From: mgm@metaflow.com (Gary A. Gibson)
Subject: Re: Boarding(was Re: Coast Guard Boating Tax, NOT!)
Organization: Metaflow Technologies Inc.
Distribution: usa
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 22:26:22 GMT

In article <BzEyG3.828@encore.com>, tflynn@encore.com (Tonya Flynn) writes:
|> 
|> I'm afraid the Coast Guard has proved to be no friend of ours.  Living in
|> south Florida and frequently sailing between the U.S. and the Bahamas, we
|> have had the occassion to be boarded twice by the Bahamas Defense Force
|> and twice by the Coast Guard.  On SEVERAL occassions, while out for a
|> day sail, we have been stopped by the Coast Guard and interrogated as
|> to where we were from, what we were doing, how many were on board, who
|> was on board, where we were going and the Captain had to produce the
|> proper documentation.  
|> 
|> The boarding and searches by the Bahamas Defense Force was basically
|> a pleasant experience.  While they were indeed armed and thoroughly
|> searched the boat, they were professional and pleasant.  The searches
|> by the Coast Guard, on the other hand, were humiliating and expensive
|> encounters.  They accompanied us to the nearest public dock and had 
|> everyone but the Captain disembark.  We were all held at gunpoint while
|> they searched the boat.  They emptied every locker of its contents and
|> left the contents thrown about wherever it landed.  They went through
|> the women's purses and left some of the contents to be found all over the
|> boat.  Some of the watertight fittings had not been opened for a long time
|> and were reluctant to  come free.  They simply pried them open with a 
|> crowbar and screwdriver.  They ripped out the head liner in the main salon.
|> After all this, they issued a citation for not having a plaque about oil
|> discharge laws in the engine compartment.
|> 
|> If this was just one of a few isolated instances, I probably wouldn't
|> be as 'down' on the Coast Guard as I am.  This seems to be a frequent
|> manor of operation.  I was not upset by the fact that they boarded
|> and searched, I am alarmed at the manor in which they conduct their
|> business.  Yes, there have been many reports of the Coast Guardies
|> rescuing foolish boaters from themselves but it doesn't dismiss the
|> shaddy treatment of your basic American sailor.
|> 
|> It seems the latest 'job' and/or accomplishments of the Coast Guard,
|> at least in this area of the country, is to escort Haitians to and
|> from Guantanamo and to south Florida.  Nope.  I'm afraid I'm no friend
|> of the Coast Guard.  And if we "fit the profile", then almost every
|> group of average 30-something Americans must fit the profile.
|> 
|>                                            |
|> Tonya Flynn                               /|\      6901 W. Sunrise Blvd.
|> (305/797-2446)                           / | \     Ft. Lauderdale, Fl 33313
|> "Let's just punch through that        ----------   UUCP:  uunet!gould!tflynn
|> sand bar"--Crew of Natty Dread          ------     INTERNET: tflynn@encore.com

  I have had similar experinces with the Mexican Navy, they were professional
and pleasant; and, with the US Coast guard, boarding with submachine guns with
their safetys off and then ripping through everything.  A neighbor of mine
had his charter boat, with paying customers, stopped every time he went out
until he had the local USCG commander place his boat on some list. Apperently,
his boat fit some profile - grey hull, several antennas, ???.  I would prefer
to be boarded by a Mexican gunboat than the USCG.  Don't get me wrong, the
USCG preforms a tremendous service in search and rescue, but their PRIMARY
job is interdiction.  The real problem is the leway which the zero tolerance
policy gives them.  I think the local police would do the same if they could.



       _                       Gary Gibson
       |_                       PRYORITY I
       | \                 Metaflow Technologies, Inc.
       |__\                4250 Executive Square, Suite 300
       /___\_____          La Jolla, CA 92037
  ____/         /          Voice:  (619) 452-6608 x231
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~        FAX:    (619) 452-0401
E-mail: mgm@metaflow.com

Newsgroups: rec.boats