SAN DIEGO

Boaters on Mission Bay who operate their vessels while under the influence of alcohol will be subject to spot breath tests starting this summer, Harbor Police say.

Portable breath-testing units have been purchased for each of the three patrol boats in the Harbor Police fleet as part of a crackdown on drunken boating, said Capt. Martin Hight.

San Diego’s on-the-spot breath testing, slated to start Memorial Day weekend, is believed to be the first of its kind in California, Hight said.

“This will reduce the amount of time we currently have to spend detaining someone who may be operating under the influence,” he said.

Under the existing system, boaters suspected of being intoxicated must be led to shore along with their vessels and put through a series of coordination tests on land, said Hight.

“It’s a lengthy process--you’re trying to handle both the boater and the boat out there on the water. Now we can evaluate blood-alcohol content right on board. If it’s significant enough, we’ll take the boater into custody,” he said.

The breath tests “will not take the place of chemical testing. People will still have the opportunity to take a blood or urine test once on shore,” Hight said.

Like motorists, boaters in Mission Bay are legally required to keep their blood alcohol content lower than .10, Hight said. The average blood-alcohol content of boaters arrested for intoxication last year was .19, he added.