Coasties targeting Friday Harbor?

Doryman · Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 2:31 am Post subject: Coasties targeting Friday Harbor?

Someone posted (5/29) on the Trawlers list the following:

Kent Richmond

Why don't you just get a free vessel inspection and decal and then not worry about where the coasties might or might not be. Plus, it's just plain good practice.
Kent
Coast Guard Auxiliary
Flotilla 08-01
Bayfield, WI

Doryman · Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 10:42 pm Post subject:

I actually do have a vessel inspection sticker.

Warren

20dauntless · Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 10:52 pm Post subject:

I stopped by Friday Harbor a few hours ago and there were no coasties around. Not crowded at the marina, either.

Pat Anderson · Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 11:10 pm Post subject:

I was a guest on SeaDNA on the Saturday of the Friday Harbor CBGT. We were boarded by the CG almost as soon as we had left the harbor. I do not think that having a Vessel Safety Check sticker would have mattered, I think there were going to board no matter what. But having the Vessel Safety Check sticker is of course a good thing anyway.

rogerbum · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 12:18 am Post subject:

dave · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 12:54 am Post subject:

I had my inspection done two weeks ago. The only thing I forgot was my first aid kit. It is always nice to have the sticker.
BTW, I went right out and bought a nice one.

Capn Jack · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 1:13 am Post subject: Safety Checks

I think safety is all well and good, but it takes a couple of Novocain suppositories to get over being stopped and "Checked", on a sloppy day, when you are towing a large dingy. Sad

Where were they when the jerk went by my house today with 3 young girls on the bow of his boat, with their legs hanging over, no bow rail, no life jackets.... Evil or Very Mad

Dene · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 1:30 am Post subject: Re: Safety Checks

ffheap · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 4:20 am Post subject:

Hi Folks,

Getting a FREE INSPECTION from either the USPS or the USCGAUX makes good sense. Before I put my boat in the water every year, I give myself an inspection. (I am a USCGAux OPFAC so I have another decal.) Then I have no worry.

As for thw three girls on the bow, legs dangling, and no life jackets, you are doing the girls a service by getting on Channel 16. I did it once in Nantucket and the boat slowed down and the kids got off the bow. The boat operator heard my call. Same result.

Fred

matt_unique · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 9:53 am Post subject: Inspection

toyman · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:31 am Post subject:

Selection of the fittest....

Capn Jack · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 10:54 am Post subject: Re: Safety Checks

Da Nag · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 1:26 pm Post subject:

Tortuga · Posted: Sun May 31, 2009 2:01 pm Post subject:

Incompetence on the water is a problem everywhere -- highlighted by the unnecessary and tragic loss of life caused by horribly bad judgement in the NFL players incident in Florida (capsizing offshore due to trying to pull an anchor from the stern).

Yesterday as I was underway from Ventura to Prisoners Cove (Santa Cruz Is) a boat was hailing the coast guard in panic due to water "coming into the boat". He was 2 miles off Ventura Harbor with 4 people on board. After several minutes of both the local harbor patrol and the CG calmy walking the skipper through location, PFDs, hot water or cold, etc., the guy on the boat says,"oh... it seems to be from spray coming over the side." He advised the CG that he would return to port.

When I taught sailing years ago in Berkeley we started with 2 basic rules of seamanship: keep the water out of the boat, and keep the people in the boat (or at least afloat). Anything the CG can do to help people stay safe in spite of their own stupidity is OK by me. And, I admit to having been reminded once or twice of my own stupidity by people with flashing blue lights.

FYI -- if anyone is wondering what the Coast Guard is checking for in safety inspections:

Vessel Safety Check Form:
http://forms.cgaux.org/archive/a7012.pdf

Online Safety Check:
http://uscgboating.org/safety/vsc/vsc_a.html

And, something I happened across from http://www.gulffishing.com/USCG_2_Boarding.html:

What to Expect When Stopped by the Coast Guard...
By Joseph J. Carro
United States Coast Guard Boating Safety Division

"Our mission at the U.S. Coast Guard is to save lives, so the sight of flashing blue lights and a U.S. Coast Guard patrol vessel pulling alongside is no reason for boat owners to panic. The Coast Guard conducts nearly 70,000 boardings a year in its multiple roles of enforcing maritime law, conducting search and rescue operations, promoting boating safety, preventing damage to marine environments, and helping to defend the nation's borders. Our motto is Semper Paratus - "Always Ready." The more time a boater spends on the water, the more likely he or she will have the pleasure of a Coast Guard boarding.

Most often, the decision to board is based on the activity, the location, and, in some circumstances, obvious violations such as operating at night without navigation lights, or improper display of registration numbers. To help us decide, we usually ask a series of pre-boarding questions; for example: What was the vessel's last port of call and next port of call? How many persons are aboard? What is the purpose of your voyage?

If we decide to board, consider it an important opportunity to learn something new about safety equipment and safe boating practices. Typically, a uniformed Coast Guard Boarding Team of two to four boarding officers will come aboard, introduce themselves, and state the reason for the boarding. The officer in charge will ask if you have any weapons aboard and conduct an initial safety inspection to identify any obvious safety hazards and to verify the general seaworthiness of your vessel.

The officer will then ask to see the boat's registration or other documentation and proceed to a more detailed inspection of your vessel's required safety equipment - life jackets, fire extinguishers, flares, etc. You should know that we check every aspect of each item on our list. For example, with life jackets - the item most frequently cited for violations - we check to see if you have them aboard, in good and serviceable condition, Coast Guard-approved, properly stowed, and the correct size for the intended wearers.

When the boarding inspection is complete the Officer will provide you with a copy of the Report of Boarding, noting any discrepancies related to your vessel. You will receive either a yellow copy, if no discrepancies were noted, or a white copy, if there were. A white copy indicates a warning or a Notice of Violation, and the Boarding Officer will explain the procedures you will need to follow. The procedures are also written on the reverse of the form you receive. If you have any questions, ask the Boarding Officer before the team departs.

The Coast Guard would like to see all vessels in compliance, and safely operated. If you're uncertain about the safety requirements for your particular vessel, one way to make sure you're in compliance is to schedule a Vessel Safety Check (VSC), offered free through a program cosponsored by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and United States Power Squadrons. Log on to www.safetyseal.net or contact a Coast Guard Auxiliary member at your local marina. Qualified examiners will come to your vessel and inspect it for all the required equipment. Those vessels that pass will be issued a VSC decal indicating a successful check. Vessel Safety Check examiners do not issue citations, so if you don't pass it's an opportunity to correct the problem before being stopped by a Coast Guard patrol vessel.

Avoiding a citation should be easy: obey the rules of navigation, ensure that your boat is properly registered and marked, and keep and maintain required safety equipment.

And remember, drowning is the number one cause of boating fatalities, and the most preventable. So wear those life jackets, don't just carry them."