Harbor Patrol inspection question?

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by er9

I officially got my live aboard acception in my marina and need to get Harbor Patrol permit so i have an inspection coming up. what sorts of things will they be looking for?

My guess is fire extinguishers, holding tank requirement with working diverter valve, flares, horn, bell or whistle, pfd's, throw able pfd, engine compartment fan, discharge placard. what am i missing? does that pretty much cover everything?

It sounds to me like you have it covered. If the marina requires it ask them. I'm guessing you are speaking of a CG Aux. curtesy inspection.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Adelie

Nope, on the WestCoastUS most were here before 9/11 with on water law enforcement task. 9/11 just gave most of them an extra revenue stream to go with a modest increase in responsibilities.

Read the link the OP provided, in there it plainly states they were created as a response to 911

911 changed a whole lot of things, every little airport got surrounded by miles of Prison fence and got automatic gates at a cost of Lord only knows how much and why?
My home airport and I’m sure most got Humvees to “patrol” the fence.
List goes on and on.

Go to Oshkosh, there the CBP has a display of their armored vehicles, cigarette boats, Blackhawk helicopters and even Predator B drones, the “Reaper” now tell me, why possible use do they have for that, and where and when could they even fly it?
Armored vehicles?

[Adelie]

Sorry, misinterpreted what you wrote as saying most harbor patrols started in response to 9/11 when really you were only referring to LBHP.

[john61ct]

Which is for Long Beach specifically.

Seems many places without high-value critical infrastructure targets, a division of municipal police handle these routine issues.

[MIRELOS]

make sure all your boat papers are in order

[hellosailor]

"All the DoD services are prohibited from directly participating in law enforcement acts. "
Uh, no. Not quite, not anymore.
You're no doubt refering to what is generally called the Posse Commitatus Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1385.
Two holes in that. First, the USSC had in fact ruled that the Act only applies to those branches of the military that were specified in the Act. And that's one reason why the USCG was always allowed to operate domestically, the Act probably would have mentioned them if they had existed back then--but it doesn't.
Second hole coming with the Dick Act of 1903 and the founding of the modern National Guard program. Conveniently, there is "The National Guard" but then there is also "The National Guard of the United States". The former are various State Militias which have been seconded (activated and loaned) to the latter and placed under the control of the Army. But, they are not regular Army, technically they are still State Militia on loan to the Federal Militia so, again, not prevented by the Act.
Note to non-Americans: Yes, this is archaic and obtuse law to us, and none of our politicians wants to open that can of worms. In fact, if you look up the enabling laws for our National Guard, you'll find seven acts (including/since the Dick Act of 1903) finally are mentioned--but you can't find their full texts on line. Conveniently.

And now for the real kicker. After Katrina, our President said "bring in the military" and his advisers had to explain to him, that's illegal. Which made no one happy. So very very quietly, perhaps even deviously, they snuck an appendix into the Omnibus Defense Appropriations Act of 2006 (?). That's a law about 1000 pages thick that Congress always has to sign, and usually does so without really reading.
The new section makes no mention of the Posse Comitatus Act, so if you search for that you get no results. However, it cleverly mentions 18 U.S.C. § 1385 and that in time of a presidentially declared emergency, that section of USC may be set aside and the President (exclusively) may order US military troops into domestic law enforcement duty.
Some of us would argue that this is very dangerous precedent, contravening long established law and doing so without public debate. In fact, arguably intentionally CONCEALING the change, and giving the president powers that are not his.

But that's the way it is. I may be confusing 2006 with 2007...but 18 U.S.C. § 1385 no longer is what it was. There's an obscure section of new (now 12 year old) law that we can only hope is used with great discretion. Of course, our presidents are always known to have great discretion. (Cough, cough.)

Funny thing, the way things get changed with zero press coverage and zero Congressional knowledge, even when they are the ones signing the changes. Kinda scary.

[john61ct]

But other than declared emergencies, neither USCG nor NG are DoD.

[Cadence]

A lot of making a mountain out of a mole hill. The marina is covering themselves insuring you are not an accident waiting for a place to happen. They probably only want the CG Aux. courteously inspection.

[Adelie]

I very carefully worded it to say DoD services which excludes the USCG which is part of DoHS.

Doesn’t surprise me that they’ve created an exception but it’s not something that can be put into effect quietly, it would require a declaration of emergency or war for DoD services to perform law enforcement. Neither of those is a quiet event and neither would be long open-ended conditions.

[Dooglas]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Start by getting a Courtesy Inspection by the CG Auxiliary. This is no cost, no fines and you will receive a signed checklist approval and a sticker for the coach top. This generally gets you a pass by most of the regular type inspectors.

Excellent recommendation.

[cottonsail]

Customs is the one who scares me the most. They can come aboard, "search" (destroy) your boats interior and leave. You are without recourse.

[Dooglas]

Originally Posted by cottonsail

Customs is the one who scares me the most. They can come aboard, "search" (destroy) your boats interior and leave. You are without recourse.

Coast Guard drug interdiction inspections are interesting as well, much more intrusive and much less polite than CG safety inspections.

[john61ct]

Originally Posted by cottonsail

Customs is the one who scares me the most. They can come aboard, "search" (destroy) your boats interior and leave. You are without recourse.

Same with any vehicle in the 100-mile zone, where 2/3rds of USians live

[SV Bacchus]

Originally Posted by MIRELOS

make sure all your boat papers are in order

+1 on all papers including current insurance.

[a64pilot]

They do, I guess I have issue with creating more and more layers of policing. I just don’t like it