Boarded by the Coast Guard

Sailing Log, Friday, 6/13/2014

 

This is the tenth summer I’ve had a boat. 

Last night was the first time I’ve ever had the Coast Guard come aboard. 

My four kids and I were headed back to the dock from a nice Friday night sail; the sun was between the clouds and the horizon, so there was a nice orange glow in the sky.  Michele, my wife, was at a dinner party so it was just our kids and I out on the boat.

On our way back into the Inner Harbor, as we passed the Little Rock, I noticed a small Coast Guard boat head in our direction.  As we motored slowly toward the City Ship Canal, it passed us, turned around and came up on our portside stern quarter.  Two Coastguardsmen stood on the rail of the powerful boat as it approached.

 

"Have you been boarded by the Coast Guard this season?" one of them called out to me. 

After I answered no, he said, "Permission to board your vessel?"

I didn't think I had a choice.

After they asked me the best spot on the boat to come aboard, the helmsman steered his boat directly against ours.  The Coast Guard boat’s hull is wrapped in a rubber bumper, which allows the helmsman to drive up and basically rub against the hull of our boat without damaging it. 

My 14-year-old daughter looked frightened, the same look she had when I was pulled over for speeding in 2006 coming back from my sister's house in Dayton.  

My 12-year-old son came bounding up the companionway steps to tell me something, when he saw the two guys with guns at their sides; he stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes wide. 

Their sisters continued playing and laughing below, unaware that we were just boarded. 

The men explained that they were doing a safety check, I could keep heading to our dock and they’ll be off quickly.  I thought it was nice that one of them asked me if it was “OK” that he step down into the cockpit of our boat.  Very polite.

The two went to work, asked for my license, whether I had enough life vests on board for everyone, where my flares were, looked for my fire extinguishers, other life equipment, went below and checked the engine compartment, etc. 

During the whole time, I wasn’t nervous, but I wasn’t totally calm inside, either.  I wasn’t sure what would happen if they found something amiss, and I was pretty sure I was fully compliant with the safety equipment and rules, but there is still the uncertainty….

As we headed down the Ship canal, I knew I was in for a difficult docking since the wind was coming from a direction I wasn’t used to. I was hoping they were planning on staying until we docked.  But after about 10 minutes, they were done, thanked me for my time, hailed their boat over, and jumped off.