So We Got Buzzed by a Coast Guard Patrol Boat the Other Night

[BLUEwaterchaser]

Originally Posted by Hillbillyfunk

had similar happen but it was a unlit helicopter near Marco Island, I was anchored in the mangroves and around 23:00 I had a chopper buzz me then make a tight circle and spotlight me, after 3 passes it headed NE and I could see it was USCG, screwed up my sleep for the rest of the night.

I had them approach me with a machine gun mounted on the bow in Tampa Bay channel, I had a fresh bottle of bubbles and used the wind to blow bubbles across the water, they were not as amused as me.....

Once they passed me in a narrow channel near Anna Maria Island and a young coastie saw my Arkansas flag, then read my Arkansas registation and got very excited, he yelled into the cockpit "Hey, that guy's from Arkansas"... I could hear the skipper reply "I know, I can read, I'm not from Arkansas"... it's amazing how much one can hear under sail, I laughed for a long time about that one.. he must have been an Arkie

Still ain't been boarded by any LEO... 13 months an counting, I am a big fan of the USCG, they save lives instead of take them.

Wish they cared as much about the boarder.

[donradcliffe]

The CG sometimes isn't too bright. Yesterday morning on my way into St Augustine, FL I heard another sailboat call the CG to inquire about conditions in the St Augustine inlet. It was rough outside, and they were asking about any shoals they should be aware of.

The CG response was that they could give no information--the boaters should consult their charts. Well, the St Augustine charts give NO information about the entrance, as the depths vary and the buoys are continually being shifted to follow the natural channel. It was pretty obvious that whoever was behind the radio at the CG had never looked at a local chart.

Two days before, a sailboat went adrift in the anchorage in Charleston near the city marina and 400 yards from the CG station. One of the Australian boats called the coasties on the VHF and reported the situation, and the CG response was to do nothing. The yachties then rounded up some dinghies and secured the boat to a mooring, but being from another country they were under the mistaken impression that the function of the coastguard was to render assistance.

[JiffyLube]

If I was the Captain of that USCG boat and saw a boat sailing at 11:00pm in those conditions, I probably would have come up along side of you too...especially considering all the trafficking that's been going on off San Diego. I'm sure not many people go out at that time in that weather, so it didn't hurt that they checked you out. Good to know they didn't hassle you (which they shouldn't anyway unless you were a bad guy), and they're out there doing what we pay them to do...helping us if needed.

Originally Posted by rebel heart

We were shooting out of Point Loma headed north, I think at this point under reefed main and staysail, headed offshore. Probably 11pm or so, pitch black. 15-20 knots of wind.

My friend and I heard an engine sound, and thought some jerk fisherman were zooming around with no lights on. I get on the VHF and said "turn your lights on, skipper."

Closer and closer, and then finally I make out the bright orange and the shape of the Coast Guard boat, still no running lights. They hang about 20' - 30 ' off our port beam and question us on where we launched from, what time, how many on board, our destination, etc.

Finally after a couple of minutes of shouting back and forth, he asks if we're rigged for foul weather, we tell him yes, and he says "okay, have a nice night." Flips his running lights on and zooms away.

It was a little weird. I know there are a lot of drug and human trafficking going on along that stretch of water, but on a Hans Christian with two people in neon foul weather gear in the cockpit, all proper lighting and flags flying?

At least we didn't get boarded.

[rebel heart]

Originally Posted by JiffyLube

If I was the Captain of that USCG boat and saw a boat sailing at 11:00pm in those conditions, I probably would have come up along side of you too...especially considering all the trafficking that's been going on off San Diego. I'm sure not many people go out at that time in that weather, so it didn't hurt that they checked you out. Good to know they didn't hassle you (which they shouldn't anyway unless you were a bad guy), and they're out there doing what we pay them to do...helping us if needed.

The only thing I would have preferred is them showing their running lights. I'm currently studying for my Master's license and there is discussion around flashing blue lights, but no formal discussion on "fast powerboats not answering their VHF flying up upon you not showing their lights".

And this is the same Coast Guard Sector that last Christmas ran over that power boat and killed that little boy (and injured a lot of other people). [See: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f106/fatal-coast-guard-accident-in-san-diego-34330.html]

I'm not in maritime law enforcement but it seems weird that a USCG vessel can suspend itself from COLREGS because it's checking on my safety.

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by speakeasy

Odd, about 8 or 10 years back, I joined a friend in SD for a jaunt in a rented 30' sailboat, and when we were a quarter mile outside of the harbor, a US nuke sub was leaving while a Brit or Aussie nuke sub was entering. They stopped to chat with each other or look each other over, about 200 yards from us. It was quite a sight and no one was concerned about us at all. My memory on dates is sketchy, perhaps it was the summer of '01 and Fodderland hysteria hadn't yet geared up.

Well, it wasn't an Aussie one, we are still trying to build a reasonable diesel powered one

[cuthbert]

Originally Posted by bruce smith

Once, 40 miles west of Nevis , thay busted my monitor with the zode.

I went and looked this up as I'm not the most proficient user of nautical terms. all I could get was from the urban distionary .......Zode "a man in his 30's who has been living as a homosexual but hiding it from everyone".

So let me get this right, you must have obviously had your gaydar on to spot him, and then this don't ask don't tell closet homosexual boarded your boat and broke your monitor?
I thought the thread about the police boarding boats in the inland waterway and checking the discharge valves was bad enough but this is beyond the pale. I'll keep some mint tea and showtunes CD's on board in future so if I get boarded I'll be ready ......."Ooooh hello Sailor!"

[rebel heart]

zode = zodiac. Typically it's one of the RB 101 types. Typical gray top / orange outer shell. That's the kind that came up on me.

[Don1500]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Well, it wasn't an Aussie one, we are still trying to build a reasonable diesel powered one

I heard they wanted to put a sail on one.

[speakeasy]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Well, it wasn't an Aussie one, we are still trying to build a reasonable diesel powered one

Well, having only traveled in old British empire countries a few times for a few days, I a bit foggy on flags. I think I remember some form of union jack as part or all of the flag. btw, is there still a commonwealth with economic treaties and all? Perhaps it's called something different now that wealth is not so common any more.

[speakeasy]

Originally Posted by cuthbert

I went and looked this up as I'm not the most proficient user of nautical terms. all I could get was from the urban distionary .......Zode "a man in his 30's who has been living as a homosexual but hiding it from everyone".

So let me get this right, you must have obviously had your gaydar on to spot him, and then this don't ask don't tell closet homosexual boarded your boat and broke your monitor?
I thought the thread about the police boarding boats in the inland waterway and checking the discharge valves was bad enough but this is beyond the pale. I'll keep some mint tea and showtunes CD's on board in future so if I get boarded I'll be ready ......."Ooooh hello Sailor!"

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by cuthbert

I went and looked this up as I'm not the most proficient user of nautical terms. all I could get was from the urban distionary .......Zode "a man in his 30's who has been living as a homosexual but hiding it from everyone".

So let me get this right, you must have obviously had your gaydar on to spot him, and then this don't ask don't tell closet homosexual boarded your boat and broke your monitor?
I thought the thread about the police boarding boats in the inland waterway and checking the discharge valves was bad enough but this is beyond the pale. I'll keep some mint tea and showtunes CD's on board in future so if I get boarded I'll be ready ......."Ooooh hello Sailor!"

that's one of the funniest things I've read in a long time.

[JiffyLube]

Originally Posted by rebel heart

The only thing I would have preferred is them showing their running lights. I'm currently studying for my Master's license and there is discussion around flashing blue lights, but no formal discussion on "fast powerboats not answering their VHF flying up upon you not showing their lights".

And this is the same Coast Guard Sector that last Christmas ran over that power boat and killed that little boy (and injured a lot of other people). [See: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f106/fatal-coast-guard-accident-in-san-diego-34330.html]

I'm not in maritime law enforcement but it seems weird that a USCG vessel can suspend itself from COLREGS because it's checking on my safety.

I understand what you're saying about the USCG not using lights in your situation, but if their looking for intruders or smugglers the lights will be a dead give away to where they are. I remember that boat that got run over in San Diego, but I think was really an acception to the rule of what normally happens. That was a really busy night with the Parade of Lights on the bay, and there was no good reason for those guys to be speeding. I supect with most things military there are exceptions to the rule.

[zeehag]

NO ONE i know calls a zodiac a zode-- wtf-- are all of you turning GHEY in this bhey????? rofl.
san diego has an attitude problem they think this is the end all of the world--isnt even a challenging place to sail-- no where to hang at anchor and no close by islands to explore- try to anchor here and get yourself a ticket for over 180 dollars for illegal anchiring..LOL- --and all the locals think they are great at sailing. our daily winds are 12 kts at 1100, rising to 15 kts by 1400. DAILY. these are NORMAL wind levels.
uscg gets up your tailpipes here as it is KNOWN as smugglers alley. and same off florida.
and then there is the published report of uscg in sd being the WORST managed branch in usa....at least they ceased the cowboying after they killed a kid. too bad they couldnt grow brains BEFORE the kid was killed...

FWIW, Aa us army major (ret) friend of mine was returning from catalina and at 0300 was approached in dark by a very dark soundless boat-- he wanted to shoot em--lol he is a cowboy!! cavalry-- and he told the boat to identify self-- finally, after 3 miles, they inquisitioned him calling selves homeless insecurity. asked where he was from. what was he doing. where was he going. where was he from. yada yada....
dark nite
dark grey boat. no lights
engines very very quiet ....
when would you shoot at them???? he reallly wanted to ---my friend was sailing a newport 30. is a real smugglers special--rofl.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by zeehag

NO ONE i know calls a zodiac a zode-- wtf-- are all of you turning GHEY in this bhey????? rofl.

Zee, that's what you get, living under a bridge... ya ain't up on all the latest cool terminology!

Cheers,

Jim

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Zee, that's what you get, living under a bridge... ya ain't up on all the latest cool terminology!

Cheers,

Jim

ROFL----i still like the other alternative(real?) definition best--LOL
gaydar in this ghey bhey
lemme outta here--am glad i only have 2 more things to do before i can sail on out.....