State wildlife officers will check boats for required safety gear and proper registration at dozens of landings without issuing tickets for violations found.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources will conduct courtesy boat inspections at public landings across the state during Labor Day weekend, according to the agency’s Law Enforcement Division.
The inspections are scheduled for Saturday, Sunday and Monday, Sept. 5 through Sept. 7, from 10 a.m. to noon each day at locations in more than a dozen counties, according to SCDNR.
Officers will check for required safety equipment and verify boat and motor registrations, according to the agency. Boaters who are not in compliance will not be ticketed during the inspections but will instead be given a chance to fix the issue before launching, according to SCDNR.
SCDNR said Labor Day weekend is one of the busiest boating periods on South Carolina lakes and waterways and marks the traditional end of the summer boating season. Officers will also be on hand to answer questions and offer safety tips, according to the agency.
Inspection sites on Saturday include locations in Berkeley, Charleston, Darlington, Greenwood, Horry, Lexington, Oconee and York counties. Sunday’s inspections are set for Anderson, Beaufort, Charleston, Kershaw, Marion, Orangeburg and Spartanburg counties. On Monday, inspections will take place in Beaufort, Charleston, Chesterfield, Georgetown, Lexington, McCormick, Oconee and York counties.
Boaters can report reckless operation or suspected intoxicated operators by calling SCDNR’s 24-hour hotline at 1-800-922-5431 or by dialing #DNR from a cellphone, according to the agency. Copies of state boating regulations, information on local safety courses and free float plan forms are available through the SCDNR boating safety office at 1-800-277-4301, according to the department.
Labor Day weekend boat inspection locations (all inspections are from 10 a.m. to noon):
Saturday, Sept. 5:
- Berkeley County: Battery Creek Boat Landing (Paris Island)
- Charleston County: Wappoo Cut
- Darlington County: Society Hill
- Greenwood County: River Fork, Lake Greenwood
- Horry County: Little River
- Lexington County: Lake Murray Dam
- Oconee County: Fall Creek, Lake Keowee
- York County: Ebenezer Park, Lake Wylie
Sunday, Sept. 6:
- Anderson County: Seneca Creek, Lake Hartwell
- Beaufort County: Mega Ramp, previously known as Atkins Boat Landing
- Charleston County: Buck Hall Boat Landing
- Kershaw County: Clearwater Cove Marina, Lake Wateree
- Marion County: Galivants Ferry
- Orangeburg County: Santee State Park, Lake Marion
- Spartanburg County: Lake Bowen
Monday, Sept. 7 (Labor Day):
- Beaufort County: Lemon Island Landing
- Charleston County: Remeley’s Boat Landing
- Chesterfield County: Lake Robinson
- Georgetown County: Carroll Campbell Boat Ramp
- Lexington County: Dreher Island
- McCormick County: Scotts Ferry, Clarks Hill/Thurmond
- Oconee County: Twin Lakes, Lake Hartwell
- York County: Ebenezer Park, Lake Wylie
Based on a release from S.C. Dept. of Natural Resources.
