My Aquasport got pulled over today!

[Glock Diver]

Thank you, kind Broward County deputy who let this guy off with a warning!  

Yes, had my first run-in with the marine patrol today.  Also my first time launching my boat on the East Coast of Florida, where apparently they have much more stringent rules than over here on the Gulf Coast. Seems that the 4 boats in front of me on the ICWW did not catch the cop's attention when they were cruising through about 15 knots, but somehow I grabbed his attention!  I pleaded ignorance, played the rookie card, and I was off with just a warning.  

After reviewing my license and registration, he did a cursory safety inspection and we were on our way.  (after he wrote down my name in his little book). But all in all, he was pretty decent about it.  He was probably expecting to see beer cans occupying my cup holders (which is normally the case), but today was about scuba diving, so no booze.  Kinda glad, that might have been the clincher to get a warning instead of a ticket!


So, anyone else care to share stories of run-ins with marine patrol/USCG?

[wingtime]

only time I was pulled I was going too fast in a no wake zone.  Doing that will almost guarantee you will get pulled.  I talked my way out of it too buy saying I did not see the no wake sign from where I had entered the inlet.  Which was true since they only had one sign and you could enter the inlet from the north and not see the sign.  I didn't say that i KNEW it was a no wake zone!   Yeah and they will always check for your proper safety gear and registration.

[bumpster]

I could tell you about the night a buddy and I were stopped and I was asked to walk a straight line on the deck of MR Indian Creek A hole cops boat in 2-4 ft chop in Biscayne bay. Or the night I was told I was not allowed to anchor my boat in front of a bridge that was not even a navagable bridge. Low flat bridge with no clearance.

[seagate]

I was comming in one night and saw a marine patrol boat so being friendly aquasport guy I waved at the cop and after about a 100 yards I was being pulled over. Safety check was what he said and registration I think he is not use to nice people.I still wave everytime I see a sea cop wheather they like it or not.

[RickK]

I got pulled over in the 170 recently and warned about going too fast in one of our many idle zones - I was going 6 mph!! They said my boat was pushing a wave and that's not allowed - so I slowed it down to 4 and was ok.  

[Circle Hooked]

Back in 97 when i first got my boat me my wife and son who was just one at the time drove in the boat to fish the dock lights around Venice with plans on anchoring off snake island for the night,well about midnight we were heading for the island to call it a night when i decided to poke my nose out the pass,we get just beyond the jetty and it was choppy so i turned around,didn't want to wake my son up.

I'm idling trough the pass and out of nowhere i hear captain pull your vessel over at the Crows nest which is a marina/restaurant,so I'm looking around and can't see a boat anywhere and the i hear it again so i head over there and its all lite up as usual,i get along side the dock and out of the dark comes a blacked out inflatable with a m60 or something like that mounted on a tourate on the bow with a guy pointing it at us.

They tie up along side of us,gun now pointed at me,tell us there the Coast Guard and start asking what we were doing,why i went out the pass and turned around and so on,we told them we had been fishing and about camping out and everything,and by this time the other officer on the boat was boarding mine,they said they were going to search the boat,that i was under suspicion of running drugs,the officer behind the gun wants my registration and drivers license.

So i reach over to hand it to him and the officer on my boat starts searching,divide us up i guess,he goes through the hatches and cooler and starts making his way to the cabin and ask my wife to pull my sons diaper off to check that,that's when my wife goes OFF,my son is still asleep in there,she lets him have it tells him no he's not and if he wakes my son up he's gonna stay on board till he gets my son to go back to sleep.

Well i guess they figured they had the wrong people because then they asked to see life jackets which i said were in the cabin,he poked in there again and saw my son asleep with his on and said that was good enough,he got back in his boat,the other officer hands me my license and then my registration but drops it in the water,i reach and grab my net to get it and he turns the gun on me again and tells me to drop it.

The other officer fills out a safety check form and hands it to me,tells us to have a good night,they leave us and after i couple minutes of what the F just happened we were off to find my registration which we found floating a good hundred yards away,then i just wanted to get out of there so we went back to Sarasota got the boat on the trailer and got home about 4:30am,if i didn't go through it i would have a hard time believing it,still think about it every time I'm fishing down there.

Sorry for the long story.

[Asport-Rog]

Wow, what a nightmare Circlehook, that's really messed up!

[John Jones]

I was boarded by the CG once in '02 right in the middle of Tampa Bay.  Very nice and professional other than the boat handling.  I forget the name of the cutter but it was based at Sand Key at the time.  The yahoo driving smacked the side of my brand new Key West with about 10 hours on it.  The ranking guy yelled at him and made two of the crewmen sit on the gunwale of the cutter using their feet and fenders to hold the boats apart.  

I have been waved down by Manatee County and Holmes Beach marine patrols but just a quick chat and they were gone.  Looking for drunks I suspect.  

Then we get to the FWC.  I have only been stopped twice by the FWC in the 10 years I have been here.  Once was 40+ miles offshore in their huge catamaran the feds helped pay for.  (Yes, NOAA has deputized all FWC guys to help enforce federal fisheries regulations.)  Those two guys were very friendly, asked us to open the fish box, chatted about their new boat, then zoomed off.  They never boarded or did a safety check.  The other time with the FWC was down south in Estero Bay in '03 maybe.  It was January and <50 degrees out.  SHE was very snotty and arrogant.  Full safety and registration check.  She could not find anything to write up so she chastised me because my fire extinguisher gauge was at the "low end of the green zone" and I needed to get a new one.    

Just in case she is reading this I want her to know that I still don't like her fat azz.   :P

[gran398]

Dammit, I HATE how they pick on citizens. All of these stories bear this out, but CH, yours takes the cake. Trust me, that Coastie kid wants nothing more to do with our she-wolf bearing young....good for her!!

Can you believe the gubmit turns loose eighteen year olds with 50 cal. Browning machine guns....in the interest of public safety?...I know it has its place....but the ICW on a Sunday afternoon isn't a good fit.

Around here, Wrightsville Beach, NC....if you go under the drawbridge on the weekend....(the noose) you're getting pulled over. Four different options....US Coast Guard...NC Wildlife Enforcement....County Sheriff...or WB Marine PoPo....they have a contest, meet later on, and compare notes. They have a shared interest in bikinis.

Easiest option is to avoid them....I quit going to WB on Saturdays and Sundays years ago.

As GF would say...see ya on the water....

Tuesday morning.

 

[gran398]

Just in case she is reading this I want her to know that I still don't like her fat azz.  


hiya fat azz...just in case you're reading....we don't like you.

 

[Glock Diver]

She could not find anything to write up so she chastised me because my fire extinguisher gauge was at the "low end of the green zone" and I needed to get a new one.    

Just in case she is reading this I want her to know that I still don't like her fat azz.   :P

And if she's reading this, I bet you still have that same fire extinguisher, with its full charge in the Green!   :P

[wingtime]

Thats all we need is a FWC officer with PMS.    

[John Jones]

And if she's reading this, I bet you still have that same fire extinguisher, with its full charge in the Green!   :P

 
Yep.  Same fire ext. after seven years.  
Actually I did change it out just a couple of months ago just because the bottom is pretty corroded and I did not want it dumping itself in the boat but it is still in the green.

My wife is a year or two past it now but a female riding topless in the boat WILL get you at least a quick safety check.  ;)

[pete]

If JJ don't like her,then I don't like her either!!!So there,fat azz FWC lady!!!!WE ALL DON'T LIKE YOU

[housedocter]

Our 215 Osprey is moored at the local Moose Yacht Club.  A few years ago,  one of the cabin cruisers caught on fire there. Thank GOD they got it put out before it could do any heavy damage to the surrounding boats;  just minor stuff.  Ever since that time, to keep your boat moored there,  every boat must have a Coast Guard inspection.   Auxillary CG personnel comes down and checks out whatever boat that is requesting them to do so.  It doesn't cost anything and it only takes about 15 minutes tops.  You get a sticker to put on your side windshield and away they go.  This is done every year and believe me,  it works.  Local marine police patrols and or the Coast Guard will pass right by your boat and check one that is not displaying a valid sticker. They have also come directly to my house and performed the inspection with the boat on the trailer in my back yard.  Give it a try.