Originally Posted By: f250
Agree I pays to be safe and have the required equipment. Went fishing at MDC a few weeks ago and the MDC Police were checking boats and on Officer wasn't going to let me on the water because I didn't have a "throwable PFD," There were two of us and I had two required life vests on board. I had to second guess myself and now checking the regulations I see that a throw able is not required under 16 feet and my boat was 14 feet. I was certain I didn't need one but maybe owned by MDC they can deny you entry? Not sure on that one.


You almost have to carry the manual with you to assist in retraining the official. When I bought my boat in 2011 (22 ft pontoon boat) the told me I was required to carry flares at all times in any body of water so I bought them. Since reading the link from this post this part of it caught my eye:

"Visual distress signals are to be used to summon assistance
when in distress.
In the State of Connecticut no VDS are required anywhere
except when boating on Long Island Sound (LIS) and on Fishers
Island Sound (FIS)."

Seeing as I have not plans at all to immerse my boat in salt water...mainly stick with Pachaug and Gardner...I'm not going to worry about my expired flares anymore. Am thinking about getting a portable airhorn as my whistle and the horn on the boat have something to say for themselves...they make sound but nothing that can be taken seriously lol
"I think of this war as it really is, not as the people at home imagine, with a hoorah! and a roar. It is very serious, very grim…"
Manfred von Richthofen (aka The Red Baron)