Updated: 10:37 PM EDT
Coast Guard Boards Tiger's Yacht
Woods and New Bride Turned Away From San Juan Port
By FRANK GRIFFITHS, AP

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (Oct. 14) -- Tiger Woods and his bride were briefly
detained Thursday by U.S. Coast Guard officers on their yacht Privacy, then
were turned away from San Juan's port because they had failed to notify
authorities of their arrival.



AP
Woods' luxury yacht 'Privacy'


Since July 1, new security regulations require many boats to submit an arrival
notice at least four days before entering a U.S. port, Coast Guard spokesman
Lt. Eric Willis said.

The 28-year-old golfer and Swedish model Elin Nordegren, 24, were married Oct.
5 at a luxury resort in Barbados and later set out on the Privacy, along with a
crew.

The yacht entered San Juan's port at about noon Thursday and a Coast Guard boat
stopped it, Willis said. Five Coast Guard officers boarded the yacht and
escorted it to port, he said.


"They were not supposed to be here because they didn't notify us," Willis said.

Eight people were on board, and they said they made their last port call in St.
Kitts.

The crew was held for about 3 1/2 hours, then a Coast Guard boat escorted the
yacht out of San Juan port. It was not clear were they were headed, but it was
"outside the United States," Willis said.


The Privacy's captain said he did not know the new security regulations applied
to Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, Willis said.

The captain said he decided to stop in San Juan only to refuel, Willis said.
The Privacy was allowed to refuel as immigration authorities spoke with those
aboard, including the newlyweds.

Willis said the yacht is registered in the Cayman Islands to the Privacy Ltd.
holding company, which Woods owns.

The company could face up to $32,500 in fines, although it is up to the Coast
Guard's captain of the port, Willis said.

Woods is expected to return to the PGA Tour on Oct. 21 for the Funai Classic in
Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Before his wedding, Woods played in the American Express Championship at the
Mount Juliet Golf Course in Thomastown, Ireland. He finished ninth, and fell to
No. 3 in the world for the first time since May 1999.


10/14/04 18:11 EDT

shen44 opines:

-LOL Guess Tiger's celebrity status doesn't cut much weight with Sammy's
CG.Be willing to bet a number of "foreign" flag yachts get caught with
notification woes, I know a number of commercial ships are.-

Bilge-Sho' nuff, and well they should be...

Can you see bin Laden's boyz in THEIR megayacht telling the Coasties:

"Hey...we've got Tiger Woods on board!...You know, TIGER WOODS!"

Coasties:

"Oh, well...in that case, welcome home, fellas."

You should see the collection of freaks and nitwits on aol's message boards
clamoring their nasty agendas in total ignorance of the law.

The fact that he's on a Cayman Islands registry, doesn't even "register" with
most of those morons.

Regards;


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