Freedom on the Waters ?

[Piney]

Freedom just costs more or less money depending on where you go.. It is never free.

Just try living without any $$ and see how many freedoms you have.
Even here in the US, if you have NO money, you have NO rights... regardless of what the laws say..

[avb3]

I haven't read the entire thread, but it would surprise me if the USCG was boarding non-US flagged boats in international waters.

Of course, there is a possibly of reciprocal agreements with the non-flagged US boat, but I am not aware which countries may fall under such an arrangement.

[Wavewacker]

Interesting now. I read one forum where a Canadian under flag was stopped in IW by the CG and he threw a fit. Mark Laden I believed tolda story of a Mexican official who was going to board his small 14+' boat and they rocked it a little as he began to step on the deck and scared him off, he would not get on such a small craft.

As to the swabbings, so if you are in a foreign port and have friends aboard, you go to the ice machine and you get back and one is smoking something I guess the residue gets on you boat. If you have several fifty or hundred dollar bills in your billfold, chances are very good that there is drug residue on your money! Such a case would never stand up in court so hearing they slap cuffs on you for residue on the bulk head seems a little far out there to me. Harrassed, yes, arrested.....really?

Where do you go to pay a fine or contest these tickets hand out 100 miles out? I can see where it would be in the system and next time you are stopped near shore, that might lead to other actions, but if you go cruising for three years, what's the deal, how do the courts take care of that? Obviously, I never got a ticket.

We have a local state university with university guards who hand out parking tickets, you know, marked "staff only" but you can never find a parking space at a game anyway. If you get a ticket, you must pay the school for all fines before you can get your transcript and grades....oh no! I'll never get my transcript! Just saying, ya know?

A dirty air cleaner? Really?

I have also read that in some areas of the ICW, municipalities have approved morrings, even counties, and if they catch any one on the hook (which can be difficult in many areas anyway) the tell you to move along and go pay the locals to stop. I always thought this might be something that, after some more research, I might challenge, I certainly can not be a hazard, but up in some cove gunkholing on the water.....I'd need to be convinced that it was not just a local scam. Speaking of local scams, I had a cop fired in Longview, Tx for running a scam with hitch-hiking girls and out of town guys giving them rides, the FBI late came in a nailed several officials. I'm not new to this stuff.

I have also worked with LEOs and they dohave my respect and admiration, but it is earned at times. As mentioned above, it's the newbies that have not developed public relation skills or common sence yet that can be fun. As they say, all politices are local. When in Rome....

Thanks for the insight out there, I'll have a small trailerable boat, not much to inspect.

[osirissail]

Originally Posted by Wavewacker

. . . As to the swabbings, so if you are in a foreign port and have friends aboard, you go to the ice machine and you get back and one is smoking something I guess the residue gets on you boat. If you have several fifty or hundred dollar bills in your billfold, chances are very good that there is drug residue on your money! Such a case would never stand up in court so hearing they slap cuffs on you for residue on the bulk head seems a little far out there to me. Harrassed, yes, arrested.....really?. . .

I guess you are not familiar with the USA zero tolerance program and boating. This is a no-nonsense business. For one thing cruisers invariably never allow anybody to smoke down below. Smoking is done up on deck or dock. As to anybody smoking "funny stuff" while on your boat that would be as serious as them throwing gasoline around inside your cabin. This is serious stuff and the court cases uphold the zero tolerance programs.
- - By all means test it with your boat and some illegal substance(s) and send us a report from your new home with tangle wire and bars.
- - If the USA is strict with illegal drugs, other countries are obscenely over the top on enforcing illegal drugs on private visiting vessels. And the new home they put you is light years worse than anything in the USA.

[Captain Bill]

Technically only the USCG and customs service/border patrol can board your boat without permission outside of state waters, the catch is that after 9/11 and the formation of homeland security most local water cops were deputized by the USCG. Congress passed a law that allowed them to do that. Before that happened the local water cops had very little power. I had several FWC (actually DNR in those days) safety stops where I was asked to show all of my safety gear and registrations at the rail, but they never asked to board. A couple of years ago a Georgia water cop wanted to board me 6 miles off the coast near Brunswick. I pointed out that we were not in Georgia waters and stated I would be continuing on my way. He did not press the issue and did not attempt to board me. I half expected to get a visit from a coast guard boat later, but never did.

Even the FWC cannot board your boat under Florida law without probable cause to believe a crime has been committed. The only reason they're allowed to board your boat without probable cause is to inspect a permanently installed MSD. The key here is that they must first determine that you have a permanently installed MSD. If you are using a portable MSD and can produce it at the rail they can't board you under Florida law. Since they can't board without first determining there is a permanently mounted MSD on board, this practice of driving up to the stern of a boat and jumping on board is not legal under Florida law. Since most FWC officers have now been deputized by homeland security that is now a moot point. Mr. Bin Ladin wins another one.

[markpierce]

Originally Posted by osirissail

... And the new home they put you is light years worse than anything in the USA.

[Matt sachs]

How far offshore does the coast Guard have authority?

[avb3]

Originally Posted by Matt sachs

How far offshore does the coast Guard have authority?

How is your boat flagged?

AFAIK, if your a US flagged vessel, their authority is world wide.

[VirtualVagabond]

Looking at this thread title, and then looking off our balcony at 8:30am, says it all.
I can see the channel entrance to Lake Maquarie and there is a yacht (sailboat for the rebels) that has just gone through the bridge... it opens, heading for the open sea.
Streaming accross the bridge is a continuous flow of traffic, all headed to work somewhere, probably not thinking great thoughts about how good life is... more likely frowning and trying to work out how the hell they're going to pay the bills this month.

Freedom on the waters?

You bet

[rgscpat]

I wonder whether many people have had experience with asking the boarding party to put shoe covers over their big heavy deck-marking boots? Some might be okay with that, but I suspect it wouldn't be well received by most.