Maryland Bans Recreational Boating for the Duration

[daviddiscenza]

Here is a link from the Baltimore Sun newspaper concerning the lifting of restrictions on recreational boating.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronav...wle-story.html

I cannot find anything on the Governor's website prohibiting people from out of state from going to their marina in Maryland.

[Montanan]

Beginning Thursday morning, May 7, Maryland boaters can legally go out for a cruise or a sail once again. And anglers can fish for sport, not just for sustenance.

On Wednesday afternoon Maryland Governor Larry Hogan lifted the ban on recreational boating that has been in effect for more than a month. As part of the state’s stay-at-home order, recreational boating was forbidden except for paddlesports (considered essential exercise) and those fishing for their supper.

Over the weeks, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources clarified specific exceptions to the ban, including permission to transport a boat home from a marina. But boating and fishing for pleasure remained banned. As of this week, Maryland was the only state in the country still restricting recreational boating.
The governor’s new directive, which takes effect at 7 p.m., expands outdoor recreational activities to include boating, fishing, golf, tennis and camping, in addition to outdoor exercise (like walking, hiking running and biking) defined as an essential activity throughout the stay-at-home order.

Under the new directive, state parks and state beaches are also reopening for exercise.
The governor said he made the decision to reopen outdoor activities based on the state’s significant progress in achieving the “building blocks” outlined on his Roadmap to Recovery, which include expanding testing capacity, increasing hospital surge capacity, increasing the supply of PPE, and instituting robust tracing operations.

http://https://chesapeakebaymagazine...ng-ban-lifted/

[DonQ]

Governor Hogan just held a press conference, which among many other items, included the following statement: "Starting at 7 a.m. Thursday, the list of "safe outdoor activities" will be expanded to include "golf, tennis, boating, fishing, camping and other activities." For those who would like to see it in print you can go to https://foxbaltimore.com/news/corona...te-of-covid-19 or https://wjla.com/news/local/governor...e-opening-plan .

Looks like I will be out on the Chesapeake tomorrow morning. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate :-)

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by Sailing August

That's why they call it "The Peoples Republic of Maryland"

Left there 6 years ago for sunny low tax Florida.....never looked back.

Given that this was an executive order by our Republican governor Larry Hogan in response to a completely non-political pandemic, your comment is not only out of line but doesn't even make sense! As we discussed ad nauseum in the thread if you could be bothered to read it.

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by daviddiscenza

Here is a link from the Baltimore Sun newspaper concerning the lifting of restrictions on recreational boating.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronav...wle-story.html

I cannot find anything on the Governor's website prohibiting people from out of state from going to their marina in Maryland.

"April 1, 2020
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has signed a new Executive Order (Order) that mandates all individuals living in Maryland to stay at home unless they work in “Essential Businesses,” are engaged in “Essential Activities,” or are engaged in other limited activity. The Order went into effect at 8:00 p.m. on March 30, 2020, and will remain effective until after the termination of the state of emergency and the proclamation of the catastrophic health emergency has been rescinded, or until rescinded, superseded, amended, or revised by additional orders.

The Order is designed to ensure that the maximum number of people are in the state self-quarantine to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), while enabling essential business and activities to continue.

In connection with the announcement of the Order, Governor Hogan stated that people traveling into Maryland from anywhere outside of Maryland are required to self-quarantine for 14 days. Interpretive Guidance COVID19-08, which the Office of Legal Counsel issued on March 30, 2020, clarifies that the requirement for travelers into Maryland to self-quarantine does not apply to people who regularly commute into Maryland from an adjacent state or the District of Columbia or vice versa, or to people transiting through Maryland who have only minimal contact with Maryland (i.e., only stopping for fuel, food, or other necessary supplies, not making contact with anyone for more than three minutes at a distance of less than six feet). Commuters must follow federal and state health department guidance regarding self-quarantining (for example, because of recent travel to the New York/Tri-State area) even if not required to self-quarantine under the new Maryland requirement."

https://www.jacksonlewis.com/publica...elf-quarantine

[Checkswrecks]

Restrictions are lifted. Beyond that with respect to the political commentary, nobody is going to change somebody else's political view in a post on a forum so . . .

[thinwater]

And let us all try to be smart about this.


(I'm not sayin' these are the right guidelines, just sharing the concept that we should try to be low-contact.)

[Montanan]

[QUOTE=thinwater;3133722]And let us all try to be smart about this.


(I'm not sayin' these are the right guidelines, just sharing the concept that we should try to be low-contact.)






Key point: No one should embark on the boat that are not also the cohabitants on land. No friends or family that one does not live with.

Just a single, simple added boater safety practice.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by thinwater

And let us all try to be smart about this.


(I'm not sayin' these are the right guidelines, just sharing the concept that we should try to be low-contact.)

Where did you find those? That's not what's actually happening in Ontario. all Marinas, yacht clubs, launch ramps etc have been closed tight since roughly March 24th. That's no access to grounds, no launching, no access to launch ramps. Basically no one on the water other than the police and coast guard. Marina's caught open are subject to the same fines as other businesses. Marinas were just allowed to start operating in "season prep mode starting May 4. They are allowed to prep boats for launch, launch boats but owners are still not allowed onsite. My guess is those are "pre-lockdown" images!

right now no one in Ontario is recreational boating! unless you can beach launch!

[Montanan]

Sea Tow published that boating guidance for Covid-19 protocol.

Intended for use everywhere.

SeaTowDistanceBoating.jpg

[RhythmDoctor]

As a Pennsylvania resident who keeps my boat in Maryland, the out-of-state quarantine issue is of great interest.

Originally Posted by Montanan

"...In connection with the announcement of the Order, Governor Hogan stated that people traveling into Maryland from anywhere outside of Maryland are required to self-quarantine for 14 days. Interpretive Guidance COVID19-08, which the Office of Legal Counsel issued on March 30, 2020, clarifies that the requirement for travelers into Maryland to self-quarantine does not apply to people who regularly commute into Maryland from an adjacent state or the District of Columbia or vice versa, or to people transiting through Maryland who have only minimal contact with Maryland (i.e., only stopping for fuel, food, or other necessary supplies, not making contact with anyone for more than three minutes at a distance of less than six feet). Commuters must follow federal and state health department guidance regarding self-quarantining (for example, because of recent travel to the New York/Tri-State area) even if not required to self-quarantine under the new Maryland requirement."

https://governor.maryland.gov/wp-con...COVID19-08.pdf

I would assert that "regularly" does not have to mean daily, and "commute" does not have to be for a job. Note that the Interpretive Guidance document in the link refers to "commute to and from work" in Paragraph 1, but mentions "commute" without a reference to "work" in Paragraph 2a. Thus, paragraph 2a comprises non-work commutes, and a weekly commute into Maryland to enjoy one's boat should fall under this exclusion if the person is not from the Tri-state area (per CDC guidance).

All of this is subject to revision in future executive orders, and I do hope that boaters exhibit responsible behavior (no rafting, no congregating on docks, always wearing masks on docks, in public restrooms, and anywhere else where stagnant air or passing within 6 feet is possible). If not, the privilege of recreational boating could be taken away again.

I would appreciate hearing reports here from anyone who encounters difficulties from law enforcement regarding Maryland's quarantine requirements for those coming from out-of-state. My hope is that Maryland will consider us to fall into the "regular commuter" exception, but I am not aware that this exclusion has been tested.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by RhythmDoctor

Note that the Interpretive Guidance document in the link refers to "commute to and from work" in Paragraph 1, but mentions "commute" without a reference to "work" in Paragraph 2a. Thus, paragraph 2a comprises non-work commutes, and a weekly commute into Maryland to enjoy one's boat should fall under this exclusion if the person is not from the Tri-state area (per CDC guidance).

I would interpret the wording differently. I could be wrong. You could be wrong. I got great guidance when I called MD DNR Police. Rather than making assumptions you might give them a call and simply ask. Please report back.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

The Attorney General had to remind Hogan that a pandemic doesn't void the constitution or we'd be in lockdown indefinitely. Unfortunately Hogan didn't understand the so called "spike" in infections was caused by increased testing and lack thereof early on. After months of tutoring, he finally came to the realization that the number of infections don't paint the whole picture. Infection rate is a better gauge but the data hasn't been consistent. Hospital admissions is the best gauge to use and it wasn't until recently that he learned that.

Viruses are WAY smaller than the N95's can filter. In the beginning of the pandemic the medical community seemed to understand that and didn't feel they were necessary. Now that they are available they are required. Well, not readily available yet but they're trying. NY needed more ventilators, then they are giving them back. They needed more hospital beds and were given Comfort. They sent Comfort away. They needed more PPE and are drowning in it now. It's been a sick political game. I know people need "hope" and the feeling they can make a difference. They can't. It will take a vaccine and/or treatment to win this battle with Covid-19. I'm not willing to forfeit my rights to pander to others insecurities. First it was 2 weeks, then a month, then they wanted three months. Then there were armed protesters that brought a little sensibility to the game. Decision were based on the binary medical community input without regard to the collateral damages. Unfortunately those will be with us a lot longer than the virus will.

The bigger concern is the US China relations. China has infected the world with a biological weapon, intentional or otherwise, and will be held accountable. How that plays out is uncertain but you can bet it won't be pretty.

One little nitpick.

You don’t understand how air filtration works. 2.5 microns is the particle size hepa and N95 filtration have the most difficulty capturing. That’s why it’s measured. It’s the worst performance.

Particles larger and smaller than 2.5 microns are caught with more efficiency using an N95 mask.

So, smaller virus size particles are caught without issue.

[RhythmDoctor]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

A cursory google search tells a different story. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16490606
I'm sure you're right though and I'd be willing to put you in a nursing home full of infected victims to prove it.

A cursory google search is not sufficient. That's just an abstract that you linked.

Chotu is almost right on the science - 0.3 micron is the hardest size to remove, which is why the test method is developed for that size. Large particles are easier to capture because of pore blockage (surface filtration). Smaller particles are easier to capture because their Brownian motion causes collisions with the fibers even though they are smaller than the pores (depth filtration). N95 masks are often less than 95% efficient for a number of reasons, including breakthrough as the depth filter becomes saturated, and also because they often fit poorly and leak around the edges. These factors can only be understood by reading the full article, but my subscription to Elsevier has expired.

I suggest that your attitude and anger detract from your posts by raising skepticism over your motives and bias.

[RhythmDoctor]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

I would interpret the wording differently. I could be wrong. You could be wrong. I got great guidance when I called MD DNR Police. Rather than making assumptions you might give them a call and simply ask. Please report back.

I tried to call several numbers at DNR, but phone greetings basically say they're understaffed and overwhelmed. I sent an email and await a response. (Let me know if you have an "inside track" to someone.) There is still dust to settle, so anything they tell me could be overridden later anyway.

My boat is on the hard in PA and I'm at least a week away from taking her into MD, so until then it's just a curiosity for me. And it's not clear that DNR has jurisdiction over this - it may be land-based law enforcement. This may be one of those areas where DNR and State/County Police can't agree on what the rule is for boaters. Sometimes you can't get clarity on these things and need to assert your rights and see where things end up. But there are already other out-of-state boat owners in the water in Rock Hall, so I am interested in hearing what their experiences are (hence my request in my post for others to share their experiences). I suspect we'll also learn some things from Ocean City this weekend as there are likely to be residents of Delaware or Virginia who visit (though this weekend's weather may reduce the number of visitors).