06/08/2026
Movies and music have done a terrible job preparing people for boating laws.
Whether it’s Captain Jack Sparrow yo ho ho and a bottle of rum-drinking his way across the ocean or Jimmy Buffett, Mr. Margaritaville himself, singing a song that’s literally called “Boat Drinks,” there’s a common assumption that if you’re driving a boat you can swap out water for wine.
Or beer.
Or tequila.
Or whatever.
Florida disagrees.
And unfortunately for the dedicated parrotheads out there, Florida’s opinion is the one that matters.
You can absolutely get a ticket for boating under the influence (BUI).
In fact, BUI and a DUI overlap quite a bit.
In both cases:
Alcohol can impair judgment and reaction time
Law enforcement can investigate and arrest you.
You can face fines, probation, and even jail time
But boating cases also come with unique gray areas.
Heat, dehydration, waves, exhaustion, and rough water can affect balance and coordination, even if you totally abstain from alcohol.
And because officers in Florida can stop boats for routine safety inspections even if no obvious violation occurred, a casual day on the water can escalate quickly.
You can already hear the questions that are effectively accusations:
“You look like you’re swaying, and I see some open containers here…you sure you haven’t been drinking?”
“Heard all of you singing “Margaritaville” across the water…seems like a strange tune to sing sober, don’t you think?”
“Looks like you’re about to vomit…I know you said you’re seasick, but are you sure you’re not Seabreeze sick?”
As we kick off the official start of summer, you may find yourself in a situation where you’re asked questions you don’t know how to answer, or find yourself charged with a BUI due to an officer’s perception of your state at the time.
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