Incident #1
I was about 15 years old. I was pushing my luck, sailing a sunfish while the gale force flags were flying. The harbormaster followed me as far as the mouth of the inlet, Then shook his head & turned around rather than follow me outside. I came back in an hour later with bent spars & no desire to do that again.
Incident #2
I was at then helm of a 35ish foot boat, sailing through Pamlico Sound on a nice sunny afternoon. I was approached from behind by a go-fast boat on plane, from a few miles back. As the boat got closer, two more identical boats fanned out from behind, making the number of visible go-fast boats 3. Then they fanned out again to reveal their number as being 5. When the formation came even with my beam on my port side, they slowed & paced me, with deck guns manned. This lasted probably 15-20 minutes. Then they left. Since I had a passport card with chip in my pocket, I suspect that they likely had my picture on some sort of screen in the pilot house & knew who I was. I am guessing that they ran my background without having any actual direct contact. I have no idea what they were looking for.
Incident #3.
I was in a small skiff, fishing just inside an inlet, probably 100 yards off of a navigation channel. I was approached by a uniformed officer in a 30ish foot center console boat. He came along side & asked me where my life jacket was. I pointed to an open bow compartment. He said “show it to me”. I pointed at it & said “It’s right there, in plane sight. He said “get it”. I put down my rod, crawled 2 steps forward, grabbed it out of the open compartment & held it up. He said “have a nice day” & left.
Incident #4
I was stopped by a 20-something foot center console. I was asked if I had been fishing & if I had any fish on board. I answered no. I was sent on my way. 10 minutes later, at a boat ramp, a cop on the dock gave me the same questions, with the same answers. Then I pulled my boat out.
Incident #5
Again at a boat ramp, this time I was asked for my registration. I gave it. I was asked if the boat was mine. I said yes. I was asked if I had caught any fish that day, I replied “just 1 AJ”. I was asked if I knew the size limit on that fish. I said “28 inch for Atlantic side Greater”. I was asked how big mine was. I said 31”. I was asked to show it. I did. I was sent on my way.
Incident #6
Again at a boat ramp as I was pulling out, I was asked to show my life jackets. I opened the hatch under my forward seating & pointed to several. I was asked if the one on top was an inflatable. I said yes. I was asked if I knew that inflatable jackets only count if they are being worn. I said that "if it is a type 5 inflatable with the performance of a type 3, then it only counts when being worn, but if it is labeled as being a genuine type 3, then it counts regardless if it is being worn or not". I was asked if I knew what type that life jacket was. I replied "that one is type 5, 4 others are type 3". I then looked at the P-touch notes by my helm & volunteered the expiration date on my flares. I was free to go.
I was about 15 years old. I was pushing my luck, sailing a sunfish while the gale force flags were flying. The harbormaster followed me as far as the mouth of the inlet, Then shook his head & turned around rather than follow me outside. I came back in an hour later with bent spars & no desire to do that again.
Incident #2
I was at then helm of a 35ish foot boat, sailing through Pamlico Sound on a nice sunny afternoon. I was approached from behind by a go-fast boat on plane, from a few miles back. As the boat got closer, two more identical boats fanned out from behind, making the number of visible go-fast boats 3. Then they fanned out again to reveal their number as being 5. When the formation came even with my beam on my port side, they slowed & paced me, with deck guns manned. This lasted probably 15-20 minutes. Then they left. Since I had a passport card with chip in my pocket, I suspect that they likely had my picture on some sort of screen in the pilot house & knew who I was. I am guessing that they ran my background without having any actual direct contact. I have no idea what they were looking for.
Incident #3.
I was in a small skiff, fishing just inside an inlet, probably 100 yards off of a navigation channel. I was approached by a uniformed officer in a 30ish foot center console boat. He came along side & asked me where my life jacket was. I pointed to an open bow compartment. He said “show it to me”. I pointed at it & said “It’s right there, in plane sight. He said “get it”. I put down my rod, crawled 2 steps forward, grabbed it out of the open compartment & held it up. He said “have a nice day” & left.
Incident #4
I was stopped by a 20-something foot center console. I was asked if I had been fishing & if I had any fish on board. I answered no. I was sent on my way. 10 minutes later, at a boat ramp, a cop on the dock gave me the same questions, with the same answers. Then I pulled my boat out.
Incident #5
Again at a boat ramp, this time I was asked for my registration. I gave it. I was asked if the boat was mine. I said yes. I was asked if I had caught any fish that day, I replied “just 1 AJ”. I was asked if I knew the size limit on that fish. I said “28 inch for Atlantic side Greater”. I was asked how big mine was. I said 31”. I was asked to show it. I did. I was sent on my way.
Incident #6
Again at a boat ramp as I was pulling out, I was asked to show my life jackets. I opened the hatch under my forward seating & pointed to several. I was asked if the one on top was an inflatable. I said yes. I was asked if I knew that inflatable jackets only count if they are being worn. I said that "if it is a type 5 inflatable with the performance of a type 3, then it only counts when being worn, but if it is labeled as being a genuine type 3, then it counts regardless if it is being worn or not". I was asked if I knew what type that life jacket was. I replied "that one is type 5, 4 others are type 3". I then looked at the P-touch notes by my helm & volunteered the expiration date on my flares. I was free to go.
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