Rowtopia, or drinking in rowboats, will soon replace Floatopia beginning in March. Organizers believe it’s a way around San Diego’s ordinance because drinking is allowed on boats.
Lifeguard Lt. John Everhart surmises some law comes into play, including DUI. “The person that is operating a vessel, whether it’s a sailboat under sail, or boat manually propelled, like a row boat or kayak, or certainly a motor boat, cannot be intoxicated,” he guesses. Let’s not get watercrafts confused with rowboats.
Uh, does he mean BUI?
San Diego sailors, jet skiers, power boaters, fishermen and pleasure seekers on a watercraft probably are aware it is just as illegal to operate a boat or watercraft under the influence as it is to drive under the influence (“DUI”). It is lawful for adult boaters to legally drink or simply have open containers in their vessels as long as the captain or skipper is not .08% or higher (BUI).
Rowtopia organizers are planning the event on Facebook.