It's bad enough when the Power Squadron/USCGA types confront you at
every boat ramp and marina for permission to snoop around your boat.
Ok, this has come up twice in this thread...I've been boating all my life
and have never been "confronted" by anyone from the USCGA or US/PS at any
time. I have, on occasion, been approached in a polite and neighborly manner
for boat safety checks. This is absolutley voluntary! In addition to
enhancing everyone's safety, vessels that are found to be properly equipped
get a decal that gives the regular Coasties notice that you're operating a
safe boat...thus decreasing your odds of an on the water stop & check.
Where. pray tell, is the problem in that?

James

James:

Exactly the definition of the purpose of the VSC program. Voluntary, and no
law enforcement reporting are involved. See the VSC manual, available at:
http://www.cgaux.org/cgauxweb/manual...al/vsc_man.pdf

For those not wanting to read the whole manual, here's the definition taken
right from the text:

"The mission of the Coast Guard Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) program is to
minimize the loss of life, personal injury, property damage and environmental
impact associated with the use of recreational boats, through preventive means,
in order to maximize safe use and enjoyment of U.S. waterways by the public.
The Vessel Safety Check program fully supports this mission.

The VSC program helps to achieve voluntary compliance with federal and state
recreational boating safety laws, particularly regarding the carriage of safety
equipment. It also raises boaters’ awareness of safety issues through
one-on-one contact by volunteer vessel examiners.

Using the information in this manual, vessel examiners will educate boaters
through direct, face-to-face boating-safety information exchanges. With this
knowledge, it is hoped that recreational boaters will become more involved in
maintaining and operating their boats in a safe manner, taking boating safety
courses to increase their knowledge and skills in boating, and promoting safe
boating to others.

The Vessel Safety Check is intended to serve as a “prevention through
education, outreach and volunteer compliance� activity and to help
recreational boaters gain a respect for the boating environment as a result of
the Vessel Safety Check encounter.

Vessel Safety Checks are generally performed on recreational boats under 65
feet. Vessel Safety Check requirements parallel federal and individual state
regulations regarding equipment and safety conditions of the vessel. A VSC is
not a law enforcement action. No official report is made to any law enforcement
authority. A Vessel Safety Check is performed only with the consent of the
owner or operator, who must be present at the time of the examination. A Vessel
Safety Check does not circumvent the right of any federal, state or local law
enforcement officer to verify the presence and condition of safety equipment."

In regard to the last paragraph above, the State of Michigan has passed
legislation recognizing the VSC program. If the vessel has a current VSC decal
it is no longer legal for a state LE officer to stop and board a vessel to
check for required safety equipment without cause, other than to ask the
operator to display the required number of PFDs. The State DNR and Michigan
Sheriffs will also, in the near future, offer the exact same VSCs through their
officers, who will be trained in the program initially by the Auxiliary. They
will then issue the same decal, instead of the myriad of county sheriff decals
and the DNR decal.

On the subject of the original post, in our district we've had no uprising
relating to the new security check requirements. No one at our last flotilla
meeting expressed any reluctance to comply with the mandate. If one wants
membership not operationally-related, the requirements only add fingerprinting
to what was asked at enrollment- namely, that the prospective member was a U.S.
citizen, over 17 years old, and had no felony convictions. I'd imagine that
the only way to check on the felony issue is to have fingerprints to verify
identity.

Semper Paratus.

Bud (9CR 10-05)