Hover Crafts and State Waters

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Joined
Jul 6, 2012
Messages
8,057
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Alaskan Sea-Duction
Vessel Make
1988 M/Y Camargue YachtFisher
Teddy Roosevelt would have it no other way... :)
 
I did not know this. In Canada you can't even possess a gun in a national park unless encased/disassembled. Makes going to some national parks very interesting. You can't hunt in most provincial parks either.
 
Encased weapons are lousy protection from bears....:)
 
I did not know this. In Canada you can't even possess a gun in..........

Yes. that is why I prefer Halibut fishing in Alaska. Anything over 80lbs (that you intend on keeping) reach over and shoot it in the head.

In Vancouver, you have to club it to death.
 
Any self respecting animal will not hang around anything that makes noise including snowmobiles.
 
Any self respecting animal will not hang around anything that makes noise including snowmobiles.

You mean snowmachines???

In this case it was about a hovercraft on the Nation River, Reading the USSC's decision really explains the history of the fight in Alaska with the Feds. It also explains why Alaska is "different" when it comes to National Parks.
 
When I lived in Alaska I enjoyed it's "differentness". I think it came about because of the remoteness of Alaska. People had to rely upon themselves and their neighbors much more than people in the "lower 48".
 
When I lived in Alaska I enjoyed it's "differentness". I think it came about because of the remoteness of Alaska. People had to rely upon themselves and their neighbors much more than people in the "lower 48".

I do believe or would like to believe, boaters rely upon each other too.
 
I liked this bit of non legalese out of the Appeal Judgement:
"Today, we take up those questions, and answer both "no." That means Sturgeon can again rev up his hovercraft in search of moose."
Mr. Sturgeon was the Plaintiff. A refreshing no nonsense judgement.
 
When I lived in Alaska I enjoyed it's "differentness". I think it came about because of the remoteness of Alaska.
I think it is actually due to the low population density rather than remoteness itself. There are some remote but fairly crowded places in the world, and in them, zipping around on a hovercraft shooting things will lead to issues. Alaska has about 1/1000 the population density of New England, and lots of behavior are acceptable in such circumstances. When the state is all built out in condominiums and strip malls, things will change.
 
I found it interesting how the new park boundaries were set up geographicly and not by the federal owned property lines.

This case will have a big effect in SE Alaska.
 
I think it is actually due to the low population density rather than remoteness itself..

OLDDAN1943 said:
I do believe or would like to believe, boaters rely upon each other too.

Dan, I think you are correct. I don't know how many boaters I've towed in and have been towed once, in my dinghy.

DDW, I think those two sort of go hand in hand--the low population density is due, in part, to the remoteness of the state and the remoteness of the villages within the state.

If an Alaska driver had a breakdown on the highway in winter it could be a life or death situation. Drivers realize that a disabled motorist can't just get on his call phone and call AAA. There ain't no AAA and there ain't no cell service in many areas of the state. You don't have to be very far out of Anchorage or any of the other cities to be out of cell service.
 
Dan, I think you are correct. I don't know how many boaters I've towed in and have been towed once, in my dinghy.

DDW, I think those two sort of go hand in hand--the low population density is due, in part, to the remoteness of the state and the remoteness of the villages within the state.

If an Alaska driver had a breakdown on the highway in winter it could be a life or death situation. Drivers realize that a disabled motorist can't just get on his call phone and call AAA. There ain't no AAA and there ain't no cell service in many areas of the state. You don't have to be very far out of Anchorage or any of the other cities to be out of cell service.

Woods Buffalo National Park in norther Alberta, you never passed up anyone walking along the road. Especially in the winter. Folks would take the mail truck into town even if it took most of the day.
 
The Nation River is located off the Yukon River in NE Alaska and crosses over into Canada. There are no roads, no towns and no cell service. Sat phone maybe. Now imagine that.

In our SE cruises we do hit places in Northern BC and SE Alaska that are close, but nothing like the Nation River.
 
Just to be clear. No one can hunt in a national park unless the park superintendent authorizes hunting. In Alaska lands set aside in 1980 under ANILCA that were attached to national parks and called preserves (Noatak National Preserve for example) are open to hunting for Alaska residents only.

The suit in this case dealt with access to the Yukon Charley National Preserve by an Alaska resident using a navigable water way. The Park Service wasn’t disputing the right to hunt, they were disputing the means of transportation which the Supreme Court said they couldn’t do based on the same act that created the preserves in the first place that gave the state control over navigable waterways in the preserves. The state doesn’t prohibit the use of hovercraft for hunting.

At least this is how I understand it. The NPS tried to enforce something that didn’t apply in Alaska.
 
Just to be clear. No one can hunt in a national park unless the park superintendent authorizes hunting. In Alaska lands set aside in 1980 under ANILCA that were attached to national parks and called preserves (Noatak National Preserve for example) are open to hunting for Alaska residents only.

The suit in this case dealt with access to the Yukon Charley National Preserve by an Alaska resident using a navigable water way. The Park Service wasn’t disputing the right to hunt, they were disputing the means of transportation which the Supreme Court said they couldn’t do based on the same act that created the preserves in the first place that gave the state control over navigable waterways in the preserves. The state doesn’t prohibit the use of hovercraft for hunting.

At least this is how I understand it. The NPS tried to enforce something that didn’t apply in Alaska.


You got it 100%:thumb::thumb:

It will be interesting to see how this ruling affects other Alaska places like SE.
 
A hovercraft spud cat is my dream boat for ICW cruising.

Simply pull off the waterway and jack up on the spuds.

Your not anchored , you are aground! No wake problem !
 
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A hovercraft spud cat is my dream boat for ICW cruising.

Simply pull off the waterway and jack up on the spuds.

Your not anchored , you are aground! No wake problem !

Next, "BANG BANG BANG" on the side of the boat. "This is the police. You are trespassing on private property. Pull up stakes and move."
 
"Next, "BANG BANG BANG" on the side of the boat. "This is the police. You are trespassing on private property. Pull up stakes and move."

Probably not , from the high water line on out only ancient "Queen Anne Grants" and a few other exceptions from before the revolutionary war allow private ownership of underwater land .

Usually these were issued to businesses and extended 400ft from the existing shore.

Commerce paid taxes , so,,,,

The French have similar rules about under sea ownership and on Bastille Day the folks on St Barts have a huge party , in front of the fancy mansions for the rich , below the tidal high water line!
 
A hovercraft spud cat is my dream boat for ICW cruising.

Simply pull off the waterway and jack up on the spuds.

Your not anchored , you are aground! No wake problem !

How do they keep from getting the spuds stuck in the mud?
 
"How do they keep from getting the spuds stuck in the mud?"

The same way work barges with a crane do, pads on the bottom and a robust hyd system to lift the spuds.

Two black balls in the rigging should let the Local Louies know you are aground , not anchored.
 
"How do they keep from getting the spuds stuck in the mud?"

The same way work barges with a crane do, pads on the bottom and a robust hyd system to lift the spuds.

Two black balls in the rigging should let the Local Louies know you are aground , not anchored.

Or high and dry at low tied.
 
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