The Boarding of the SV Drama Queen…

Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
What a whiner. While sometimes inconvenient, they are doing their jobs. This is not ALL ABOUT HER.

and then this.
I want to say something before I continue - I appreciate the life saving activities of the Coast Guard. I do not support the way they are funded (taxation is theft), or the involuntary boarding of a boat (pirate behavior).
So, USGC, rescue us from ourselves for free, but otherwise leave us alone.
Life does not work that way.
 
Jul 12, 2011
1,165
Leopard 40 Jupiter, Florida
Interesting thread on social media ... and sad. I would hope that if someone posted an uniformed complaint like this on our little forum that the replies would be less personally mean, and more educational. I don't see any goodness, kindness, or accuracy in the entire report, either her original post or the replies. Hopefully, the original USCG boarding party were more professional, and at least tried to explain the reason for the boarding, even if they were not understood. It doesn't benefit anyone on the water to have the general public not understand the law, and the functions of the LEO's.
 
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jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Oct 22, 2014
23,159
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
USCG has figured it out. Prevention is better than tryin to rescue challenged boaters. So they inspect. Inspection of one impacts others in the area.

One thing that novice boaters forget, the boat owner is in charge. They are responsible for the safety of the boat and crew. If there is a safety issue they need to make the boarding officer aware and take action to secure the boat and those aboard. Coming into the wind and flogging sails are not safe. Identify the issue and make the senior officer aware of the actions needed to secure the boat. If not recognized go up the chain of command. Use the VHF if needed. Be able to articulate the conditions.

Respect is normal but you should not fear a USCG just because they carry a gun. If they act improperly they are held to account for their actions. They 99%of the time will act appropriately for the conditions.
 
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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Interesting thread on social media ... and sad. I would hope that if someone posted an uniformed complaint like this on our little forum that the replies would be less personally mean, and more educational. I don't seen any goodness, kindness, or accuracy in the entire report, either her original post or the replies. Hopefully, the original USCG boarding party were more professional, and at least tried to explain the reason for the boarding, even if they were not understood. It doesn't benefit anyone one the water to have the general public not understand the law, and the functions of the LEO's.
I hear what you are saying, but part of everyones responsibility as a boater is know this can (and will) happen. Being totally ignorant to what was going on and then complaining about it online will not win her many friends. These crews are in constant training, and rotating new people in.
 
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jssailem

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
Oct 22, 2014
23,159
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
I think it helps boaters to ask for an inspection at the beginning of the season from the CG Auxiliary. You will get an idea of what to inspect during a boarding. You can ask questions and carrying a current inspection sticker may just get you passed by when deciding which boat to board.
 
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Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
Maybe she should have gotten a distracted driver citation for a; admitting she didn’t have a great grasp of what she was doing and/or b: trying to pilot a vessel with a kid on your knee after admitting to a:

And with all due respect to any aged hippies here who live in converted school busses, wtf were you thinking honey?

Some of the commentary was kinda funny though.
 

JRT

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Feb 14, 2017
2,059
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
So that was interesting, for my education I have a few questions. If I was approached to board is it acceptable to inform the boarding party I need to secure the sails first and then bring the boat to a near stop, or drift? Doing all that in plain site would probably not risk me trying to hide anything either.

Seems pretty silly to stop doing something like lashing the sails up to run around and not ensure the baby was in a safe spot vs barely holding on.
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
If I was approached to board is it acceptable to inform the boarding party I need to secure the sails first and then bring the boat to a near stop, or drift?
The format response from them to that request might depend, based on reading between the lines of the article in question, what your approach to the boarders was. Funny how an approach based on citing the laws or disdain towards them or their jobs might result in the response they got.
 
Sep 15, 2013
708
Catalina 270 Baltimore
Good Grief. Could this account be any more tilted? She probably should have stayed in her converted school bus that day. A whiny socialist snowflake that resents paying taxes. Makes no sense to me.
 
Aug 1, 2011
3,972
Catalina 270 255 Wabamun. Welcome to the marina
"I noticed a red ship coming up hot behind us"
You were being overtaken by an oil tanker?
 
Oct 3, 2014
261
Marlow-Hunter MH37 Lake City, MN
It might have been far less stressful if the author put her video camera down and picked up the baby so that Alma could focus on steering the boat, ya think?
That part killed me. She went on and on about how their children were put in harms way, yet apparently they had no secure place for the baby? What if there was a real emergency that really required their full attention?

And yet through all the commotion and activity, they had the time and ability to video tape the entire episode!

My favorite part was this: "A headache so bad I actually took Ibuprofin". That's just terrible, poor thing!

This was pretty comical too, "For 45 minutes these men boarded the boat with weapons at face level of our children". Roll my eyes and shake my head...
 
Jun 8, 2004
2,955
Catalina 320 Dana Point
Funny, when I was "boarded" I kept asking them if they wanted me to stop the boat or if they wanted to actually get on board my boat. They just said "No, keep going towards your slip and we'll follow along behind and you can hold stuff up for us to see."
The whole thing took 15 minutes and I didn't go 1 inch out of my way.