"Dave" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 24 Jun 2005 08:40:17 -0700, "Bob La Londe"
said:

Does the US Coast Guard have the authority to stop, search or do a
"routine"
safety check on a vessel of US registry or US state registration fully
within US waters and obviously not suited for long offshore travel
without
cause?

http://www.jcrobbins.com/documents/boarding.htm


Interesting read. Also, interesting that one paragraph seems to indicate
that their are limits while others say their aren't. Also, interesting that
all limits are ambiguous.

Of course the biggest arguement about the value of their warrantless
searches and lack of need for cause it is also valid for private homes on
dry land. Not legal, but valid.

Amazing that with the various changes in our country in many ways we are
becoming worse and more oppressive in than the country we fought so hard to
make ourselves independent of over 200 years ago.

--
Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com

They kind of edited my comments in that article. The Coasties were young
and nervous but they were courteous and professional. When they found that
one of the crew was from the same home town as one of the boarding party
they got down right friendly. That didn't stop them from making a detailed
inspection of our log and charts, checking the whole boat from chain locker
to lazerette and using a chemical wipe on all the surfaces. The cutter
tagged along for another half hour while they ran tests on the wipe.

Evidently the USCG has an enforcement agreement with Haiti and at the time
the South coast of Hispanola was a major drug route. Had the French owner
been on board he might have objected when we were hailed but I was not going
to get on the VHF and claim French sovernety with my South Georgia accent in
the face of that big cannon on the cutter's foredeck.

--
Glenn Ashmore

I'm building a 45' cutter in strip/composite. Watch my progress (or lack
there of) at: http://www.rutuonline.com
Shameless Commercial Division: http://www.spade-anchor-us.com

"Bob La Londe" wrote in message
news:1119634116.4bda1948b3517220db2fffefd0dfa380@t eranews...
"Dave" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 24 Jun 2005 08:40:17 -0700, "Bob La Londe"
said:

Does the US Coast Guard have the authority to stop, search or do a
"routine"
safety check on a vessel of US registry or US state registration fully
within US waters and obviously not suited for long offshore travel
without
cause?

http://www.jcrobbins.com/documents/boarding.htm


Interesting read. Also, interesting that one paragraph seems to indicate
that their are limits while others say their aren't. Also, interesting
that
all limits are ambiguous.

Of course the biggest arguement about the value of their warrantless
searches and lack of need for cause it is also valid for private homes on
dry land. Not legal, but valid.

Amazing that with the various changes in our country in many ways we are
becoming worse and more oppressive in than the country we fought so hard
to
make ourselves independent of over 200 years ago.

--
Bob La Londe
www.YumaBassMan.com

Ahoy The
Interesting read, true. All I can say is that twice in coastal waters,
and once in international waters have been stopped by US gov't
ships.(Wouldn't identify themselves at 3am offshore, but warship
silhouette hard to disguiseG)

Rule #1)They out-gun you=be polite
Rule #2)Be excrutiatingly polite, they're nervous about being
blown-away by someone popping out of forward hatch. Always keep BOTH
your hands in plain view.
Result=no problems, in fact the officer nonchalantly over-looked clear
violation of holding tank sin.

Allan

Ahoy The
Interesting read, true. All I can say is that twice in coastal waters,
and once in international waters have been stopped by US gov't
ships.(Wouldn't identify themselves at 3am offshore, but warship
silhouette hard to disguiseG)

Rule #1)They out-gun you=be polite
Rule #2)Be excrutiatingly polite, they're nervous about being
blown-away by someone popping out of forward hatch. Always keep BOTH
your hands in plain view.
Result=no problems, in fact the officer nonchalantly over-looked clear
violation of holding tank sin.

Allan

The last time the Canadian Coast Guard came on board my sailboat they were
polite.
We were in peas soup fog and a few miles offshore from the US boarder. I
asked them for ID and radioed my position with the name of their vessel and
time to their HQ. They were wearing heavy duty leather boots and I kindly
asked them to wipe their feet before coming on board. They had no problem
with my request.
Last year the RCMP ask for permission to come aboard my boat while in
motion. I went to the same routine and contacted their detachment. They
inspected my safety equipment. The heaving attached to my life buoy was
found not secured to the boat. They checked the rest of the boat and gave
me a safety sticker. Other boaters I know got fined for not having the
proper safety gears or sailing while under the influence of alcohol or
recreational substances. In this area when using a cell phone we can press
*16 and contact the Coast Guard.

"LEnfantduVent" wrote in message
oups.com...
Ahoy The
Interesting read, true. All I can say is that twice in coastal waters,
and once in international waters have been stopped by US gov't
ships.(Wouldn't identify themselves at 3am offshore, but warship
silhouette hard to disguiseG)

Rule #1)They out-gun you=be polite
Rule #2)Be excrutiatingly polite, they're nervous about being
blown-away by someone popping out of forward hatch. Always keep BOTH
your hands in plain view.
Result=no problems, in fact the officer nonchalantly over-looked clear
violation of holding tank sin.

Allan

Bob La Londe wrote:
"Dave" wrote in message
http://www.jcrobbins.com/documents/boarding.htm
Interesting read. Also, interesting that one paragraph seems to
indicate
that their are limits while others say their aren't. Also, interesting that
all limits are ambiguous.

One day back in the early 80's a couple of gun-toting sociopaths decided
to rob a store or a bank in Ottawa and ended up killing an officer. That
same day, my crew and I cleared customs in the St. Lawrence on a rented
alco-barge (houseboat) heading for Alexandria Bay, NY. We must have
looked like what the border people were looking for. Say what you want
about "limits". When the USCG cutter hailed us, with what I recall were
4 guys on the foredeck with what appeared to be M16's (I don't know for
sure, I don't know guns), flak-jackets and helmets, I wasn't going to
argue about limits. I told everyone onboard to get out on the deck
facing the cutter with their hands in plain sight as I came along side.