Interesting. We were in Seattle two weekends ago for a short vacation, and went on the Seattle-Bainbridge Ferry on Saturday 8/10. On the return trip, in the late afternoon, I observed a pair of small Coast Guard patrol boats, probably in the 18’-20’ range, with a pintle mounted MG in the bow of each, closely escorting a cruise ship that was leaving the docks and harbor. I found it pretty eye-opening.
I saw several other cruise ships not being escorted like this.
FWIW
Ping to my previous. FYI.
Those Coast Guard boats sometimes do that for days on end...escorting the ferries....then they stop doing that until they have some threat again.
The Bainbridge ferry, my link to Seattle, sometimes has tCoast Guard patrol boats alongside. Not very comforting, because what could they do?