I was boarded by the Coast Guard last week

Through the winter months around lower Vancouver island there's more law enforcement boats than pleasurecraft on the water... seriously. Here the coast guard are the good guys for search and rescue. They just wave and continue on their way but we also have local police, the federal RCMP and now these new 'unmarked border guards' (kinda' obvious though) lurking everywhere. They all want to check you out. We're over-policed on the water now, plain and simple. There's no terrorist activity here. There's no drug-runners or rum-runners... there's very few accidents. Any theft or crime is handled by land based police... and you won't see many high speed pursuits since 90% of the boats are sail and trawlers.
All this law enforcement has nothing to do but stop boats for 'safety checks'. It's not at all like going through a road block; a road block is a quick chat with an officer and you're on your way. On the water it's completely different. This is usually a 20 to 30 minute invasion of your privacy. I've been stopped many times over the years and generally speaking the cops are ok to deal with (some really good) but the point is I don't want to deal with them... thats why I'm boating in the first place... to get away from all the activity.
The financial aspect... yeah my tax dollars; I bet around the lower island there's no less than 40 of these 24' 500hp boats @ $150k plus each with 2 or 3 officers per shift / per boat cruising around all day (on plane). We're boaters... we know how expensive that is! Is it worth it? In this area... of course not! The 'boys' are nice most of the time and they do a good job but there's too many of them and in the wrong place.
The government should put that money in to cancer research or the childrens hospital or... how about lowering taxes!? There's a novel idea...
 
You all may be missing the point. They are not just stopping you for a safety check.

9/11 changed everything guy/gals.

If the inconvenience of a safety stop keeps out someone with a "dirty bomb" or another type of device then I say go for it and "THANK YOU!"

This just one example and a bigger ship. But what is it to say it couldn't happen on a 320 or 340? I wish they would take this type of action at our borders on land.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...ugee-ship-said-carrying-tamil-tigers-members/
 
AKBASSKING said:
If the inconvenience of a safety stop keeps out someone with a "dirty bomb" or another type of device then I say go for it and "THANK YOU!"
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Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety Benjamin Franklin
 
They still have to ask for permission to board! At least we haven't given it all away just yet. We are busy working on it though.
 
After reading this thread. I love my little pond. :thumbsup:
I know all the guys in the Coast Guard & County Sheriff marine unit & EPA patrol. :smt001
 
87cc said:
That is a real stupid question & has nothing to do with the topic of this thread.
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No sir, its an example of the "slippery slope" and a direct response to a question asked by you. A response you even thanked me for.

If you still don't get it, well then maybe you need to go back and read the entire thread to understand the context.
 
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Has anyone heard of the requirement to have a small version of Chapman's on the boat in CA? I heard this on the docks over the 4th of July, but have never heard this before. I'd like to verify before I get a fine...
 
boughtabouy said:
Has anyone heard of the requirement to have a small version of Chapman's on the boat in CA? I heard this on the docks over the 4th of July, but have never heard this before. I'd like to verify before I get a fine...
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Boats >12m(39.4') are required to carry a copy of the navigation rules. Maybe that is what you overheard on the docks. I highly doubt that Chapmans itself would be specified. The CG does have Navigation Rules, Inland-International in a small handbook size. Maybe CA has different requirements:huh:. Let us know when you find out for sure.
 
1stSeaRay said:
No sir, its an example of the "slippery slope" and a direct response to a question asked by you. A response you even thanked me for.

If you still don't get it, well then maybe you need to go back and read the entire thread to understand the context.
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I didn't thank YOU for anything. Maybe YOU should go back and see who I did thank :smt021
 
After this ...
grouphug.gif
. All is fine. :smt001
 
Good question Foxy, I know they are put on the boat by the Manufacturer because of CG regulations. I don't know where they are though! Waiting for the responses. I know CG will want to see them on a boarding. We are going to the Vineyard on Wed. before Osama's arrival on Thursday and I am sure every law enforcement official will be out looking for those of us who look very "suspect"..........
 
foxyc said:
I have a dumb question...
What is a garbage and oil placard??
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You need to have 2 signs reminding everyone on board that you can not throw your garbage over board and your not allowed to discharge oil into the water.

When I was boarded, I was required to show both of them. For me is was my first time looking for them. I found the garbage placard on the inside of my galley sink door, but I couldnt find the "oil placard". I needed to boot up a PC, load a PDF file and search for it. SeaRay has it m mounted on the underside of my hatch. I needed to move everyone (3 coasties, 4 kids, and 2 adults, down into cabin, so I could lift the entire back of my boat and then climb down into the hot engine compartment to show the coasties, the little sign. A real life saving process and great use of federal tax dollars.

I'm sorry, but I found the process to be a royal pain in the ass and I do not "welcome it" as some people profess to.

I can respect being stopped and asked to produce life vests for everyone on board, but some of the requirements are out dated.

BTW, my SeaRay has a laminated book on the door under neath my steering wheel, which I assume meets the requirements for having a copy of navigation rules on board. I assume you could keep a chapmans book on board and that would also meet the requirements.
 
If this happpened to me, the hatch actuator would probably fail at that time and I would have to manually lift the hatch... It makes no sense to me to stop a small pleasure boat in the ocean to board without cause. My crew would have gotten sick down below and it would be a mess... You stop for 5 minutes in the ocean and someone will get sea sick. When my girls get older I anticipate I will be stopped more often, that is if they still go out on the boat with us...
 
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