Yep, that would suck. It happened more often during the Reagan "zero tolerance" days. Usually the USCG were pretty decent, it was Customs who were the aholes with the drills.
But what can you do about it? Personally, I "say sir." It ain't worth my boat getting drilled and dismantled.
Now, if I did "say sir," and they wrecked my boat....my pride and joy....all bets might be off. Nuff said.
Oh, absolutely. Respect flows both ways once someone offers it. Although I have to admit, at my age, I sometimes have a hard time saying "Sir" to someone young enough to be my grandson d;^)
I've been on the phone today with my buddy from Key West with the Hylas 51.
Winds were 100-110 and he was aboard and had her cross springed and bow and stern lined every which a way and chained to two 14 inch creosote pilings which subsequently snapped and set her partially adrift tangled in flotsam and lines in Florida bay.
He expects damage at 25-50K to masts, rigging and deck and trim and paint etc
he said he's gpoing to fix it all with the insurance and sell her and move back to Maryland to work for his dad.
he's done.
i am hearing from bankers and real estate folks here that they are getting a lot of calls from folks in FL, MS, AL and LA coastal areas that are done for and are looking for the country squire life in middle TN with a nice little horse farm or the like within 100 miles of Nashville...middle aged folks with some cash that are burned out on evacs, downed trees, insurance hikes, no power for weeks etc.