Boarded by the Coast Guard..Terminated Voyage

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by GreyBeardVA

OMG! I thought I was the only one who ever listened to that song.

Not even close.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by bgallinger

I think your estimate of 80% is just a tad wild. I can't recall meeting any boater in the US or Canada who has no interest in learning and improving his skill level. We take pride in voluntary training and generally abhor any gov't. regulation in recreational boating. Despite these occasional annoyances with being boarded, I for one, will continue to take pride and enjoy my sailing in the USA and Canada.

I agree. Probably about 5% here who are dangerously underqualified. Most are sadly unifomed. The problem is when one of the incompetant types buys a 50 to 80 foot stink-boat and takes ownership of all he sees. The opposite end of the string is the guy in a tiny boat or dinghy who will cut under my overhang while I am backing. A test would not help this guy. No accounting for stupid. I used to get upset but I now consider it part of the entertainment. I try to guess what bonehead maneuver will happen this time.

[MarkSF]

What I find perverse is that the OP has the money for a Lagoon 410, but not for some decent safety equipment.

Even if you are wearing them, the inflatable PFDs are to be regarded as a precautionary measure. One of the recommendations after the recent incident where a sailboat ran aground (someone remind me of the name?) was that if you have time, and the boat is sinking, go and take your inflatable off and put on a proper life jacket. Why? They don't ride over your head as easily, they provide thermal insulation, and protection from impact ie rocks.

Bare minimum - get a spare bag of 4 runabout lifejackets - $60 from West Marine.

[Ocean Girl]

Originally Posted by rourkeh

Sid, welcome to the United States of Big Brother. The Coast Guard is out inspecting people's life jackets and fire extinguishers whilst 80% of the people operating the boats have no idea what they are doing. They ought to consider implementing an operators requirement before allowing people to captain a vessel. Almost all of the accidents occur because of a complete lack of experience, not for want of a good life jacket. But in typical American fashion the boat manufacturers lobby in D.C. will not address the real problem because if you made all the yahoos who want to own a boat prove they had the ability and experience to SAFELY captain a vessel no one would bother buying a boat. In the mean time you get a bunch of pimple faced kids in rubber boats running around "checking" everyone. Your best bet is get the hell out of the U.S.A. and go somewhere less ridiculous.

Going by your logic, isn't it prudent to make sure " the 80% clueless", that the Coast Guard will have to rescue, at least have a decent lifejacket and means to put out a fire. The rest of your post -I don't even no where to begin.

[Captain Bill]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Many do not know the bell is no longer required. I still have one (no batteries required ) I also have and use day shapes but only in busy places where a moment's confusion would be bad. With a sailing vessel its usually obvous what you are doing. I also keep the compressor on while motoring and monster air horns ready. How many use their horns at blind turns in the waterway, overtaking, backing and other places as required by the Rules?

I don't know why people on this forum keep stating that a bell is no longer required. US inland rules still require a bell for boats greater than 12 meters(39feet). If you never want to come insude the colregs line you don't need one, but inside you do if your over 39 feet. The USCG site is still up despite the shutdown so go have a look for yourself.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by MarkSF

What I find perverse is that the OP has the money for a Lagoon 410, but not for some decent safety equipment.

Even if you are wearing them, the inflatable PFDs are to be regarded as a precautionary measure. One of the recommendations after the recent incident where a sailboat ran aground (someone remind me of the name?) was that if you have time, and the boat is sinking, go and take your inflatable off and put on a proper life jacket. Why? They don't ride over your head as easily, they provide thermal insulation, and protection from impact ie rocks.

Bare minimum - get a spare bag of 4 runabout lifejackets - $60 from West Marine.

Costco has really great deals on very nice, comfortable lifejackets (spring time only in the north).

A few years ago we scored 5 type I offshore commercial jackets at Boater's World going out of business. I think about 7.50 each.

[jongleur]

...and I don't wanna die.
I just wanna ride on my motorcy...

[sailcruiser]

[QUOTE="sailcruiser;1357536 I appreciate those that do a crappy job willingly for a crappy salary on my behalf. I have yet to be boarded but am confident it will bad find if that day comes. SC[/QUOTE]

To quote myself and correct my phone autocorrected sentence: I have yet to be boarded but am confident it will BE FINE if that day comes.

Thanks CaptForce for asking what I was trying to say. I hate it when the phone does that!
SC

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by Krogensailor

Do you 'realize' the inherent problem in this statement? "know what I mean" Wink Wink. That anyone would find it as acceptable and standard practice for the hired staff to be reading their mail and looking over the affairs of their private life. Not mention looking for ways to get me. Is mindbogglingly shortsighted. There are so many instances in history that illustrate that those who permit authority to gather to such an extent are profoundly unhappy with the outcome. And for what, some vague psychological feeling of safety? "He who gives up freedom for safety deserves neither". ... Benjamin Franklin. And you will have neither. You/we have options for redressing our grievances. Fail to excersize those options/rights and it won't be long before you'll be awakened in the middle of the night by the ruckus of your neighbors being dragged off, never to be seen again. The framwork has already been laid by all those patriots-acting on your behalf. In the distant past there were Japanese warriors who would enter the battlefield with a picket pin used to stake a horse with, a piece of cord tied to the pin and to their waist. They would drive the pin into the ground and so they would remain, on the battlefield until the end. The question is, where will you drive your picket pin? Do you even have a picket pin? Dramatic? I suppose. Paranoid? Perhaps. Prepared to stand up for my life, liberty and happiness? Most definitely! It's each small event and decision that builds the house or in this case the prison.

So true!

[jeremiason]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Many do not know the bell is no longer required.

I assume you are talking about Vessels under 12 meters.

Over 12 meters (39 feet) you are still required to have a Whistle and Bell according to the current USCG Rule 33.

Or maybe I missed something?

[Robin3]

Originally Posted by David M

In a true emergency I would rather be putting on a PFD that has a 100% certainty of not deflating. For comfort, the inflatables are better of course. The only reason the USCG approved the inflatables is because people are more likely to wear them. The inflatables do not qualify for commercial use.

Strange then that the rest of the world sees automatic inflation jackets as superior than those daft things that might better be used as simple seat cushions

Would you really go on the foredeck in a wild storm to change a headsail whilst wearing one of those folding plastic seat cushions or would a modern combined lifejacket and safety harness and being able to clip on to a properly sited jackstay (that the CG do not even require) be much better???

[pbiJim]

Originally Posted by MarkSF

Even if you are wearing them, the inflatable PFDs are to be regarded as a precautionary measure. One of the recommendations after the recent incident where a sailboat ran aground (someone remind me of the name?) was that if you have time, and the boat is sinking, go and take your inflatable off and put on a proper life jacket. Why? They don't ride over your head as easily, they provide thermal insulation, and protection from impact ie rocks.

That was the islands race back in March. Uncontrollable Urge went aground on a lee shore. Most of the Mustang inflatables worn by the crew failed. One guy died. The US Sailing report below made the recommendations you speak of.
http://media.ussailing.org/AssetFactory.aspx?vid=21870

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by bobofthenorth

As a Canadian flagged vessel we're not actually subject to any legal requirement to comply with USCG regs vis a vis fire extinguishers, flares, PFDs, etc. We need to comply with Canadian regs and often there are parallels between the regs but they are by no means identical. Gray Hawk is in pretty good repair and we carry an excess of all the safety stuff so its not really an issue. I'm sure if the USCG found something that was a legitimate safety concern they would figure out some way to stop us but I don't expect to ever experience that.



.

Just a point , the flag of a boat does not protect you from the application of local laws. Once inside a countries territory , yiu are subject to whatever laws apply. If the USCG rules only apply to us vessels that's fine, but that's because of the way the law was framed.

If yiu sailed into french waters , you would be subject to their safety rules for yachts irrespective of flag , equally in Irish waters you would be subject to their lifejacket rules.

Dave

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by jeremiason

The Code of Federal Regulations Title 46 covers everything you ever wanted to know about maritime regulations.

Title 46 governs everything the USCG requires and enforces aboard your vessel, even the USCG Rules are codified in the CFRs.

Title 46 also specifies how safety equipment is built and certified. In other words, why your fire extinguisher has to be marine grade and why you can't count a Type 5 PFD, unless you wear it.

46 CFR 25 covers most of what we have been talking about small uninspected passenger vessels (recreational Boats).

LIFE JACKETS

FIRE EXTINGUISHERS

The CFRs comply with SOLAS, which means the United States is enforcing existing International Laws. In other words, very seldom will you find something in the CFRs concerning vessels, that isn't enforced worldwide.

The links above will take you to the indexes of the listed chapters.

Given SOLAS has no relevance to leisure yachts ( except chapter V) I'm not sure how relevant your comments are.

Dave

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by pbiJim

The auto-inflate systems on inflatable vests vary in geometry, but all of the ones that I have seen have been based on some piece of material that fails mechanically when wet. Unfortunately, condensation can sometimes be enough to set them off. I don't use the automatic systems on inflatables. I only use the manual vests.

See hammar hydrostatic release lifejackets

Dave