I got Boarded....

[Tom2697]

Re: I got Boarded....

I live in an area where the Coast Guard, Homeland Security, US Navy, Border Patrol, Customs Office, Parks and Wildlife, DEA, and local law enforcement are all trying to "protect" us (Not to mention the various Mexican law agencies). All I have to say is "Thank you" to them and I've been boarded, stopped, or inspected by nearly every one of these agencies. I was even stopped 3 times in the same day for safety inspections!!!<br /><br />Call it a safety inspection if you like. Tell me you are looking for fire extinguishers and flares if you like. But when the agency's presence is made known by having a boat stopped, those involved in illegal activities often think twice about continuing the activity since they might be the next to be boarded. It doesn't matter if they are smuggling drugs or people, or if they are driving drunk. These people don't want to be anywhere NEAR these agencies!

 

[thekingrancher]

Re: I got Boarded....

i've been stopped for the saftey checks a few times and it was a pleasant experience. however, i have had 3 tickets on my jet ski. none of those were pleasant...but i was wrong each time, i know they were doing their job, but they were allways nice. FIRM!! but nice

 

[18rabbit]

Re: I got Boarded....

Excellent point, Tom. If more people would cooperate by not objecting to having the police randomly kick in their doors and search for narcotics, maybe all the drug dealers will just go away.

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: I got Boarded....

 

[Tom2697]

Re: I got Boarded....

18rabbit,<br /><br />I'm not saying keep open the door to your house to these people. But, by showing law enforcement's presence in an area, whether it is on the street or on the water, those involved in illegal activities run and hide and their activity is put on hold. Drive down any street where drugs or prostitution is rampant and watch everyone scatter when a cruiser rolls by...They don't came back out until the cop is gone.<br /><br />As for "checking me for my own safety", I've been boating since I was developing inside of my mother. I also have many friends with too much money that don't have the first idea about boats. I can't even call them a newbie because they have no interest in learning about boats or boating safety. This is where the "safety checks" are a good thing. These people will go out without life vests, a VHF, or even a cellphone. They load their boats to the max and don't even realize that a 2-stroke needs oil to keep from blowing up. Next thing you know, you are reading about them in the paper as a statistic. Or, you are reading about me as a statistic because they weren't paying attention when they ran into me at WOT. A random safety check just might stop people before they kill someone or themselves. It won't help me at all though since I make it a point to check my own safety gear before every trip...<br /><br />Tom

 

[ChesapeakeBayBoater]

Re: I got Boarded....

I was stopped this past summer by the Baltimore County Marine Unit in Middle River as I was told by the police officer that I was exceeding the posted 6mph limit.<br /><br />I challenged him, asking how he could determine my speed without a radar unit or pacing me. He claims, my boat was on plane and that it was necessary to be going 12 mph to do so. <br /><br />While stopped, he performed a marine courtesy inspection and gave the "thumbs up"<br /><br />Afterwards, I demonstrated to him that a over-trimmed outboard would give the illusion of being on plane while moving @ 6mph. He verified his speed while following me on his GPS and agreed its possible to appear to be on plane and go 6mph.

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: I got Boarded....

Middle River area is a tough area with lots of marine cops. With Millers island (the party island)over there they are always on the look out and when boared they start looking for reasons to stop you to see if you have been drinking.

 

[FlyBoyMark]

Re: I got Boarded....

Born and raised in Florida and been in and around boats all my life. Last 6 months my bass boat has been boarded 3 times and every nook and cranny has been opened and examined, fishing license checked and one time Conceal Carry license was checked for vallidity. Prior to this....NEVER in 50 years since I was a baby!<br />Achtung! Are your papers in order? :was the only thing I did not hear.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: I got Boarded....

Everyone needs to keep in mind that Coast Guard officers are also United States Customs officers and need no reason whatsoever to stop someone. Safety checks can be performed without cause and once onboard any contraband in plain view is fair game and of course any suspicious activity or items can warrant a search. A reason could be conjured on virtually any boat as cause to search the vessel. A good one I always would use in the absence of anything else is a cursory search for weapons for "Officer Safety". <br /><br /><br />

Personally, I would have loved them to show me where in their little rule book that they could cite you for the "incorrect" extinguisher you did have on board.

46 CFR 181.500 states that the fire extiguisher must be serviceable. If the button does not pop out, the thing is not serviceable.<br /><br />18Rabbit is right about the blue lights being used inappropriately. Under the Rules of the Road, blue flashing lights are for emergency situations only although every marine police dept. and coast guard boat I've ever seen uses them to pull boats over. Technically, it's not right. As for the Coast Guardsman offering to allow you to purchase a fire ext. instead of getting a ticket, they teach these officers to do this at marine law enforcement school in Williamsburg, VA. I'm not saying it's right, but that technique goes way up the chain of command and was not the bright idea of this particular officer. They do it to foster a good relationship between the Coast Guard and the public. After all which would you rather happen, get a ticket or buy a fire ext. that you needed anyway. I guess not everyone sees it that way. Many law enforcement agencies utilize this technique in different ways. <br /><br />As for the C.G. AUX. These people are not regular CG and most do not receive any formal training from the CG although some do. These are gung ho volunteers that love doing what they do and most of them are top notch people. No Aux. member anywhere has the authority to stop a boat for an inspection. Only the regular CG can do that. The Aux. may offer to inspect your boat, but they do not issue citations for violations and they don't report you to the regular CG. You, of course, may decline to be inspected. For new boaters this is a very nice service.

 

[lakelivin]

Re: I got Boarded....

Originally posted by FlyBoyMark:<br /> Born and raised in Florida and been in and around boats all my life. Last 6 months my bass boat has been boarded 3 times and every nook and cranny has been opened and examined, fishing license checked and one time Conceal Carry license was checked for vallidity. Prior to this....NEVER in 50 years since I was a baby!<br />Achtung! Are your papers in order? :was the only thing I did not hear.

Are you in an area where there might be an increase in (or increased focus on) drug running problems?

 

[FlyBoyMark]

Re: I got Boarded....

Lakelivin...Nope..jus' an area thats been popular for years for fresh water fishing. Not a drug area at all.....all fisherman and family oriented area... alot of other friends of mine are saying they've been boarded too...

 

[waterone1@aol.com]

Re: I got Boarded....

Just to put a light spin on all of this, funny story that happened a few years ago on the Ohio River. Shortly after 911, a fellow boater from my marina headed out on a Saturday afternoon with a new "girlfriend" (he had a new one every week). I was used to seeing his 36 ft cabin cruiser anchored off the channel (at his "spot") after he took one of his "girlfriends" for a short cruise.<br />This particular time was about one week after 911 and tensions were running high. <br />What no-one other than the coast guard and local law enforcement realized was that this was right in front of the local municiple water intake for the city of Cincinnati. Remember all of those fears about terrorist poisoning our water supply??<br />Well, I'll just say that apparently shortly after they dropped anchor and went below, to,...... well, you know,.... every coast guard and law enforcement boat within 20 miles surrounded his boat, and with bull horns wailing, demanded them to come out on deck. Of course every other boat in the area that saw all of the CG boats surrounding him had to stop and watch from across the river to see what was going on. Needless to say it was one he11 of a hoot.