Rather be in la la land than , Oh S#it how’d that happen, what now, somebody ,heeeelp!!! JMO!!!
[http://www.militaryappreciationday.org
When you see “Old Glory” waving in the breeze, know that it is the dying breaths of our fallen hero’s that makes it wave.
author unknown
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Originally posted by natureboyFor some reason that I don’t completely understand, when on the water, we do not have the right (as we do on land) to deny a warrantless search. The constitution requires that “no warrant shall issue with out probable cause” and on more than one occasion I have told a police officer that I do not consent to searches. Try that on the water! No officer on I 26 can detain me to check my safety equipment against my will, without probable cause or a warrant.
I appreciate the CG as I do any other branch of the service. I served too. The CG will come rescue you if you are in danger . We pay taxes that pay their salaries. They do not help us just because their wonderful people. Their definition of danger is NOT an engine failure , or out of fuel. Don’t leave the dock without a tow service agreement .
BIngo. End of thread
Just remember that the men and women (usually kids to me) boarding you are not making the rules, they are just following orders and regulations on what to do and what not to. And they will risk their life to save yours. In 50 years on the water I’ve never met a rogue CG or DNR agent, and any problems that I ever had with them I’ve created for myself. Don’t blame them for doing their job. If you have a problem, it goes way up the chain of command. Life is easier if you cooperate, be polite, and don’t break the law.
Capt. Larry Teuton
912-six55-5674
lteuton at aol dot com
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
When I was a teenager (70’s), my family had a 40ft houseboat that we kept at Gallop’s marina. We would trailer our 23 ft T-Craft from Hampton. We would throw black trash bags full of clothes, gear, etc from the T-Craft to the houseboat to keep from having to haul our gear down the dock. We would tie the T-craft to the houseboat, spend the night on the houseboat, and be in the ocean the next morning at first light.
On one trip, after throwing gear to the houseboat including some black trash bags, we decided to exercise the old houseboat by running to the mouth of Beaufort River and back. An alert citizen saw us loading black trash bags into the houseboat before taking off down the river. They called the law. We were intercepted by coasties in a Zodiac near Land’s End. Yes, they went through every inch of the boat looking for drugs. All they found were our clothes, gear, etc. in black trash bags. They were polite, but did a thorough search. We let them do their job.
spec
1980 Skandia 21 w/ '93 JohnRude 150 gas drinker
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Originally posted by Cracker LarryJust remember that the men and women (usually kids to me) boarding you are not making the rules, they are just following orders and regulations on what to do and what not to. And they will risk their life to save yours. In 50 years on the water I’ve never met a rogue CG or DNR agent, and any problems that I ever had with them I’ve created for myself. Don’t blame them for doing their job. If you have a problem, it goes way up the chain of command. Life is easier if you cooperate, be polite, and don’t break the law.
Capt. Larry Teuton
912-six55-5674
lteuton at aol dot com“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
I don’t recall anyone saying that we should be rude or speak disrespectfully to anyone. Your assuming because we don’t agree with them pulling people over for no reason that we automatically become loud mouth jerks. Quite the contrary. There are polite ways to tell people no.
I DONT THINK IF YOU TELL THEM NO IT WILL WORK OUT TO WELL JUST SAYING
If the Coast Guard or DNR wants to board your boat, no matter how polite you tell them no, it won’t stop them from doing it. Easier to cooperate. Their job is to check for illegal fish and they don’t know how many you might have stuffed in your (not personal your, just general) anchor locker or somewhere else without looking in there. If you have nothing to hide, what’s the problem?
I’ve had a few tickets in my younger years and paid a few fines, but they always caught me fair and square. That’s my fault, not theirs.
I had a good friend for many years who was a GA DNR officer. I always kept his boat running in top shape, and he would still try to chase me down in the river at night if he thought I was dragging for shrimp.
I’ve fixed his boat a half dozen times, he’s wrote me a half dozen tickets over the years, none recently, both of us just doing our jobs. He is retired now and we are still friends 
We never had a cross word. If he caught me I’d laugh and say good job. He didn’t often catch me. I’ve changed my ways though and don’t need to run anymore.
Capt. Larry Teuton
912-six55-5674
lteuton at aol dot com
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
I’m happy that most have encountered respectful and good officers, but it is a FACT that there are the bad apples. This is why there is a North Charleston police officer in jail awaiting a murder trial. When I am detained , I do not answer entrapment questions like - “do you know how fast you were going?”. I politely but firmly state that I want to remain silent, and that I do not consent to searches. On the water I have attempted to refuse consent to a search , and the CG officer handed me a card with a note about their authority, and proceeded to search. As I stated earlier, I served too. ALL the men I served with were subject to making the ultimate sacrifice. I don’t respect one service branch over another.
After reading all the posts, I basically agree with Chicken. Two summers ago my brother and I were stopped by the CG in the harbor in mid-afternoon on the way back from a 7-gaffer mahi trolling trip. Three tired, sunned kids were sleeping in the bow of my Scout 245 and we had clearly had it for the day. A crew of four came alongside and informed me they were boarding my vessel. I made room (cleared away food, towels, tackle, etc) and two came aboard (packing my rig, by the way). The lead crew member was very aggressive and woke the kids as me asked for all safety gear and permits/registrations. I had everything in order. I also briefed him I had a pistol and my CWP. His partner proceeded to empty my gun, placing the mag and rounds in a separate backpack from my gun. He asked the kids for the fish size/limits, which my daughter knew. He then gave me a lecture on how to use my EPIRB, (which I was not required to have, but had on board anyway), he felt it was important since during his last boat check, the Captain did not know how to use it! He then asked to see my HMS stamp because I had mahi on board. Enough already! I had been agreeable, polite, and so on, but as you know I did not need the stamp for mahi. He called back to shore and verified I was right, then apologized because his crew was from Miami and rules are different there… they left my boat and took off. All this was compounded because we had just been boarded by DNR two days earlier and I showed the CG my “receipt” from that boarding, which could have sufficed.
I too am a veteran of military service and a DAV. There should have been some more common sense used in my case. A small 245 CC returning from off shore with three sunburned kids is not running contraband or a hull full of ARS. A cursory check would have been sufficient. They overstepped their necessary bounds in my opinion… they should not have the right without some sort of probable cause…
I attempted to politely decline a search by DNR, but it didn’t work out. They boarded anyway, then they were on a mission to find anything they could.
They wasted my time and made a mess on deck.
I know they are just doing a job, but it doesn’t seem right that they can search and detain anyone they want whenever they want without probable cause.
I have not had a harsh word for any of them, but since I take my boat to areas that are less populated at times that are unusual, it makes me a common target for law enforcement on the water. In the winter it seems that I get boarded almost every week.
I’m just tired of the hassle more than anything… even though the “receipt” from the last visit usually satisfies them. If I need help, I pay my towing and taxes, and have all my safety devices on board, and then some.
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Originally posted by FeartheTurtleAfter reading all the posts, I basically agree with Chicken. Two summers ago my brother and I were stopped by the CG in the harbor in mid-afternoon on the way back from a 7-gaffer mahi trolling trip. Three tired, sunned kids were sleeping in the bow of my Scout 245 and we had clearly had it for the day. A crew of four came alongside and informed me they were boarding my vessel. I made room (cleared away food, towels, tackle, etc) and two came aboard (packing my rig, by the way). The lead crew member was very aggressive and woke the kids as me asked for all safety gear and permits/registrations. I had everything in order. I also briefed him I had a pistol and my CWP. His partner proceeded to empty my gun, placing the mag and rounds in a separate backpack from my gun. He asked the kids for the fish size/limits, which my daughter knew. He then gave me a lecture on how to use my EPIRB, (which I was not required to have, but had on board anyway), he felt it was important since during his last boat check, the Captain did not know how to use it! He then asked to see my HMS stamp because I had mahi on board. Enough already! I had been agreeable, polite, and so on, but as you know I did not need the stamp for mahi. He called back to shore and verified I was right, then apologized because his crew was from Miami and rules are different there… they left my boat and took off. All this was compounded because we had just been boarded by DNR two days earlier and I showed the CG my “receipt” from that boarding, which could have sufficed.
I too am a veteran of military service and a DAV. There should have been some more common sense used in my case. A small 245 CC returning from off shore with three sunburned kids is not running contraband or a hull full of ARS. A cursory check would have been sufficient. They overstepped their necessar
To reiterate my earlier post: I have not had an unpleasant experience with the Coast Guard. In fact, I have always held them and what they do in highest regard. That used to be the case with DNR, particularly those officers working inland. Those I’ve dealt with along the coast seem to be a different breed, and I have dealt with three or four " bad apples " personally, all of whom have had to back down. My complaint is not so much with the individual DNR officers, though, but with the management who has provided the hired guns to NOAA to enforce federal rules ( not laws ) that are unfounded and unreasonable. DNR should be over-riding the Feds instead of working for them and their anti- fishing bribers. As Phin says " follow the money".
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there Is always the chance of one of them going overboard and giving you a hard time for no reason.
I’ve never seen it happen myself, but if it does, it’s still probably best to cooperate fully and let the court decide.
Capt. Larry Teuton
912-six55-5674
lteuton at aol dot com
“Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made.” -Robert N. Rose
I was checked last year by the CG. We were 50 miles offshore wahoo fishing. I saw the cutter make a bee line for me from offshore. About the time they stopped to unload the zodiac, a wahoo smoked the way back. The CG crew loaded up on the boat. I just knew that they were gonna come over while we were still fighting the fish. But they didn’t. They waited until we gaffed the fish and then came boat side. They were polite and did their safety check. We talked about the fish but they never looked in the box.
I personally didn’t have a problem with them checking me. They are out there protecting our arses and I’m glad they are there.
“BlueWater Fishing Team”
2004 Cape Horn 31
twin yamaha F300’s
Cape Horn 24OS Sold
twin 150 Optimax
This topic has had quite a few opinions on both sides of the fence. I understand no one wants their boat boarded by anyone they dont invite. But these men and women are doing their job, you know the one they volunteered for. You know the one most people dont want to give up their freedoms to do. I myself have been stopped on more than one occasion and never complained. On one trip out I let them look at my boat at the ramp and they found a safety issue which if on the water would have cost me a ticket. They helped me take care of it at no cost so I could get on the water and enjoy the day. So let them do their job so you can enjoy your time on the water knowing you are safe and know the CG is close if needed
thanks to the CG and all they do. I wasn’t aware they are involved or do they care about your catch (never asked me and I’ve been boarded a few times) anyway Marsh sounds very angry like someone pissed in his cornflakes. hope you never need there assistance.
230 Tidewater 250 Yamaha
NikkiB
Larry:
I couldn’t agree with you more.
In sixty years of operating boats in both the Atlantic & Pacific oceans, I have always welcomed the USCG aboard at any time. Even had weapons on board on some occasions. Had all required paperwork too. While there are too many laws, too many regulations (many I don’t agree with) ignorance, or willful disobedience is never an excuse. Nor is hostility. The USCG, in every encounter I have had ALWAYS was polite, respectful, and following the rules. To expect anything less from me (in whatever vessel I was operating) would be wrong.
My worst case was 80 miles offshore the Southern California coast trying to dive a dangerous (weather exposed) reef. During the first dive, a forty knot wind blew up. We recovered all the divers and were proceeding to shelter behind an island about thirty miles away. Then Mr. Murphy struck - you know the guy - he wrote “Murphy’s law”. Anyway, we blew a water pump on our Cummins engine. Seas, which were calm when we started were now running about 15 feet. Had everyone put on emergency vests, called the USCG. By the time they got there, seas were running about 18 to 25’. We were were starting to take on water. Helicopter arrived first. They lowered a pump to take care of the water. About an hour and a half later a cutter arrived. Everything was focused on safety of our passengers, crew and vessel. Fortunately by the time the cutter arrived we had changed out the water pump and were underway again.
Despite everything that happened (and the paperwork later to explain what happened), I never saw a more beautiful sight than the orange & white USCG helicopter & cutter.
Period.
illigitimi non-carborundum . . .
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I never saw a more beautiful sight than the orange & white USCG helicopter & cutter.Period.
</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”>Ain’t that the truth!
Capt. Larry Teuton
Swamp Worshiper
They are welcome to come aboard my boat anytime…keepin us safe!
the other part of the story:
they boarded the other boat out there and checked them out for a long while. turns out the guy had a missing pie plate on one of his motor wells and water was gushing in. they sent him back to shore.
what happens if they did not send him in, and the bilge pumps gave out? now i am putting myself and crew in danger to rescue this irresponsible boater.
i had no problems with them coming to check my boat, as i found that one of my spare extinguishers had lsot pressure and needs to be replaced.