Coast Guard Intervention information needed for a novel.

[maijipo]

Good morning.

I wrote a novel (sailing novel) happening in the west coast of Florida. I am in the correction phase and I am a bit unhappy about the realism of one the scene.

The situation is the following. The crew of a catamaran is suspected to be taken hostage and one other boat suspecting a problem called the coast guard to report the fact. The boat reporting the indident via the VHF is not 100% sure of the fact.

The Catamaran is located East of Gulivan Bay (Thousand Islands Florida) anchored in the mangrove.

How will the Coast Guard proceed in such case? Would they send a helicopter? A boat? From where will come the boat or the helicopter? In how much time would they be on site? That is my first set of doubts.

Secondly, once on site what is the standard procedure? I assume they will try to board the catamaran. What type of gear equipment’s would they wear?

I would appreciate any information you can give on that topic. I would like to be as realistic as possible.

I sail these waters since the last two years, and I realize that I really don’t have much idea how the Coast Guard operate in the area and what they have their disposition.

Thank you in advance!

C.

[Dan Mosby]

Call up a coast guard station and talk to a propaga.....public affairs officer. They'll be able to get you in touch with somebody that can help you.

[S/V Illusion]

Fiction is just that meaning it doesn’t have to be factual. In your scenario, there is no definitive right or wrong playbook. The CG might refer such a call to the local police depending on proximity, other priorities, credibility, etc...

I recall a few similar calls years ago when I was in the CG and our response plan differed among the Districts based on local policy.

[Dan Mosby]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

Fiction is just that meaning it doesn’t have to be factual.....

This belief, apparently rampant in the "entertainment" industry, is exactly why I stopped watching film and T.V..

Without realistic characters performing realistic actions, suspension of disbelief is impossible, and the story becomes irritating.

[S/V Illusion]

Originally Posted by Dan Mosby

This belief, apparently rampant in the "entertainment" industry, is exactly why I stopped watching film and T.V..

Without realistic characters performing realistic actions, suspension of disbelief is impossible, and the story becomes irritating.

There is a difference between real and believable - good fiction is always believable. Often, real isn’t always believable.


For example, implying the CG has a “propaganda” office is both unbelievable and poor fiction.

[Dan Mosby]

Originally Posted by S/V Illusion

TFor example, implying the CG has a “propaganda” office is both unbelievable and poor fiction.

Not if you've ever served in the military. They pass out "propaganda" points to the troops in case they ever get interviewed by media. Have been for years, too.

That's why you never hear the truth about things like, "the A-stan war", or "women in the miltary" from anyone other than designated propaga....er, "leaders". Meanwhile, young men around the globe are having to work twice as hard to carry the kit and do the work that women CAN'T do, or won't do....while getting maimed and killed in the process on some occasions.

[maijipo]

Guys,

I am just trying to have something realistic. That's all.

Thx.

Chris

[David M]

I would call the local Coast Guard district and ask for a public liason. Tell them you are writing a novel, give them your hypothetical situation and ask what they would do. Make sure they understand that it is a hypothetical situation and not real.

They will probably be very happy to tell you.

I agree that good fiction needs to be at least somewhat plausible and good for you for trying to get some accuracy regarding how the USCG would operate.

[Davy J]

You might call the CG like the others have said, but here is what happened to me. Twice, I've had to call the CG about a situation that did not involve me. In both instances, local law enforcement was also monitoring channel 16. They ended up responding to the situation faster than the CG could have.

In one case, the patrol from Macdill Air Force Base responded in minutes.

As pointed out, it's fiction. Write what you want............

[StuM]

A good novelist will research his subject matter with appropriate sources, not anonymous internet sources.
In this case, as others have said - talk to the CG.

[PLANET EXPRESS]

I would think it would be responded to by the sherif maybe fish and wild life also some places have local police boats. They have very fast boats that are on you before you know it. Coast guard is usually 3 miles out or near inlets.

[redneckrob]

Originally Posted by Dan Mosby

Not if you've ever served in the military. They pass out "propaganda" points to the troops in case they ever get interviewed by media. Have been for years, too.

That's why you never hear the truth about things like, "the A-stan war", or "women in the miltary" from anyone other than designated propaga....er, "leaders". Meanwhile, young men around the globe are having to work twice as hard to carry the kit and do the work that women CAN'T do, or won't do....while getting maimed and killed in the process on some occasions.

Actually the Coast Guard's published public affairs policy is that anyone who participated in and has first hand knowledge about something not only can but should be the one to talk about the items they have first hand knowledge of....granted it's not classified or FOUO. It does sound like you are happy to talk about things which you don't have first hand knowledge of, so you probably wouldn't have fared any better in the CG than whatever service you did serve in. Thanks for your service though.

For the OP, there really isn't a standard procedure for the situation you described. The CG gets well meaning but ultimately crackpot calls by the hundreds, so the original call would need to have some credible reason for requesting a check on the suspected vessel or a way to make the person on duty feel they needed to at least check it out. Unless you had something pretty credible to launch a law enforcement call-out they would probably just send a small boat from the nearest small boat station to do a drive-by and check it out. They may or may not be armed depending if they were already doing boardings or not. If and only if a helicopter or airplane was already in the air and close they may ask them to fly over for a quick reality check, they certainly wouldn't launch us for that. They would almost certainly not do a full-on SWAT style assault on the boat, what little capability the CG has for that kind of thing is restricted to a few teams at major ports and were set up post 9-11 for response to a 9-11 level incident. They may also very well call local law enforcement, every county, city, and state agency with any nexus to the water in FL has an RHI and some gung ho troopers, chances are one of them would be closer and better equipped for the potential law enforcement action than the CG. Sorry if that's not terribly exciting, but basically that's such an unusual scenario that is far more likely to be someone with an overactive imagination, keeping in mind we deal with a lot of overactive imaginations, that we most probably wouldn't take it very seriously.

[model 10]

I can see how it would go. A P-3 would come low level, dropping parachute flares on the first pass. Second time around it would be depth charges. The choppers would come in next. In low hover right over the sinking boat with all the bright lights at night, wow!

[maijipo]

Originally Posted by redneckrob

Actually the Coast Guard's published public affairs policy is that anyone who participated in and has first hand knowledge about something not only can but should be the one to talk about the items they have first hand knowledge of....granted it's not classified or FOUO. It does sound like you are happy to talk about things which you don't have first hand knowledge of, so you probably wouldn't have fared any better in the CG than whatever service you did serve in. Thanks for your service though.

For the OP, there really isn't a standard procedure for the situation you described. The CG gets well meaning but ultimately crackpot calls by the hundreds, so the original call would need to have some credible reason for requesting a check on the suspected vessel or a way to make the person on duty feel they needed to at least check it out. Unless you had something pretty credible to launch a law enforcement call-out they would probably just send a small boat from the nearest small boat station to do a drive-by and check it out. They may or may not be armed depending if they were already doing boardings or not. If and only if a helicopter or airplane was already in the air and close they may ask them to fly over for a quick reality check, they certainly wouldn't launch us for that. They would almost certainly not do a full-on SWAT style assault on the boat, what little capability the CG has for that kind of thing is restricted to a few teams at major ports and were set up post 9-11 for response to a 9-11 level incident. They may also very well call local law enforcement, every county, city, and state agency with any nexus to the water in FL has an RHI and some gung ho troopers, chances are one of them would be closer and better equipped for the potential law enforcement action than the CG. Sorry if that's not terribly exciting, but basically that's such an unusual scenario that is far more likely to be someone with an overactive imagination, keeping in mind we deal with a lot of overactive imaginations, that we most probably wouldn't take it very seriously.

Thank you. Very useful and serve the story greatly.

[Calif.Ted]

When they launch a search in our area most common boat seen is the rapid response or defender class, they have a bunch and get more all the time. Often several at once but they have to be convinced there's a valid need.

https://www.dcms.uscg.mil/Our-Organi...Boat-Small-II/