Ticket for no whistle in dinghy??

[GRIT]

Sorry you got hassled for the lack of a silly whistle.

BlackHeron, I hear you, stopping is the best policy when that happens. You'd hate for them to think you're running!

It's a very militaristic country, my least favourite to visit, for fear of getting shot by some gungho idjiot with (or without) a badge, rushing back and forth, jumping on people's boats with not even a "how do you do".

In Ireland, while we were getting ready to set our anchor, a gunboat approached, and held station about 200m away. We weren't sure what to do, so we kept anchoring, figuring they'd tell us if we were doing wrong.

We anchored, and backed down on the anchor, then shut the engine down. Then, they slowly, without a wake, crept up to our boat. They introduced themselves, told us their business was to check for illegal entries, and watch for the usual problems. They then asked to see our papers, asked to come aboard for a look, inspected our boat, then left with a "fair thee well".

In France, just after arriving at a marina, the marina was shut down by a large military ship. They actually "parked" across the entrance. They sent in an inflatable "attack boat" with 6 heavily armed men aboard. We were walking the docks, when one approached us and asked if we were from "Quintana", we said yes, and he asked if we'd come with him. I'm pretty sure he wasn't really asking, but telling us in a very polite manner, that we'd be following him back to our boat.

The "attack boat" was already there, waiting. When we got to the boat, we were asked politely, if we would submit to a search. A formality, I'm sure, but still, a gentlemanly act. They searched, and said that we'd happened to arrive at the same time as they were expecting a drug shipment, by sailboat, and from our previous port, in Spain. Coincidence, and handled very professionally.

In Spain, when arriving from the Azores, we were approached by the Adouania, for a search. They were very polite, and after the search, offered us a tour of their boat (a 60 foot "go fast" boat with several 12 cyl inboard engines).

But in the USA, when checking in to Fl, on a cruising permit, we were threatened with jail (him with hand on gun), and seizure of the boat, because we waited from 4am (arrival time) to 9am to show up at their door for checking in. We were then made to wait for 2 hours while he "checked us out on their database". Whatever. We had tried calling at 4am, and told him so, but the number was defunct, and we didn't have internet at the time. We stayed on the boat, until going directly to the customs office. And this from another US port!

I have a few other gungho military style stunts I could convey, but it irks me to even think of them. And, anyone not from the USA has probably already either had it happen to them, or knows of someone who has. Let me correct that to say "Anyone on a boat, in the USA, within 500 miles of a foreign country, has probably already..."

It seems the least "free" country I've been to. I don't know how it is, the citizenry haven't already rebelled; again.

Again, Chotu, I'm sorry you had to deal with "one of those" types of folks, with a badge.

Cheers.
Paul.

[kmacdonald]

OMG, you didn't have a whistle onboard? What were you thinking? Blantant disrespect for safety!��

[wsmurdoch]

A few little stories...

A friend of mine, a Tennessee Highway Patrolman, after being cited for an out of date boat registration, bitched about the offending "Possum Cop" and his lack of professional reciprocality. I could not stop laughing.

In Georgetown, SC I Paid $100 cash on the spot for having two life preservers in a dinghy with three people. I have a NC boat. At his next stop the officer told the nearby SC pontoon boat that had a 'dozen' kids aboard that they should drop by WalMart and buy some kids PFDs... not even a warning ticket. It pays to be a voter.

A great book about being a game warden is "Ramblings of a Lowcountry Game Warden: A Memoir" by a South Carolina officer. He wrote for years in the local newspaper and has a whole basket of stories. In one, as I remember, he had a father who had shot an illegal waterfowl come back to the courthouse the next day to get the ticket so that his son would not see his father ticketed. I found it a great read, but don't you pay the full price; buy a used copy for $4 or drop by the library. https://smile.amazon.com/Ramblings-L...s%2A=0&ie=UTF8

I have had RIB's machine guns, a 30 caliber near Norfolk and a 50 at Cape Canaveral, pointed at me near US Navy vessels. In both cases the sailors waved and smiled. In both cases on the radio they were talking about 500 meters separation from a warship (which was impossible). The warships go where they want and are much faster than my sailboat. I did my best in both cases. I figured that the radio was intended not for me but for their boss.

Oh yeah, I have a whistle on the dinghy engine kill cord and a tiny "one shot" Freon horn in the bag under the dinghy seat.

Bill

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I have wondered where the rules for a dinghy stop. What about flares and a fire extinguisher? I have the whistle thing covered, ordered about a pack of ten of them on Amazon years ago for cheap. Put them on life jackets until I ran out.

Wow. You have more than 10 life jackets? Its BYO (if you want one) on my boat.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

Wow. You have more than 10 life jackets? Its BYO (if you want one) on my boat.

In Canada, the skipper/owner would be fined if there were not enough lifejackets.

[kmacdonald]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

In Canada, the skipper/owner would be fined if there were not enough lifejackets.

In the US we dont enforce white collar crimes but do ticket for lack of PPE. Strange way of doing things.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by AA3JY

..besides I can’t see some ‘Grunt’ General allowing some private contractor being allowed guarding this nations nuclear sub capable facility...

I believe he or she would be an Admiral, and not likely a grunt.
It’s really done for multiple reasons, first gate guards etc are not part of a combat deployment, so if you use your military people, you just cut yourself short by hundreds of troops that you don’t have to take with you on deployment, then it’s simply a cost cutting measure, while each individual soldier doesn’t maybe get paid all that much, they cost way more than just pay. Then there is the each command, branch etc is limited by law to X number of uniformed personnel, so in order to increase what is called the tooth to tail ratio you use contractors whenever possible so that frees up more people to be “war fighters”, cooks, firemen, trash collection, grass mowing and many other things are done by civilian contractors now on post, you don’t see troops mowing grass like you used to, maybe in training status you will.
Then politicians like it as contractors hire from the local towns, and the Contractors are likely politically connected, can you say Halliburton, or Brown and Root for example?

Then in reality the guards are actually only meant to keep curious people away and a show of force, and at most operate as an alert, the real protection isn’t on public display. That’s most likely where the Marine security detachment comes into play.

I seriously doubt that the US Navy is really all that concerned that an old couple in a Sailboat in the middle of the day is really all that much of a threat.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

Wow. You have more than 10 life jackets? Its BYO (if you want one) on my boat.

Last survey we counted an even dozen, now all but two are those cheap orange things you buy in a bag a half dozen at a time, but if for whatever reason I wanted to take ten people aboard we can, I believe we did once, we had our kids and my Wife’s cousin’s family on board.

[ixnax]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Ok, ready to get yelled at by the peanut gallery, but:

Has anyone ever been stopped by local water cops and given a ticket for not having a WHISTLE in their dinghy?? What the heck is this world coming to?

I have multiple life jackets, a VHF radio, cell phone, outboard kill switch clipped to my belt, lights, you name it.

Got a ticket for this yesterday

Interesting. I wonder if those "local water cops" read Cruisers Forum.

[AA3JY]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I believe he or she would be an Admiral, and not likely a grunt.
It’s really done for multiple reasons, first gate guards etc are not part of a combat deployment, so if you use your military people, you just cut yourself short by hundreds of troops that you don’t have to take with you on deployment, then it’s simply a cost cutting measure, while each individual soldier doesn’t maybe get paid all that much, they cost way more than just pay. Then there is the each command, branch etc is limited by law to X number of uniformed personnel, so in order to increase what is called the tooth to tail ratio you use contractors whenever possible so that frees up more people to be “war fighters”, cooks, firemen, trash collection, grass mowing and many other things are done by civilian contractors now on post, you don’t see troops mowing grass like you used to, maybe in training status you will.
Then politicians like it as contractors hire from the local towns, and the Contractors are likely politically connected, can you say Halliburton, or Brown and Root for example?

Then in reality the guards are actually only meant to keep curious people away and a show of force, and at most operate as an alert, the real protection isn’t on public display. That’s most likely where the Marine security detachment comes into play.

I seriously doubt that the US Navy is really all that concerned that an old couple in a Sailboat in the middle of the day is really all that much of a threat.

——————————————————————
KINGS BAY, Ga. (NNS) -- The U.S. Coast Guard commissioned the Maritime Force Protection Unit (MFPU) July 24 at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay.

The unit, the first of its kind, was officially activated during a formal commissioning ceremony presided over by Vice Adm. D. Brian Peterman, commander of the Coast Guard's Atlantic Area.

"This is a new and unique mission," Peterman said during his commissioning remarks. He also praised the Navy for helping develop training, techniques and specialized equipment for the new mission from scratch. "It shows a great relationship with the Navy and Coast Guard."

The Coast Guard unit will provide enhanced security for the Trident submarines (SSBN) within their homeport transit area. Tridents generally operate on the surface during transit and the MFPU will provide additional security measures while operating under these conditions.

Commanding officer of the new unit Cmdr. Alan Reagan said the first 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Sea Dragon will arrive in November. An additional cutter, smaller patrol craft, and around 200 additional Coastguardsmen are scheduled to arrive at the strategic, coastal Georgia submarine base within the next two to three years he said.

"The unit's mission is extremely critical to national security," Reagan said.

MFPU Kings Bay is a single-mission unit that has specially trained and equipped Coast Guard personnel to man and operate escort vessels procured by the Navy specifically for that use. The unit will have broad law enforcement authority, including the authority to establish, patrol, and enforce exclusionary zones, naval vessel protective zones, restricted navigation areas, and security zones supporting naval operations.

"Maritime Force Protection Unit Kings Bay provides an invaluable service to the Navy and our nation through its unique ability to exercise the Coast Guard's law enforcement authorities while enforcing a naval vessel protective zone," said Peterman. "Maritime force protection is crucial if our nation's strategic naval assets are to safely operate in close proximity to vessel traffic in confined bodies of water."
———————————————————————————-
FYI..Brian Peterman,Vice Admiral, now retired, is a high school classmate ...

[a64pilot]

I believe though that they will be the ones to escort the subs back and forth from the base to open ocean?
If you could consider such a thing vulnerable, I would assume that would be when it was away from base and couldn’t submerge

[StuM]

Originally Posted by DougR

Luckily he had his inflatable PDF on, unluckily the waist strap wasn’t fastened, luckily the PFD inflated , unluckily both of the two MOB lights failed. Luckily he also had a whistle attached to the PFD...

Fortunate that he had a whistle on his PDF, but that is not the purpose of the regulations under discussion.

The requirement for "sound signalling equipment" is not intended as a personnel locating device.

It is intended for the vessel to attract the attention of another vessel and the requirement has been adopted from COLREGs /Inland Rules requirements.

What the regulations call a whistle is NOT the thing that is normally attached to a PDF or used by referees etc. It is a much lower frequency device that is more "horn like" in its sound. (fundamental frequency below 700 Hz)

"A vessel of less than 12 meters in length shall not be obliged to carry the sound signalling appliances prescribed in paragraph (a) of this Rule
but if she does not, she shall be provided with some other means of making an efficient sound signal"

You only need one such device somewhere on the vessel, not one per crew member and a small "air horn" is a much better solution.
https://smallboatsmonthly.com/article/signal-horns/
or one of these?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by ixnax

Interesting. I wonder if those "local water cops" read Cruisers Forum.

I doubt the local water cops (why is that in quotes?) read this forum. They don’t sail, they don’t cruise, they don’t venture more than a mile from the dock, they are members of the local town police department and are fairly standard Long Island meathead types. . Looking like they juice it up for the gym before the tanning salon.

Seriously. LOL. Like guys from the Jersey Shore TV show. Probably not on here after work.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by kmacdonald

In the US we dont enforce white collar crimes but do ticket for lack of PPE. Strange way of doing things.

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

In Canada, the skipper/owner would be fined if there were not enough lifejackets.

Please don't feed the troll.

[sanibel sailor]

They could have impounded your unregistered vessel if the felt like really busting your balls.