Boat owners say they were fearful during Coast Guard search

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

[LonePalm]

Does that mean that they can search boats docked in Chicago any time they please? Does it also include land-locked bodies of water?

Yes and it's a very good thing.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[Rodney King]

When Jones showed them the bilge, the officers repeatedly, and with increasing forcefulness, demanded to know if there were other accesses to the bilge.

What they were looking for is drugs. If they find them, they just take your boat.

[MarineBrat]

"To me it reeks of Nazi Germany and the death squads in Argentina," he said. "I don't want my name on their list."

Holy flying balls of dung beetle dung! Another melodramatic wuss gets his sword polished by the MSM!

[freeeee]

Fire everyone in command.

I try to do exactly that every election day.

[surely_you_jest]

The Founding Fathers would be appalled. Why aren't we?

[paul51]

How about disarming our police too.

I'd say that's a good idea if they start busting into homes with M16's to perform 'safety' inspections.

[GodBlessUSA]

I'm only hearing the one side to this story in this article. I wonder how cooperative these people really were. Coast Guard does Board Vessels. They also have to deal with smart alec people who drink/partying and are not cooperative on holiday weekends. If they were out of line, they should be reprimanded but this news story alone, does not have proof enough to make that conclusion.</p>

[Rodney King]

They also have to deal with smart alec people who drink/partying and are not cooperative on holiday weekends.

True, but part of the negative reception that people give to the coast guard is that they feel violated because they have no idea that the coast guard can just board your boat any time they feel like it. People in America tend to think that you need a warrant or probable cause for a search.

Your average American citizen would never have voted to allow the water nazi's a blank exception to the constitution.

[Rodney King]

bump

[tet68]

The great lakes are not landlocked but are navigatible
waters.

[GladesGuru]

The 'Gestapo' aura is well known to upper level officers. One of them talked with me at some length about the growing attitude problem of some of his subordinates whom he called "Water Nazis".

The term was his, not mine. But it was something I would agree with.

Far too many of America's police forces, and waaay too many agency persons authorized to carry a gun, seem to have a "Rambo" mentality instead of the traditional police force serving the citizens of America.

[Lurker]

I'm not defending their actions, but on the water the Coast Guard has a different set of rules.

It's just one more reason not to own a boat.

L

[freeeee]

I wonder how cooperative these people really were.

Yeah really. I mean the nerve of a lowly American citizen to take offense at an nighttime armed bording.

Private property rights? 4th Amendment? Ptthhhh. They're the United States Coast Guard and they'll do whatever the hell they like!

What do these people think this is anyway? A free country?

[veracious]

Admirality law may be allowable on the seas. Can someone speak about this? Seems like inland lakes aren't open for non-civil (admirality law).

I suspect this may be pretty legal, since it was coastal water. It would only be lawful elsewhere under War Powers Act, which is my current believe/hope the current Patriot Act and current police state behavior stems from.

My legal understanding is that even War Powers are constitutional (since they are stated in the US Constitution), but must be limited to two years...

[R. Scott]

A “safety inspection” conducted at 10:30 PM is a bit out of line – in fact, way out of line.

[Jack Black]

Moss landing? Monterey Bay? You'd have to have been there to know what a joke this really is. There is NO commercial shipping anywhere in Moneterey Bay. Moss Landing is the ultimate little dinky nothing of a harbor. There is probably not anything worthy of national security concerns anywhere in Monterey. Clint Eastwood's private golf course? The old cannery now a gallery filled mall?

Unfortunately while you might demand a warrent if it were your house the JBTs want to search you won't get far on a boat with that request, as the one guy found out.

[andyk]

The great lakes are not landlocked but are navigatible waters.

Yep. That's why I asked about Chicago first, and then landlocked bodies. The Chicago example was intended to show the extreme of what the open search policy means. If you've ever seen the harbors in Chicago, it's a lot of boats. It amazes me that any and all of them are subject to search at any time.

[freeeee]

It's just one more reason not to own a boat.

We're Americans, dammit. We're not supposed to be afraid to do anything. That's why this place is supposed to be better than Pisswater, Central America.

This is one more reason alright. A reason to get real angry come election day.

Barring that, its a good reason to point your boat at the horizon and not look back.

[The_Media_never_lie]

The Coast Guard personnel are required by regulations to be armed when boarding. Imagine the consequences of boarding a smuggler's boat unarmed.

The Coast Guard has the right to board any vessel, anytime and that is unfortunately needed. There are some bad people out there who import bad things. It's unfortunate that good mariners have to be subjected to unnecessary searches.

If the CG personnel were disrespectful or discourteous that's one thing. However, most are highly professional and just doing a job. The weapons were no doubt holstered and not presented in any threatening manner.

My first thought is, why is this person crying so?

[Rodney King]

This is one more reason alright. A reason to get real angry come election day.

We did that in 1994,2000, 2002, and 2004. Things got worse, not better.