Boat owners say they were fearful during Coast Guard search

The Monterey Herald ^ | September 18, 2005 | VIRGINIA HENNESSEY

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Seems the jackboots are out in all their goose-stepping glory...

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

PING!

Anyone planning on buying a boat?

[cripplecreek]

They need to tell us what's going on when they do that sort of thing.

[Unknowing]

"I'm not saying we won't, but I'm not saying we will."

[Mount Athos]

Oh yeah, to avoid offending anyone lets make sure our coast guard is completely unarmed when they confront drug runners and terrorists, and hey let's stop enforcing our laws and trying to stop illegal activity and security threats. How about disarming our police too.

Isn't it more than a little insane to compare this to death squads in argentina? Such whining!

[freeeee]

Now sing along...

"..O'er the Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave..."

Kind of leaves a lump in one's throat and a tear in the eye!

[AdamSelene235]

, and hey let's stop enforcing our laws

Like the 4th Amendment?

[konaice]

Coasties seem friendly enough, but anyone fishing for Salmon in Alaska out of thier little boat can attest to the nasty way these supposidly "safety inspections" are carried out. It goes way beyond the need of safety and way beyond what you would tolerate for your home. The catch: Often a Boat is your home.

Your wonderfull Supreme Court has held these gun-point searches are legal.

[Cagey]

10:30 PM Safety Inspections? What a crock. They were fighting the War on Terror, often known by the acronym, WOD.

[konaice]

They need to tell us what's going on when they do that sort of thing.

The hell they do. Ask anyone who has been boarded. You are held at gunpoint. Literally.

[andyk]

Coast Guard officials say they are authorized by maritime law to board and search vessels on U.S. waters, including waters that lead to U.S. waters, to enforce federal laws.

I certainly wasn't aware of that. Does that mean that they can search boats docked in Chicago any time they please? Does it also include land-locked bodies of water?

[freeeee]

Oh yeah, to avoid offending anyone lets make sure our coast guard is completely unarmed when they confront drug runners and terrorists, and hey let's stop enforcing our laws and trying to stop illegal activity and security threats. How about disarming our police too.

Or maybe how bout a warrant?

Amendment IV:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Nah, that far too constitutional...

[The SISU kid]

Warren said the officers were attempting to ensure the safety and compliance of docked boats by checking for oily water in their bilges and that their sanitation devices were in locked position. Some searches were conducted at night in an effort to catch boats before they went onto the bay for the weekend.

Yep....them dang terrorists might not have their "head" devices locked into position.....

[andyk]

Your wonderfull Supreme Court has held these gun-point searches are legal.

Do you know the reasoning for not applying 4th amendment protections to these searches?

[samadams2000]

Hassle muslims and leave the rest of us alone..heheh..seriously its like cavity searching old ladies at airports. Fire everyone in command.

[Rodney King]

The water nazi's don't have to obey the same rules that normal police do. They pretty much do whatever they want.

[tet68]

Coast Guard officials say they are authorized by maritime law to board and search vessels on U.S. waters, including waters that lead to U.S. waters, to enforce federal laws.

Including navigatible waters, this means the Mississippi,
the Tennessee, and other large rivers, if you cruise on
them THEY have jurisdiction and THEY are the law.
You must be prepared for a safety inspection, this is not
your average lake.

Still sounds odd though, more like a drug tip, etc.

[cripplecreek]

Meanwhile, every jihadi harboring planet on the face of the earth is given prefered status in next years visa lottery.

[freeeee]

"And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
' Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA!"

Sniff... sniff... I'm getting all choked up....
< blows nose in hanky >

[43north]

Typical. Go after those most likely to be law abiding because they are easy and least likely to cause problems.

Most of those young coasties wouldn't know what to do if they had to use those weapons. THAT is what makes me nervous. Soldiers are forced to patrol live fire zones like NOLA w/o mags but these guys roam around marinas and boats where there are LOTS of tripping hazards. Were their weapons loaded? This is a disaster waiting to happen.

My boat was once boarded by a USCG search party for a "Safety Inspection" while I was cruising along in Valdez, AK. The poor lad who had to climb from the inflatable into my boat had on a Sam Browne with a .45 auto, two spare mags, flashlight, handcuffs, radio, etc. and was wearing a PFD. He'd have still sunk pretty fast had he fallen in.