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Fake Coast Guard Boat
AP ^ | Friday, Nov. 2, 2001; 4:15 p.m. EST | Gavin McCormick

Posted on 11/02/2001 1:13:48 PM PST by father_elijah

CHARLESTON, W.Va. –– Several area chemical plants have been warned to take extra precautions after a boat masquerading as a Coast Guard vessel was spotted on the Kanawha River.

"They should do whatever is necessary to protect the facility if the boat approaches at high speed," said Lt. Renee Kern, chief of port operations for the Coast Guard's Huntington office.

"We left the decision entirely up to them whether to move vessels in the way, or to shoot, or to use a crane, or whatever," Kern said.

Coast Guard officials warned the area's five largest chemical and energy plants on Oct. 5 that the boat had been spotted near Charleston. Kern didn't identify the plants.

Of the more than 30 chemicals that federal authorities say have the potential for mass destruction when they are in large containers, 28 are manufactured in West Virginia.

The phony Coast Guard boat was spotted at least four times on the Kanawha River from Oct. 5 to Oct. 20, moving at high speeds or "lurking around power plants and chemical facilities," Kern said.

A state trooper saw the boat on a trailer on Oct. 18 but did not know then the boat was suspicious.

In an Oct. 11 letter sent to 48 area chemical and energy plants, Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Steven Wischmann of Huntington described the rogue boat as a light gray 20-footer with "US COAST GUARD" written on the side and a bar of lights atop the cabin.

The boat had no Coast Guard number painted on its side and no Coast Guard flag.

A boat matching a similar description was seen in late September on the Ohio River near Cincinnati, said Lt. Cmdr. Paul Mehler, executive officer of the Coast Guard office in Louisville.

Officials at the Coast Guard's Atlantic Area command office in Portsmouth, Va., said a small number of sightings of phony Coast Guard vessels have been reported since Sept. 11. All reports other than the boat seen on the Kanawha and Ohio rivers proved to be unsubstantiated.

Kern declined to give an exact description of the boat's lone male occupant. She said he fit the description of a "Joe average American."

"We don't know if the boat meant to scope this area and then move on to the next, or if it was doing something else illegal," Kern said. "Maybe it was someone not taking their medicine who thought they would be doing the government a favor."

© Copyright 2001 The Associated Press


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
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While this may have been the action of one deranged soul, I take the concept involved seriously because I believe future assaults on America may be conducted from ships pretending to be American or friendly. The Chinese have copied everything else Americans ever invented -- why not copy Coast Guard or Navy vessels, sneak in close, and ... you can write the rest of the story.
1 posted on 11/02/2001 1:13:48 PM PST by father_elijah
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To: Sabertooth; patent; Askel5; proud2bRC; onyx
Bump
2 posted on 11/02/2001 1:15:38 PM PST by father_elijah
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Comment #3 Removed by Moderator

To: father_elijah
If it's moving it can't be a real Coast Guard boat. The real Coast Guard boats ran out of fuel sometime back during the Clinton administration and weren't allocated more.
4 posted on 11/02/2001 1:18:12 PM PST by Arkinsaw
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To: cdwright
Right...check for the tells...then sink it.
5 posted on 11/02/2001 1:20:44 PM PST by Maelstrom
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To: cdwright
Archimedes had a lever that could pluck a boat out of the harbor. Imagine trying to invade by sea and having a crane pick up and flip your ship? Recently someone tried to re-create the device and had a horrible time of it. And we think we are advanced in technology!
6 posted on 11/02/2001 1:21:02 PM PST by Chemnitz
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To: CheneyChick; vikingchick; WIMom; one_particular_harbour; kmiller1k; Victoria Delsoul...
Several area chemical plants have been warned to take extra precautions after a boat masquerading as a Coast Guard vessel was spotted on the Kanawha River.

"They should do whatever is necessary to protect the facility if the boat approaches at high speed," said Lt. Renee Kern, chief of port operations for the Coast Guard's Huntington office.

"We left the decision entirely up to them whether to move vessels in the way, or to shoot, or to use a crane, or whatever," Kern said.

Growl!


7 posted on 11/02/2001 1:22:49 PM PST by Sabertooth
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To: Arkinsaw
They used your own planes against your country. anything is possible. These boats need to be found!
8 posted on 11/02/2001 1:23:32 PM PST by widgysoft
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To: Sabertooth
Yeah, Open up on 'em w/ a Ma-Duece!!!!

Bulldog

9 posted on 11/02/2001 1:23:43 PM PST by Bulldog1967
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To: father_elijah
No boat number and they dismissed it? What kind of Goober law-enforcement they have down there?
10 posted on 11/02/2001 1:25:20 PM PST by Rain-maker
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To: father_elijah
See earlier post:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/562520/posts

11 posted on 11/02/2001 1:26:04 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
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To: father_elijah
I fought off an armed attack on my house this morning. As it turned out, I shot the mailman. oops
12 posted on 11/02/2001 1:26:04 PM PST by Jack Barbara
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To: father_elijah
I saw this on a previous thread and still can't
figure out why, if it's "impersonating" a law
enforcement vessel, the Coast Guard hasn't
just boarded it and arrested the pilot.
This story is not making any sense.
13 posted on 11/02/2001 1:26:45 PM PST by EggsAckley
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Thanks. I thought I was first up with this. Sorry to repeat.
14 posted on 11/02/2001 1:29:26 PM PST by father_elijah
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To: EggsAckley
It sounds stupid enough to be true.
15 posted on 11/02/2001 1:30:07 PM PST by father_elijah
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I guess the Coast Guard needs a lot of ships to patrol the teeming coastal waters of... WEST VIRGINIA???

West Virginia has a lot of rivers, but not many that I would think are used for interstate or international transport. Why is the Coast Guard in WVA at all?

16 posted on 11/02/2001 1:35:39 PM PST by conserv13
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To: EggsAckley
"can't figure out why, if it's "impersonating" a law enforcement vessel, the Coast Guard hasn't just boarded it and arrested the pilot."

According to the story, it's a 20' boat -- bass boat, skiboat, pleasure boat size. Also, it's trailered on and off the river.

They can't board it because...it's not on the river; it's in somebody's garage.

17 posted on 11/02/2001 1:36:36 PM PST by okie01
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To: father_elijah
Previous thread HERE
18 posted on 11/02/2001 1:38:03 PM PST by snorkeler
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To: Sabertooth
what state was this in?
19 posted on 11/02/2001 1:39:57 PM PST by classygreeneyedblonde
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To: okie01
They can't board it because...it's not on the river; it's in somebody's garage.

From the story:
described the rogue boat as a light gray 20-footer with "US COAST GUARD" written on the side and a bar of lights atop the cabin. The boat had no Coast Guard number painted on its side and no Coast Guard flag.

Well, when it's in the water maybe they should think about boarding it then.

20 posted on 11/02/2001 1:46:59 PM PST by EggsAckley
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