hits very close to home. I found out 2 years ago that my son was an alcoholic. We watched his family and his health slowly fall apart over 5 years prior to that and our relationship with him also fall apart. Watched a very smart young adult with 2 small children ruin his life and destroy his relationships with everyone close to him. We helped him go through rehab for over a year, his ex dumped him while in his first round of rehab. My DW and I knew he was a good person and was worth helping so we were the only ones who stood with him and helped him through that year of rehab/relapses, which took a huge toll on us. Thankfully he is 8 months sober now, his career is back on track, and he is enjoying his children immensely. But seeing what he has gone through has taught us both quite a bit about addiction and I look at drinking much differently now. But unfortunately we all realize there is another relapse around the corner.[/QUOTE]
That is partially true... in that, it is not so much "there is another relapse" but rather that there may be another relapse around the corner. If the tools for staying sober are used diligently enough (every minute of every day) and for long enough time span (i.e. the entire rest of his life) a relapse CAN be avoided with a continued wonderful life as outcome.
If desire for a drink ever becomes nearly over whelming: Sit on your hands if necessary, call your sponsor, go to meetings... just never ever have even a sip of alcohol at any time again - NOT EVEN ONE! If an alcoholic succeeds in not having any alcohol intake then that alcoholic can succeed in being the "ruler" over their alcoholic addiction. It is a life long process. Some are afflicted with addictive make-up... Others are not.
Live one day at a time... fruitfully!
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